God, the Encourager

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.

And turn with me this morning in your Bibles to Joshua chapter one.

Joshua chapter one.

Have you ever been challenged to do something that you felt inadequate to do?

I'm gonna repeat that.

Have you ever been called or challenged to do something that you felt very inadequate to do?

And it's is it me moving or is it you moving?

Okay.

So I have.

When God called me to preach, I was very inadequate.

In fact, that was the last thing I wanted to do.

My grandmother used to say, Danny boy, God's gonna call you to preach.

I'm praying that God is going to call you to preach.

And I said, Mama, I don't want to preach.

Don't do that.

I want to coach.

I want to be a football coach.

I want to be like Jason.

He's a coach.

That's what I want to do.

I have it all figured out.

I want to coach during the year and in the summer be a youth pastor.

I've always had it always figured out.

Amen.

My problem is it just didn't line up with what God wanted.

Hello?

Anyone else out there like that?

Amen.

So here we have Joshua.

Joshua was the servant to Moses.

Let me say something right here.

Before you can ever be a great leader, you've got to be a great servant.

Amen.

He that is greatest among you shall be your servant, Jesus said.

Matthew 23, 11.

He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

So we see Joshua was a faithful servant and had been for years.

And now, all of a sudden, Moses dies.

And now, prior to Moses dying, God told Moses that Joshua was going to be the next leader.

We see that in Deuteronomy.

In fact, he says, Go ahead and tell Joshua.

Now Joshua said, Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, okay.

I understand that.

Maybe, maybe.

But he really didn't comprehend it because Moses was still alive.

It's not until you put in the crisis that you understand the importance.

I'm going to repeat that again.

That's pretty good.

It's not until you're in the crisis that you understand the importance of God.

Amen.

See, when you're not in a crisis or you're handling it and you're doing it, you don't need God.

But when you put in a crisis where, hey, it's you and God and nobody else, now you're thankful that God's there.

Amen.

Now all of a sudden you're saying, God, I need help.

So we see Moses is not what?

Offered to enter into the promised land because he lost his temper, disobeyed God, but he said, I'm going to let you go on the mountain and overlook it and see it, but you're not going in.

We do pay consequences for our actions.

Hello.

We can be forgiven, and we are.

Can I get an amen?

But still, the consequences are there, folks.

Amen.

The consequences are there.

Okay?

So anyway, Moses dies.

And now God knows that Joshua is in a fix.

He knows that Joshua is upset, and he knows that Joshua needs some encouragement.

Can I get an amen?

Have you ever been in a position where you knew you needed some encouragement?

By the way, it's good to have Deedra back.

Gary, Elizabeth from Africa, they're back with us.

Good to have y'all this morning.

Well, I'm sure at lunch we can hear all about what you're doing, and we'll have a time where you can share too.

We need to do that.

We'll do that on.

I'll look at Keller and tell us how it went.

But hey, hey, have you ever been in a situation where you knew that if God didn't come through, you're through?

Amen.

Woo! Hello.

Amen.

Have you ever been there?

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they were in the fiery furnace.

If God hadn't come through, they were through.

Daniel in the lion's den.

If God hadn't come through, he was through.

David facing Goliath, if he hadn't come through, David was through.

Now Joshua's in the predicament that he's got to lead two and a half million people.

Now you've got to realize he did have something going for him.

All the complainers had died.

The naysayers had died.

And by the way, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because they were naysayers.

You want to gossip, you want to be a naysayer, you want to gripe and complain?

Well, you're just going to go around in circles.

40 years.

So they all die off.

Now the young guys are ready.

But the young guys aren't so young.

Well, they're 20.

40.

They started because he said for those that are 20 over, the ones not going to enter in.

So anyway, they're 40 years old.

You got two and a half million people ready to go into Promised Land.

Now, guess who's going to lead them?

Joshua.

Now, Joshua, can you imagine what he's going through?

This is the introduction.

You're going to, this outline is fabulous, not because I put it together, but because of the truth that's there.

You'll keep this message, you'll put it in your Bible, and every time you get discouraged, you'll go back and you'll read through this passage of scripture.

So God knows that Joshua's in a fix.

Hey, he knows that Joshua, first of all, is capable, but he knows that he needs some encouragement.

Ever been there?

I need some encouragement this morning.

Can I get an amen?

Don't you need some encouragement?

Well, look at what God does.

He starts, and let's look at verses 1 through 9.

Look at all this encouragement.

He starts out and he says, now, after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, notice now Moses was a great servant.

Joshua's a great servant.

There's a beautiful common denominator there.

A servant learning to serve.

And then notice what he says.

It came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua.

When God speaks, we listen.

The son of Nun, Moses assisted a servant, saying, Moses, my servant, is dead.

Now, what's this encouragement?

Now, underline it, circle it.

Now, now.

Therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am given to you, the children of Israel.

Every place that your foot, your soul of your foot will tread upon, I have given you, as I said to Moses.

Look at verse 5.

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life.

As I was with Moses, so will I be with you.

I will not leave you, nor forsake you.

Now, those those that those, should I say, negative adverbs there, those negative verbs are in such of the strictest sense in the original language.

And here's what it means: it means literally, I will never, never, never forsake you.

I will never, never, never leave you.

Wow.

