Our Solution Prefigured: Conquest

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Chris. I oversee community groups here at Watermark, and it's great to see so many of you this morning.

How do you define success? What is it to be successful? I've got a few pictures up here. Here is Mr. Li Ka-Shing.

Is he a successful man? What about the next one? Here is Steve Jobs. Incredible visionary, creative talent. Was he successful in his life?

Here is Mother Teresa, poured out a life for many, many people, served the poor in India. Was she a success?

Here are my parents. Were they a success? You don't have to answer that question.

Okay, we all have different views of what it means to be successful in our lives.

And we're looking through God's story, and it's a story about what it means to be successful in life.

So we've looked at, and if we can have a look at the icons, we've looked so far in this story about how God has created us.

He's the ruler. He's the king. He's created us in his image to be like him, to enjoy relationship with him,

enjoy relationship with each other, and to be people who go out and fill the world with his goodness and with his love.

We also saw how in the story, we decided that actually we didn't want to be living in obedience to God's word.

We didn't want to do that. We wanted to run life our way.

And what happened is we said, we want to be the boss. We don't want to do things your way.

And what happens is things begin to break down. Relationship with God breaks down.

Relationship with others begins to break down. There's fear. There's hurt. There's shame.

There's all these things which begin to make life crumble apart.

And just as things have been getting bad, just as things have been getting bad,

the people are not really living as God's people.

The people are not living under God's rule.

The people are not living as a blessing to other people.

Then God comes and promises to Abraham three things.

He says, I'm going to recreate what I've already started.

I'm going to recreate a people in my image.

You're going to have a people.

He says to Abraham, you're going to have a land, a place that I'm going to put you in.

He says, I'm going to give you blessing.

And blessing which is going to go out to all the nations.

And so we've seen how God has taken the people out of slavery, through the Passover.

Passover. He's taken them into giving them his law,

which was meant to be a place where the people had his word

so they could be obedient to him, to enjoy his blessings,

to enjoy relationship with him, to learn how to love him first, love others.

And now he's going to bring them into the land that he's promised them.

So that's where we got to in the story so far.

The only problem so far has been God's wanted to take the people into the land.

And 40 years previous to where we are in this story,

he took them to the land.

The people of Israel said, the land looks amazing,

but there are some big people there.

We're scared. We don't want to go in.

So God, send us back to slavery in Egypt because it's much better there.

And 40 years later, all of that generation has died out except two people,

Joshua and Caleb.

So that's where we come to this story.

And we're going to look at this story because it's an amazing story.

I think it's a great story.

We're going to look at it about the commission, the mission, our plans, and God's plans.

Okay?

The commission, the mission, our plans, God's plans.

So let's kind of get into the story a little bit.

So it starts off, this passage, after the death of Moses.

And he comes to Joshua.

God says to Joshua,

Moses, my servant is dead.

Now you go into the land that I am giving to you.

Now, I don't know if you've thought about this,

but Moses, and in the previous chapter of Deuteronomy, it says,

Moses was a prophet like nobody else.

He saw God.

He met with God face to face.

He was someone who did incredible signs and wonders.

He was the man who was the most successful leader ever in the history of Israel.

In fact, he was the only leader.

But that's beside the point,

because he was someone who everybody looked up to.

And now he's dead.

And Joshua, who's been his little assistant walking alongside him,

it's his turn now.

And God tells him,

you're going to do something that even Moses couldn't do.

Imagine how Joshua's feeling at this point.

A little bit of fear.

A little bit of intrepidation.

A little bit of,

ooh, I'm not sure about that.

And so God has to tell Joshua three times,

be strong and courageous.

Be strong and courageous.

Be strong and courageous.

In fact, Moses has already told him,

because it seems like he hasn't quite got the message.

And God reassures Joshua in this moment.

He says, listen, I know this task seems so big for you,

but you know what?

I'm giving you this land.

I'm giving you the land.

It's a gift from me.

It's my land.

I'm giving it to you.

Because you may feel overwhelmed,

but realize that I'm the one who gives

and wants to bless you generously with what is mine.

So it's a bit like,

I'm giving you,

this is my house.

This is my land.

I'm giving you,

I've got the title deeds.

I'm giving it to you.

All I'm asking you to do is go and move into my house.

That's what he's saying.

