Joshua Series Pt. 5 - Pastor Greg Addison - June 1, 2025

Ministering to the heart of Western Arkansas's River Valley for over 165 years, welcome to Chapter and First, the Bible Teaching Ministry of Fort Smith's First Baptist Church.

You'll find sermons and teachings from Pastor Greg, our ministry staff, and guest speakers.

Thank you for listening.

Thank you, Maverick, and praise team and congregation for that time of worship as we speak the name of Jesus.

You know, we uh work very hard here to say Jesus more than anything else in our church because he is the one who loved us, who died for us, who rose again.

He's the author and finisher of our faith.

And it's all about Jesus.

And today, as we continue our study in the book of Joshua, we're going to really see in a very real way, in a tangible way, how Jesus is the main character all throughout the entirety of Scripture.

Not just in the New Testament, but all throughout the Old Testament as well.

I want you to turn with me your Bibles to Joshua chapter 5 as we continue our study on Joshua.

Joshua 5 · chapter mention

Now, as you know, we have uh are enjoying the history lesson that is a part of the book of Joshua, how the nation of Israel was uh was created in that sense of moving into the land of Canaan that became their home and the place where they live, and how God established them at that point strongly as his people and as a nation to do his work.

They were the nation through which he brought the promised Messiah to the world.

And so very much the children of Israel are a part and an integral part of the path of the gospel and Jesus' coming.

We've looked at also a layer of this story.

It's not just the history of how Israel steps into the inheritance that is theirs in the land of Canaan as God's people, but it is an Old Testament picture of the New Testament truth of what it means for us as followers of Jesus to live in what is our inheritance, and that is the abundant life in Christ that we have here, our relationship with Him.

And as we see the lessons that are learned in the Old Testament as the children of Israel walk through them in these practical life moments, we see this incredible picture for us of how we learn to walk with Jesus.

Now, this lesson today is the hinge point of the book.

Up to this point, we have been talking about the preparation for the children of Israel to walk into the land that God has promised them.

Last week, Pastor Dave watched with us and walked us through the journey of the children of Israel, crossing over the Jordan River, and now they are actually camped in the land of Canaan.

They are beginning the process now, the first steps of that journey of grasping a hold of, obtaining the inheritance that God has provided for them as his people.

Now, what I want to talk to you about today in chapter 5 is this how to experience the presence of Jesus in your life.

How to experience the presence of Jesus in your life.

Now, I always get a little nervous when pastors say things like, This is the most important message that I'll preach to you, and all that kind of stuff.

It makes me a little nervous.

Like, why isn't every message that important, right?

Because we're preaching Jesus in every one of them.

But in this particular topic, I think, this is one of the most important things that we focus on as believers.

Because hear me, church family.

Your birthright, what God has covenanted for you in your life, when you give your life to Jesus as your Savior, is the ongoing presence of Jesus in a tangible and personal way in your life.

We're not here for a religion.

We are here for a relationship with Jesus.

The thing that makes followers of Jesus unique from any other faith heritage is that we have an understanding from the truth of Scripture that God created us for relationship.

And since the very beginning of time in the Garden of Eden, God has been about relationship, personal relationship with his people.

The Bible tells us in the book of Genesis how we were created.

We were created in his image.

Why did he do that?

So that we could be in a relationship with him.

We could relate to him and we could understand and experience when he relates with us.

In the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve sinned and sin broke our relationship with him, God immediately stepped into that to create the promise of redemption, of salvation, of forgiveness, where he would step in and create a way to forgive our sins and redeem us and restore us back into relationship with him.

The entire Old Testament, including the key passages here in the book of Joshua, are all about that plan of redemption and God calling to his people and saying, I love you and I want to experience relationship with you, and I want you to experience relationship with me.

Everything about Jesus coming and being our Savior was designed to show us relationship with him.

In fact, in John chapter 1, the Bible tells us that he, and it used this incredible phrase, he made his dwelling or he tabernacled with us.

John 1 · chapter mention

He lived with us as a man and walked through our experiences so that now when we pray and we reach out to Jesus and we worship him, when we sing things like, I speak the name of Jesus over our families and over every enemy, when we sing things like, he has already won the battle as we began the service, all of that, Jesus said, I want you to know and see in a tangible way what that looks like, that I'm with you and walking with you.