That's not something you just you gotta stop here and say, never, never, never.

That's what he's saying to Joshua.

You don't have to worry about, hey, the future, because I will never, never, never leave you.

I will never, never, never forsake you.

That's what God's saying.

Can I get an amen?

Wow, what truth.

Yes, he is.

I will be with you.

I will not forsake.

Now look at verse 6.

Be strong and of good courage.

Be strong and of good courage.

For this people you shall divide in inheritance.

And the Lord, which I swore to the fathers to give them, God does not break his promises.

Can I get an amen?

Then he says, verse 7, here he says it again.

Second time, only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses, my servant, commanded you.

Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left.

Now watch.

Unbelievable.

Next phrase.

You may prosper wherever you go.

Isn't it unbelievable when God calls you and when God has a word for you and he has a mission for you?

He has a job for you.

He says, Not only am I going to be with you, I'm never, never, never going to forsake you or leave you, but I'm going to prosper you.

Can I get an Amen?

What is He saying?

I am going to prosper you in what I call you to do.

Now let me tell you what God taught me that very early as I was going back through this message.

In fact, the way to prosper is to make sure you're doing what God's called you to do.

Amen.

Then he's going to prosper you or he would be a liar.

Wow, folks, that's good.

The book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, verse 8, but you shall meditate there day and night that you may observe to do according to all that's written in.

Then I'll make your way.

There's that word again.

Prosperous.

You'll have what?

Good?

Say it with me.

Good success.

The only place in the Bible God promises you success.

I'm talking about where he says that you're going to be successful.

Wow, that's powerful.

That's powerful.

And then look what he says in verse 9.

Third time, three times right here, he says, Have I not a command of you?

Be strong, good courage.

Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Three different times, right here, he says, I'm going to encourage you.

I got to encourage you.

I got to encourage you.

He knew he needed some encouragement.

He knew he was down and out.

He knew he was just, hey, distraught.

You ever been there?

Amen.

Some of you are there right now.

I know.

Because that's life.

Some of us are distraught because, hey, God's called us to do something and we're not doing it.

Some of us are distraught because we're doing what God's called us to do, but Satan is attacking with everything he's got, and we feel like, hey, we're defeated.

That's what the word dismayed means.

It means discouraged, defeated.

We're there.

I got good news.

As God was with Moses, as God was with Joshua, God will be with us.

Amen.

Yes, he'll be with us.

And I want you to see this.

Three things.

The words of encouragement from God came before God asked him to do something too.

Isn't that something?

God's words of encouragement came to Joshua before he told him what you're going to do.

Now watch.

This is exciting.

God says three things to Joshua.

And he says three things to us.

Number one, look at it.

Verses one and two again.

God says, Joshua, you gotta number one, let go of the past.

Hello.

You gotta let go of the past.

Look at what he says in Philippians 3, 13 and 14.

Philippians said, Paul says this one thing, brethren, I count not myself to have obtained or finished my course, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth for those things which are before.

Look at verse 14.

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in and through Christ Jesus.

Ladies and gentlemen, you've got to let go of the past.

Amen.

Satan will use your past to keep you defeated every time.

Every time.

You gotta let go.

In fact, what we see right here, we can't live on yesterday's experiences.

We can't live on yesterday's experiences.

It's easy to do that.

Amen.

So he says, look at it, what he said.

He said, All right, Joshua.

He spoke to Joshua, son of Nun, Moses' servant, saying, Moses, my servant, is dead.

He said, get over it.

And notice the next word.

Now, hey, he's dead.

Stand up, get up, hey, and get to work.

Forget the past.

Forget the past.

Now, don't get me wrong.

Some of the past is exciting.

Some of the past is enjoyable.

Amen.

In fact, look real quick.

What did yesterday represent to Joshua?

This is revolutionary.

Here's what it is.

He says, here's what you got to let go of.

Number one, you got to let go, Moses, of those fantastic miracles.

Now you got to realize Joshua was, hey, when he was the servant of Moses, he was in the best of the times.

He was in the best of the days.

Oh, he saw vision.

He saw miracles.

He saw, hey, he saw him part the Red Sea.

He saw him go up to the Pharaoh and look Pharaoh in the eyes and say, Let my people go.

He watched him do, he watched him take the rod and throw it down and it became a snake.

And then he reached back down and he picked it up and it became a rod.

I would have never reached down to pick it back up.

I'm sorry.

I'd have said, Aaron, you pick it up.

Amen.

I don't like snakes.

I'll fight a bear, but don't come at me with a snake, I'll shoot you.

Just kidding.

No, no, I'm not kidding.

But hey, he he saw this.

He saw the plagues.

Oh, listen.

He saw the plagues.

I wrote this.

He saw the Passover.

He saw the crossing of the Red Sea.

The pillar of fire guiding him at night.

The pillar of the cloud guiding him during the day.

I mean, he saw miracle after miracle.

He saw Moses touch the rock.

Actually, he hit the rock when he's supposed to speak to the rock.

And water came out.

He saw him.

Hey, every morning they'd wake up and have fresh quail on the ground to eat.

And then they would have manna bread.

You know what manna is?

It is a cinnamon roll.

It doesn't get any better than white quail meat in a cinnamon roll.

Teach that word.

Woo! Hallelujah.

Doesn't get any better than that.

