Joshua: Moving Forward by Remembering Past Promises

Wednesday morning I had a Zoom chat with about 20 Marietta pastors and some different leaders in the community.

A surgeon from Pennistone he came on and he spoke to us as a group of pastors about what it means and what it might look like for churches at their own pace to reopen up.

What are those details?

What are those implications?

And so I learned a lot, lots of information there for us to take in and figure out how we're going to reopen, hopefully in the middle of June and what a phase one looks like.

And then the head of Must Ministries he presented and he talked about how during this shelter in place there has been an increase, an increase in domestic abuse, an increase in hunger, an increase in substance abuse.

And then different pastors shared and they went through when and how they're gonna reopen their churches and what it's gonna look like with social distance and mask and bathrooms and disinfecting.

I mean, I never knew I would learn so much about uh disinfecting and foggers, right?

I didn't learn that in seminary.

Who knew I was gonna learn it now?

And by the end of the hour, by the end of the hour, I was incredibly, incredibly informed.

And I was incredibly overwhelmed.

I mean, everything inside of me was just tight.

My chest was just tight.

And you you know what I'm talking about.

You have felt that on some level, this uncertainty of what and how it means to move forward and what decisions are good and what decisions are bad.

And am I being too lax?

Or am I being too strict?

We're all discovering battles we didn't know that we would ever face in our lives.

And what do we do when we have a battle, when we have that obstacle, that emotion, that problem, that thing we need to work through?

What do we do?

Do we fight all those battles on our own?

And this text today in Joshua 10, as crazy as this story reads to modern readers, this story tells us that we are not alone while we work through battles and that God is with us and he's for us.

So we're back in this Joshua story, this epic Old Testament story.

Israel is up in the mountains of Canaan, they've worked their way in, they've won some battles.

I'm always tempted to re-preach about God and war every time we come into a battle scene in the book of Joshua, but I did that back in Joshua too, so you can go back and listen to that.

At this point, Israel has won several battles.

They're up in the mountains, they have a good position.

They've partnered up with this other city-state named Gibeon.

They are a powerful force, and the king of Jerusalem knows it.

And so the king of Jerusalem, he goes to a bunch of other city-states, he goes to their kings, he says, Hey, we got to team up, we gotta form a team, we've got to form a big army so we can fight Israel and we can fight Gibeon that has come in partnership with Israel.

And this is the story we come into because the king of Jerusalem and all this big army he formed, they are going to take out Gibeon.

They're going after Gibeon.

So Gibeon goes to Joshua and says, Hey, Joshua, they're coming.

We partnered up.

Will you come?

Will you come and help us fight?

And so the story here, we jump in, Joshua 10, verse 8.

Joshua 10:8

And the Lord said to Joshua, Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands.

Not a man of them shall stand before you.

So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal, and the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by way of ascent of Bet-Horan, and struck them as far as Ezekiel and Makedah, and they fled before Israel while they were going down the ascent of Bet Haran.

The Lord threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Ezekiel, and they died.

There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

So point number one is this we fight present-day battles with promises already given to us.

So the battles that you're facing today, the obstacles, the emotions, the feelings, the problems.

We fight them, we process through them, we journey through them with promises already given to us.

God doesn't give Joshua a new promise here.

Actually, throughout this entire story, Joshua, God keeps promising him the same thing over and over again.

Joshua just needs to hear the same thing over and over again.

Don't be afraid.

I'm with you.

I've already won the victory for you.

God repeats that same good old news.

Don't fear.

Don't fear.

I keep finding this true in parenting.

I'm not the perfect parent.

Every once in a while I get a victory.

Usually, when I get a parenting victory, it comes off of something I've I've learned.

This week it came actually just straight out of this Joshua story.

Because one night this week I climbed up into my one of my daughters, the bunk bed up high, and it was bedtime, tuck her in, and I get up in there.

She had already been up in there.

I get up in there and I get next to her and I see she has glitter all over her face.

So, you know, she took a really productive bath.

That was good to see that we were monitoring that well.

And so she has glitter all over her face.

And I say, Oh, you you look so beautiful.

Look at all that glitter.

Oh, you look so lovely.

And she starts to cry, you know, great, I think, great.

You know, I'm doing a good job, Dad.

This is a great moment here at bedtime.

I thought I was gonna have this great moment.

She starts to cry and she says, Oh, oh, Dad, you know, I I got it's from the makeup kit, it's from my makeup kit, and I took my makeup kit.

I came in the house, I got the makeup kit, and I went outside to do makeup on sisters and neighbors, and I went to do the makeup, and I got out there, and the big sisters they just took the makeup kit and they started to do all the makeup, and I wanted to do the makeup, but I got my makeup done, but I want to do the makeup on sisters, I want to do the makeup on the neighbors, and it's this big, you know, they were crying, big moment, right?

This is devastating, devastating, devastating stuff.

But real, all right, like real.

Because she feels like she's been taken advantage of.

