283 ~ TAKING THE LAND ~ PART 2

We welcome you to the Via Zion Sermon podcast.

We are a church based out of Chennai, India.

We are thrilled that you're tuned in today and hope that you

will be refreshed, revived, and energized by what you hear.

Our desire is that you will live life with a renewed sense of

purpose that stems from a vibrant faith in Jesus.

The year 2025 is 1 where we will be positioned by God to possess

our promise. We are believing that God is

bringing us into our place of promise.

It is now time to take the land and to do so we need to get our

spiritual posture in place and stop looking back so that we can

face forward with courage and faith.

Let's get going and possess our promise.

Hi, church. It's such a joy and a privilege.

We bring God's worth to you today.

And even as we get into the second part of the series, we

are looking at this new series that we started last week called

Taking the Land. It's from the book of Joshua.

I know as we have titled it as Taking the Land.

Even as you've probably watched the sermon bumper.

And for those of you who are watching and listening, if

you've heard the last week's sermon, it might seem daunting.

You might be like, you know what?

Am I ready or am I qualified or am I in a place today to take

the promises God has for me? And even as we meditate from the

book of Joshua, we can either look at it from a point of these

are only meant for leaders. I'm just a follower.

No, but in Christ, when Christ is living within us, all of us

are called to lead ourselves. No longer are we looking at one

person. The very person who walked on

this earth, who led himself as an example, is Jesus.

We follow him. And so today, all of us are

leaders. All of us have influence.

All of us have the capacity to make this decision to go and

take the land today. What does taking the land look

for both you and me? You know, for a lot of us, our

experiences could be 1, which we've probably read in history

books. Or probably for some of us, it

could be, you know, totally muddled up looking at the news

and what countries are doing and waging wars against.

But today, as we look into this, God's asking us, there's

territory and promises that I've called and given to you.

You need to go and take it. You know, the promise is ours,

Yes, in Jesus Christ it's yes and Amen.

But as we do this Christian life, many times the enemy is

occupied these places and he wants us to take these lands so

that we'll be able to fulfill the call of God on our lives.

A lot of us are thinking, you know what, in the midst of all

this, I think I just have to live a life like this where I'm

not able to see the promise. No, you need to rise up.

That's what we saw last week. The ABC's of what Joshua did.

The first thing he did is he was called to arise after Moses time

he was called to arise and today you and me in Christ when we

received a salvation, we are called to arise.

The second thing, what you asked and we saw from Joshua chapter 1

Joshua 1 · chapter mention

is to be bold and courageous. You and I can't be bold today

because many a times you feel we have been closed in by the

enemy, we've been shamed, we've been plagued by the nature of

the sinful heart that we carry. But God saying I have redeemed

you, I've set you free. Now be bold and walk in the

boldness that we get from Christ's identity and not our

identity. And the beautiful thing about

following Jesus is that we get to walk because he is walking

with us. You and I aren't alone.

We are walking because he's walking alongside with us.

And the third thing we were saw with AB and CC being we chew on

God's word, If we have to last this time of taking the land.

If we have to go and take the land and occupy and be in it and

hold on to it and see God's fulfillment not just for our

generation, but for the generations to come so that God

will be glorified. As we keep chewing on God's

Word, we bring it back into meditation.

We think of it, We will go through trials, we will go

through temptations, we will go through sin knocking at our

door, but we will have the word of God on our lips and on our

hearts, and we'll be able to call onto God because I believe

His Word is alive. His Word is for everyone.

His Word is for every season, His Word is for every place.

And as we live in that understanding, we'll be able to

see the miraculous thing when we speak out His Word, what it will

do, and even as we continue on to the second part, I just

wanted to quickly go through chapters 2-3 and four because I

feel that that's a prelude to what 5 is.

A lot of times we can jump into 5, but I feel 234, the key

themes that happened in chapters 2-3 and four are a passage for

meditation. Today is from chapter 5 and we

see that many a times as we believe in this ABC.

We feel still stuck. We feel still stuck here We are

clearly heading in the direction of the promised land.

But there's something that's still causing me to doubt.

And I believe everyone of us have that doubt in our lives.

We all carry that kind of doubt. We have doubt over our own

selves. Will you be able to take the

step forward? But Jesus, like I want to see

things happen in and through me. God wants to see things happen

through me, through Geshom, who is his follower, through Tina,

who's my wife, his through her, his follower.

He wants to see us all walk in that when we clearly see Jesus

pattern of journey with these 12, you know, he clearly wanted

all the 12 to take God's word across the entire world.

He trusted them, he invested in them.

That's who he spent the most time with.

And one of the things that we see is because we've been under

leaders and under people. And probably some of us, our

parents were, you know, the ones who drew us closer to faith, who

believed and saw miracles, or probably we had spiritual

leaders or we had friends. And many times we think we love

being in the midst of the miracle, But many times God is

like, no, I want to start doing the miracle in front of you,

through you. And that's where we will see God

come through. And I feel that's the strongest

place we are stuck at a lot of times our, our capacity is that

we are comfortable to follow others and back others and do

things around others. But God saying now the season is

coming where you have to possess the land for your sake, for your

generation sake, for your name, for you to hold on to say this

is what the Lord's done for me. And so even as we meditate on

chapters Joshua chapter 5, today in chapter 2 and chapter 3 and

Joshua 5 · chapter mention

chapter 4, we see first Joshua, being a military man all along,

sends 2 spies into Jericho. He's going sending spies to go

see the land. What is it that they are

against? And as he's sending them, it's

interesting this particular verse that Rahab, who's the

prostitute who's housed on the city walls, who houses them,

says this interesting verse. And I wanted to read that to you

because many a times everything that we are called to do in

taking this land is not about us.