But yet they complained.

Give them a frog.

Had plenty of them with the plagues.

Amen.

Some say, well, frog bleak's pretty good.

Nothing wrong with frog bleak.

But hey, he said, all this, he saw it, he saw it.

He lived in the best of times when he saw God deliver Israel, his people, out of the bondage of Egypt.

He said, You gotta let that go.

You gotta let that go.

Yeah, but you don't understand.

I watched the parting of the Red Sea.

I just can't get over that.

Oh, yeah, you can.

You better.

Because if you keep living in the past, you're never gonna make it to the future.

And you'll never accomplish what God's called you to do.

Notice the second thing had to give up.

Not only had to give up those fantastic miracles, he had to give up his failures.

Uh-oh.

Uh-oh.

How many of you have ever failed at something?

Not everyone raised your hand.

I'm going to ask the question again.

How many of us have ever failed at something?

Okay, thank you very much.

I'm not in this by myself.

Thank you.

We failed.

Can you believe?

It was so exciting.

God had delivered them from Egypt.

Now He's ready to take them into the promised land.

And he says, you know what we're going to do?

We're going to get, hey, how many spies are we going to get?

Twelve, one for each tribe.

And we're going to send them over into that land, the promised land.

The land flowing with milk and honey.

And we're going to spy it out.

Now, why they had to do that, when I get to heaven, I'm going to ask Moses, why'd you do that?

God had already told you to go take the land.

Amen.

He already said, go.

I've given it to you.

And then, but Moses said, well, let's let's, you know, we yeah, yeah, yeah, the committee.

The committee says we ought to go over there and check it out.

And they do.

And they come back.

And they come back, and man, do they come back and they say, oh, listen, listen, listen, folks.

It is a land flowing with milk and honey.

The grapes are so huge that we had to get two poles and put them on our shoulders and carry the grapes, Granny.

That big grapes.

Woo! I mean, it's all that God said it's gonna be and more.

But I hate button.

I hate Billy Goat Christians.

Always button.

But there's giants in the land.

They make us look like grasshoppers.

I saw a karate movie, something about grasshoppers, wasn't it?

But anyway, hey, he said, we can't do this.

And about the moment they're saying that we can't do this, Caleb says, wait a minute, wait a minute.

No, that's not true.

Yes, that's flowing with milk and honey.

Yes.

Hey, hey, the giants are big, but can I remind you?

And the verses are there.

I'm not going to take time to read them because I'm on a roll.

Hey, but the hey, he says, here's what I'm going to do.

They're big, but God's already delivered them into our hands.

All we got to do is go take it.

Amen.

The only other person said, Yes, Caleb was Joshua.

The rest of them say, Oh no, no, no, no, no.

Can't, can't, can't, can't, can't never could do nothing.

How many of you have grew up with my grandmama?

Can't never could do nothing.

I think again.

I think again.

I think.

Remember little two-choo train?

I think again.

I think again.

I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me.

Philippians 4.13.

Luke 137.

Nothing's impossible with my God.

Especially when God has commanded you to go take it.

He said, go take it.

So we see he had to get rid of all his failures because we see in those verses, Numbers 13 through 33.

Well, actually, excuse me, Numbers 13, 30 through 33, that they literally failed in leadership.

They could not convince the people to go into the promised land and take it.

They failed, leadership 101.

In fact, the people got so upset with Joshua and Caleb, they were ready to stone them.

When you stand up for what's right, you will be in the minority.

Hello.

Somebody say that's a good word, preacher.

When you stand up for what's truly biblically right, you'll be in the minority.

That's why you have people say things about you every once in a while.

Because you're standing for what's right.

You say, well, why do they do that?

Because you convict them, because they're standing for what's wrong.

They don't like conviction.

Do you like conviction?

Hello, come on, help me here.

Do you like conviction?

I can't stand conviction.

Makes me feel bad.

So the best way for me to keep from feeling bad is to make you feel bad.

Hello.

Yeah, that's good for me.

That's good to me.

But I don't like it.

How many of you used to like getting a whooping from your parents?

Huh?

There was nothing, and I said that on purpose.

Oh, whooping.

I didn't get a whipping, I got a whooping.

There's a difference.

Amen?

A big difference.

You get a whooping, you'll straighten up.

You get a whipping, you'll smile.

There's a difference.

Amen.

So he we see he failed.

Notice the third thing he had to do.

He had to get rid of his frustrations of the past.

Frustrations.

He was frustrated.

Why?

Why?

Because he had to spend the next 40 years in the wilderness going around in circles.

Can you imagine?

They were not doing a thing but griping, complaining, and going around in circles.

Every night by the fireplace, there was a gripe and complaining session.

Nothing good.

They're 15 miles from the promised land and they spend 40 years wandering in the wilderness.

Around and around and around and around.

You know why?

Because they rebelled and they rejected what God said.

Lord help us.

Lord help us not to be that stubborn.

Now I'm stubborn.

That's my wife.

I'm pretty stubborn.

But I've learned that gets me in trouble real quickly.

Amen?

So I've learned, okay, God, what do you want?

Not what do I want?

So we see.

Hey, Joshua, you got to give up the miracles, you've got to give up your failures, you've got to give up the frustrations.

And then the last thing he said, you got to give up the faith that you had in the man Moses.

