A Call to Duty

Welcome to this week's message from the Church at Chelsea Westover.

Our core values are vibrant worship, intimate fellowship, fulfilling service, and clear biblical truth.

We pray that this message changes your life.

Let's tune in to today's message and see what God has in store for you.

Turn with me in your Bibles to Joshua chapter 1.

Joshua 1 · chapter mention

Woo! The title of the message this morning, by the way, if you do not have a worship guide, raise your hand.

It's got the outline on the back.

It's very informative on the inside, tells you what's going on all this week through our ministries here.

And you'd be amazed as all that we do in this church out in the Chelsea Westover area here.

It's amazing what God's been doing through our church.

Our youth program.

It's just been unreal, unreal.

It really is what God's doing here in our wana program.

So excited about it starting back up, teaching our kids.

And let me encourage you to bring your kids on Wednesday night.

From 6 to 6.30, we'll feed them, and then from 6 30 to 8, they'll do the wana.

The teenagers are doing their program.

It is phenomenal.

I'm telling you, I'm telling you.

It really is.

And I beg you to do that.

If you really cherish what God wants to do through you and your family, it will change your family.

It really will.

Joshua chapter 1.

Joshua 1 · chapter mention

Joshua, and by the way, young couples, men, please, I know it's a little early, but it's not that early to be here for 8 45 for Sunday school and Bible study.

Because it's so important.

It really is.

To start growing in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, 2 Peter 3.18.

And we're going through the book of Joshua.

And everybody has been just excited that's going through the B series book with Warren Weirdsby, one of the greatest practical theologians, I think, to ever pen commentaries.

And we do that.

We'll choose the next book that we go, and I'm God's kind of leading me.

I don't know.

I'm praying through it.

That after we finish, uh Joshua probably go maybe to the book of Ephesians, putting on the armor of God.

Because it kind of goes parallel with uh becoming a good soldier, and that's what Joshua was.

So, how do we become a good soldier?

You got to learn to use your armor.

Amen.

So uh that's kind of probably where we're going next, but we're we're in for a semester of unbelievable truth.

Joshua chapter one.

Now, after the death of Moses, verse one, the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, Moses, my servant is dead.

Now therefore, rise, go over this Jordan, thou and all thy people, unto the land which doth give them, even to the children of Israel, and every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon.

That have I given unto you as I have said unto Moses.

Now, my objective today is for us to look at this whole chapter.

So that means you gotta listen quickly.

But it's gonna be good, I promise.

We're gonna look at three things.

The title of the message, a call to duty.

You and I, as Christians, when we get saved, we are called to duty.

Amen.

We're not called to sit, we're not called, hey, hey, to absorb, we are called to be trained so that we can get involved in the work of the ministry of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Can I get an amen?

We have joined an army, God's army, and many of you served in the army.

I think of our preaching pastor Sylvester here.

He spent 25 years in the army.

Uh a lot of you spent uh years in the Marines, a lot of you spent years in the Navy and all other branches of service.

And one thing you know, once you sign that line, you are called to duty.

And it's time now not to sit but to serve.

And so that's what we're gonna be looking at.

And the book of Joshua is a record of the conquering of Canaan by Israel under the leadership of Joshua, who was Moses' successor.

Now, I want us to look at three things in this chapter this morning.

One, I want us to look at the moment of the call.

Secondly, we'll look at the mandate for the call, and then thirdly, we'll look at the mobilizing in the call.

So let's begin first of all in verses one and two that we just read, and let's look at the moment of the call.

The moment Joshua commenced his work as Israel's leader and as the conqueror of Canaan was three things really about this moment.

First of all, it was, number one, in your notes, it was a sovereign moment.

It was the moment when Joshua was to commence his duty, was chosen by God.

Look at verse one.

It is important to recognize and respect the fact that this call was called by God.

Amen.

Notice what he said in verse one.

He says, He spake.

Who spake?

God spake.

This was not Moses' call for Joshua.

This was not Joshua's mother's call for Joshua.

This was not Joshua's father's call, none for Joshua.

This was God's call to Joshua.

Amen?

And I thought to exactly that is what happens to you and me.

If you and I have not had the call of God on our lives, the call to salvation first, we can't have the call to service second.

So your salvation call is a direct call from God.

You've not chosen him, but he's chosen you and ordained you, hey, to be a part of God's family.

John 15, 16.

For as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

John 1.11.

So it's very important that we understand that.

We see this sovereign moment.

We must honor, and by the way, here's what I saw here.

No work, however holy, hey, can be done apart from God's divine call.

Let me tell you when it'll last.

Let me tell you when it'll it'll last.

When God calls you, hey, when God calls you to do a service for him, and if he calls you, it will last.

It won't last a month and it won't last three months, it'll last.

Hey, because God's gonna come alongside you and help you accomplish it.

Amen.

And we're gonna see that.

So we see that it was God's knowledge to Joshua that, hey, that he had called him to do a work.

Now notice the second thing.

Oh, by the way, Joseph Parker, who's a great theologian, he made a profound statement.

I jotted it in my notes.

Joseph Parker said this do not force the gate open.

Do not force the gate open that is closed.

There is plenty to do on the same side that you're on right now before God opens the gate.

Wow.

Now let me tell you what that meant to me.

Wherever you're planted, don't worry about what you say, well, I I hope God will call me to do this, or maybe God'll do called me to do this.