It's all about God. So let's read from Joshua

Joshua 2:8–13

chapter 2, verses 8 to 13. It says before the spies laid

down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, I

know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear

of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are

melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried

up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt

and what you did to see on and all the 2 kings of the Amorites

east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.

When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone's

courage failed because of you. For the Lord your God is God in

heaven above and on the earth below.

Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show

kindness to my family, because I have kindness to you.

Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my

father and mother, my brothers and sisters and all who belong

to them, and that you will save us from death.

The preload of this is as the spies have gone in, word goes

around that spies have entered the land.

They take refuge in Rehab's house.

And as Rehab is, as they're lying down that night so that

they can leave the next day, so that they're not spotted, Rehab

tells them this. And I've underlined the key

words. It doesn't talk about Moses.

It doesn't talk about Joshua. If there's anything that people

will testify as there's someone who's greater, there's a God

above who's greater above you, who's enabling you to do this.

And that is the testimony about following Jesus.

It's never about ourselves. It's never about ourselves.

You know, John the Baptist says may he increase and I decrease.

You know, at the end of the day, when Paul says it at the end, if

Jesus is priest is more than enough, who am I Paul Apollos.

We are all these people who are doing part of the work God's

called us to do. And so today as we read all of

this, we are remind that only God gets the glory.

Joshua too is a reminder that God will be heard and seen and

will cause hearts to melt even before they encounter the

people. Just imagine this.

They have heard what happened in the Red Sea that was 40 years

back. They have heard what's happened

to these two kings that was probably around 1520 years back.

It's the God who is spoken of his name will last.

The works that he has done only he can do it will last.

And I love how she concludes that statement by saying

everyone's courage failed because of you.

For the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.

And so today I'm even as we are called to take this land, even

before we go into Joshua 5. This is not about us, it's all

about God. The miracle that God wants to

give you in the promised land is not about you, it's about God.

So when we get into the promised Land, we have nothing but to

lift our hands and say and surrender.

Lord, it's all about you. It is all about you.

I'm sorry for the things that I made it, but it's all about you

today. What is it that is holding you

back? So I believe the first thing

that we have to keep in mind in taking the land is all about

obedience of the Israelites at that point was to bring glory to

God. And that was what was spoken of.

You know an interesting thing about when we, when it's all

about God's glory, no one can stand and take credit for God's

glory. No one can stand and take credit

for God's glory. And I pray and ask that if any

of us are actually standing after receiving a medical

miracle from God and saying God, this glory belongs to me, I pray

we would repent. I pray we would repent because

the glory belongs to God. In Isaiah chapter 42, verse 8,

Isaiah 42:8

I'm reading it from the passion. It says I am Yavi.

That is my name. I will not give my glory to

another God, nor my renown to idols.

I am Yahweh, that is my name. I will not give my glory to

another God, nor my renown to idols.

Why is this important? Because anything we give glory.

So at the end of the day, if I have to say Geshom, I've been

able to do this. All this.

No, this is all because of God's glory.

The position that I have, the wealth that I have, it's all

because of God's glory. There's nothing I can add to my

name. Even for those of us who are

older, in their 50s and 60s and 70s, who are thinking of leaving

legacy, it's all about God's glory.

Let us not take our eyes of God and set it on something that

we've made. That's what it talks about.

I will not give my glory to another God nor my renowned to

idols. Anything that's man made won't

get, can't come against God's glory in chapter 3.

In Joshua chapter 3, we see the entire nation is heading towards

Joshua 3 · chapter mention

Jordan River and we see God makes a statement there.

I love when God decides to exalt you and me.

We don't have to strive. You know how liberating it is.

You know, in, in for those of us who worked in the corporate

world, for those of us who've worked in places amongst other

people, whatever setting it is, be it in a Christian setting, be

it in a Christian organization, be it in a, in a parachurch

organization, be it in a corporate world, be it anywhere

in the world, you by human nature will always want to exalt

ourselves. You want to say this is what I'm

can do. This is what I have.

This is what my capacity is. This is what my skill set is.

But the beautiful thing is when we are about taking the land

God's promised us, you and I, we can be confident that God will

exalt us at the right time. Joshua 3 verse 7 says, and the

Joshua 3:7

Lord said to Joshua, today I will begin to exalt you in the

eyes of all Israel so that they may know that I am with you as I

was with Moses. Joshua definitely had the doubt

of, you know, I'm filling too big issues.

Moses was called the most humblest man.

Moses was loved by his people. Moses was loved by God.

Moses carried God's glory. God, who am I?

But God saying no, I will lift you up, I will lift you up.

And I pray and ask that a lot of us are looking for validation

from people to be lifted up. Let God lift you up at the right

time. Let God lift you up.

May be the season we are all walking through as God is

testing us. Will he sustain it?

Will he be able to sustain? Will he be able to last?

Will he be able to stand if I lift him up?