Uh-uh-mm.

We put so much faith in ourselves and in other people that when those people fall, it almost not only discourages us, it almost defeats us.

I know hundreds of people that are out of church because of a pastor.

Can I help you here?

It's not the pastor you're going to stand before on the day of judgment.

You're going to stand before an awesome God.

Amen.

Well, there's nothing but a bunch of hypocrites in church.

Yes! That's all we are.

By the way, what are you?

You're self-righteous?

You're nothing more than a hypocrite, too.

You say, Well, what is a hypocrite?

A hypocrite is doing something, hey, not doing something that he knows he ought to do.

Oh, that hurt.

Oh, that hurt.

That's what a hypocrite is.

So can I say we're all hypocrites?

Can I get an owe me and owe me together?

Oh me.

So get over your self-righteousness and just come on to church and ask God to forgive us like we all need to.

Can I get an amen?

And let's just work together to be more like Jesus tomorrow than we were today.

Now that's what we do.

You say, but we got problems.

Well, we are a problem.

You said, Well, I got a problem.

Well, have you ever thought you might be the problem?

Huh?

When I keep having problems with everybody else, every once upon the Lord said, Have you ever thought you might be the problem?

I don't like that, but it's true.

I wish Susan would be.

Then he said, Well, what about you?

I said, I'm not talking about me.

I'm talking about Susan, Lord.

He said, Yeah, but I want to talk about you.

Well, can we do that after I fix her?

Come on, help me out here.

Am I the only one?

You know I'm right.

You know I'm right.

You know I'm right.

It hurts.

There is no doubt in my mind that Joshua, Joshua, no doubt felt, fill in the blanks.

This is good.

He felt in, hey, insecure.

No doubt about it.

He felt insecure.

Let me remind you, we're not sufficient in ourselves, but our sufficiencies in God.

Amen.

2 Corinthians 3.5.

Notice what else he felt.

No doubt he felt inferior.

You ever been there?

Insecure, inferior?

Absolutely.

Been there.

Haven't we been there?

I mean, can you imagine?

He said, How in the world can I fulfill Moses' shoes?

Oh, excuse me, not shoes, sandals.

How can I fulfill Moses' sandals?

Man, this is the greatest leader in the history of Egypt.

I mean, of Israel.

How can I do that?

Through God.

With him, nothing's impossible.

I can do all things through Christ, for it strengthens me.

I mean, no doubt, no doubt he felt inferior.

And then the third thing is no doubt he felt inadequate.

When God called me to preach, I knew I was so inadequate.

I knew I was.

He said, but here's what I want you to do, son.

He says, I want you to do one thing in your ministry to start with.

And well, actually, I'll never forget as long as I'm sitting there.

I was walking by a tent.

I just got the liberty.

I meant picked up, packed up, had no place to go, no place to live, no job.

Just put Becky, my wife that died, and Eric, my son, in a U-Haul truck and had a little Volkswagen pulling behind it.

And we took off.

We took off to Liberty University.

And within two to three days, not only do we have a place to live, hey, listen to me.

Not only do we have a place to live, I had a job and in school, and they accepted all my credits in three days.

And I walk on campus.

I walk on campus that day going to classes, and there's a big old circus tent up.

We only had one building the tent.

That's where I was at the very beginning of Liberty University.

There weren't 100,000 students, there was about 1,200.

And we went to school in the mud.

Yeah, I'm gonna wear my shoes.

Well, you know what we did?

We didn't wear shoes.

We wore boots.

Rubber boots.

We're not that dumb.

Amen.

But they there was a man named Dr.

Jail Groom sitting up there quoting scripture.

I knew one verse and I had trouble with it.

John 3 16.

God said, that's where you go in front row.

And I went in there and I sat out on that front row and I started memorizing scriptures, a verse a day, five verses every week.

You had to have the reference.

You hear me always quote the reference.

Am I trying to impress you?

No.

That's the way I was taught.

Reference verse reference.

And I started memorizing scripture.

And that's been 30 plus years ago, and I still this day memorize verses every week.

Because I'm inadequate.

But with his word, hey, his word is with power.

Luke 4.32.

I have his power working through me.

And that's why when you say, man, look at all those verse.

Hey, it's the word, it's the word, it's the word.

You should know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.

Young people, if you could only do one thing, you start memorizing scripture and meditating upon it, and you're gonna see that as we go.

He felt insecure, he felt inferior, he felt inadequate.

When we were at the redwood forest, I was in the little pistol thing.

And I read this sign.

Twenty-five years ago was the best time to plant a tree.

And then right under it says, next sentence.

Today is the next best time to plant a tree.

Let go of the past.

You have to.

I found this.

Curtis Vinson, who was the editor of the Saturday Evening Post, ended, and I love this, he had a sign over the back of his desk where he wrote his articles every day.

And here's what it said.

The sign said, Yesterday ended last night.

Yesterday ended last night.

And then he made this statement and wrote this.

Any person can fight the battle of just one day.

It is only when you and I add the burdens of two awful entities, yesterday and tomorrow, that we tremble.

It is not the experience of today that drives us to distraction.

It is the remorse and bitterness of something that happened yesterday or the dread of tomorrow of what it may bring.

Let us therefore live one day at a time.