Or I want to do, hey, you just be faithful doing what you're doing right now, and you don't try to kick the doors open, and I promise you, when it's time, God's angels will open the door.

Amen.

So it's very important that you understand that.

And Joshua was not trying to kick the door open.

In fact, I think Joshua was stunned when God appointed him as the leader.

I really do.

But notice, secondly, not only was it a sovereign moment, it was a sorrowful moment.

Look at verse 1.

He said, After the death of Moses.

God told Joshua, Moses, my servant, is dead.

Now, the next word, now.

Now, therefore, arise and go over the Jordan.

Now, we know really, I see two important lessons from this powerful statement.

But now, now let me tell you what the word now means, right there in the context.

Now means immediately.

Don't wait, don't think about it, don't pray about it.

God has told you to do it, go do it.

Because the longer you think about it, the more opportunity Satan has to put in your thought process doubt.

I've learned that.

If I stew on it, if I pray over it, after I know God's called me to do something, hey, next thing you know, I'll be thinking why I ought not to do it instead of why I should do it.

Because Satan always brings the ought not to's.

Amen.

Every time.

When he called me to come here, I didn't think twice about it.

When he called me to go to Liberty University from Open Door Baptist Church, I didn't think twice about it.

When he called me when I was working, Becky and I, and man, we were in a mess and God it.

I was running from God.

I ran from him for two years.

It was the most miserable two years of my life.

And when God told me to go, I just grabbed a U-Haul truck, rented it that day, packed it that afternoon, and left the next morning, didn't tell anybody, just left.

Because I knew I wouldn't go.

I'd just been offered a youth pastor job and a coaching position.

Two of the things that I wanted to do more than anything.

Tell me Satan won't, hey, dangle the carrots.

But I knew God had said, get in the truck and go, boy.

I took off and I left.

Didn't even look back.

I knew I had to go.

But notice this sorrowful moment.

I mean, he's, hey, they're down, they're out.

Can you imagine why they're so sorrowful?

They have been with Moses all these years.

I mean, no one had ever led Israel but Moses, the greatest leader of all.

And now he's dead.

Oh, what are we gonna do?

Moses is dead.

Well, guess what?

We got you.

Moses has been training you.

God's been training you.

Yeah, but no, there are no butts.

There are no billy goat Christians in God's commands.

There's no button.

Go.

You're ready.

Step up.

And then he's going to encourage us because you don't have to worry, he's with us.

This attitude prevails really among many of us.

When when that's me or okay.

But really, hey, listen.

Listen to me.

That's bothering me.

I know it's bothering you.

Is that better?

That's better.

Better for me.

But now listen.

Thank you, Jesus.

Not enough?

Now.

Now listen.

Perfect.

Now listen.

Joshua, hey, Joshua's thinking, now I've got to lead him over into the promised land.

Listen, Satan will use an attitude every time of defeat in our lives.

Benji?

Okay.

All right.

I know it's not hitting anything.

But listen, here's the key.

If he keeps doing that, I'll grab a mic.

But listen, here's the key.

Satan wants to keep us discouraged and downhearted so that we won't complete what God's called us to do.

Amen.

That's it.

I promise you.

And he'll use sorrow as one of the greatest antidotes to keep us, hey, depressed and defeated.

And we see that.

That's what he was trying to do.

But notice what God says.

Moses the servant is dead.

I'm about to have an oh, this is so exciting.

He says, Moses the servant is dead, but Joshua, I'm God, I'm not dead.

There's a bit what?

There's a song.

What?

God is not dead.

God is not dead.

I've never had trouble with this thing before.

Give me a mic.

So again, we see the key.

The key is not to allow Satan to depress us.

Oh, listen, it's gonna happen.

There's gonna be sorrowful times in our life.

There's a sorrowful time right now in my son's life with his grandmother dead and died.

And now he's she's no longer there to talk to him every day and they talk every day.

But now Eric's got one or two choices.

He can stay depressed or he can arise and get up and get back to work for God.

Listen, when my wife died in my arms, I'd only been at Open Door Baptist Church two weeks.

She died at 28 years old in my arms from an asthma attack.

And I had one or two choices.

I had either I could get depressed, be depressed, stay discouraged, quit, say, I'm not gonna stay here and try to build this church.

God wouldn't do this, and all those things, all those things ran through my mind.

But instead, I spent a week with my uncle as a pastor, and we prayed every morning, and then I knew what I could do the best is to get back and start door to door, hey, sharing the gospel with everybody I saw.

I didn't allow Satan to keep me down and depressed.

No, you can't do that.

And here's the antidote for hey, for that sorrow.

You know what he said?

Here it is.

Moses dead.

God did not tell Joshua, now therefore mourn, disband, return to Egypt.

Rather, God said, now therefore, rise and go over Jordan.

In other words, go do what God's called you to do.

Amen.

When there's sorrowful times in your life when you lose people, or there's uh things in your life that really Satan tries to take you out with.

Just remember, remember this phrase arise and go over the Jordan.

Amen.

Get up and go to work.

But not only was it a sorrowful moment, it was a strategic moment.

Oh yeah.

I meant.

The timing was right.

Let me tell you something.

When God calls you, the timing will be right.

Can I get an amen?

When God calls you, the timing will be right.

Notice Israel was ready.

Now they're ready to go into the promised land.

For 40 years, they weren't ready.

You know why?