She feels like she wasn't heard by the people and her friends that mean the most to her.

Here's where this story actually helped me this week.

Because it would have been easy for me to go, like, oh, I'll get those sisters.

Like, you just wait, I'm gonna get them tomorrow.

And you know, that's how we're gonna solve this problem.

And I sort of just resisted, I just I resisted that and I just repeated, right?

And I go, oh, think about Joshua, think about how God's communicating with Joshua.

Just repeat the same old promise.

It's amazing how effective it is.

And you wouldn't think it would be such an effective way to parent, but it is.

And I just said, Oh, that sounds that sounds really sad, babe.

I'm sorry.

But I I I love you.

You know, mom and I we're we're for you and we are we are with you.

I mean, the problem the problem doesn't go away, you know, like the sisters are probably gonna like to steal that makeup kid tomorrow.

I mean, she's gonna have to deal with it with being one of the younger ones.

Just knowing that there is a secure love for you.

Changes everything.

Settled her down.

That's the thing we need to hear.

John 14, 26.

But the helper, the comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring you to remembrance all that I have said to you.

So the Holy Spirit's role is to teach us and remind us of that which has already been said and promised to us.

This is how Jesus is describing the Spirit of God that lives inside of us.

That Spirit of God that lives inside of you is there to teach you, remind you of the promises that Jesus has already promised to you.

The word remembrance in that verse 26.

That word is from the Greek word hypomesco, which means to remind and regather, right?

So you're reminding, you're regathering old truths, or to awaken the mind.

So the Spirit is awakening in you what is true about you.

Your identity in Jesus, your forgiveness, your absolution, your righteousness, your worth.

That the cross really is enough.

You don't have to keep performing, you don't have to escape, that God welcomes you and lavishes you with delight and love and acceptance.

Those are the promises we need to hear over and over again.

That's the life-changing stuff.

Back in this Joshua story in verse 11, it says that the God threw down those large stones.

In case you're wondering, I was wondering, I Googled it.

I was like, is that possible?

Like, are people dying of hail storms?

And so actually, yes, they do.

In the U.S., since the year 2000, so mind you, 20 years, four people have died in hailstones from hail.

And so that does happen.

I was curious, so now you know that.

That's that's there.

And then God hears Joshua's prayer in verse 12 for the sun to stand still.

Because Joshua wants to attack in the darkness, but he's traveling, he's traveling during the night, and so he's running out of daylight.

I mean, running out of nighttime, and daylight's gonna come, but he wants to attack there, and so morning is coming.

He needs more darkness, and so he prays for the sun to stand still.

Verse 13, the text says the sun stopped.

Now, that could be a natural miracle.

Very possible, not saying it's not, but the word stop is from the word damam, which means it can mean to be silent from shining.

And so some commentators say, yeah, it could be a natural miracle, but it could also mean that God miraculously, also still miraculously, mind you, that somebody prayed in a storm, cloud storms come in that are so thick that it keeps darkness.

And the Israelites could attack.

And Joshua's army goes on to demolish all of this southern region of Canaan.

And all the victories, just victory after victory, he goes through this Joshua tensions, just battle after battle, victory after victory.

They are all attributed to God.

And then we get to the key verse, verse 42, and Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time because, because the Lord, God of Israel, fought for Israel.

Point number two is this God is committed to be with us and to fight for us.

God is committed to be with us and to fight for us.

18 years ago, I was in seminary, and on Fridays I would I would go work out and then do all my seminary work all day.

And so I was up at the gym early that morning.

I know it doesn't look like it, but I actually did have some a little bit of muscles back then.

And I was on the bench press and I had 45-pound dumbbells.

Can you believe I had 45-pound dumbbells, right?

I mean, I couldn't even pick that up now, but I actually did.

I had 45-pound dumbbells, and I leaned back and I was pumping out my my, you know, doing my chest, getting my chest real big.

And before I kind of like lean up and kind of drop them, I look over and I see 110-pound dumbbells next to me, whoever this guy was.

110-pound dumbbells.

That's all I see at first.

I lean up, drop my little weenie 45-pound dumbbells, and I look over.

There is this man.

And he has perfect, his skin is perfect, first thing I notice.

I mean, and I notice he's about the size of like, there's like four of me.

Okay, so if you just take me and then like four, maybe six, maybe six, that's very possible.

And then I look, his biceps were the size of my head.

He's like the biggest man I've ever seen.

And then I notice he had he has on a tank top, and and he has this tattoo that's like over his chest and wraps up over his shoulder.

And I'm I'm like, you know, God, that's a depressive.

I'm a little scared.

We're right next to each other.

I look at his face, I kind of recognize the guy.

Not like I'm friends with him, but I'm like, I think I like I know him.

I can't place them though, like, but I kind of recognize him.

I'm thinking about, thinking about, you know, I leave, I drive home on my way home.

This is, mind you, it's 18 years ago.