And then he says,

he's reassuring him again by saying,

also,

what's going to make you successful

is the fact,

not of your great abilities,

not of your great adequacy,

not of your great career record,

because it's not looking too good at the moment,

but actually,

what's going to make you successful

is that I am with you

and you need to get into my word,

you need to meditate on it,

you need to soak in it,

and you need to obey it.

Because when you do that,

when you put me first,

you know what?

You will be successful.

You will be successful.

I will not leave you.

I will not forsake you

because I'm in this.

It's not about your adequacy.

It's about me.

In fact,

your success is not even really

just about the mission that I've got you on.

That's important,

but that's not the main thing.

That's not ultimate success.

The main success is not measured in your achievements,

but it's measured in your relationship.

God doesn't measure your success

in how much you've managed to get done.

He's measuring it in terms of your obedience

and your relationship with him.

So if you remember,

last week,

God showed us that what he wanted for his people

was to be a people who loved him

and loved others,

who were distinctive in the way they did relationships.

And who really honored him.

So let me just ask the question to you.

What is success for you?

What is it that if you were to look on your gravestone,

at the end of your life,

you would want to be known for?

Because God makes it very clear to Joshua

that he is to be known as somebody

who was God's man,

who was a man who loved, followed God.

That's the commission.

So now let's get in a bit more

into the juicy details of the story,

because this story is amazing.

And we're going to have a go and look in chapter two,

because we're going to look at the actual mission.

And I love this bit,

because Joshua takes this commission

and he comes up with a strategy

for entering into the land.

He kind of goes on a little bit of a recce mission

to see where the lie of the land is,

to see who the people are,

and to work out where the weak points of the land is.

And so they come to Jericho.

And if you've got a,

there's a picture, I think, of Jericho here.

Tobin took this picture while he was on.

It doesn't look the most exciting place,

but there was plenty of things to go and see.

So they go out on this mission,

two budding kind of little James Bonds, you know.

They're off there on their Occupy Canaan mission.

And let's call these little spies Dan and Ben.

Okay?

So Dan and Ben are coming along into the city

and, you know, heart pounding

because they're going right into enemy territory,

behind enemy lines.

And they come in,

and they come into the city

and they think they've got in unnoticed.

They slip into a local inn just at the beginning.

And you can see them kind of high-fiving each other.

Yeah, we made it.

We got it.

Okay?

And they get into this little place,

which seems to them a little bit seedy.

Okay?

A little bit on the dodgy side.

But these were kind of naive, young Jewish boys,

so they're not used to seeing the bright lights of the city.

And the owner seems just a little bit over-friendly.

Okay?

They're not sure what she's after,

but, you know, their genitals pumping,

and they're thinking everything's going fine.

Now, if you actually read the story carefully,

and if you read it in the Hebrews where it looks,

the spies are less like James Bond

and are more like Austin Powers or Johnny English,

because the whole thing is quite comical,

the way it's written.

I mean, think about it.

They're completely incompetent,

because they've just walked in.

They've only been there a few hours,

and already the king knows everything about them.

He knows where they are,

what they're doing,

and which house they're staying at.

That's not a good spy.

Okay?

Okay?

Then, if that's not enough,

where have they walked into but the local brothel?

Okay?

And for some naive Jewish boys,

who are meant to be the holy people of God,

representing him,

it's all getting just a little bit racy.

There's a few distractions going on here.

Okay?

And just as the boys maybe seem to be getting on

rather too well with Rahab at this point,

there's a knock on the door.

And the king's representatives come there and say,

excuse me,

there are some guys who've come,

and they're our vicious enemies,

and they've come to search out and steal our land.

We know they're in there.

Bring them out.

Everything seems lost for this Israeli Jewish boys.

Their spying career seems like it's coming

to a very abrupt end.

End.

But then Rahab comes along,

and she's obviously a pretty savvy woman.

She comes to these actually rather clueless kingsmen

and says three blatant lies.

I mean, these are big whoppers.

I mean, she says,

the men came to me,

and I didn't know where they were from.

Okay?

Being a prostitute,

you can only imagine what she's actually saying.

She's actually implying,

they did some business with me.

They went away.

They were satisfied.

Okay?

They left the city.

I don't know where they are.

And then she says,

you better run after them quickly.

And she says,

they went that way.

Okay?

And these clueless guys are like,

oh.

Okay?

And you see them running off into the distance,

out through the gates,

and then the gates are slammed shut,

and they're locked out for the night.