They complained.

They were cratankerous.

They were bitter.

They were they were just mean.

Some of them just mean.

I mean, they wandered for 40 years, 11 miles from the promised land.

They were not ready to enter Canaan, though they should have been.

Amen.

They should have been.

God had told them to go.

But ten of the spies said, no, we can't do it.

So they wandered for 40 years.

All the rebellers.

Listen to this.

They wandered until all the rebellers were dead.

Uh-oh, that kind of gives me a little caution here.

Sometimes it's God's plan for a church to do something, but they have rebellers and complainers there, and so he can't do it.

Now I know what you're thinking about.

Well, God can do anything.

He can remove the rebellers.

Yes, he can.

Don't you like the way he does it?

He'll just kill you.

Hello?

You okay out there?

Huh?

Man, I don't like that church.

Preacher said if I don't get right here, God go kill me.

I didn't say that.

I said he could do that.

Actually, he did with them.

He didn't kill them, he just let them die.

Same thing.

And they died miserably.

That's what breaks my heart.

The only two that didn't die, hey, miserably, that were with the older group was Caleb and Joshua.

Because they had been faithful.

They even in the midst of all the garbage, they still stay faithful.

There's two types of people.

Complainers and conformers.

You're one or the other.

Sometimes you can be both.

You can complain for a while, then get right and be a conformer, then conform for a while, then you get mad again, then you complain again.

It's kind of and isn't it amazing if you're honest with yourself?

And this is what I told the church last week.

When you're in that complaining stage, when you're in the wandering in the wilderness stage, aren't you the most miserable?

Absolutely.

Why do we do it?

Because Satan's that strong.

Satan's that powerful.

But it was a strategic moment.

You know why Israel's ready?

The complainers are gone.

Amen.

They're gone.

Amen.

I've had people over the years, and and not in this church.

It's been a blessing.

But I do know the older we get, that happens.

Because we're people.

We're in the flesh.

But you know what?

I have been in churches before.

People are so miserable.

I've asked them myself, well, why do you stay?

It's a free country.

Yeah.

Folks, don't stay in a place where you're miserable.

But you know what?

One lady said, Well, I'm miserable and I'm gonna make everybody else miserable.

I said, Well, you're doing a good job.

You're doing a good job, Sister Flaviad.

But notice, not only was Israel ready, the complainers had moved on, Canaan was ready.

Oh yeah.

When Joshua, when Joshua got the notice that, hey, we're gonna take the promised land.

You know what he did?

He did what Moses had done with them.

He sent two spies in.

And you know where he went?

Remember Mother's Day message with Rahab?

Ha ha ha ha.

Where's Rahab?

There's Rahab.

Right there.

Amanda.

They went to Rahab's house, and Rahab hid the spies, and you know what Rahab told them?

Rahab said, Oh, oh, you don't realize what's going on here.

They said, What's going on?

The Canaanites are scared to death of your God.

They're scared.

Now that didn't keep them from fighting, but it sure kept them from fighting.

Hey, hey, with boldness and courage and grit.

They were scared.

I don't have to tell you as an athlete, if you're scared you're gonna get beat, you're not gonna do too well.

Amen.

So they were scared to death, and the Bible tells us that in Deuteronomy and Joshua 2.9.

In fact, here's what it says in Joshua 2.9 Your terror has fallen upon us.

Man, that's awesome.

They said God's terror has fallen upon the Canaanites.

They're ready.

You can take them.

You can take them.

And notice what else?

Hey, Jordan was ready.

Now what?

The people were ready.

The complainers were gone.

The Canaanites, hey, hey, hey, the lamb was ready.

The Canaanites was scared to death.

And now the Jordan's ready.

The Jordan was flooding.

Now wait a minute.

You're thinking, wait a minute, Pridge, wait, wait, wait.

Wouldn't it have been better if it was dry so they could cross uh the cross over easily?

Yeah, in man's eyes, yes it would be.

But let me remind you, we're not fighting this battle in man's eyes.

God wants to make sure that man can't get any of the credit.

He says, the only way you're going across Jordan, you're going across when it's full.

But Lord, I don't have any boats.

There's no bridges.

He said, Am I God?

Yes.

Don't worry about it.

You just go.

Yeah, but no, there's no butts.

Just go and put your foot in the water and look what happens.

Amen.

It's ready.

And I wrote this to me.

God sometimes waits.

Now you need to write this down.

This will help you.

Waits for circumstances to become very adverse before he steps in to help us.

Woo.

Oh my God.

Goodness.

So now, does that not give us a better attitude?

Oh, when things are getting worse, you're about ready to quit.

No, that's when you charge.

That's when you charge.

You don't quit, you charge.

Colonel Johnson.

Roundtop in Gettysburg.

One of my favorite stories.

The Southern Army.

Turned back each and every time.

They come back down.

They outnumbered the ones, the Union Army on the top of the roundtop.

And sure enough, they all go up to Colonel, the Colonel, and say, Colonel Johnson, we're out of ammo.

We gotta go.

We gotta go back down and reunite with our battalion.

He said, No, we cannot.

There's no way if we give up this hill, roundtop, the Southerners will win this battle.

They will be able to drop cannon fire on our whole army.

There is no way we'll die before we give this roundtop up.

And then you know what he said?

He said, All right, take your bananas, put on your rifles.

In ten minutes, we're charging.

We're going down the hill.