Because if God lifts us up, it'll come from a place where we

rely entirely on God, rely entirely on God.

And this beautiful aspect that we can see here is we can either

be all in or we cannot be all in.

There's only all in with regard to obedience.

There's no partial obedience in Joshua chapter 3 verse 17.

Joshua 3:17

When we read that, we'll see when God calls us, when we are

obedient, He lifts us up. Joshua 317 is when God gives the

strategy to Joshua to say take the ark, let it go across the

camp as they go to the Jordan River, let the river, let the

priest step right into the middle of the river.

And it's interesting, as they stepped on the waters, the water

started parting ways. Can you imagine?

When God comes, everything has to move.

When God comes, he clears the way.

When God comes, He is right at the centre.

And this passage is very pivotal for me specifically when we read

from Joshua 3, verse 17, the priest who carried the ark of

Joshua 3:17

the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and

stood on dry ground while all Israel passed by until the whole

nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

Eight years back when we were really in this place of God.

You're calling us to plant the church.

How do we go about it? And I and, and, and, and This is

why I say, you know, it's always better to have two people in

this journey than this one. And so me and my wife are on

this journey. And my wife also sensed in her

spirit, this is a timing that God's called us.

I sensed it, but I was having withdrawal symptoms.

Do we really? Can we try something else?

And this is the scripture that she spoke over me.

Marry a wife who'll speak scripture over you.

Marry someone who'll speak scripture over you.

Marry someone who'll speak God's life giving word over you.

Don't marry someone who'll pave the worldly way for you because

it won't last. Marry someone who'll speak.

And I remember in our bedroom we were having this full blown

conversation. In worldly terms, it's a fight,

but I was like struggling. It's a spiritual struggle

because I know this is the time, but my flesh is unwilling to

yield to it. My spirit is willing, but my

flesh is unwilling. She on the other hand, both the

spirit and physical body is ready to step into it.

And I remember she said, Geshom, you can't keep one leg on the

water, one leg on land. You're either all on land or

you're all on water. I honestly, I didn't need time

to pray, but I just said give me a day or two to pray because I

knew that wrestle was just on the physical level.

I said God, I need strength from above to make this decision.

God gave me the strength and together we started church 2018

in August and I believe some of us are in that same space where

we are like God. Why would I go to the centre of

the water? The centre of the water is where

you'll see God closest the most. The centre of the water is where

you'll see His miraculous provision.

The centre of the water is where you'll hear God closest.

The centre of the water is where you'll be in awe and in wonder

of what God's doing, of what God's doing.

In chapter 4 we see even after they've crossed the Jordan,

something interesting. Joshua asks each of the 12

leaders to take these stones, and this is what it says in

Joshua 4 verses 4 to 7. So Joshua called together the 12

Joshua 4:4–7

men who had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe,

and sent to them. Go over before the ark of the

Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan.

Each of you is to take a stone on this shoulder according to

the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign

among you in the future. When your children ask you what

do, what do these stones mean? Tell them that the flow of the

Jordan was cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord.

When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut

off. These stones are to be a

memorial to the people of Israel forever.

What is Joshua asking his people?

As you cross the Jordan, you're taking the stones which are

right in the centre, which no one can actually see would no

one would actually know and take it and go.

Let's build a a place which will be known that God parted the

waters. Mind you, the time and they're

going to cross is when the current is the fiercest, the

most. So God is actually working right

when it is at its peak, the flows at its peak.

And as they take it that I believe God will use instances

in our lives where the miraculous has been seen to keep

it so that we'll be able to test for our future generations, test

for our future to to tell our testimony for our future

generations. This is what God did.

This is how God came through. And if he can come through then

he will come through now. If He did it then, he will do it

now. Can we lead our lives that are a

testimony to us today that the future generations have

something to fall back on? Many a times you are trying to

live my life, you're living my version of my life.

But can we, can I plead with you and ask you, can we live the

version God wants us to live so that we are a fall back for the

future generations to say if God did it for their generation, He

will do it today. Which means today we need to

make those decisions. Let's not build collapsible

kingdoms. Let's not build collapsible

structures which will just implode within us after a time.

Let's build pathways. Let's build highways where many

the future generations will use it for going forward and

propelling and taking the Kingdom.

God is destined for each and everyone.

Joshua 4 was 14 says that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the

sight of all Israel and they stood in awe of him for all the

days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses.

It's interesting that when we look from the life of Joshua, he

didn't do anything to win over people.

And I want to come to that. I am.

I'm so confident of being in that place because I have come

to the placing. God, if you've called you at the

right time, lift our heads up. I'm not doing this for people.

Let not people be the one who lift you up because people who

lift you up will pull you down. Let it be God who lifts you up.

And I pray because when God lifts us up, he takes us to a

place to know that it's only the Lord's doing.

He's given it. So at the end of the day, when I

am standing in that place, I can only show both my hands to lift

other people up to say, come on up.

This is what happens when God lifts us up.

We start seeing things bigger. Even as I said, God is the one

who exalts us. I believe God is the one who

will also enable us to see what the need is and make room so

that others also can be exalted at the right time.

One of the things we see from Joshua's life is he set a clear

example of how to handle the miraculous and how to walk in

obedience. How to walk in obedience.

You know, he could have come from a place of witnessing.