And so he walked as a man amongst us and lived the life that we live, except he never sinned.

And then he went to the cross and there he died, his sinless life, his death that had no judgment attached to us to it.

He died there so that his death could be a substitute for ours.

He could, as a substitute, pay the price for our sin.

And then he rose again, conquering death and sin, offering new life.

And what happens when you become a Christian, you recognize you're a sinner, that sin separates you from God, and you can have no relationship with him because of sin and judgment.

But you realize that Jesus loved you so much that he stepped out of heaven and did that for you.

And he offers you the forgiveness that comes if you will take your life, if you'll repent of your sin and you'll place your faith and your trust in him.

And what happens in that moment when you give your life to Christ, when you make him the Lord and Savior of your life, what happens?

His death pays the price for your sin.

He gives you the righteousness that comes from him, and you are cloaked in his righteousness.

And once again, you are in relationship with God.

He looks down out of heaven and he no longer sees me through my sin and my failures, but he sees me through the shed blood and the righteousness of Jesus that he imputes or places over me.

It's not something that I did, it's not something that I deserve, but it's something that Jesus did because he loves us and he wants to be with us.

And he wants us to be in relationship with him.

The Bible says in that moment when you've given your life to Christ and your sins are forgiven, that the presence of the Holy Spirit comes and he becomes an indwelling part and person in your life.

All of that is personal relationship.

We are walking on a daily basis in the presence of God with the presence of the Holy Spirit indwelling us, pointing us to Jesus, where in a tangible, personal way we can hear the voice of God speak to us in our lives.

In the book of Romans, chapter 8, the Bible says this God's witness bears spirit with our, bears witness to our Spirit.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

His spirit to us through the Holy Spirit, internally in our hearts and our lives, that we are the children of God.

You can't get any more personal than that.

He says, Listen, in those times when we don't know how to pray as we ought to pray, the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness.

And he connects our heart and spirit with the heart and spirit and the person of God.

Jesus, when he was preparing his disciples before he ascended into heaven after the cross and after the resurrection, he said, Listen, I am in you and the Father's in me, and I am in you and you are in me, and I am in the Father, and the Father's in me.

And he's trying to look, guys, we're this is a relationship, this is oneness through the work of the Holy Spirit in us that happens through when we're saved.

And all of that is about experiencing a relationship that is personal and tangible with the person of Jesus.

And that has been the case from the first page of Scripture and the first moment of recorded human history until the point where Jesus comes again and takes us all home.

And you see that illustrated in this passage of Scripture.

I want you to just read with me for just a moment, and then we're going to get some context, and I'm going to show you from God's word how to experience the presence of Jesus.

Now, the children of Israel are camped in a place called Gilgal.

It's on the plains outside of Jericho.

And we know the story about Jericho.

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho.

I thought we were in VBS, so I might as well sing a VBS song, right?

And the walls came tumbling down.

Y'all know that, right?

I'm embarrassing myself now, aren't I?

And so here they are.

Jericho is the fortress city that rests across the Jordan River on the junction of the main highways that you get north and south and east and west across the land of Canaan.

It is a fortified city that sets up there, and it is the crossroads that you have to pass.

And as we saw in the story of Jericho, they hate the Israelites, they hate the God of Israel, and they are a battle front that they are facing as the children of Israel.

The Bible says that when Joshua was near Jericho.

Now, what that means is he is out scouting the city of Jericho.

Remember, Joshua began his military career as one of the twelve scouts 40 years earlier that went in and scouted the land of Canaan.

So he is somewhat familiar with his area.

He's been here before, he's looked at it before, but now he is in charge.

And so he is on his own doing a scouting expedition to look and pray and see how they're going to do this and how God is going to lead them through Jericho.

When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and he saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand.

Joshua approached him and asked, Are you for us or are you for our enemies?

Then the Bible tells us in this exchange, the man replies to Joshua and he says, Neither.

I have now come as commander of the Lord's army.

Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in worship and asked him, What does my servant, what does my Lord want to say to his servant?

And the commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.

And Joshua did so.

Now, how do we find ourselves in this moment?