And they all looked at him like he was crazy.

We're out of ammo.

They're killing us.

He said, Well, we'll die holding this hill.

And when you read the account, it's amazing.

They took off, they put on their banets and they took off running down the hill, hollering and shouting and shooting.

He said, just start shooting.

Shoot till your ammo's.

Hey, go on.

Just shoot.

Reload, shoot, shoot.

And it so panicked the Southern Army that they took off and just hightailed it.

The adverse situation had become to the point that there was no hope for them.

They were out of ammo.

But instead of retreating, which would have caused them to lose Gettysburg, they charged.

Ladies and gentlemen, when Satan brings the adverse situation to you, it's not a time to quit and run.

It's a time to stand and charge.

Can I get an amen?

And that's what Joshua, we see Joshua was doing here.

Unbelievable.

Israel was ready, Canaan was ready.

Hey, and we just see everything there was ready.

Look at the situation.

It was perfect.

It really was.

It really was.

And the Jordan was ready.

Second thing.

Look at the mandate for the call.

The mandate for Joshua to commence his duty as a leader, as Israel's leader, and as the conqueror of Canaan came to him by the word of God.

Look at what it says.

God spoke the word of God in this case to Joshua.

The mandate was, hey, composed of precepts and promises.

Unbelievable.

He spoke.

Look at what he says again.

This is powerful.

And what?

And all these people in the land, when it, hey, he says, rise, God says, Samo you serve its dead.

Arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all thy people unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.

In other words, the Lord in verse 1 spake his word to Joshua.

Now I want you to notice these unbelievable precepts.

Look at what he said in verse 1.

I mean, excuse me, verse 2.

He said, we see the moving arise and go over the Jordan.

Here's what he's saying.

Listen to me, church.

When you are in a situation that looks bleak, don't sit still and do nothing.

You gotta move.

You gotta arise.

Now, hey, but you're moving.

Here's what we know you do.

You go to the Word of God and you go to prayer.

Amen.

But the Word of God is gonna tell you what to do.

Don't sit there and keep sawing.

Go to the Word and say, God, show me what you need me to do.

Go to biblical counselors.

Go to people that know the book.

Go to seasoned veterans in the Word of God and in those soldiers of the cross that have been through it, and they will comfort you.

They will share with you what you need to hear.

That's so good.

That's why you have the church.

That's why you love your church body.

You got seasoned veterans here that can help you and pray with you and show you the word of God on what you need to do next.

It's so important.

The moving, but notice, and I wrote this to myself.

And by the way, 1 John 5 3 says, God's commandments are not grievous.

God's commandments are not grievous.

Now, what that means is they're not a burden.

But it doesn't mean that, hey, the Christian life is easy.

Hello, come on, work with me here, church.

What it means is his commandments are not a burden.

Actually, his commandments are your comfort.

They comfort you and they guide you in the difficult times.

So that's what we see with Joshua.

In fact, what we see here is a trial to the faith of Joshua.

God's testing Joshua's faith.

He said, Hey, here it is.

You know what you got to do.

You can trust me.

In fact, I love this.

Where whether he would give orders to make preparation for passing the river when there was no visit.

Can you imagine Joshua getting up and saying, hey, we're going over the Jordan?

And they're looking at the Jordan waters.

They're running over, they're flooded.

And they're saying, How are we going to go over?

Same thing with Moses.

Remember when he got to the Red Sea?

How are we going to go through the over the Red Sea?

There's no bridges, there's no boats.

And then the Egyptian army's breathing down our back.

And Moses said, Hey, and I'll never forget it.

In Exodus 14, I mean in Numbers 14, he said, if you will stand still, I'll show you the salvation of God.

Stand still.

Be ready.

And he raised the rod, and you know the rest of the story.

By the way, Moses is not Chalton Heston.

But what a great movie.

Amen.

So we see this so beautifully explained.

Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

And then he's saying, remember, here's where Hebrews 11:1 comes.

Hebrews 11:1

Faith is the substance of things so for the evidence of things not seen.

Faith is believing something is so when it's not so, so that it becomes so because God said so.

And that's exactly what he's telling Joshua.

This precept illustrates that at the outset of a great spiritual undertaking, and listen to me, we're often confronted with some of the most difficult situations.

That's important you hear that.

Let me repeat it.

These precepts illustrate to us that at the outset of a great spiritual undertaking, that we are often confronted with the most difficult circumstances that are beyond our own human power.

But let me remind you, nothing is impossible with God.

Luke 137.

Amen.

His grace is sufficient, his strength's made perfect in our weakness.

Amen?

So we see that.

And then I wrote this down.

Being confident of this very thing, that he which begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1 6.

First Thessalonians 5 24.

Faithful is he that's called you, who also will do it.

And then I wrote this to Danny, Pastor Danny.

Your response to your task.

Listen to this.

Your response to your task will quickly expose your faith.

Did you hear that?

Can we say oh me?

Let me repeat it.

Your response to your task will quickly expose the character of your faith.

In Joshua's case, it only showed his great faith.

His great faith.

So his moving, then look at his might.

Notice the second thing, his might.

Three times God commands Joshua.

Verse 6, 7, and 9.

Be strong, be strong, be strong.

And then verse 9, he says, be very courageous.

Now, does this mean that Joshua was weak?

Absolutely not.

That does not mean that Joshua was absolutely weak.

