Desert Living vs Promised Land Living | Lessons from Joshua | Wednesday Prayer Service

There's a big, gigantic difference between living in the desert versus living in the promised land, and that's what I want to lean into for just a moment.

And I want to show you that there's about six differences between living in the desert and living in the promised land that we have to get a hold of if we're going to move forward in the journey of faith and fulfill God's promises for our lives.

So I want to do something new tonight.

We've never done this before.

As we read God's Word, I want us to pray a congregational prayer together.

I want you to pray this with me as we prepare to receive.

Let me guys think God's word is holy and it's worth reverence.

This isn't just something that we haphazardly read, but this is the word of God, written from him to us to know how to do life his way.

So will you just read this prayer, will you vocalize it with me tonight as we open God's word On the count of three?

One, two, three.

God of every blessing, as I meditate on your word, would you prune my priorities, refine my character and realign my desires, shape my life so that I may clearly resemble my king and more sincerely live for his kingdom?

Let me guys receive that tonight.

Deuteronomy 29, verse 5.

Deuteronomy 29:5

Some of the last words of Moses to the children of Israel while they're still in the desert.

He says this during the 40 years that I led you through the wilderness, through the desert listen to this.

Your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet.

Pause there for a second.

Did you just read that?

40 years, your shoes did not wear out.

That's better than Nike.

Your clothes did not wear out.

You ate no bread or drank no wine or other fermented drink.

Why did they not have to eat bread or anything?

Because they had manna.

Every day.

Every day, god showered down manna from heaven and he fed them.

Now, remember this is desert living.

For the 40 years, desert living.

Everybody say desert living.

God provided shoes that didn't wear out, clothes that didn't wear out, and he supernaturally provided food for your life.

Every morning, man, I just rained down.

I'm thankful for the provision of God in my life, but I want to pause you.

I want to caution you.

Remember this is desert living.

Are we destined for the desert or are we destined for the promised land?

We're destined for the desert or are we destined for the promised land?

We're destined for the promised land.

I'm thankful for provision in the desert, but this is desert living.

Are you guys hearing me tonight?

This isn't God's desire, this isn't his best.

This is desert living and I'm thankful for the provision in the desert.

But God doesn't want us to stay in the desert.

That's not His desire and that's not His best.

But if we're not real careful, that's where we'll want to live.

We'll want to live in the desert, where God just supernaturally does everything for us, that he just supernaturally feeds us every day, that he supernaturally gives us things that never wear out.

But that's not God's best.

That's desert living.

Joshua, chapter 5.

Joshua 5 · chapter mention

Turn with me there, joshua, chapter 5.

Joshua 5 · chapter mention

Turn with me there.

God begins to show them what promised land living looks like.

Promised land living in Joshua, chapter 5, verse 10.

Joshua 5:10

They're at the threshold, they're getting ready to go to Jericho.

But before they go to Jericho, joshua, chapter 5, verse 10,.

Joshua 5:10

And listen to verse grain.

So you hear this.

So now they're in the promised land and they're eating of the fruit of the land verse 12,.

And the manna stopped.

The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land.

There was no longer any manna for the Israelites.

But that year they ate the produce of Canaan.

So while they're in the desert, get this.

God says your shoes are not going to wear out, your clothes are not going to wear out.

You don't need multiple pairs, you just need one.

I'm going to make sure that it lasts and, by the way, I'm going to feed you every day with manna from heaven.

But as soon as they stepped into the promised land everybody say promised land the manna dried up.

There was now no longer manna and it doesn't say it here but their shoes began to wear out and their clothes began to wear out.

If I'm following the Lord, I'm asking him what's wrong?

Anybody else following me?

You've, for the last 40 years, have been providing everything and nothing's wore out.

And the moment that I step into the promised land, the place that you want me to be, all of a sudden your provision just dried up and all the things that weren't wearing out began to wear out.

What's wrong?

God's trying to paint a picture for us that desert living isn't promised land living, and we've got to get a vision of promised land living.

And the vision is they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain.

They ate from the food of the land.

They ate of the produce of Canaan.

Let's break this down.

I want to give you six differences.