And the enemies are locked in.

Isn't it crazy?

And if that's not enough,

you see,

the spies are upstairs,

you know,

looking really macho,

lying under a load of grass or something,

trying to hide them,

probably, like,

poking in their ears,

trying not to sneeze

while the conversation is going on down below.

And they're wondering,

man,

what have we got ourselves into?

This Rahab person,

what is she going to give us away?

What's going on here?

They have no clue what is going on.

Everything seems lost.

And yet,

God has planned

a pagan prostitute

to be the means

that God is going to bring about

his purposes and plans.

It's incredible.

And if you think about this story,

we've got to kind of...

The story's not really

what you might call

a good Christian story

because

there's a part in it

where there's lies going on.

And some people have said,

in this story,

Rahab lies,

that means it's okay

for Christians to lie.

Okay?

Because she does.

God seems to not mind

too much about it.

Is it okay for people to lie?

Well,

I'm not going to go into much detail,

but I think

if you think about it,

here's just a couple of thoughts.

When we lie,

our lies are mostly

about saving ourselves,

advancing ourselves,

making ourselves look good

so we can get something

out of the situation.

Rahab lies,

and she's saving others,

and she's putting herself

on the line.

Because, you know,

if the king finds out

what Rahab has done,

do you know what's going to happen to her?

Now,

she's going to be dead.

She is willing

to sacrifice her life

for theirs

because she's seen

something about God

which is different.

Now,

could she possibly

have avoided lying?

Maybe.

But remember who she is?

She's a rough woman

who is a messy character,

and she does the only thing

she knows how to do

in a life-or-death situation.

And she chooses

to honor God,

the God of the Israelites,

more than saving her own skin.

And this is incredible.

I mean,

look at verse 9 and 11.

This is just quite extraordinary.

Rahab says,

Think about the scene.

These guys,

they're just lying

under some grass,

heart pounding,

okay,

looking a complete wreck,

and she's saying,

everybody's melting away

before you.

Something supernatural

is going on

because I don't think

anyone else

will be melting away

before them.

And she says,

Your God,

the Lord,

is the God

of the heavens

and the earth.

Rahab is a pagan Canaanite.

Remember,

pagan,

at those times,

they had lots

of different gods.

They had the gods

of the storms,

gods of fertility,

gods of marriage,

gods of war.

They had every kind

of god you could imagine,

okay?

And your purpose

as a follower

of the religion

was to make sure

you appeased,

make sure you were loyal

to these gods

because if you weren't,

they might kind of

strike you down.

If you were,

if you managed

to get their favor

like we talked about

last week,

then they might get blessing.

But she's actually

being disloyal

to her gods

and she's saying,

I know your god

is more powerful,

stronger,

mightier,

greater than any

of my gods.

And think even further

about who this woman is.

Rahab is an outcast

in society.

She's the lowest

of the low.

She appears to be unmarried.

No husband is mentioned.

No children are mentioned

when she talks about

who she wants to save.

And in a woman

where your honor

came through having

your children,

she had none.

in a place

where the women

would look at her profession

and would scorn her

and the men

would look at her

and they were probably

her clients

and they would think

she was good

just for one thing.

God looked at her

and saw

something bigger

and greater.

He wanted

to save

and reach out

and work

in Rahab's life.

All the others

are under

his judgment

and she knows

that she would be

under God's judgment

as well

and she turns

to God

and she strikes

a deal.

She says,

if I put this cord

in a window,

when you guys

come back

because I know

God's given you

this land,

when I come back

this will be a sign

that you're going

to save me.

That just like,

remember,

at Passover

the blood,

as Celeste said earlier,

was the protection

that when God saw it

they were safe.

So when the Israelites

were going to see

this cord,

the whole of that family

was going to be saved,

protected from death.

And the story's amazing

because the spies

managed to get home

and do you know

what they say?

In spite of their incompetence,

in spite of their

everything seeming

to go wrong,

God has actually

brought them

to the right house,

he's got them

the right information

and he's even

increased their faith

that God

is at work

and God is going

to give them

the land.

They were fearful

but it takes

a pagan prostitute

to encourage them

to trust in their God.

Would you have

planned that?

Would you have

planned that?

Because God's

great plan as well

was to bring Rahab

into his family.

An outcast

is welcomed in.

She lives

and dwells

with the people

of God.