As we'll talk about in a moment, this person who identifies himself as the commander of the Lord's army is actually the person of Jesus Christ.

You see, Jesus has always been.

Jesus did not begin at Christmas time in the virgin birth of Mary.

The Bible says again in John chapter 1 that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1 · chapter mention

Jesus has always been Jesus.

And he has always been God.

And here in the Old Testament, you see one of these moments where the person of Jesus reveals himself in this key moment to his people.

Now let's get the context of this for just a moment.

If you back up, and if you were to read, and time doesn't allow us to go through all of that, but if you read verses 1 through 9 in chapter 5, you would find out that what has happened is the children of Israel, when they're wandering in the wilderness, because of their lack of faith, that's why they're wandering in the wilderness, they had stopped certain ceremonies.

One of those is circumcision.

And so what happens is, uh, as they're wandering in the wilderness, you'll remember the story, the children of Israel came up to the land of Jordan when they came out of Egypt, and they were given the opportunity to go into the land as their inheritance, and they were afraid of all of those giants and all of the pagan nations, and they said, We can't conquer that land.

And they backed away from stepping in to that inheritance that God had promised them as his people.

And that lack of faith, God then judged by that generation wandering in the wilderness for 40 years until that generation had died off.

And he was going to raise up their children through lessons of faith and then bring them to the opportunity to once again step in and get their inheritance.

And that's where we are, that next generation.

What the Bible says is that circumcision is a physical representation of the covenant of God.

That you are acknowledging that you are the covenant people of God.

And because they had not followed and trusted in the Lord as his covenant people, they stopped doing circumcision as they wandered through the wilderness.

And now, after they've crossed the Jordan River, which is that moment where they have said, We are your people, we believe in your inheritance, we believe you've given us the victory, we are going into the land, and they crossed the Jordan River, and they are now camped in the land of Canaan, committed to pursue what God has given them as a people.

The Bible says that they reinstituted circumcision.

Then they took some time to heal from that experience because you have grown men and everybody else you're doing this with.

And it is a picture of them reinstating their understanding and covenant with God, that they are God's covenant people.

Then you get to verse 10.

And the Bible then talks to us about Passover, and they have the experience of Passover, but it's an interesting, different thing.

Here's what happens: the Passover dinner, as you know, is when the children of Israel were in the land of Egypt, and Pharaoh wouldn't let them go.

He sends plague after plague after plague, and Pharaoh won't let them go.

And the final plague, God says, You as my people need to understand, I'm going to send the death angel through Egypt.

And every home where you sacrifice a lamb and you prepare a meal as a matter of faith to be ready to leave, because Pharaoh's going to let you go after this.

If you will take the blood of that lamb and you'll wipe it on the doorposts of your home, the angel will pass over you.

It is yet another picture from the Old Testament of the salvation that comes through Jesus, shed blood as the Lamb of God, and we are when we are covered under the blood because we have placed our faith in him, then judgment passes over us.

And then you know they had this meal and they prepared to leave, and that just as God had promised, the death angel came through, exercised judgment on the people of Egypt and on Pharaoh, and all of that.

They said, Go, and then the children of Israel left and they came out.

Jews continue to observe Passover because of the significance of its moment in God creating them as his people, as we know them as a nation.

And so what happens is they begin to take Passover here on this side of the Jordan in the land of Canaan.

But the Bible is really specific here in this history.

When they create the bread and they take the meal and they do all of that, they are now using the produce from the land of Canaan, that is their inheritance, and they are beginning to take hold of their inheritance.

And the Bible says, after they took the Passover Supper that night, manna was no longer provided to the children of Israel.

And now they are in the land of Canaan.

They have gone through circumcision.

Again, they have recommitted themselves as the covenant people of God.

They are observing the Passover, which is God is our Redeemer, and He has brought us and He has carried us through.

And God says, Now it is time for you to experience the abundance of Canaan that I promised you.

And he stops the manna and begins to provide from all of the produce in the land of Canaan.

And then you get this moment where the person of Jesus shows up with Joshua.

It's incredible when you stop and think through and read that.

And now you get to what is called, theologians call this, a theophany, a theophany, and that means it is a presentation that Jesus makes before the time of the Gospels in the Old Testament where he presents himself to his people.