So that because many a times we, I don't know about you guys, but

many a times I know pride creeps in for me because I've seen

certain things, because I've seen how things work.

I've seen how things are done. I kind of get this inward pride

where I think, you know, I can manage this on my own.

I won't need God. But looking at Joshua's life,

it's a good place to doubt what you are and whether you can

handle it because you're entirely relying on God.

Because you're entirely relying on God, you are able to obey and

ask God, God for what has to be done.

And so it's interesting that even as he's coming here, he

wants the future generations to know, yes, this happened in the

Red Sea. This happened again in Jordan.

But this is also a reminder that whoever fears God and does what

he says, he will do the miraculous.

He will do the miraculous and so even as we go to the second

part, the reason why I want to give you these the highlights

from the 2nd chapter 2, chapter 3 and chapter 4 is because many

a times we think because we've gone to chapter 2, chapter 3,

chapter 4, we've seen oh, you know what our name is heard even

40 years into it. People know who we as Israelites

are in chapter 3, even even though I don't feel adequate, I

know God's going to exalt me, but then God's asking me to go

into the Jordan and do this thing in that self doubt.

We see the miraculous. We in all of these things, God

has worked in US. We've seen God come through.

And so we have probably this lethargic thing of you know

what, it's OK. I think God can just do his

thing and I'll just be God saying no.

Today when you read from Joshua chapter 5, you're going to see

Joshua 5 · chapter mention

God prepares us internally so that we can take the external

promises and hold on to what God's called us to do.

So I've titled it as unlearning to move forward.

Many times the world talks to us about learning to move forward.

You learn this particular thing to move forward.

But when when we have God over us, we need to unlearn to move

forward because we unlearn the, the, the pride, the the, the

arrogance, the, the, the know it house the oh, he did it like

this. So he'll do ABCD like this.

No, we, we, the, the thought patterns, we unlearn so we can

move forward. God brings Joshua to a place

where he wants him to set the things right before moving

forward. God will want the same of us

today. God will also want us to

remember that everything that's happened till now is because of

God. And anything that's going to

happen again today, tomorrow, and the day after will be

because of God. So you and I can't take credit

you and I can only say this is the Lord's doing.

Unlearning has been a strong pillar in our journey.

I would say even in planting the church unlearning because many a

times we, we, we meet in different cohorts.

We meet people from across the cities and across the country.

As we learn, we come up thinking, you know, these things

might work, but God's like the if your confidence is on that,

it won't work. And God, we have go back and

say, God, we're sorry, how do we do this?

And the the more we've been learning this unlearning aspect,

we've realized when we unlearn, he strengthens us.

When we unlearned, he journeys with us.

You know, even before we planted the church in 2018, 2 1/2 years

before that, we were going for all these once in three months

intensives and all that. I remember every time me and

Tina were driving on this highway from Chennai to

Bangalore to go and spend the three, three days there for that

training. We will go with so much of

questions. How will we do this?

How is this God? What is God asking us?

Is this the right direction? And there was this thing of

going. And in those three days, a lot

of unlearning will happen. We'll come back with

gratefulness because we knew God answered that, which means we

had to come to a place to take God and ready to unlearn.

And so today, if you and I are wanting to take steps forward,

we will have to let go of the past.

You might be like, you know what?

The past defined me. The past gave me a stage.

The past gave me a platform. The past gave me an identity.

But God saying, no, the past did not give you that.

I gave you that. Look to me today because I can

still work with you. I can still work through you.

You know, one of the things of unlearning is it's cognitively

very hard. You know, as a musician, when we

are learning certain songs, when I'm not listened to the original

right, I've unlearned, I've learned it wrong.

It takes extra effort. It takes extra, you know, time,

it consumes extra time for me to unlearn that.

You know, the problem happens is when I'm playing by myself, I

think I'm playing it right. But then when I start playing

with a band, I realize I'm not playing it right.

And so I listen to the song and I have to unlearn and I have to

consciously be aware that I shouldn't make that mistake.

And there's this, there's this lot of these unlearning process.

And so today what we are learning from our Mondays to

Saturdays will dictate how we you got on our Sundays.

A lot of us are not even and reading.

The gods are reading God's word from a Monday to a Saturday and

we're trying to understand God on a Sunday.

You won't be able to do that. A lot of us have not held on to

the promises from a Monday to a Saturday and are trying to hold

on to a God's promise on a Sunday.

It will fail and I pray and ask this unlearning happens within.

A lot of us have to unlearn some of the patterns our parents have

taught about Christ and His Word.

A lot of us have to remove the scales and the glasses of what

the future people are predicting of what it's going to happen.

God's like, trust in me. A lot of us have been waiting in

September for God, Jesus to return only to find out that

Jesus didn't come. Jesus has said that He will

come. We won't even know He will come

like a thief in the night. Today, you and I, I'll be

prepared. I'll be preparing every day.

Oh, I'll be just preparing that one day.

I have to constantly listen to the right song, to the right way

of how I can do it. I have to practice it slowly and

correctly so that it commits to memory, so that whatever I've

learned wrong doesn't go into my muscle memory, so that I'm not

making that same mistake. I'm keep doing it till I learn

the new one of the things even as I was just for the fun of it.