Take advantage of the precious moment of today.

Today is the day the Lord hath made.

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalms 118, 24.

There's nothing you can do about yesterday, and there's nothing you can do about tomorrow.

But you can do everything today.

Today.

Amen.

Is that not good?

Is that not good?

So good.

So good.

So again, I put in your outline.

Today I let go of blank.

What could you let go of?

I want you to think through it.

You don't even have to fill it in today or right now.

Take it home.

What do you need to let go?

I fill mine in.

I wrote this morning I filled it in.

Because I've been pondering it for over a week and a half now.

What do you need to let go of in the past that's keeping you from being all that God wants you to be?

That's a powerful question.

Amen?

Amen.

So, first thing, let go of the past.

Number two, claim God's promises.

Claim God's promises.

Oh, we see that in verse two and three again.

He says, now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and the people, to the land which I am given to you.

He says, I'm giving it to you.

I'm giving it to you.

Go claim it.

Go enter it.

The Bible says in 1 Kings 8 56, there hath not failed one word of all of God's good promises.

Not one word.

Amen.

The Bible says Abraham staggered not at the promises of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, being fully persuaded that what God had said he would do.

Romans 4.20.

This up there for you.

Amen.

And 2 Corinthians 1 20, he said, all the promises of God are yea and amen.

Amen.

Claim God's promise.

Now, three promises God gave, don't miss this.

Gave Joshua and three promises he gives me and you.

Number one, claim, promise number one, claim God's will for your life.

Now notice what he said.

Now, therefore, arise and go.

When God calls you to do something, don't sit back.

Can I say this?

When God calls you to do something, you don't have to pray about it.

Just do it.

Amen.

Just do it.

Now.

Now.

Not tomorrow.

Now.

Many of us, when God calls us, we say, but that Billy Goat Christian.

Or let me pray about it.

You know what I've learned after 33 years of Christian service when I ask somebody to do something, or or you know, I feel like God's led me to share this.

And when they say this right here, well, preacher, let me pray about it.

Let me tell you what that means.

They ain't gonna do it.

Hello?

Sorry.

They're not gonna do it.

That's just a way for you to get out of it.

This is a way for me and you to avoid what God's told us to do.

Let me pray about it.

Why would God tell you to do something and then want you to pray to him about it?

All he wants you to do is go be obedient.

Hello, owe me.

Hallelujah.

Hello?

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

If you refuse and rebel, you should be devoured by the sword.

Isaiah 1, 19 and 20.

In fact, notice in your notes.

You claim God's will for your life.

God's direction for my life.

Watch this.

This is good.

Depends on two things.

Depends upon my willingness and God's will.

My willingness to do God's will.

Now, how do you know God's will?

Look at this.

Tapitha thorough up John 7, 17.

And here's what it is you shall do my will when you know my doctrine.

Look at what it says.

If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine.

Whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself.

That's pretty plain.

How do you know, hey, God's calling you to do something?

Because he speaks through you through the word of God, the confirmation through the word of God.

Amen.

Every time God has spoken to me about something major for he wanted me to do, it's always come through the word of God.

That's why it's so important.

Listen to this.

I was listening, Susan and I were listening, preaching, going down to Orange Beach, and and I'll never it's always reiterated to me over and over.

God's way is always in direct relationship to his word.

Every time.

Every time.

In fact, I promise you, he calls and and he directs because the key word, my willingness, look at the key word.

When you are willing to obey God, it's called He is Lord.

It's called Lordship.

Lordship.

It's Romans 12, 1 and 2.

I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your body as a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Be not conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

The word renews your mind, and you are responding to the commands of his word and being obedient to him.

And when you're willing and obedient, you eat the good of the land.

Wow, that's good.

That's what it says.

It means what it says, and it says what it means.

Can I get an amen?

I'll never forget my precious black sister at open door on Wednesday night.

She'd get happy and she'd stand up, Miss Wanda, and she'd say, You remind me a lot of her, Miss Wanda.

She'd stand up and she'd say, Pastor Danny, may I say something?

I'd say, Yes, ma'am, Miss Sarah, you sure can.

She'd say, 98 and a half won't do, won't do.

God wants a hundred percent and he wants you.

And she'd start pointing you out.

You, Sylvester, you, Rochelle, you, Brian, you, preacher.

Yes, ma'am.

Amen.

98 and a half won't do, won't do.

God wants a hundred percent and he wants you.

Amen.

Not 98 and a half, but a hundred.

That's why it's so important you to be in church, to be in the word, because you may miss what God has for you.

Amen.

I'm gonna give you an example.

I heard this on the tape.

I wished I could.

I never thought about it.

Thomas, remember Thomas?

Doubting Thomas, remember him?

He missed God showing up, coming through the doors into the presence of the disciples because he wasn't there.

In fact, he got so upset that he said, now wait a minute, I don't think I believe that.

In fact, I know he didn't show up.

He didn't do that.

In fact, for me to believe, bless God, I gotta touch the scars in his hands and put my hand in his side.

Next thing you know, there he is.

Okay, Downton Thomas, let me teach you something.

You ought to be where you should have been, you wouldn't have missed what you missed.

And then the other word, God's will, the word is two things.

Listening to his voice, he that hath ears to hear, Matthew 13, 9, let him hear.