And there are a number of times in the Old Testament where God reveals himself or Jesus reveals himself as the person of Jesus.

This is one of the most famous ones.

There are some others that are famous.

For example, the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the book of Daniel.

And because they are worshiping God and they refuse to worship the king instead of God Himself, they are judged by the pagan king and they are thrown into a fire.

The Bible describes as a fiery furnace, like big, huge kind of fireplace kind of a thing.

And the Bible says that it was so hot, because this king and his leaders were so mad at them that it is so hot the soldiers who threw them into the fire were killed, just standing outside, throwing these men into the fire.

And as they throw these three men into the fire, expecting them to be burned up and judged for the insolence of making God first in their lives, they begin to look and see not only are these men not burning up in the fire, we've put three in there, and now there are four men in the fire.

And that's the person of Jesus who has shown up and who is protecting his followers there.

And so you have these Old Testament pictures where Jesus presents himself.

And so I want to give you just some of the principles of what a theophany is because I think it relates to our message.

And so if you'll pull that screen up with the definition of a theophany, here's what happens.

You can always tell it is the Jesus moment.

Now, God is all throughout the Old Testament, and he speaks to his people and all of that.

But here, Jesus on purpose is revealing himself to Joshua.

First, it is a God-initiated encounter.

There is clear identity with him as God, as the person, Jesus as a part of the Trinity, as God.

It is a moment where he is presenting either miraculous knowledge or action on behalf of his people.

And then fourth, there is worship of Jesus as a result of the encounter.

And so you'll see here in this moment, very quickly, what happens.

It is a God-initiated encounter.

The Bible tells us that Joshua looked up and he saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand.

Jesus has presented himself to Joshua.

This is not something that Joshua initiates, but God is moving on purpose through the person of Jesus to do something in their lives.

Next, there is clear identity of him as God.

He first refers himself to himself as the commander of the Lord's army.

And Joshua in this moment understands I may have the title of president, CEO, and general of the Israeli army, but he understands these are God's people, they are God's people.

It is God who is going to move and give them victory.

And when he says, I am the commander of the Lord's army, he is identifying himself in a very specific way to Joshua.

And you see, Joshua understood this very quickly as this moves.

Joshua asks, he's trying to clarify this moment, are you for us or for our enemies?

And he says, Neither, I have now come as commander of the Lord's army.

And Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in worship and asked him, What does my Lord want to say to his servant?

So Joshua immediately recognizes in this exchange that this is the person of Jesus.

This is God Himself who has shown up in this moment.

Now here's just a thought.

I I love this right here.

He says, Are you for us or for our enemies?

And Jesus says, Neither.

Sometimes We don't mean to, but when we're trying to express the love of Jesus, when we are trying to magnify the person of Jesus in our lives and communicate how deeply he loves you.

And we say things like, if Jesus is for us, then who can be against us?

And Jesus died for us on the cross and all that.

Sometimes we don't mean to, but we inadvertently communicate the idea that somehow we are the ones that matter, and Jesus is serving us or providing for us in a way that He's focused solely on what we need and that kind of a thing.

And we get this idea that Jesus, and that is true, and we're trying so hard to magnify the love of Jesus that sometimes we flip that and we become the center of that story and not the person of Jesus.

I think this is one of those moments that helps us understand that everything is about the person of Jesus.

Are you for us?

Are you against us?

We would answer in our modern sort of idea, we'd say, Man, Jesus is going to say he's for us.

Jesus says, Neither.

I'm the commander of the Lord's army.

In other words, he's telling Joshua, it doesn't matter if I'm for you or against you, because that's not really the question.

I am Jesus.

I am God.

I am part of the Trinity.

I am the Savior.

I am the promised Messiah, and I am the commander of God's army.

Joshua, the question is, whose side are you on?

Are you on my side as the commander of God's army?

See, there's only two sides.

There's God's side and everything else.

And the question is, am I on God's side?

Am I following him?

Not is he somehow serving me, but am I following him?

Am I surrendering myself to him?

And that is the call that Jesus is making right here in Joshua's life.

He's saying, listen, Joshua, you're going to need to be in my presence because I am the one that brings the victory.