I'm thinking about it, so I didn't just like pull it up on my phone.

I got to get home to Google it.

So finally I get home, you know, dial up the internet, and then I Google it and I try to figure out like big guy tattooed, like it takes me a little bit.

It was The Rock, is who it was.

I mean, this is my big, this is my big brush with fame.

I mean, like now he's a Hollywood action hero.

Back then he was a like a top wrestler, and he was there to wrestle.

And so we worked out together.

I like to say that.

That's the point of the story is that I worked out with The Rock, you know, 45 pounds and 110 pounds.

But here's the real point of the story, the greater point.

Is the entire time I was in the gym that morning, I felt more secure than any other ordinary morning.

Meaning this, if anything's going down in that gym, it's gonna be fine.

All I gotta do is fall right in behind the rock.

If anybody comes into that gym, they're gonna cause problems.

If there's a little ruckus, if anything's gonna happen, it's fine.

He is there.

I'm gonna be fine.

All I gotta do is just kind of be friendly with him and know if anything goes down, I'm tucking right in behind him and I will be fine because something changes.

Something changes when you know you have a fighting force with you.

Even if things are hard, just to know you have, just to know you have a fighting force for you.

So maybe you battle condemnation.

Maybe you battle self-righteousness or the judgment of like, oh, uh you know, oh, that they wear masks.

They're a they're a person who wears masks when they go to you know public.

So they don't wear masks, so I'll judge them or I'll judge other person.

You know, so maybe, maybe that's the new challenge of the day, is that judgment.

Perhaps shame is on a track inside of you, just replays.

Uncertainty and anxiety are certainly, it's certainly going to be new battles for us.

And the battles don't go away.

I'm not saying any of these battles will go away, but what I am saying, what the text is saying, is it's saying that God is for you and with you in the battle.

He doesn't leave us.

He isn't disappointed in you.

He welcomes your weakness as to give you strength.

And some of the battles are already taken care of.

Meaning, none of those anxieties, none of those fears, none of that sin, none of that shame actually defines the core of who you are because you are a child of God and the work of Christ Jesus.

Now, there are some gospel implications for this for our lives.

I think there's three.

Perhaps these fit into your life in some way.

Number one is this quiet your heart to hear the promises of God's love and presence to you.

Maybe you need to do that a little bit.

Maybe you're just rushing into the day, maybe you're just rushing from one thing to the next, one anxiety to the next.

You just need to quiet down, slow down to hear the promises what's already been promised to you of God's love and God's presence.

I wonder what you would hear.

Number two, you can move more confidently because the Holy Spirit of God lives in you.

You can begin to live more confidently.

Number three, you can repent quicker because you are secure.

You can repent quicker and love more deeply as faith expresses itself in love.

You can quiet your heart, you can move confidently, you can repent quicker, and you can love more deeply.

All week I kept returning to that word remember in John 14.

What promises do I need to remember?

What am I need to awaken to?

And I was led to Romans 8, 14 and 15, because the promise that God was giving to Joshua is, don't fear, don't fear, do not fear, do not fear.

I'm with you, do not fear.

Romans 8, 14 and 15.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons and daughters, sons and daughters of God, for you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, for you have received the spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by whom we cry, Abba Father.

Now it's not that we won't be afraid.

Don't hear that.

We will still be afraid at times.

It's just that that fear doesn't have to define us or bind us because we are at the core children of God, followers of Jesus, and God has promised, and we have it in the Holy Spirit to promise inside of us that He's with us and He's for us.

All of us woke up this morning.

And when you woke up, you you know you opened your eyes, and maybe you wake up quick, like my wife Christy does, or I wake up slow, takes me a while.

I'm a processor, any process to wake up.

And eventually I you know I wake up, I look around, and I have to remember.

When I wake up, I have to remember that this is the house I live in.

It's like I come out of a different world.

Oh, this is the house I live in.

You know, look over.

Hopefully, you're happy about the person you're next to.

I hope that for you, you remember where your phone is.

You remember you have three kids or two kids or no kids.

You remember your job or what you need to do that day.

You remember all, you awaken and you have to remember all these things.

We awaken over and over and over again.

We have to be reminded of what is real and what is true.

And the Spirit of God is in you.

Even now, the Spirit of God is in you, reminding you that you do not have to be a slave to fear.

You are a child of God.

So, my brothers and sisters, awaken.

Awaken.

God is with you and God is for you.

Let's pray together.

God, thank you for your grace and mercy to us that we have victory in Jesus, which means that our sin is taken care of.

There's no voice of condemnation from you to us.

That the enemies of condemnation and sin are taken care of and we are forever yours.

And while we will walk through this world with battles, battles of shame, battles of condemnation, battles of sin, battles of obstacles and feelings and emotions, none of that has to define us or enslave us, but we process through it with you as you are for us and you are with us.

Thank you for the promise of the Spirit that is in us, that we are your children, and that we get to call you Abba Father.

That you are faithful to us.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.