I just typed into the ChatGPT and I was asking why is it hard

to unlearn? And these are two things it gave

it gave. There's brain resistance

neurosciences where brain depotentates old neural patterns

and prioritizes new ones instead of erasing old connection.

So what happens is your brain just causes it to sit on top of

it, but the old one is still there.

And that's why in this faith journey, we constantly have to

be unlearning. A lot of us are trying to

resolve the anxieties of our heart by just placing a post of

it or by placing someone else's version of overcoming anxiety.

God's like, I want to deal with it, take my word and leave on

it. Unlearn the patterns, unlearn

the patterns. Ask God, what is it that I need

to do to be an overcomer? It involves letting go.

And so even as I was going through this, I realized Joshua

was in this pivotal place where God was so kind to him to say,

I'm going to work with you, unlearn certain things so that

from here you are a changed person.

You know, in our Wednesday Bible study last week, as you were

studying, the speaker was talking about this.

He says man's natural gravitational pull.

What is our natural gravitational pull?

When I throw something up because of gravity, it will come

down. Man's natural gravitational pull

is more towards preservation, selfishness and passivity.

And so today our natural order is 1 like that because of sin in

this world, because of incompleteness in this world.

And so God's like I am wanting to change the spiritual order

within. So which means I need to

unlearn. I need to unlearn today.

I can tell it to you that a lot of us are thinking Jesus and the

church is out of convenience. No, it is out of necessity.

Every Friday we record these sermons on a Friday for you to

listen and to hear and to watch. And every Friday we meet here as

a church to pray. It is out of a necessity we are

meeting here. Necessity, Why?

For God to do something. Necessity.

Why? Because for we want God to move.

Necessity. Why?

Because you want revival to keep burning a flame.

Necessity. Why we want generations change.

Necessity. Why?

Because we want the strongholds to be pulled down and I pray and

ask that we will not give in to the natural gravitational pull,

but rather we would give in to the natural spiritual pull that

happens in our lives. I believe God is wanting to

unearth so many things in our life.

We can have coping mechanisms, but do we have God mechanisms on

our lives to get things right? Do we have God mechanisms in our

right? Today you have a coping

mechanism to handle the minute the slightest irritation of your

throat happens. But today, are you able to

handle the slightest demarcation of sin that comes across in your

body where you're able to see God?

This is God. This area in my life needs you

overhauling for far too long. I just plastered it.

Would you come dig it deep? Show me what has to be done?

What is this pattern that I can break?

Should I bring an accountability partner in?

Should I be more accountable to my spouse about this particular

sin pattern that I want to indulge in?

Bring it to God and He'll help you.

There are two things which I wanted to quickly address from

Joshua chapter 5. The first thing that we see,

Joshua 5 · chapter mention

what God asks Joshua to do, and I believe in this day and age is

our circumcision of our hearts for God.

He wanted to reestablish the people who are going to occupy

the land because there was a covenant that was spoken early

on to Abraham and God wanted to establish that.

Again, saying that what I promised Abraham, we'll stick to

it. And by then if you notice the

culture of the land was every male was being circumcised into

adulthood, be it a cross, you know, with Ishmael coming in,

that became like the following of that particular land and

every culture in so context when you look being circumcised was

for male to enter into adulthood.

But the very thing that God asked Abraham to do was to make

sure that the covenant in law is the fact that he is God and we

are his people, that He is the one who is to be followed,

obeyed and trusted. And so when you read in Joshua

Joshua 5:2–3

chapter 5 verses 2-3, this is what it says.

At that time the Lord said to Joshua make Flint names and

circumcise the Israelites again. So Joshua made Flint knives and

circumcised the Israelites at Gibeah Harlot.

As we continue on verses 4, it goes on to say now This is why

he did so. All those who came out of Egypt,

all the men of military age, died in the wilderness on the

way after leaving Egypt. All the people that came out had

been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness

during the journey from Egypt had not.

The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness 40 years until

all the men who are of military age, when they left Egypt, had

died, since they had not obeyed the law.

For the Lord had sworn to them that they would not see the

land. He had solemnly promised their

ancestors to give us a land flowing with milk and honey.

So he raised up his sons in their place, and these were the

ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised

because they had not been circumcised on the way.

And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained

where they were in the camp until they were healed.

You know, as I was meditating on this, God was telling me, I'm

going to circumcise the hearts of our men, of our women, of the

church today so that they will be mine.

It's interesting when Joshua was talking about this, the men were

their fathers, were all men who were circumcised.

They knew what the covenant law was.

They knew what the promise of God was over their life, that

they will go into their promised land which will be flowing with

milk and honey. But it's interesting because of

their disobedience, because of their grumbling, because of them

bowing before idols, because of them probably knowing that their

generation won't see the promise they had given up on bringing

their children up. And today, this is a word I want

to speak to many who are listening, who are waiting to

just give up on faith because it didn't work for them.

Parents, faith will only work when you allow God to work his

way through you. A lot of us are wanting it to

happen on our terms. And faith doesn't happen.

Even as we started the series, many came and said, you know

what? I think we are in a time of

possessing. But the truth is, the possessing

will look like the mundane. The possessing will look just

like any other day. The possessing will look like

another day where the sun rises and you will feel the same.

It's what's happening internally that causes you to change.

The mental and the spiritual script changes internally

because you no longer are circumcised.

You no longer are having your heart aligned to yourself.