And the question, Joshua, is not about you and about the children of Israel, because you are my people and I'm God.

What I need you to understand, Joshua, is when we go into this land and we begin these battles, you need to be on my side.

And that's where the victory is.

And so understand it's it's subtle and at times it's difficult.

But listen, when we say Jesus is for you, he is.

I mean, he stepped out of heaven and paid the price for our sin on the cross.

He personally took on our sin and the punishment and all of that for us.

That's how much Jesus loves us.

But listen, the response to become the people of God is to commit yourself to him.

Life is with him.

Not him bringing it to us, but him calling us to himself.

And he is calling Joshua here, I'm the commander of the army.

Joshua, are you with me?

Where the victory rests.

And so for that reason, he clearly identifies himself as Jesus, as the person of God.

And then he has miraculous knowledge or action.

What he's going to say in chapter six is in verse two look, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its fighting men, over to you.

And here's the plan on how you're going to go to battle and win the victory.

March around the city with all the men of war circling the city one time, do this for six days.

Have seven priests carry seven rams, horn of trumpets in front of the ark, but on the seventh day march around the city seven times, while the priests brought the trumpets.

When there is a prolonged blast of the horn, you hear it sound, have all the people give a mighty shout, then the wall will collapse.

Now's that for a military strategy.

But you see what's happening here.

God is making it clear that He is the victory, and Jesus is saying, I'm the commander of the army, and this may not make sense to you, this walking around and blowing trumpets and all that business, but I'm telling you, I am going to do it.

I have given you the victory.

Joshua, it doesn't matter whose side I'm on.

I am God.

My side is the one that wins.

Are you with me?

And then he gives them that miraculous knowledge and action how to do that.

And then there is always worship of Jesus as a result of these encounters when he shows himself and reveals himself in the Old Testament.

Worship of Jesus is a result of the encounter.

First of all, he says, it says Joshua bowed down his face in worship and asked him, What is my Lord?

He recognizes him as Lord.

And then the commander of the Lord's army says to Joshua, Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you're standing is holy.

And Joshua removes his feet, which is the ultimate sign of reverence in their culture, and he recognizes this as holy ground, and he is worshiping Jesus for who he is.

And anytime you run into a moment in the Old Testament where you ask this question, is this the person of Jesus?

These will help you through that.

But here's why that's important.

Because it helps us break down this passage of Scripture and how to experience the person of Jesus in our lives just like Joshua did.

You see, here's the first thing I want you to understand when you are looking at this lesson that we're learning from this incredible moment of Scripture.

We are to have an expectation of the presence of Jesus in our lives.

It is an expectation that we should have because he has promised to do this.

Listen, in Joshua chapter 1, I want to remind you what Scripture says.

Joshua 1 · chapter mention

Don't turn to it, just listen.

This is a famous scripture.

You'll remember it.

We talked about it.

He says to him, Moses, my servant, is dead.

Now you all, now you and all the people, prepare to cross over the Jordan of the land I'm giving the Israelites.

I've given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses.

And then he says, No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live.

And then he says to Joshua, I will be with you.

Just like I was with Moses.

I will not leave you or forsake you.

He has made a very specific promise to Joshua from the first moment when Joshua is now going to step out and lead the children of Israel.

I will be with you.

And so before we get to the very first battle, Jesus presents himself to Joshua and gives him a personal, tangible experience of his presence to reaffirm what it means, I will always be with you.

He doesn't just say, Joshua, y'all go over there, and I've already fixed it where you're going to win.

He says, Joshua, I am with you, and I am the commander, and I am in that moment.

And you stay with me and I am bringing the victory.

You walk with me beside me and you experience victory because you are in my presence.

Everything in the New Testament, as I started talking about at the beginning, is the promise of relationship and being the presence of Jesus.

Listen, I want you to get in your minds the parallel of this.

Joshua chapter 5, Jesus shows up tangibly and physically there to Joshua.

Joshua 5 · chapter mention

The Bible's clear, this is not some vision, this is not some dream, it's not some deal.

The person of Jesus stands right in front of Joshua and talks to him directly.

Romans chapter 8, as I quoted before, his spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

When is the last time you experience the presence of Jesus?

I don't mean that in a negative judgmental type of way.