And then looking to him.

And your outline is uh Psalms 14.

It should be Psalms 141, verse 8.

Psalms 141:8

My eyes are fixed on thee, O God, and the Lord is my trust.

Wow.

Wow.

That's good.

That's good.

Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates.

Proverbs 834.

God's word always confirms God's way every time.

Now, quickly, look at what we know.

We know, man, this is invaluable for I'm telling you, you're gonna keep this in your book all the time, your Bible.

We know God's will through real quick.

Look, Scripture, thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

Psalms 119-105.

Prayer, call unto me, and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.

We have prayed every week.

That's why you fill out that prayer sheet.

How many of you?

We know Sarah and Benji had a prayer answer.

Did anybody else have a prayer answer this week?

Look, look, look, look, look, look, look, look.

Prayer works, prayer works, folks.

Fill out that prayer request.

Greg's mama finally sold her house, right, Greg?

Amen.

It took a year, but bless God it works.

You say, well, why'd it take so long?

I don't know.

Ask God.

Waiting for the right person, and that's great.

You know why?

Because I'm making a group home out of it.

Wow, to help people.

Amen.

God's always on time at the right time.

His time.

Amen.

So, and then counsel of godly people.

That's a good one.

Get counsel of godly people.

When where there's no counsel, watch, the people fall.

But in the multitude of counselors, there is safety.

Godly counsel will keep you out of trouble.

Can I get an amen?

It'll keep you out of trouble.

That's why we have celebrate recovery semester.

That's why we have these groups.

You need accountability.

I was talking to Dustin out there.

I said, we need accountability.

Dustin said, I need a Bible study every night so I can be held accountable.

Well, some some of us we may need that.

If you do, well, bless God, do it.

Whatever you take.

Amen?

Amen.

That's so good.

Godly counsel.

The way of a fool, listen, is right in his own eyes.

But he that harks unto counsel is wise, Proverbs 12, 15.

You with me, church?

And then circumstances.

And we know all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who will call according to their power.

Hey, circumstances, God's brings circumstances into our life so that he can direct us into what he wants us to do.

Let me say this: if you're running from God, circumstances will come to get your attention.

You can run, but you can't hide.

Amen.

God, hey, got circumstances.

Moses died.

That's a pretty pretty big circumstance to get Joshua to step to the plate.

He said, Moses dead, now rise.

Same way with Isaiah.

Remember Isaiah and Isaiah 6?

King Uzziah had died.

It wasn't until King Uzziah died that Isaiah stepped to the plate.

And then number five, my desire.

Now notice why I put number five, my desire last.

Because most of the time, or a lot of the time, maybe not most of the time, but a lot of the time, we put our own desires first, and then we try to take the scripture, godly people, circumstances to confirm what we want.

Guilty.

Guilty.

But let me remind you that the word says, delight thyself also in the Lord.

And he will give you the desires of your heart.

Notice what he said first.

Delight yourself in the Lord.

Not delight yourself in you.

Amen.

And then verse 5, he says, Commit your ways unto the Lord, trust also in him, and it shall come to pass.

Psalms 37, 4 and 5.

Isn't that good?

So, first promise, claim, hey, hey, claim God's promises.

Number two, claim God's power and presence for your life.

Look at verse 5.

I will never leave you or forsake you.

With men it is impossible, but not with God, for with God all things are possible.

Mark 10, 27.

Now I want you to see this.

I want you to, well, she'll throw it up there.

Hebrews 13.

I want you to see this.

This is so good.

Hebrews 13, verse 5 and 6.

Hebrews 13:5

And here's what it says.

And it's got those strong negatives again.

I will, but first of all, let your conduct be without covetousness.

Be content with such things as you have.

For he himself, God has said, now watch, I will never leave you nor forsake you.

So we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, I will not fear.

What can man do to me?

What does God's presence give me?

Number one, confidence.

Look at verse 6.

We may boldly say, when you know that God is with you, you have confidence.

Can I get an amen?

We have confidence.

Hey, we have confidence and we have boldness in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 3 12.

Amen?

That's what he said.

The righteous are what?

Bold as a lion.

Notice what else it gives us.

Not only does it give us confidence, but it gives us the right perspective.

The Lord, notice what he said here in verse 6.

Again, the Lord is my helper.

A life of companionship.

When you get the right perspective, you realize it's not you but him.

Can I get an amen?

What does he say in Galatians 2.20?

Not I, but Christ.

Say it with me, church.

Not I.

I am crucified with Christ.

Nevertheless, I live, yet not I.

But Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

Wow, that's good.

So we have the right perspective.

We have the right confidence.

Number three, we have, hey, we have the right, actually, we have peace.

Notice what he says in verse 6.

I will not fear.

We have the peace of God that passes all understanding, that keeps our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4, 7.

That's good.

And then look what else we have.

We have courage.

Look at verse 6.

What man, hey, what can man do unto me?

We have confidence.

We have the right perspective.

Or you could say it this way: we have a life of confidence, a life of companionship.

Hey, a life of contentment and a life of courage.

If the Lord be for me, what?

Amen.

Is that not good, folks?

That's why I don't worry about this church.

I really don't.

This is not, hey, first of all, it's not my church.

Secondly, it's not your church.

It's his church.

I'm just called to be the pastor.