Rather it's being shaped and cut to be aligned to God.

It's no longer being going to receive direction from your own

inner man which is full of sin, which is which is has got its

own gravitational pull towards preservation and thinking

selfishly about themselves, but it's going to be looking towards

God. God, what is it that you're

calling me to step into? What is it you're calling me to

do today? What is it you want me to rise

about today? This apathy that the generation

showed in the wilderness was because you can see selfishness

reeking all over. And I pray that we won't do

that. You know how many?

When I remember having this conversation with the pastor

leader who was at that time mentoring me, saying, guess what

do you want to do 10 years from now?

And I said I want to journey with friends of mine who are

giving up on faith, who are giving up on faith because they

have a family, who are giving up on faith because they feel like

things aren't working their way. They're giving up on faith

because they feel like they're on a shelf.

They're not useful anymore for the Kingdom.

They forgot that man doesn't dictate how God has to use them.

God sets them up to use how they have to be used in this Kingdom.

God is the one who sets them up. It's on man.

And so today, you and I, when we call to God and me, I love him

and we say, Lord, I'm ready to unlearn.

He will circumcise our hearts. He will circumcise our hearts.

He'll use Flint lives to shape it, to take out those posters

that are heavily ingrained and made it all about myself to say

God, I'm ready, I'm ready. What happens when we allow God

to circumcise our hearts, our heart idols, Whatever thing will

shape me, whatever will make me comfortable, whatever will cause

me to do things my way, whatever will enable me, that is where we

see it. A lot of us today are wanting to

see things and that is where the circumcision will happen within

our hearts. The second thing, the affections

of our hearts. Many a times the affections of

our hearts are more towards what will enable me to be me and

build me. But that is a lack of love and

God will change that in our lives.

God will change that inside out. The third thing we see is

unwholesome words will stop coming.

We'll stop speaking death into things.

We'll stop start speaking life. These things which are happening

inside will start changing suddenly.

We will learn to be quiet among people because you, like the

Lord, is not allowing me to speak.

The Lord wants me to observe. The Lord wants me to see.

It's not about being safe. But you start valuing your

words. You know, when God's cleansed

you inside, you don't want any unwholesome talk to start coming

out. So I pray and ask that we will

listen to what God's asking us to do.

We will step into those spaces. Philippians chapter 3, verse 3.

Philippians 3:3

And the Passion says, for we have already experienced heart

circumcision and we worship God in the power and freedom of the

Holy Spirit, not in laws and religious duties.

We are those who boast in what Jesus Christ has done and not in

what we can accomplish in our own strength.

The circumcision of our hearts is 1.

Where we say, Lord, I'm aligned to what you are saying because

without this, the bed of what is built on if even if we take

land, it will all be about ourselves.

God wants to say no. God, what is it that you're

wanting me to do? You know some of the things

that's happened in the last couple of years.

I would say ever since we moved into this place is I've been

starting to ask God, what is it you want me to do for next year?

What is it you want me to do? What is it you're calling me to

do? Because at the end of the day,

we can put a lid and say enough, but till God says it's enough,

it's not enough. And so I'm asking God, God, what

is it you want us to do? What area you want to step us to

step into? God will give us the right

direction. God will give us the right

place. God will give us the right word.

You and I have to rise above you and I have to rise to a place of

seeing things happen. So I pray that as Joshua went

into that place, you might be like, but we witnessed the

miracles, we've seen everything. We know how this works.

We know how this you know, we know the we know the structural

way of how God will do. Don't be fooled.

Our ways are not similar or even close to what God's ways are.

God's ways are higher. Our ways are way different.

God has distinct ways of doing things in our life.

Maybe yield to him. The second thing we see is a

shame is rolled over. One of the things when we do in

this place is with with guilt and shame being something that

we carry, God is trying to say from no longer you're going to

carry the guilt of previous generations.

No longer you're going to carry the guilt of something, your

shame is rolled over. In fact, as we are talking, it's

in this place called Gilgal that God changes things.

Joshua chapter 5 verses 9 to 12 says, then the Lord said to

Joshua 5:9–12

Joshua, today I've rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.

So the place has been called Gilgal to this day.

On the evening of the 14th day of the month, while camped at

Gilgal, the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the

Passover. The day after the Passover, that

very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened

bread and roasted green. God wants to remove the reproach

of our past. I don't know what your Egypt

looks like. Your Egypt is one of the views.

Your Egypt is 1 of staleness where you've not seen growth.

Your Egypt can be one of death. Your Egypt can be one of you've

been a cheater. The Egypt can be one of where

you've been a liar. Egypt can be 1 where you've been

untrustworthy. God's saying once you've allowed

me to circumcise your hearts, once you've made me yours, once

I have access to it, I can turn your identity around no longer.

So Gilgal is where things are rolled over, shame is rolled

over. Shame of what?

They were all known as slaves of Egypt, but now they're known as

a nation of God's people. Just imagine for 40 years they

really were identifying by their past.

We had better things in Egypt. We were, we had greater things

going there. Why did you bring us to here?

We had a roof over our head. We didn't have to move around.

Their comparison was always Egypt.

But today, as they're standing in the borders of their promised

land, God is saying, I am turning the shame around.