I mean, he had just been the leader of the army and had taken out the Amalekites.

This was a brave soldier.

He was not weak.

What does this mean?

It means even the strongest needs encouraging.

Can I get an amen?

Even the strongest needs encouraging, folks.

This past week, my job was to encourage that pastor.

He'd been there 22 years.

And, you know, when you've been in one place 22 years, I can promise you, with a pastor in the same church, you need encouragement.

Amen.

We all need encouragement.

And we see this.

We see this with Joshua.

In fact, we see Paul exhorts us to be strong in the Lord and in what?

And in the power of his might.

But as much as we're strong in the Lord, we need to be strong with brothers and sisters.

And at the end of this chapter, you see the group, the two and a half tribes that had settled on the eastern side, they became great encouragers for Joshua in his new leadership position.

They said, We're with you, Josh.

We're praying for you, Josh.

Hey, we're gonna fight with you, Josh.

Let's go.

Whole big difference in the other crowd that had been complaining and saying, No, let's not go.

Big difference.

Big difference.

The command was to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.

You know what I saw here?

Let me show you.

Look at verse 7.

Very courageous that thou mayest deserve to do according to all the law.

I I really had never thought about it.

This is great insight.

In fact, Arthur Pink gave me this insight when I read his commentary on this verse.

I'd never seen this before, and I'd read a lot of commentaries on this verse.

And even when I was taking the verse apart word by word, but now notice what he's saying.

He's saying basically, he says, be strong, be strong, be strong.

Then he says, be courageous, be courageous, and then he says, be very courageous.

According to all the law.

That's by itself.

Here's why.

And there's moral strength.

Now, let me give you an example.

Some of us are strong physically.

We would have no problem standing and taking on the strongest army.

Bring them on.

Physically.

But morally.

Standing up with the word of God in our hand in school or in the workplace or in front of other people, sharing our testimony.

We're chickens.

So what he's telling Joshua, not only are you gonna have to be strong, hey, as a general and an army leader, but you got to be courageous, very courageous.

You got to be as strong standing up for the testimony of an Almighty God as you are defeating the armies.

Wow, that's good, church.

Say that's good, preacher.

Because a lot of us are strong in a lot of areas until it comes to our testimony and standing up in the gap when we know we ought to for the Lord.

Not all of us can put that Jesus' awesome band on him wherever you go.

Well, they won't let me.

So what do you do?

Well I'm wearing it everywhere.

Where if that band can't go, I can't go.

Just that simple.

If I can't pray in Jesus' name, I don't pray.

Amen.

So that's what he's talking about.

And then notice the fourth thing, his morale.

Neither be thou dismayed.

Don't be discouraged.

Now watch.

You're talking about Joshua.

Now remember Joshua?

He goes into the land.

He's already, hey, he's already defeated the Amalekites before he crosses over.

Now he's chosen to be the general, the leader of the nation Israel.

They go into the land and remember what happens?

They have a defeat at Ai.

Remember?

Remember?

The guy kept a lot of the spoil.

He didn't turn it in or get rid of it or kill it.

I mean, he didn't obey God.

And all of a sudden, they lose the battle.

I mean, here, they have just crossed over into the promised land.

They're going strong.

This is Joshua 7 with 6.

And they lose this one battle.

And you know what Joshua does?

Now listen, Joshua begins to have that same feeling of discouragement.

What have I done?

Can you imagine?

Oh, what have I done?

I brought them into the land.

God's promised us we're going to get the land.

God's promised us I'm going to distribute the land to all the tribes.

And now we lose the battle.

Now listen to what Joshua said in Joshua 7.7.

He says, Oh Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us?

Would to God we had been content and dwelt on the other side of Jordan?

Oh now he's having a pity party again.

Folks, it's hard to lose.

Give up on God.

Give up on everything God stands for.

And you know what I've said?

I just don't know if this is worth it.

Now, where in the world did that thought come from, Satan?

Seriously, think about it.

Here's Joshua.

What are you doing, God?

He's questioning God.

Can I remind you?

You don't need to question God.

He's okay, he's in charge, and he's got everything under control, even though you may not understand it.

What are you doing, Lord?

Then you know how God answers him?

He said, You need to pray.

And when he prayed, guess what happened?

He was delivered.

The righteous cry and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their problems, their fears, and their troubles.

God is my refuge, hey, and my strength, the very present help in time of trouble.

Psalm 46, 1.

The name of the Lord is a strong spell.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower.

The righteous run into it and they are safe.

He says, pray.

Give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word of God.

Acts things four.

Pray.

Men ought always to pray and not to faint.

Luke 18, 1, Jesus said.

So he sends him to the manual.

Look at the manual.

He sends him to the manual in 7 and 8.

I was talking to Greg one time about the Navy and the recruits.

I said, What's the first thing happened when you went in the Navy?

He said, I was given a blue jacket's manual.

I said, What in the world is a blue jacket's manual?

It's the manual the Navy gives every recruit to tell them what to do, how to do, and the conduct and everything.

Sylvester, does the Army have a manual like that?

Yes.

Every branch of service has a manual they give you when you, hey, when you get your army gear, your army clothes, you get a manual.

And you know what they say?

Your life now will be conducted according to the manual.

Am I right?

Well, I got news for you.

When you get saved and you come into God's army, we've got a manual.

And the manual is the B-I-B-L-E, and we are to conduct our life and our ways according to the manual.