God's

God's

I'd never

have planned that.

I don't think

Joshua

and the spies

would ever

have planned that.

But

when we make

our plans,

generally they're

often centered

around making us

more comfortable.

Maybe getting us,

making us look

competent,

making us look

capable,

making us look

as if we're

we can do it

by ourselves.

But when God

does his plans,

do you know

who gets the glory?

It's God

because he's

the one who's

made to look

more infinitely

wise,

greater,

stronger,

more glorious.

His plans

are so much

bigger and he

invites us

to be part

of his plan

and to fall

more in love

with him

as you see

how he works.

He doesn't work

the way we work.

That's the mission.

It's an extraordinary

story, isn't it?

Who would have

thought it?

So we thought

about the commission

that God told

Joshua to go in

and to trust him,

to obey him.

We've looked at

the mission

and how everything

seemed to go wrong.

Now let's think

about our plans

for a minute.

I think in Hong Kong

this is a place

where we love

making plans.

You know,

we make plans

for our financial

security.

We make plans

for our investments.

We make plans

for our children.

We make plans

for our vacations.

We make plans

for our career

development.

We're always

making plans.

Big plans,

little plans.

Everything has

to be planned.

Now Joshua

made plans.

God told him

to go into the land

but he didn't give him

detailed instructions

on how to do it.

So he's there.

He thinks,

okay,

I'm using my best

military tactics.

I'm going to plan

to go in.

But the thing

is,

with the plans,

God didn't have

a problem

with them

making plans.

God doesn't have

a problem

with us

making plans.

But what was

the primary goal

of their plans

is the essential thing.

You see,

at every different

stage of life,

it's really interesting,

every different

stage of life,

you'll have

different plans

and a different view

of what you think

success is for you

at that moment.

We recently had

a two-year-old

staying with us

and success for her,

the thing which

all her plans

revolved around

were getting

a frozen pencil

from Disneyland.

This was her

great life's work

that if she could

get some piece

of merchandise

which showed

somebody looking

more like a

Swedish pop star

than anything else,

if she could get

this,

then her life

was complete.

I look at this

a little bit

cynically,

thinking,

this is just

a tactic

to guilt parents

into lining

the pockets

of rich companies,

but I had

to let it go.

And

the thing was,

when she

didn't manage

to get the pencil

or her parents

said,

no,

you can't play

with that now,

all hell

let loose.

It was like

the end of the world

was happening.

Life was collapsing

all around her.

But you know now,

I don't know how many

of you think

that that was a really

significant thing

to get worried about.

Because as you get older,

perspective changes.

And actually,

you work through

every single different

stage of your life

and as you look back,

you get a different

perspective on what

is really important

and significant

in your life.

And you know,

that frozen pencil,

I think it's fine.

I mean,

it can be important

for her.

It's creative.

I mean,

it can help her

maybe develop

some skills

of writing

or something.

But in the grand

scheme of things,

it's secondary.

It's not primary.

It's not the most

important thing.

And for us,

if you think about

the plans that you

are making in your life,

what are the things

that you consider

to be ultimate

at the moment?

It may be short term,

it may be long term,

it may be just getting

your to-do list done

this week.

It may be getting a spouse,

it may be booking a holiday,

it could be anything,

but those things

can sometimes become

the center of our world.

And if you were to take

God's perspective,

perspective,

which is actually

far bigger than ours,

he might look at it

and say,

important,

but not primary,

not ultimate,

not the most

significant thing.

Because you think

what happens

when you don't get

what you want,

when your plans

don't quite work out.

Because your reaction

will show you

whether something

is primary or secondary.

You know,

when you are frustrated,

when you're getting

impatient with people,

when you're having

critical words

towards other people

because they're not

doing what you want

them to do,

that may be showing

you something

about whether

you're trusting

in things which are

secondary or ultimate.

Because God wants us

to put him

as ultimate,

to put growing

in faith

like God did

with the spies

as ultimate,

to put our character,

the way we reflect

and image him

in our lives

as ultimate,

to put loving him,

loving others

as ultimate.

Everything else,

important though it may be,

is secondary.

And many of us

are stressed

over things

which are actually,

you know,

health,

education,

holidays,

getting work done.

And we come to

church service

on a Sunday

and we're stressed

out from everything

which has gone wrong

in the week

and then we say,

God,

bless my plans

this week

because my world

is out of control.