Your identity is no longer that, but your identity is going to

God of Israel, God, God who's created the heavens and earth

for us today. The identity is God of Israel,

who is Jesus Christ. We have a name who's walked

before us and today are you willing for him to roll over

that stone in our life that identity we've we've blasted

over ourselves God saying I want to turn it around to say 1 of

redeemed restored my child, my son, you are mine beloved.

And so today you can love God to do that.

You know one of the things when God allows shame to roll is that

he gives us honor. He gives us honor.

You suddenly are going to take a land.

He gives you possession of it. You suddenly are owning it.

This what does that look like? You are owners of certain

things. You are overcomers.

He places honor over us, identities that were known for

generation changes, territory to be given over to us, happens

only when we allow God to change our identity even before he

gives it to us. He changes our identity and says

that is yours, that is yours. And so today when we trade our

shame to Jesus, he turns it around.

What happened, Gilgal was two things.

He established the covenant again between man and God.

He established and he said you no longer are anyone else

separate. You are mine.

You are my children. You have for far too long looked

to Egypt and to things of what man can create.

No, but you are mine. And we also see it's the same

place where they have the Passover.

And today you and I get to have the Passover because Jesus died

on the cross once and for all. We don't have to sacrifice a

lamb again because the perfect lamb was sacrificed on the cross

for you and me. So today with all this, you and

I can participate in the same thing.

He's like, I can turn it over. So when we look at that Gilgal

moment, it's the cross for us where he's turning it, where

he's turning it for both you and me.

One Corinthians chapter 5 verses 6 to 8 goes on to say boasting

over your tolerance of sin is inappropriate.

Don't you understand that even a small compromise with sin

permeates the entire fellowship, just as a little leaven

permeates a batch of dough? So remove every trace of your

leaven of compromise with sin so that you might become new and

pure again. For indeed you are clean,

because Christ, our Passover lamp, has been sacrificed for

us. So now we can celebrate our

continual feast, not with the old leaven, the east of

wickedness or bitterness, but we will feast on the freshly baked

bread of innocence and holiness. Innocence and holiness.

Today, if you're wanting the Holy Spirit to work in and

through us, we need to be innocent of evil and we need to

be willing to abide and stay in holiness.

A lot of us today are struggling with being innocent in with God.

We want to be innocent among people who have influence so

that we favor and carry their influence.

But God saying, be innocent with me.

I will work things out and we see holiness.

God saying, would you make this a place where you'll decide

because I can have constant communion with you.

So today, what is our Gilgal experience when we encounter

Jesus? When we encounter Jesus, it is

one of innocence. It's one of holiness.

No longer are we aware of patterns of sin.

We late and say, Lord, you've washed it away once and for all.

Now I want to be with you. Teach me what to do.

Help me overcome our worldly wisdom and our street smartness

won't go, but God saying if you have the innocence of Christ, we

leave more room for God to work because this is a sign of our

hearts being circumcised. The holiness that God's asking

with innocence and holiness is where we ask God to dwell.

May our hands be right and our hearts be pure, Pure for God's

glory to dwell. God won't share His glory, but

He will dwell in us, which requires us to have our hands

ready to be right, do what God wants and our hearts to be pure.

Can it be that God wants to work on these two areas before we

start conquering, even before we start seeing the different

chapters of Joshua, God will want to set right this area for

us because all glory goes to God.

We are taking every step out of obedience to Him.

It's interesting as they were ending that part with the

Passover. There's a couple of things which

I wanted to read from that. There was a miraculous thing

that happened, and I believe a lot of us today are struggling

in this area where we want the miraculous, but God's like the

miraculous is going to happen because your hands are blessed.

If we allow these first two things to happen, we'll be able

to experience the shift that happens.

Joshua 5 versus 11 to 12 the day after the Passover.

That very day they ate some of the produce of the land,

unleavened bread and roasted grain.

The mana stopped the day after they ate this food from the

land. There was no longer any mana for

the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.

When God changes the identity, he also changes the very way he

gives his children. No longer is God feeding.

He's saying eat of the land. He's telling them as owners, you

can eat of this kind. This land is yours.

Make taking territory is hard work.

When God gives mana, you know it's easy.

You know it's easy for us to pray the prayer of manna.

But I believe God with Jesus coming in, he's saying I'm

reciting in you. Jesus is in us.

He's given us the Holy Spirit this day and age, which means he

will enable us to do things when we have to take territory.

We will have to give off time. We'll have to carve off time.

We'll have to carve off intentionality to be there to

press on to see it happen. To enjoy the produce of the land

requires the work of our hands. If you want to see barren wombs

turned, you will have to go back and ask God.

God, give me this miracle. I need it.

Generations are to be born. If God wants you to rise about

debt, you need to ask the Holy Spirit.

God give me a deep heart of contentment so I know how to

handle money so I won't be in debt anymore.

No point asking for mana to come so that your debt will be

cleared because if that comes, you still will be swimming in

your own evil desires. God is saying many of you have

to change this perspective of living in this tension of the

mana and doing the work that's called God will provide.

The beautiful lesson that Joshua learnt is God will provide, but

when God gives a land to provide, God's not going to be

giving him manna. He wants me to do the toil that

God is asked. A lot of us are struggling to

walk in this journey of doing what God's called us to ask.

That's why I said this. Taking the land will look like

your everyday. It looked like your everyday.

It looked like being right to your boss everyday.