I mean that in a way to stir your heart, to recognize, why am I not looking for the presence of Jesus?

Because that is my birthright as a follower of Christ.

What I want to stir up in your life is listen, in your quiet time, when did you set down in the quiet of the place where you have that moment and got out your scripture and you began to pray or sing or whatever it is that you do in that moment, and you said, Lord, I just need to know you're here.

Or just, Lord, I am here and I am surrendered to you.

I love you.

Speak to me.

When is the last time that happened to you?

I want you to know this morning, if you've given your life to Christ, that is your birthright.

In fact, he's probably there screaming at you, knocking you in the head, going, Hey, I'm here.

I am here with you.

I will never leave you or forsake you.

That's his promise.

That's the covenant that he made that we have as his children.

If that's not the case, then why would the Bible teach us about the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives?

Why would the Bible tell us things like, know you not that your body is the place where the Holy Spirit resides?

The place where you worship Him.

It's the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

Why would He not, why would He activate in our lives something that we refer to in church life as a spiritual gift?

If you've been around, you've heard that.

If that's a new term to you, what does that mean?

That means when the Holy Spirit comes into your lives, he activates a desire and an ability, a talent, a skill, whatever word you want to use.

Something that's not been natural for you before, but all of a sudden the Holy Spirit bursts that in your life and it becomes a part of your life and a desire and a way you want to serve, and it connects you to the body of Christ.

And he has scattered them all throughout the body, which tells us that you need my gift and I need your gift.

He doesn't give you all the gifts, he gives you one, and you are a part of the body, and you are inextricably linked and connected to the body of Christ.

Why would he do things like that if his purpose was not to walk with you, communicate with you, let you sense his presence on a daily basis?

But unfortunately, most of the time, we take our faith and we love it and we love Jesus.

We'll even go out and argue with people to defend what we believe and all of that, but we're just kind of going about our business.

And when we stop and need Jesus, we stop and throw up a prayer request for some kind of thing, we got some trouble or some kind of deal.

How much better would it be if you were in the presence of Jesus and you're walking with him, and then that crisis presents itself and you immediately turn.

Because you know he's there, because you expect his presence and you feel it and recognize it in your life.

We were traveling.

Um we were with our kids.

We took our kids to DC and we had our grandson with us, and y'all have met Killian like a couple of times recently, and uh, and it's really fun.

And so what happens is I always worry that he won't remember me when we've not been around for a couple of weeks.

So some of you, your grandkids are off somewhere, you get that, right?

Now, some of you, you're raising little kids and you're and you're thinking, oh my goodness, I can't pick them up anymore.

Maybe they'll forget I'm here, at least for an hour, right?

Just so you can breathe for a moment.

I remember those days too, and I remind Mavery when she thinks that about Killian that we think that about her, right?

And you get that.

But here's the deal, we're away, and I keep worrying sometimes that my presence, that he's so young that he won't remember.

And you think, is separation hurting us?

But relationships are not affected by that.

Relationships are built by trust, they're built by love.

They're built when the times we are present together deepens and creates a root structure that is unique and different.

And last week, as we were walking around DC, there was a constant time where he would turn and he would reach to me.

Because there was a relationship there, and because he knew he could.

And Mama wouldn't give him something he wanted, and he'd reach for Bomber because he knows I'm gonna give him everything.

There's a moment where there's a loud noise or a car driving by, and he's startled, and he looks to Bomber.

Why?

Because he knows I'm there and we have a relationship.

Listen, that's what the walk with Jesus is supposed to be like.

And it's his presence, it is a relationship that has been established.

You have connected and there's love there, and you may be looking at something else, watching the sights, or trying to figure out what that is, and something hits you and you don't know what to do, but if you are connected with that relationship and you have that with him, and is your expectation because God has promised to never leave you or forsake you, you immediately turn and you reach to the Father.

Because he is yours and you are his.

And these moments in Scripture show us that has always been God's plan.

From the moment in the Garden of Eden when the Bible says he walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day, it has always been the purpose of God to be in a personal relationship with his people.

And not like the president and the nation, but like God and you, and God and you, and God and you, and God and you, and God and you, and God and you, and God and you, and God and me, and God and you, and God and you, and God in you.