Six differences between desert living and promised land living.

Here's difference number one is how God provides.

The provision in the desert is different than the provision in the promised land.

The provision in the desert was manna, but provision in the promised land is harvest.

What's the difference?

What's the difference?

Well, in the desert, I'm hand to mouth.

The Bible says manna came down every day.

They went out and they collected enough for the day so that they could eat, and that's all they could have.

You only, in the desert, have enough for one day.

It's hand to mouth.

But when you move into the promised land and you have harvest, no longer do you live hand to mouth.

But when you move into the promised land and you have harvest, no longer do you live hand to mouth, no longer are you worried about is there going to be manna tomorrow?

I wonder if it's going to keep coming down tomorrow.

Now we have harvest and we have the ability to live beyond tomorrow, because manna is just about today and I don't know about tomorrow.

But all of a sudden, when I begin to plant and I begin to harvest, I begin let me say it this way you begin to build wealth that's beyond the day.

You begin to have provision that is weeks and months and years in advance.

It's incredible different living advance.

It's incredible different living.

Manna is I've got enough for today, but harvest is.

I'm able to build barns, I'm able to leave a legacy and I'm able to meet other people's needs.

That is harvest.

Harvest is now I've got enough, not just for me, but I got enough for you.

And you've got enough not just for you, but I've got enough for you.

And you've got enough not just for you, but now you've got enough to share with somebody else.

That's kingdom living, isn't it?

Now I have the ability to build barns and store up for future generations.

Proverbs says that a righteous man leaves an inheritance for his children's children.

See, that's promised land living.

We need to let the desert go by and get a vision of promised land living.

This living beyond the day, it's living for eternity.

That's the difference that we have to get a hold of Provision is completely different between the desert and the promised land.

Another difference is in identity.

Everybody say identity.

In the desert they were slaves, but in the promised land they were conquerors, all throughout the 40 years that the children of Israel lived and walked through the desert.

Do you know what their continual complaint was?

Take us back to Egypt.

Take us back to Egypt.

Take us back to Egypt.

Take us back to Egypt.

Take us back to the place where we had meat in pots.

Take us back to the place where we had brick homes and we're not having to live in tents.

Take us back to that.

Never mind, you were a slave In the desert, we have a slave mentality, but when we move to the promised land, we are now conquerors, and more than conquerors in Christ Jesus.

It's the reason that God told Joshua be strong and exceedingly courageous, because where you're going, I'm going to give you every place that you plant your foot.

Your territory is going to be wide and it's going to be expansive, and you're going to inhabit the promises that I have for your.

You're going to be free in every way.

See, there's a huge difference between desert living and promised land.

Desert living I have a slave mentality, but in promised land, I'm a conqueror for the king Huge, huge.

I already know I ain't going to get through all of this.

Tonight, church, we are called to be warriors and conquerors for Jesus.

Ephesians chapter 6 says we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and rulers in dark places that have come to kill, steal and destroy.

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

Can I tell you, the kingdom of God suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

We have to learn how to be conquerors rather than just.

You know, the devil attacked me again.

How about we put him on the run rather than him putting us on the run?

Total different mentality between the desert and the promised land.

Leadership is different.

Leadership between Moses and Joshua was vastly different between the desert and the promised land.

In the desert, moses led them as a gentle shepherd, guiding them patiently through their immaturity.

But when they got to the promised land, joshua led them as warriors, calling them to take action and to claim their inheritance.

Be strong, he said, and exceedingly courageous Go, take the land.

Can I tell you tonight?

I've been talking about this all year thus far.

I know that's not very long, we're only in February, but there's a territory that God has for your life.

There's a promised land that he has that he wants you to inhabit.

You won't inhabit it accidentally.

Matthew, chapter 11, verse 12.

Matthew 11:12

The kingdom of God suffereth violence and the violent, take it by force.

If we're going to inhabit the promised land of our lives spiritually, then we have to learn how to take it like the children of Israel did physically.

Y'all following me tonight.

Here's a fourth difference it's through guidance.

How does God guide differently between the desert and the promised land?

In the desert, he guided by a cloud and by fire.