It looked like showing up to office every time correctly on

time. It looked to being sending your

deliverables as freelancers sending your deliverables on

time. It looked like doing the things

mundane everyday. But in that is where we will

start enjoying the promised land.

Milk and honey is not for us to sit on a beach at and enjoy the

waves. Milk and honey is where we are

relying on God. We are communing with Him.

Even as Pastor Vasu talked to us.

We are enjoying the delight that God has over us and who He has

created us to be. The beauty of God's Spirit is at

work that as Joshua was taking these steps, you and I can take

this and experience God. So I pray today that as we take

this land, it will require us to be people of hard work.

For those of you who prayed for a job, for those of you who are

seeking that spouse, you might think, oh, the spouse will just

drop in from heaven. No, it'll require you to also

constantly. That's why for those of you who

are wanting to get married, I pray you'll circumcise your

hearts with what God's asking you because a lot of it has your

own desires. God saying no when I want to

bring a godly spouse to you, let me carve out things so that you

know what a godly spouse is. Be willing to allow God to work

in and through. A lot of us have to allow God to

change our identities before we get into it because we think our

spouse is our savior. No, your spouse is not your

savior. Jesus is your savior.

A lot of you have given so much importance to all the emotional

feelings that you felt. Only Jesus cares for that.

Jesus can only handle all of that.

Take it to Jesus so that he'll make sure you'll be in the

identity he is created to be. He's not called you to be in an

emotional balloon. He's called you to be in the

identity God's called you to be. Feel the things, but feel it

with Jesus so that you'll be able to walk as people who are

here on earth who are ready to take the land.

You're ready to take the land. You're not walking discouraged.

You're not walking disabled. You're not walking confused.

You're not walking like you're betrayed.

You're not walking like someone has let go of you.

You're walking in confidence. You're walking in strength.

You're walking in a surety. You're walking knowing that God

is walking with you. Mana is God's provision.

Taking the land is where we see faith within being exhibited,

where God is calling us to take that step.

And I pray As for some of us, it could be hard, but this is where

God's asking us, will you be able to trust God with this?

This taking the land is a season shift, is a provision shift.

A lot of us suddenly will see things work differently now,

wanting to work that way in and through us.

So I pray even your financial systems will change, your

emotional support systems will change, things around will start

changing, but keep and be alert to what God is doing.

I pray you'll be so close to him.

As I said, innocence and holiness will be the key pillars

for you to experience the power so that you'll be able to take

the land that God's called you to take today.

So even as we pray and close, I just want to ask you, as we

unlearn to move forward, will you allow God to walk in and

through you that the circumcision of our hearts will

happen so that God will be front and centre of everything.

Shame is rolled over and God wants you to walk in honour

knowing that he is with you. Can we pray and ask God?

Lord, I just thank you Lord for this time.

Thank you for all those who joined online, who are watching

and who are listening to it. And I just pray even right now,

Lord, as they listen to the ABC's last week, I prayed this

week, Lord, we would unlearn, Lord Jesus, to move forward,

unlearn things that we've built as our support systems, that you

will be our everything. Lord, as we sing that song, you

are my everything, You are my all, You are our everything.

And I pray that will be the focus through which we will see

things happen, the focus through which we'll see you come

through. Lord, would you be glorified?

Would you be honoured? Lord Jesus?

I pray even right now, Lord, people will start walking in the

into the promised landlord, not half equipped, but fully

equipped. I pray their hearts will be

circumcised to see you more than we see ourselves.

To see you more. I pray innocence and holiness

will be etched a lot. I pray even right now, Lord, for

those who for long have been dwelling, Lord Jesus, in these

situational things, circumstantial issues, that

Lord, you will roll that they'll have their Gilgal moment right

now, Lord, they will have the cross before them to say you've

traded it once for all. The Passover lamb has been

crucified and today you've traded it to give us freedom

that we will live in the freedom that you've called us to live.

Experience you so that when we possess our lands, Lord, our

generations will know. The God who did it will also do

it again. For that, Lord, go before us,

strengthen us, take charge. I pray especially, Lord, in the

season that you will be glorified, you will be honoured.

But I pray that, Lord, we will not give in to the lies of the

enemy. I pray we'll take encouragement

from the people who have been surrounded in US, Lord, in your

community, that we'll be able to lean into prayer, lean into

praise, lean into worship, lean into Thanksgiving moments.

Lord Jesus, we will, Lord, abide in your word and find

nourishment and rest. Our hearts will find rest in

you. Lord Jesus, be glorified.

I pray you will give us journey mercies.

Bless the work of our hands. Strengthen us Lord, your most

holy name we pray. Amen.

Amen. Thank you for joining us online

and I pray that even as you step into this week that you will

unlearn to move forward. I believe God has honour for you

and as you take these lands, he wants to set you up so that you

will be a lighthouse for him in this world, so that many others

who are following generations are coming behind.

You will know that our God is alive.

Our God is in the is in the business of overcoming and

giving things to us because we trust him wholeheartedly.

I pray even as you step into this week, you will step in with

boldness knowing that God is with you.

God is there to walk with you as he did with Joshua.

Every step of the way, in close communion, you'll be able to

find him, hear from him, and do what he's asking you to do.

And remember this, that whoever finds Jesus finds life.

God bless you all. Thanks for listening to this

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