It is an individual relationship.

That's why it's so important that we understand things like this: the magnitude of God, he never runs out of love for each and every one of you, and he never runs out of presence of being in each and every one of your lives.

And so often in our lives, the rest of this stuff would happen if we had that expectation and desire for the presence of Jesus.

Pastor, where I grew up in Memphis used to say this to us all the time as a people.

I don't know how much Jesus you have in your life, but you have all you want.

Why would you not want more?

Why would you not want more?

From that expectation, based on his covenant and his promise, be where you should be and be doing what you should be doing.

Joshua was called to be the leader of the children of Israel, to lead them into the promised land, to lead them to obtain the inheritance.

He had given him that vision 40 years ago as a young man and as a spy when he sent him in in that first generation for 40 years while everybody else who had no faith was dying off.

Joshua was looking at all these young men saying, You're gonna be our army and you're gonna help us obtain the inheritance, you're gonna help us walk into the land of Canaan.

It's gonna be your generation that leads us to the promised land, it's gonna be your generation that defeats the enemies of God, it's gonna be your generation where we step in as the people of God, as his covenant people, it's gonna be your generation that walks into that deal.

And Joshua understands that and he owns that and he knows that he is the leader of that, and so he is out reconnoitering where he's going to be and what they're going to do, and he's praying over and he's searching for God's plan for how they're going to conquer Jericho.

He is where he's supposed to be and he's doing what he's supposed to be doing, and Jesus shows up in that moment.

Sometimes, Jesus, we are missing him because he's over here and we're over here.

If you're serving, if you're in church, if you're worshiping, if you're having your quiet time, if you're where you're supposed to be, Jesus is there.

He shows up because he's there.

One of the reasons that he shows up in Joshua's life right here is because Joshua is exactly where he's supposed to be.

He's doing exactly what he's supposed to be doing.

And you see examples of this all throughout Scripture.

Nehemiah, when he is sent back to the land of Israel after they've been judged, he's walking around the walls and he's reconnoiting the facilities and what's happening, and he's checking all that out, and God speaks to him and gives him a vision for what's going to happen.

Are you where you're supposed to be doing what God wants you to do?

In your workplace, in your school, in your neighborhood, in your family?

Are you being the example of Jesus?

Are you praying for the people around you?

Are you asking God how you can be a witness?

In vacation Bible school, are you inviting people to church?

Are you inviting them to that?

Did you put the yard sign in your yard?

Are you telling people what's going on?

I mean, are you being a part of that in the workplace?

Are you open?

Are you listening?

People are having, people are having struggles, things are happening, all of that.

God's opening doors to uh allow us to step in and share the love of Christ, his desire to be in their life.

Are we listening to those things?

Or are we so focused on the things of the world and the things in front of us and the things we want to do that we're missing the opportunities because Jesus is standing right there.

And he's going, Hey, right here.

This person.

I got a plan for this person.

Greg, right here.

And how many times would we see Jesus if we were where he is?

Because we're where he's called us to be.

You acknowledge Jesus when he speaks to you.

This man shows up.

I have to believe this is an awesome sight.

This is clearly a warrior.

The Bible says that he stands in front of him with a drawn sword.

Joshua has to confront and acknowledge this man, and he is not really sure what that guy's going to do with that sword next.

And he steps into that moment and he asks that question, Are you for us or against us?

Neither.

I have now come as commander of the Lord's army.

And Joshua immediately understands what that means and who that is.

And he is commander of the Lord's army, and he has said, it don't matter what side you're on, I'm right here.

Whose side are you going to be on?

And Joshua immediately says to Jesus, what?

He says, What does my Lord want to say to my servant?

He is listening for the word of God in his life.

We do that right here in our lives.

We ingest the word of God.

We come to the Word of God.

We listen to the Word of God speak to us.

The Bible says about itself, it is living and powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword.

To the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit, the bones and the marrow.

It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

And then the next verse in Hebrews says this, and everything is naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

In other words, he knows what's in your life, and the word is living and powerful, and it is a two-edged sword.

It is sharp.

It is not a bludgeon.

It's not some knight with some big old broadsword he swing with both hands.

Man, this is Zorro.