And maybe God

might say to us,

stop trying to fit me

into your plans

and maybe start

trying to think about

how do I

fit into God's plans?

because the problem is

if you

try

and make your plans

ultimate,

do you know what happens?

Three things happen.

One,

we mess up

our own plans.

You know,

the spies,

they were

completely incompetent.

They bungled

everything.

They got everything

wrong.

And we can live

under delusions

that if I am

competent enough,

if I just do

this path,

if I just manage

to succeed

in my plan,

get my kids

to grow up

to be like Einstein,

be wise enough

to get my right choices

for my career move,

then I'll be successful.

And it's big things

and little things.

This week,

Friday,

I was going off

to teach at

Mayfoo.

I'd prepared

this amazing lesson.

All the resources

prepared.

The whole lesson

was based around

certain resources

and so I left

and I was at

Prince Edward

on the MTR

and suddenly

I realized something.

I'd forgotten

all the resources

that I planned.

My whole lesson

was based on

these things.

And at that moment,

I was thinking,

I have three hours

with 16 students

and I'm just going

to have to talk

at them

because I've got nothing.

I'm going to have

to wing it

because, you see,

I make my plans

but, you know,

I mess up my plans.

And if it's not you

who mess them up,

then you can be guaranteed

somebody else

is going to mess them up.

You know,

think about the story.

Somebody told the king.

Who was that little snitch

who went to the king

and told him?

Wouldn't the whole

of the story

have been so much

less stressful

if they hadn't

told the king?

They could have

just walked in,

merely done a little

look around,

taken a few pictures

and then gone away.

It would have been fine.

But God wasn't

working like that.

You know,

I have this all the time.

Big things,

little things.

I was going into

the supermarket

the other day.

I was in a hurry.

I had two minutes.

I knew what I wanted.

I went straight to get it,

straight to the checkout.

Just before I reached

the checkout,

a lady came in front of me

who seemed she had been

shopping,

ready for Armageddon

to come

because she had produced

everything in the whole store.

So here I am.

I'm in a hurry.

I've got to get to a meeting.

And so she slowly

starts putting the things

on the little conveyor belt.

Time just stands still

for a little while.

And as I think

she's beginning to get through

the next three years' supply,

then the lady,

the cashier,

suddenly finds

the barcode

doesn't work.

At that moment,

instead of being

a sensible person

looking at the barcode,

typing it in,

she decides

that she'd like

to have a conversation

about this

with every other employee

in the whole shop.

Twelve hours later,

she arrives back

with me fuming,

okay,

my heart was not at peace.

And she,

then the lady

in front of me

says to her,

actually,

I don't think

I'll take it.

I'll leave it.

You see,

if you want

to make plans,

if you don't mess them up,

somebody else

will mess them up

for you.

And if it's not that,

then circumstances

will mess the things up.

You know,

the spies,

they're trapped

on the roof,

lying under this

kind of grass,

like sticking out

of their ears,

and they can't get on

with any spying.

Think about it,

when they go back

to Joshua,

what are they going to say?

Hey, Josh,

you know,

we had a few problems,

there wasn't a great view,

but we'll just go back tomorrow,

do a few street interviews,

and just get a bit for you.

The circumstances

were not looking good.

And we can have circumstances,

health problems,

the economic climate,

all kinds of things

can come in

and can mess up your plans.

We can,

other people can,

circumstances can.

But do you know what?

I think,

ultimately,

behind many of those things,

actually,

God sometimes

wants to mess up

our plans.

Because,

I don't think

we want to

think about that,

but because

as you realize

how you react

when your plans

are messed up,

it begins to show you

what you've really

been trusting in,

what you've really

made ultimate.

And what God

wants to do

is he wants

to expose

your heart to you

to show you

that maybe

you're living

for something,

that when you look

back at the end

of your life

in full perspective,

you're going to say,

actually,

that wasn't

really worth it.

That actually,

when you look back

at your plans,

maybe they were

just so narrow

like this,

and that God

had something

so much bigger

that he was

wanting to do.

How are you

fitting into

God's plans?

And maybe

think about this,

how are your plans

and what stops you

from loving people

as God's plan

calls us to,

to trusting him

as God's plan

calls you to,

that stops you

maybe noticing

the people around you?

Because you know,

when you're stressed,

in that situation,

in the supermarket,

I was not thinking

loving thoughts

towards other people.