I'm just fulfilling my duty.

And what I've learned, when he calls you to do it, you better do it.

Or you'll wander in the wilderness.

Amen.

Amen.

Let me give you a little boy.

A little boy.

His mother died unexpectedly, and he and his father had gone to the funeral and they went home that night and got ready for bed.

And little boy just kept asking a lot of questions and questions.

And finally the father said, Well, son, come get in bed with me.

You can sleep with me tonight.

Well, they got in bed and the little boy just kept asking questions.

And finally the man said, Son, it's okay.

He said, We gotta go to sleep.

We need rest.

And he said, Father, where's your face?

Where's your face?

Is your face toward me?

Daddy.

And sure enough, the little boy reached up and felt his father's face, and his father was turned to him and him there.

He said, I feel okay now I can go to sleep.

Ladies and gentlemen, I've got news for you.

God the Father's face is pointing towards you.

And he's never gonna turn it away.

It's never gonna look bad towards you.

It's always gonna be fixed right there for you.

Right there for you.

Abba Father.

And don't you ever ever forget it.

I thought about that.

The God that we have is an encouraging God, and no matter how dark it may seem or get, his face is always toward us.

Now, sadly to say, sometimes my face is not toward him.

Hello, hello, hello, you with me?

I'm the rebel, I'm the runner, not him, but he's always facing me.

Always.

His eye is on the sparrow.

And he watches over me.

I sing because I'm happy.

Because I'm sad and free.

Why?

Because his eye is on the sparrow.

And he watches over me.

Reminds me of the man and wife who'd been married 50 years.

She is sitting over by her door.

And he's driving the car.

She said, Remember 40 years ago, honey?

When we were dating and when we were first married, we used to sit so close together.

Honey, have you noticed through the years we just don't sit as close together as we used to?

Old boy gripped the steering wheel.

And he turned to his wife and he said, Honey, I ain't moved.

And I thought to myself, what a pretty picture.

When we when we just drift away.

God says, I've not moved.

I'm still facing you.

Isn't that beautiful?

Isn't that beautiful?

Isn't that beautiful?

Well, God has called us to be successful.

Number three, prosperity and success for your life.

That's the third promise.

Prosperity and success for your life.

Under that, God equips us to be successful.

Look at Genesis 1.27.

This is awesome.

God created man and is say it with me.

In what?

His own image.

In the image of God created him, male and female.

That answers the question about homosexuality right there.

Settled, done, over.

Right there in Genesis 1.27.

Male and female created he them.

Now, in other words, God's created us to be successful.

Amen.

If you are a Christian, we ought to be above the average.

We ought to not live in the gutter.

We ought to live, hey, serving an awesome God.

And I'm not talking about social class.

I'm talking about an intimate relationship with God.

If you're walking with Him, there is a difference and a joy and a success in you that the world can't give.

Look at verse 28.

Not only does God equip us to be successful, God expects us to be successful.

Look at verse 28.

And God blessed them.

And God said unto them, Be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Why?

God's called us to be productive, to multiply, and to take care of what He's called us to do.

That's good.

That's good.

He equips us and He expects it.

And how do we do that?

We do that by being spirit-filled.

And you Galatians 5.

Look, look, this is a difference, folks.

Here it is.

Being a spirit-filled Christian, look at this.

But the fruit of the Spirit, if you are living a Christian life, you're going to have love.

You're going to have joy.

You're going to have peace.

You're going to be temperate, long-suffering, patient.

You're going to be gentle.

You're going to be good.

You're going to be walking by faith.

That's who we are.

When those characteristics of a spirit-filled life are in us, there's a difference.

There's a radiancy.

There's a life.

It's an abundant life.

Wow, that's good.

Being a spirit-filled Christian should make us more successful than not being one.

Amen.

So we see the three promises.

Let go of the past.

Claim God's promises.

Claim God's will for my life.

Claim God's power and presence for my life.

And then claim his prosperity and success for my life.

And then the last thing, and we're through.

Meet God's conditions, number three.

Three things that he told Joshua.

Forget the past, claim my will for your life, and claim God's.

Hey, meet God's conditions.

And what are those conditions?

Pretty simple.

Look at verse 8.

Study the scripture.

The book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that's written.

Did you hear that?

All that's written.

You can't pick and choose.

Can't pick and choose.

Got to do all that he says.

Okay?

Can't pick and choose.

This is not Marson's.

Can't do that.

Amen.

Study to show thyself to prove unto God and workmen that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

You gotta study the book every day.

Gotta be in the book.

A proverb a day keeps the devil away.

Say that with me.

A proverb a day keeps the devil away.

31 chapters?

Go through the book of Proverbs at least once a month.

It's awesome.

Amen.

It's awesome.

Then number two, you gotta obey God.

You gotta obey God.

People do, hey, I have people all the time tell me, Pastor, I don't read the Bible a lot because, one, it doesn't make sense.

Well, my answer to that is 2 Corinthians 2.14, the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolish unto him, neither can he know them.

Because they're not saved, the Holy Spirit can't be the teacher.

You need to get saved so the Holy Spirit comes and dwells within your heart.

Then he teaches you the word.

Can I get an amen?

Okay?

But there's something else I hear all the time.

People do, hey, do not, and I love this, people do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself.