And he says, be not deceived.

God is not going to be mocked.

And then he says, look at verse 7.

Powerful.

He says, Joshua's conduct was to conform, look at what he says in verse 7, to all the law, which Moses, my servant, commanded thee.

And in a wider sense, he said in verse 8, the book of the law.

Joshua was not to turn, look at verse 7, from it to the right hand nor to the left.

God is concerned about the heart of the leader, and about the leader obeying God's word.

Proverbs 23, 26, my son, give me your heart and observe my ways.

So he's saying, here's your manual.

Here's your manual.

And notice what he tells him next to do.

I love it.

We see the book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth.

Look at verse 8.

You know what he's saying?

Two things.

He's saying, one, your conversation ought to consist of the word of God.

I got three on that.

We're going to try that again.

Your conversation ought to be filled with the word of God.

If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.

1 Peter 4 11.

Let your speech be what?

Full of grace.

Season with salt, that you may know how to answer every man.

Colossians 4, 6.

Let the words of my mouth, the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

If we really live by that, 90% of our conversation probably would be silenced.

Hello?

I mean, and hey, I don't get me wrong.

I love football.

I really do.

I love sports.

I love old cars.

But my soul, if that's all I talk about and you never heard the word of God coming out of me, I wouldn't be much of a preacher.

I can't talk to you without quoting a scripture.

I am sorry.

I cannot do that.

Why?

I don't know much more than that.

I've been doing this for 35 years.

All I know is the book.

Amen.

I can't help it.

I got the can't help it.

I can't help but speak the things that I've seen and heard.

And that's the book.

The B-I-B-L-E.

Woo, that's a book of me.

Amen.

It works, folks.

And then he said, your commands, ready business, folks, listen.

And your commands to the army and to the people ought to come from the principles from the Word of God.

Everything you do in your home, in your school, in your business, whatever you do, ought to be based on God's principles.

Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.

Psalms 127, verse 1.

Psalms 127:1

Amen.

So that's what he said.

That's what he said.

Notice secondly, the promises he gives in this mandate.

He gives the precepts.

And by the way, blessed is the man who walks not in the council of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of the sinners, nor sits in the way of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law shall he meditate day and night, that he may serve to do according to all that's written therein.

Then shall I make the way, hey, prosperous, and then shall you have good success?

And that's what he also says in Psalms chapter 1, verses 1 through 3.

Psalms 1:1–3

You want to be a blessed man?

Be a word of God man.

Can I get an amen?

Promises in the mandate.

Here they are.

Look at what he says.

One, you're going to possess the land.

Woo! Without faith, it's impossible to please him.

We know that.

He says, You're going to possess the land in verse 3.

He says, I do give in verse 2.

In verse 3, he says, I have given.

The land was free for the taking.

Woo-hoo! Let me say something to you this morning.

Your salvation is free for the taking.

Thanks be unto you.

God for his unspeakable gift.

2 Corinthians 9:15.

2 Corinthians 9:15

Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.

It's free.

You don't work for it.

You don't have to do anything for it.

It's free.

And then look who it was given to.

I do give the land to them, even to the children of Israel.

Verse 2.

Can I say something?

I am pro-Israel.

Amen.

I am pro-Israel.

God says, hey, Israel is his chosen people.

And he says, I will bless those who bless my people.

I will curse those who curse my people.

I'm all about.

Anyone against Israel has not read the book.

They've not read the book.

It's all about my chosen people.

We see that.

The Arabs have made their claim on the same land and desire to move Israel off the land.

But it is Israel's land, and when Christ comes back as Israel's Messiah, all the world will not only know this truth, but will unequivocally submit to it.

And then notice what he said in verse 3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you.

Hey.

Feet.

Your foot speaks of responsibility.

You got to be responsible.

Though the Lamb was a gift, Israel had to do their responsibility in claiming it.

Can I get an amen?

Hey, you can't sit back and say, I'm waiting for you to bless me, God.

No, you got to get to work.

But God will bless your work.

God doesn't bless laziness, He blesses work.

Whether you're working for paycheck or whether you're working for the Lord, He blesses work for Him and in honor of Him.

Can I get an Amen?

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor's not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15, 58.

And then look at His faithfulness.

Verse 3, God says, As I said unto Moses, I say unto you, I promised Abraham this land, I promised Isaac this land, I promise hey, I promised Jacob this land, I promised Moses this land, and now, Joshua, I'm promising you, go take your land.

God does not, hey, default on his promises.

Can I get an amen?

There hath not failed one word of all of God's good promises.

1 Kings 8, 56.

He staggered not at the promises of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, being fully persuaded that what God has said, He will do.

Romans 4, 20 and 21.

So, wow.

We see the promise in the mandate.

We see the power from the Lord, and then we see the presence of the Lord.

As I was with Moses, I'm gonna be with you.

And then notice he says, the partening of the land, verse 6, unto this people shall thou divide for and inherit the land which I swear unto the fathers to give them.

Now let me just give you a good example right here.

If Joshua had understood this, and most of us sometimes don't, if he'd understood this, he'd had a Pentecostal spell right there.

Because before anything takes place, he says, You're gonna divide the land.

How can you divide something you don't have?

And if, hey, if you're gonna divide it, that means you're gonna have it.

So God's already said, it's your land, I'm gonna give it to you, and you're gonna divide it to the right people.

So go do it.