Because you actually

get so wrapped up

with yourself

that you actually

lose sight

of everything else.

Society will tell you

success is found

in certain things.

It will tell you,

look at someone like

Li Ka-Shing

or Steve Jobs,

and they'll say,

earning that much money,

being that creative,

being that visionary,

that is success.

And you know,

they'll write books

about it.

You know,

people who become

successful,

they always write a book

about how they

became successful.

Do you notice that?

And they say,

this is how you

should do it.

You know,

there's even a book,

Steve Jobs,

for kids.

Okay?

You can go out

and buy it.

You can, okay,

your life's kids

will be amazing

afterwards.

Because we look

at people

with those kind

of talents

and those things,

and we say,

that is success.

Society

applauds.

But in God's eyes,

is that success?

Did he use

his amazing talents

for the glory of God?

Did people look at him

and say,

wow,

that is a testimony

to how good God is?

I don't know

Steve Jobs' heart,

but I do know

that many of the people

in our society

that we say success,

God,

in his perspective,

which is so much

bigger than us,

says,

failed.

Says,

you missed it.

You lived for something

which was that big

when I wanted you

to live for something

that was that big.

God may be messing up

some of your plans

at the moment

because he actually

wants you

to live

a truly,

lastingly,

successful life.

Not just getting

your frozen pencil,

whatever that is

for you

right at the moment.

But he wants

to be able to say,

when you're on

your deathbed

and you look back

and you have trusted him

and you have obeyed him,

he wants you to say,

he wants to say to you,

well done,

good,

faithful,

servant.

You trusted me.

You look to love me.

You look to love

the people around you.

In your messiness,

you're not perfect.

That,

in God's eyes,

is success.

So that's how

our plans work.

God's plan,

we've said it's

so much bigger.

Well, let's think about

how God's plan is.

Just look at the mission.

It seemed to go wrong,

but God was doing

something bigger.

What was God doing?

Joshua and the spies

thought they were

just taking the land.

But God

wanted to rescue

an outcast prostitute

and bring her

and her family

into

his family.

And more than that,

he was wanting

to fulfill

the promise,

remember,

that he'd made

to Abraham,

the promise that

blessing would go

to all the nations.

Well, this is the beginning

of a microcosm

of how God

is doing that.

And you might even say,

well, what about

all the other people?

God's judgment

came.

That's the bad news.

That's the hard part

of the Bible message.

The people of Jericho's

sin had grown so bad,

God had waited

500 years.

You look,

Genesis 15,

God says,

they're not ready yet.

Their sin is not bad enough.

But he's waited

500 years

for them to repent,

and they haven't.

And sin brings death.

Same with Adam and Eve,

same with Passover.

But where there is

deserved judgment,

there is undeserved grace.

And the question,

I don't know why God

sometimes does

the things he does,

but when I would look

in a bigger perspective,

and I don't have that yet,

I think my question

would be not

why does he judge

some people,

but it would be more,

why does he save

some people?

Because would you

have planned

for an outcast prostitute

to come into

your community group?

Would you have chosen

that as your plan,

your technique,

your strategy?

Would you see

the people that no one

else in the society

sees?

Probably we wouldn't,

but God does.

And part of living

in God's plan

is to begin

to get his heart

and to see the people

that he sees.

People in your office,

people in your workplace,

wherever he has placed you,

God has people

that he wants

to reach out to

and save.

And if we're so wrapped up

in our plans,

do you know what?

We may miss out

on being part

of what he's up to,

which is so much bigger.

I remember two years ago,

I got a Facebook message

from a name

that I didn't recognize.

And he said,

Hi, Chris.

And I was feeling

a bit suspicious

at that moment.

And he said,

Do you remember me?

And I had to write back

and say,

No,

I have no clue

who you are at all.

And he said,

Do you remember

ten years ago?

And I can't remember

five minutes ago,

so that was

a stupid question.

He said,

Do you remember

ten years ago?

Like,

I met you once

and you walked,

you just took me

to a dinner,

a lunch or something

at some of your friend's house.

And he said,

You've probably forgotten.

You said some things to me

and do you know what?

That was the beginning

of me starting a journey

of coming to Christ.

I'd forgotten

the guy completely.

I didn't have a clue

what was going on.

All I'd done

was just try and

I saw someone there

on their own

and God began

to do something

in his life

which even if he'd never

sent me the Facebook message,

I would never have known.