And a lot of people say I don't read the Bible because it contradicts itself.

Here's my answer to this, to them.

No, the Bible doesn't contradict itself.

The Bible contradicts you.

Well, that was quite very convicting.

Amen.

Very convicting.

Let me see what I've learned.

People that are lost don't want to be around a spirit-filled Christian.

Carnal Christians don't want to be around spirit-filled Christians.

How do you know that?

I be one.

I have been one.

When I was lost, my best friend loved me to Jesus.

He wouldn't give up on me.

And I treated him like a dog.

He said, Danny, I love you.

I said, You don't love me.

So yeah, I do.

I said, How do you love me?

He says, I love you because Jesus loved me and gave his life for me and died for me so that I could be saved to have eternal life and live for him.

And I want you to have what I got.

I said, I don't want it.

Leave me alone.

And it got to the point I tr I try not to be where he was, but the problem was we were on a football team together, and he and I both were running back, so I was with him all the time.

And you know what he'd say?

He didn't, he didn't play, he didn't bag badger me, but he'd say, Danny, love you.

And I'd say, He doesn't need to love me.

He doesn't love me.

And he's always smiling.

I just want to slap that smile right off his face.

Always smiling.

I mean, we'd be doing wind sprints, and then, hey, Jesus is awesome.

Man, this guy's crazy.

He became my best friend when I got saved.

He was already my best friend, but he really became my friend.

Amen.

Well, hmm.

How do we study God's word?

Here it is.

Know it in my head, memorize it.

Psalms 119.11, thy word of a hit in my heart that I might not sin against thee.

Stow it in my heart.

Meditate upon it.

Joshua 1.8, we just looked at it.

Sow it in my life.

Walking.

Hey, be a walking Bible.

A walking Bible.

Listen to what Psalms 119.35 says.

Make me walk in the path of your commandments.

Make me walk in the path of your commandments, because I delight in it.

Be ready to give an answer.

1 Peter 3.

Be a walking Bible.

And then sow it in the world.

Luke 8.11.

Luke 8.11, the seed is the word of God.

And then the Bible tells us that we are to be sowing the seed.

We are to be sowing the seed.

Mark 4.14.

Go in to all the world preach the gospel.

Well, wow.

When you know it in your head, when you know it in your heart, and when your life is walking it, you'll be that missionary.

Deedra, Gary, Elizabeth to the world.

You'll be that missionary to Chelsea Westover.

Well, meet my conditions.

Study the scripture, obey God, and then third thing, be strong and courageous.

Be strong and courageous.

You know, it is easy, be under verse 6 and 9, when it says three different times, be strong and courageous.

It is easier to have courage when it's for someone else.

Hello?

It's easier to have courage when it's for someone else.

Would you not agree?

Let me give you an example.

You go in the hospital and your friend's going to have surgery.

Okay?

Now for them, it's minor surgery.

But for you, if it was you, it's major surgery.

It's a whole different picture when you're in the bed fixing to be cut on.

Amen?

So it's easy for me to say, Carolyn, oh, be courageous.

You're going through it now.

Be courageous.

But what if I'm going through it?

Where's that courageousness?

But it's me.

Why not you?

Who are you?

God knows best.

Amen.

Why not you?

And then the second thing, it is easier to have courage when we realize God is with us.

Can I get an amen?

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

It reminds me of two kids went to the dentist's office, one big kid, one little kid, one tall, one short.

The big kid walks in and says to the dentist, We're in a hurry.

Don't give him any pain medicine or anesthetic.

Hey, we need to have our tooth pulled now.

The doctor looked up to that big kid and said, Boy, you've got a lot of courage.

He said, Man, that's impressive.

He said, So which tooth uh do I need to pull, son?

He turned to Johnny and said, Johnny, tell him which tooth you need pulled.

He had a lot of courage for the little boy, because it was his tooth being pulled, not him.

Zig Ziglar.

Little boy was growing up.

Zig Ziglar was an unbelievable positive speaker.

He used to come to Liberty when I was a student there.

And anyway, he was talking to his little boy about courage.

So he said, you know what?

I'm going to use the story, David and Goliath.

Okay?

So he turned and told the story about David and Goliath.

And so after he got through telling the story about David and Goliath, he turned to his son, son was about 14 years old, and he said, Tommy, who had the most courage?

David or Goliath?

Tommy said, Oh, Dad, that's easy.

Goliath.

Zig said, and you've been there, you tell your children something, and you think they understand, they go out and do the opposite.

Ever been there?

So he thought, well, maybe he didn't understand the story, so I'll tell it again.

So he told it again.

He said, Now, Tommy, who had the most courage?

He said, Dad, don't you understand?

He said, No, I don't guess I do.

Tell me, Tommy.

He said, Goliath had the most courage.

He said, When is that, Tommy?

He said, it takes a lot more courage to go into battle without God.

Wow.

Wow.

How about that?

I had to read that twice.

How about that?

It takes more courage to go into a battle without God than it does to go into battle with God.

Well, that was good.

That was good, wasn't it?

So let me ask you this morning.

Do you have that courage?

God wants to encourage you.

God loves you.

And here's what I really want you to remember.

His face is right there looking at you.

He's not moved away.

He's not slid across the seat to the door.

He's right there.

Waiting patiently for you.

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.

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

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