I mean, this is sharp.

This is pointed.

This is a jabbing thing.

It goes immediately to the spot of what you're thinking, of what you're feeling, of what you're hearing.

Satan whisper in your ear of what the voices in your head are talking about, and God's word cuts through all of that because God sees it all and his word is alive and he speaks directly into your heart.

Do we listen to the word of God when he speaks to us?

In those moments when you're finding yourself in the middle of something and all of a sudden some random scripture pops into your head.

Listen, it is not a random scripture or a random moment.

It is Jesus standing before you just like he stood before Joshua and He is speaking to you from His Word.

And are you acknowledging the Word of God in those moments when he speaks to you?

Are you listening to the Word of God?

Are you hearing?

Joshua says, What would you have of me?

And he prostrates himself as a sign of I will do whatever you ask me to do.

And the presence of Jesus is ushered in often through the call that he gives us through his word.

And then you have to worship him completely.

Take your shoes off.

This is holy ground.

This is just like that moment where his mentor, Moses, was called at the burning bush, and God gave the same message.

This is holy ground because I am here in person with you and speaking to you.

Take off your shoes and acknowledge the holiness.

And when God shows up in your life, listen, you cannot disrespect the presence of Jesus.

The Bible talks about in the New Testament this way: do not quench the Holy Spirit.

He begins to speak in your heart, he begins to reveal his word, he begins to speak to you, and you recognize and acknowledge it is Jesus, and if you back away, you have lost the experience of the presence of God.

But when he speaks to you, he calls you, he's there in your life.

If you will honor that moment as holy, if you will stop and pay attention, if you will commit yourself to obey, because you expect Jesus to be there and you believe it is him, you will experience in ways that are undescribable, that are supernatural in their experience being in the presence of Jesus.

I want you to bow your heads as we close.

None of this happens without first acknowledging that Jesus is the Savior.

If you've never accepted Christ in your life, listen, this is the first opportunity you get to experience the presence of Jesus.

You come and you recognize you're a sinner.

And that Jesus loved you so much he stepped out of heaven and died for you on the cross.

And just as illustrated in this passage of Scripture, he has a desire to step into your life.

That desire requires you to believe Him, to repent of your sin, to bow in obedience before Him.

If you will surrender your life to Him, means you take your life, everything you've been, you are, and you ever will be, and you give it all to Him.

But friends, He'll do more with your life than you could ever imagine.

If you will give your life to Christ this morning, you will experience His presence in a spiritual way.

Not because Greg said, Scripture said, Joshua testifies about the presence of Jesus.

In a moment I'm gonna pray.

God's people are gonna stand and they're gonna sing a worship song because those folks who walk with Jesus, they know exactly what we're talking about.

Their hearts are encouraged and they're gonna stand up and they're gonna sing and worship in this moment.

And if you've never accepted Christ as your Savior, I want to invite you to come.

Come and give your life to Jesus.

If you're watching online or by television, right there where you are, listen, Jesus showed up with Joshua out in a field outside of a battleground and showed himself to him.

Right there in your home, you can give your life to Jesus if you'll trust him.

I'm gonna pray, God's people are gonna stand and sing.

We'll have ministers at the head of our aisles.

And if you want someone to pray with you, you want someone to walk through a journey with you, or you want to come and give your life to Christ, you come.

Lord, we thank you so much that your word teaches us your desires to be in relationship with us, and that you love us beyond anything we could ever imagine, replicate, or understand.

It is mind-blowing the magnificence of your love and your forgiveness.

And we thank you that all throughout scripture you remind us in all these moments that you are always there, always ready to show up in the lives of your people because you will never leave or forsake us if we are yours.

And God, if there's someone this morning who needs to be saved, I pray that you'll help them to see Jesus through this scripture.

And they'll trust and give their life to Him and worship Him as Savior just as Joshua did.

We pray these things in the saving name of Jesus and all God's people said.

We pray this message has been a blessing to you and helped to strengthen your walk with Jesus.

Please know we want to minister to you and pray for you.

Send an email to contact us at fsfbc.org and let us pray for you and help you in any way we can.

Thank you for listening to Chapter and First, the Bible Teaching Ministry of Fort Smith's First Baptist Church.