But that's the kind

of God we have

who has such a bigger perspective

that we may not

have a clue

what we're doing,

but if we're walking

in obedience to him,

he will multiply

exponentially

what you do.

And it gets

even bigger than this.

The story,

if you go to

Matthew chapter 1,

Matthew 1 · chapter mention

it's a genealogy

of Jesus,

probably the bits

that you skip over.

Read that one.

It's the best genealogy

in the Bible

because do you know

who Jesus'

great, great, great, great,

great, great, great, great, great,

great, great, great,

something grandmother

was?

Rahab.

God was working

something 1,500 years later

that not even Joshua

knew was going on,

that he was going

to use Rahab

to bring blessing

to these people

and he was going

to use that story

to bring about salvation

through Jesus

to each one of you here.

Any of you Jews here?

Maybe there's a few.

Fantastic.

Great.

Most of us

are not Jews.

God was working

something to take

the Jewish people,

to take Jesus,

to take Rahab

and to take this story

and he wanted

to multiply it

so that you

and you

and you

would come

into relationship

with himself.

Would you have planned that?

If you're following

just your own little plans,

they're going

to be that big.

You follow God's plans,

that plans

which,

you know,

sometimes

when everything

in the world

seems to be going

absolutely wrong,

do you know

it's going

absolutely right

in God's eyes?

You know,

you may think

that the things

that are happening

in your life

are out of control

but there's not been

one second

in the whole

of history

which have been

out of control

in God's plans

because God

and when we

meet with him

face to face

we will look back

from his vantage point

and we'll say

why did you allow

that to happen?

Why did you allow

that woman

in the supermarket

to be there?

Why did you allow

all those things

sometimes to be

taken away from me?

Why did you allow

this and that

and that

and that

and then you'll

be able to see

wow,

you were doing

something so much

greater

because you're

that kind of God.

That's why

he calls us

who are just like

those bungling spies

who are just like

Rahab

who are not adequate

who are not competent

who even though

we think we are

are deluded in that

and yet

he wants to come

into our life

in the same way

and use you.

so the question is

what are the little

frozen pencils

that you're holding

on to at the moment?

Do you want to live

for something

so much bigger

than just your plans?

Those plans are good

maybe

but maybe they're secondary

if you put

what God wants

and remember

what his heart is

his heart

is for you

to trust him

for you

to have a relationship

with him

for you

to respond

even in the chaos

by saying

I don't know

what you're doing God

but I trust you

and if you begin

to see that

he wants you

to open your eyes

to see the people

around you

how you can love them

how you can reach out

to the outsiders

that nobody else

wants to reach out to

do you know what?

You'll look back

and you will not

have wasted your life.

God will say

well done

good faithful servant

because

I will get the glory

from your life

and he's so much

more worthy

than we

as bungling spies

are.

Let's pray.

Father forgive me

forgive us

where we

we do get

so wrapped up

in so many things

we get wrapped up

in

just the things

of life

which happen

we think

that our plans

are going to bring

us security

for the future

we think

that our plans

are going to give us

security for the present

we think

that we can

make everything

happen

and Lord

we strive

after success

in so many

different things

and yet

we so often

fail to see

Lord

I so often

fail to see

that you want

me to trust you

that you want

to open my eyes

to see

the people around me

things which

maybe the society

will not say

that that's glorious

but you will say

that is beautiful

Father

as you said

to Joshua

you told him

to keep

remembering your word

keep meditating

on it Lord

because your word

is what will bring

us perspective

Lord I pray

help us as your people

to be a people

who know your word

who love your word

who actually want

to just

saturate ourselves

in it

to obey

what you call us

to do

whatever you're

calling us

to do

right now

because we know

that you have

something so much

greater

even though

we're so tempted

to find success

everybody else

tells us

that this is

where life

is found

Lord help us

to remember

that you're

greater

you're beautiful

thank you

for saving us

thank you

you didn't just

save us

to be

left on the

sidelines

of history

but you saved

us to invite

us in

to what you're

up to

in history

let us

be a church

which we know

we are here

for such a time

as this

we are here

not by accident

but by your

plan

to be a light

in this city

to be a light

in our office

to be a light

in our families

please give us

the strength

help us

to be courageous

and strong

in obeying

whatever you're

calling us to do

we love you

you're amazing

amen