Do you realize God's giving you abundant life?

Do you realize you're saved if you're saved here this morning?

He's come to give you life and give it more abundantly, and you've got the power living in you now to live a dynamic Christian life.

If you'll submit and follow his manual, God will bless you greatly.

If you're willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the lamb, but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword.

Isaiah 1, 19 and 20.

Wow, that's powerful.

That's powerful.

Notice what he said.

Verse 7 If you do according to all that's written therein, then shall they make the way prosperous, then shall they have good success.

That's verse 8 of me.

And then notice the word prosperous in verse 8 means Joshua would complete his assignment.

You know what prosperity is?

Not you being a millionaire.

He said, Well, that would help.

You know it'd help if only you used it right.

See, God knows your heart.

Somebody said, if God would just give me the lottery, I'd give him half of it.

I don't believe that.

Unless.

Are you giving half what you got now to him?

I can't even, hey, we can't even give you give 10%.

Now you're gonna give 50%?

Just a thought.

See, God knows that.

Let me tell you what God blesses faithfulness.

You start blessing God.

Hey, hey, have you ever wondered?

Have you ever wondered why sometimes God's not answering your prayers as quick as you'd like him to answer?

Here's the question.

Are you being as faithful to him, doing what he's asked you?

Oh, you mean that counts?

You mean that has something to do with it?

Yeah.

If you're willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.

If you refuse, rebel, you shall be devoured by the enemy.

It's not hard.

Well, why is it so tough?

It's called the flesh.

Amen.

You gotta deal with it, folks.

You gotta defeat the flesh.

And the way you do that is through the word of God.

Look at it.

There it is.

He says, hey, prosper.

You're gonna complete your assignment, and then he says, You're gonna be successful.

That means you're gonna act prudently, wisely, and skillfully in doing what God asks you to do.

Now that's true success.

See, everybody likes the rich, power, fame, and fortune for success.

That's not what it means.

It means that you prudently, successfully, excitably, and faithfully accomplish what God's called you to do.

That's true success.

God's called you and me and many of us to build God's church here in Westover, Chelsea.

Is that not exciting?

And you got the choice to be involved in that or not.

We can't force you.

Now we can hold you accountable, and we do.

If you're not here, we're gonna check on you.

We're gonna try to plug you in to serve.

And by the way, let me just tell you the testimony I heard about you.

People have been coming through this church, and let me just tell you what they're saying about you.

They're saying, we've never seen a church that's so serving as a group of people as CCW.

Can we give God a hand for that?

Amen.

Thank you.

Thank you.

That in a few minutes you're gonna turn this whole thing into a cafeteria and you're gonna do it just like that because everybody's involved.

And you're gonna have some of the best ribs you've ever eaten.

And Mike, you're in the front of the line.

I know you got a place to be, but I gotta feed you before you leave.

All guests to be in front of the line.

Just save me a rib.

But now notice the last thing.

Write this down, then we'll wind it up.

God's commandments come with God's commitment.

Now watch.

God's commandments come with God's commitment to bless those who obey.

I have been, you know what Psalm said about God?

God's been mindful of us to bless us.

But that blessing comes with a prerequisite, and that is the precepts that He we've looked at, and He teaches us hey, the promise comes from us acting on the precepts.

Can I get an Amen?

And the last thing the mobilizing in the call.

After God gave Joshua the mandate to begin his work, Joshua, look at verse 10, says, then he began to implement the mandate.

Then I made haste, I delayed not to keep thy commandments.

That's what David said in Psalms 119, verse 60.

Psalms 119:60

I made haste, I delayed not to keep thy commandments.

That's exactly what Joshua did.

Once a duty is discovered, it should be discharged.

Can I get an amen?

Once a duty is discovered, it should be discharged.

It's so important.

Those who delay in obedience should not complain if God seems slow in responding to them.

That's what I got out of that.

But let me give you the message.

The message for the executive offers, the officers that were involved with Joshua.

Look at verse 11.

He says, Pass through the host and command the people, saying, Prepare your food.

Prepare food.

In other words, you know what Joshua just told them?

Hey, what's this?

Hey, I'm not, God's no longer gonna feed you.

They'd been getting manna and quail.

God had been feeding them.

They'd wake up in the mornings.

You know what they'd do?

They'd wake up in the mornings and go out and fill the baskets and take it into the house.

God had been feeding them.

He says, uh-uh, it's over.

The free lunch is over.

You gotta go to work.

Prepare your food.

Because in three days, now look, he gives them a time limit.

Three days.

The food's gone.

You better be prepared.

Same thing happens when you and I get saved.

God says it's time to prepare our hearts.

Man shall not leave, hey, live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

Matthew 4, 4.

We are to prepare our food through the word of the living God for a spiritual battle.

Can I get an amen?

Is that not good?

And that's exactly what he's telling them.

We got to prepare physically and we got to prepare ready spiritually.

And then look at the promise in verse 11.

For within three days you shall pass over the Jordan.

You're going.

Be ready.

Be ready.

Be ready.

And they did, and they knew what was going to happen.

And then notice the second thing: the message from the eastern tribes.

Now you've got to realize after the battle with the Moabites, two and a half the tribes, in fact, the name of the tribes, if you remember, they were Reuben.

The tribes were Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh.

They decided that they wanted to stay on the eastern side of the Jordan because the plains were well watered.

I mean, it was a great, they loved it.