In the promised land, they were guided by God's word.

See, in the desert there was a cloud by day and a fire by night, and they didn't have to think.

They didn't have to do anything, they just had to watch the cloud.

And if the cloud moved, then they moved.

If the cloud settled, then they settled.

There really was very little responsibility that they had or relationship they had with the cloud.

They just wherever the cloud went is where they went.

But when you move to the promised land, the Bible says the cloud lifted and it went away and they were left with God's word that he had given them in the desert and said now let my word be your way.

The problem with that is I have a responsibility then, that I've got to get in the word to know the way.

Are y'all getting a picture of the difference between desert living and promised land living.

If I was going to sum it up, I've got a couple more.

But if I was going to sum it up, desert living is all God and, knowing me, I don't have any responsibility in it.

God's doing it all.

That's desert living, but that's not what God wants.

God wants mature sons and daughters that are willing to partner with him in the advancement of his kingdom, which means that I've got to take a responsibility in the journey.

It means that I've got to follow him and actively engage in following him and all that that tells.

So it's completely.

Here's the fifth difference is a mindset difference.

In the desert, we're focused on survival, but in the promised land we're focused on abundance.

Desert living they were just making it through every day.

I just want to make it through today.

I want to get enough manna for today.

I want to make sure the cloud doesn't move today.

I want to make sure that my tent is up today.

But when I get to the promised land, what did God tell them to do in the promised land?

He said build cities, plant vineyards, grow herds, multiply and inhabit fully the land that I have laid out, a land of milk and honey before you Now.

Go cultivate it, go plant it, go tend it and allow it to grow into an abundance that will far exceed your need for a day, or even your need for your family, that I'll give you so much that you have enough to share with others around you.

That's what God wants.

That's promised land living.

That requires for me to tend the flock, that requires me to build the city.

It requires me to plant the vineyard, it requires me to dig the well.

Are you following me tonight?

The last difference between desert living and promised land living is in relationships, and that difference is the difference between dependents and co-laborers.

See, in the desert we are completely dependent upon the Lord for everything.

But that's the desert.

That's not where he wants us to live.

If I'm going to survive, I need you to give manna every day.

If I'm going to make it, I need you to make sure my every day.

If I'm going to make it, I need you to make sure my shoes don't wear out because I don't have the opportunity to make any more.

I need you to make sure that my clothes don't rip and tear and disintegrate because I don't have the opportunity.

I'm completely dependent upon God's miracles to survive, and that's exciting and often that's where we want to live.

But that's not God's best.

No, god wants co-laborers, he wants partners.

He wants men and women of faith that are his ambassadors for him.

He wants people to partner with him to go build cities and to plant vineyards and to tend herds and to plant churches and to build believers and to make disciples.

He's looking for men and women to come along.

It's the call of Isaiah in Isaiah, chapter 6.

Isaiah 6 · chapter mention

Isaiah is beside himself because King Hezekiah has died.

And what now is the nation to do?

Because the good king has died and the vision that Isaiah has is of the Lord's throne in heaven.

And he hears a voice, and the voice of God says who will go for us?

Who will represent us?

Who will speak for us?

Who will represent us?

Who will speak for us?

Who will be our ambassador?

Who, who, who.

Who's going to partner with us?

So the world will know.

See, god's not looking for dependent babies.

He's looking for mature sons and daughters that will partner with him in the building of his kingdom.

But in order to do that, we have to have a mental shift away from the desert to the promised land.

Does this make sense to anybody.

How many of you guys would say I probably like the desert more than I would really like to admit?

Yeah, because God just does it all right.

Go all the way back to Genesis.

Go all the way back to Genesis.

What is Genesis?

What did God's command to Adam and Eve?

Take dominion, Rule the earth, fill it it, multiply upon it.

I want you to take this earth that I have created and I want you to tend it.

I want you to plan it, I want you to build it.

I'm looking for men and women that will partner with me in my kingdom mission.

I'm not looking for babies to provide all their needs for.

I'm looking for partners in the kingdom building project.

That's what God's.

That's a huge difference between desert living.

That really is somewhat exciting and sounds good on the surface, but it's not God's best.