They just said they went to Moses after that battle and asked Moses before Moses died, can we stay right here on this side?

Even though the promised land, we can see it, it's right there.

Can we stay here?

And here's what they said.

Moses, if you'll let us stay here, when y'all go over into the promised land, we'll help you.

We'll fight with you.

We'll do whatever you ask us to do.

We'll be with you.

So Moses says, Okay, I'm gonna let you stay here, but I'm gonna write it down.

You made a covenant.

You made a covenant.

So now Joshua calls the covenant in.

He says, We're fixing to go over.

And we need you.

And look how they responded.

It's beautiful.

You know what they said?

We know we've got an agreement.

He says, and look at verse 16, 17.

All that thou commanded us, we will do, and whether soever thou send us, we will go according as we had hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto you.

Wow.

Talking about an excellent, encouraging, exceptional, and exemplary spirit and attitude.

They were unified together.

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity.

And then notice what they said in verse 18.

And by the way, we're so committed that if whoever does not go with us to help you, we're gonna kill them.

That's pretty good motivation.

Hello, I mean that's good.

Fight or die.

Hey, I'd love to brother die fighting, not fighting.

Amen.

I mean, they're pretty they're pretty scared.

Let me tell you why.

When I first read that, I said, Oh Lord, but hey, you know why?

You know why they were so vehement about that?

Oh, this is so good.

And I didn't read this, God gave me this.

Let me tell you, woman, they had already seen what happened with disobedience wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, and then rather die.

Then they'd have that happen again.

And they said, No, we've seen what happens when you don't obey God.

You don't get the promised land.

Woo! We're going for and they had the promised land, and they didn't want to lose it.

They said, We're going with God.

And then look.

Verse 17, they prayed.

Only the Lord thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.

Woo! Talking about encouraging a leader.

You know the best thing you can do to your leaders, your bosses, and don't give me that way.

You don't know my boss.

Well, he probably doesn't know you.

But now listen to me.

You know what you can do?

You can pray for him.

You know the greatest thing you can do for your pastor is pray for me.

I mean, really pray for me.

Pray for protection.

Pray for God's wisdom.

Pray for for good health.

Pray for me.

That I that I'll I'll be so sensitive to God.

We won't, I won't miss God, so I won't mislead you.

Amen.

I didn't ask for this position.

God called me.

Encourage me by praying for me.

Encourage your bosses and your people by praying for them and telling them every once in a while.

Like I try to tell y'all all the time.

I appreciate the ones in the kitchen and the ones in the nursery and the ones that set up and take down.

I appreciate them so much.

The ones that's going to wash dishes.

The homes are helping us wash dishes now.

That is so, so thankful and so precious.

I just want you to know I'm thankful for what you do.

I don't do the vans, I don't take anything for granted that has to take place for this right here to take place.

Amen.

Amen.

No.

We all have our place and our giftedness and our position for the body to function.

They said, we're going to pray for you, Joshua.

But you know what?

They didn't just say they're going to pray for him.

They said, we're going with you.

We're going to fight.

We're going to fight.

And then the last thing.

They so encouraged him.

Only be strong and of good courage.

How forcible are right words.

Listen to this.

Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, health to the bones.

Oh, is that good?

Proverbs 16, 24.

Proverbs 15, 23.

A word spoken in due season, how good is it?

Your encouragement needs to start at your home.

Need to encourage your wife.

Need to encourage your husband.

Need to encourage your friends.

Your children.

One of the things that I tried to do my whole life.

And right now that's why Susan's on the airplane going out there.

To be an encouragement to her son.

I've been on the phone with him several times already.

To encourage you.

We need to be an encouragement.

Amen.

We need to be an encouragement to each other.

Look at Joshua.

They didn't get any better.

And how many times did God say it?

Three times, be strong.

Three times be encouraged.

Folks, when's the last time you've encouraged someone?

Someone close to you.

You say, well, Pastor, let me ask you, very simple.

Boy, this don't you like to be encouraged?

Every one of us do.

Every one of us do.

But the best way to be encouraged is start encouraging.

I promise.

For whatsoever man soweth, that shall he reap.

Amen.

I had a judge in Tuscaloosa, I'll never forget it.

I don't even know if I ever told David this.

But every time I'd go to the gym to work out, it was a little gym right there by an open door.

Wasn't a why like I do now.

But at the Y, there's a lot of men there.

We encourage each other.

But there was a judge, a pretty big judge in Tuscaloosa.

He worked out there at lunch, same time I did.

I don't care where you were in that gym, whether it was in the steam room or if you were working out, he's gonna come over and he'd just shake your hand or pat you and say, He'd always say, Pastor Danny, I appreciate you.

I appreciate what your church does for our city.

That's all he'd say.

Then he'd go in.

And I see him touch other people like that.

Let me remind you, he never lost an election.

Now I know what you're thinking.

Well, he was just doing it for political reasons.

Baloney.

It was part of him.

He was an encourager.

Amen.

But you don't know what that meant to me, especially when Sister Fluffyhead was all over me.

I'm telling you.

You need that.

We all need that.

Thanks again for tuning into this week's message.

We pray that your life has been changed.

If you would like to find out more about us, visit us on our webpage at thechurch at cw.com.

You can also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at TheChurch at CW.

Need prayer for more information?

Send us an email at office at the church at cw.com.

We hope you have a wonderful day and again, God bless you.