Sermon Title: Courage for the Call

Sermon Series: Joshua: Finding Courage through the Challenges of Life

Sermon Text: Joshua 1

February 24, 2008

Manuscript

Big Idea: When God calls you to new challenges or opportunities you can be courageous and strong, knowing you will thrive as long as you remain reliant on Him.

I want to start today with a question for you. What do you feel internally when I say the following words? Change...Challenging...new opportunity...overwhelming odds...transition...unknowns...uncertainties.

While some folks might feel excitement eagerness....most feel fear or apprehension or anxiety. Fear of the unknown...uncertainty in the unfamiliar...anxiety in the face of opposition and challenge are all common emotions for us.

Find some examples or quotes or stats that support this...

Share some specific types of examples...Our Paraguay team...new school year...college verses High School...new job, new relationship...even new patterns of living when we are trying to break out of old familiar habits establish new unfamiliar habits or ways of relating with others...opportunities to share Christ with someone... or whatever. Even in those times when clearly God has called us...or opened the door or opened the opportunity, we still struggle with fear, uncertainty, confidence, peace and we experience unrest.

God knows that we are prone to these things and he comes along side us and offers us guidance and assurances to help. Today we begin a brand new series of messages from the book of Joshua. The book of Joshua has much to teach us about how to answer God’s call and respond to his lead when he leads us into any sort of new territory in our lives. It teaches us how we can pioneer the unfamiliar places in life and not be ruined by fear, stress and anxiety.

I’m calling the series: Finding courage through the challenges of life- Lessons from Joshua

So that you have some context for this book: The people of Israel had spent many years in oppressive captivity and slavery in Egypt. God raised up Moses to lead them out of Egypt and to lead them into a new land that he had promised to provide for them. However, once out of Egypt, the people of God rebelled so thoroughly from God’s intentions for them that God allowed them to simply spin their wheels in the dessert and wander for 40 years until the rebellious generations had died. The books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy record this segment of Israel’s history. By the time you get to the end of Deuteronomy, Moses is at the end of his leadership career and he dies and is succeeded by Joshua who God calls to finally now, lead his people into the fulfillment of the promise he had in mind for them.

This “promised land” was a land that was rich and fertile in all ways and was a land that they could call their own...a land they could settle in and find rest from their enemies and rest from their restless wandering. The book of Joshua records the history of Israel’s conquest and settling into this new promised land. Their experience of following God into this new promising but at the same time seriously challenging opportunity has some great lessons for us as we follow God’s lead into new, promising but challenging opportunities in our lives.

Joshua, of course is the main character of the book that bears his name. Earlier in his life, Joshua was simply called “Hoshea” which meant “salvation.” But later Moses changed his name to Joshua, meaning “The Lord Saves” or “The Lord gives Victory.” And the Greek form of this name is Jesus. Even Joshua’s name speaks to the key truth of the entire book.

Though this is ancient history, there are some vital lessons for you as you seek to follow God’s call and his leading into the new opportunities and challenges of your lives, whatever they may be. Though, the circumstances of Joshua and his people are obviously different...the principles that God reinforces for them as he prepares them to enter into their new opportunity and challenge are still the same for us. And the first principle that I want you to see today is that God wants you to be strong and courageous in the face of the new opportunities or challenges. Look with me again at the core verses of 1-9.

God calls you to be strong and courageous in the face of new opportunities or challenges.

As this book opens, God is calling Joshua and his people to go take possession of the land that he has had in mind for them for many years and is now ready to given them. This land was foreign to them, unknown to them and filled with challenges. Earlier, Moses had dispatched a reconnaissance mission which provided some intelligence on the land...it was rich and fertile, ripe with potential and described as flowing with milk and honey...but, it was filled with a powerful people with fortified cities. So, the challenges rumored were real and threatening.

Four times as he calls Joshua to this challenging opportunity, God commands Joshua to be strong and courageous. The Hebrew words repeated are “Khawzak” and “aw-mats.” There is some overlap in their meaning. “Khawzak” means to be strong, to prevail, to be courageous and resolute. “Awmats” means to be strong, courageous, alert and persistent.

Not only are these virtual synonyms repeated, the fourth time he words it in the negative. “Don’t be terrified and don’t be discouraged.

My suspicion is that there is so much repetition of this exhortation to be strong and courageous because everyone knew that the circumstances they were being called to face were overwhelming, challenging and scary. Everything in them was going to feel like cutting and running...by their assessment they would want to hold off or back down. God is basically saying...Things are going to get messy...things are going to get wild...things are going to be unpredictable and you are going to fee out of control...you are going to feel overwhelmed and you are going to feel like running, avoiding and backing down. God’s saying, “You are going to question whether I’m in this or not because it’s going to be hard.” But, instead of caving to your feelings...I’m calling you to be strong and courageous. I’m calling you to trust me. I’m calling you to follow me. I’m calling you to rely on me.

Now, God’s probably not calling you to go conquer some new country or land...but, He’s likely calling you to other kinds of opportunities and challenges. What’s God calling you to do or where is he calling you to go or how is he calling you to move into what he has next for you? Is it scary? Is it unknown or unfamiliar? Does it feel overwhelming or impossible? Instead of caving to your feelings...God is calling you to be strong and courageous...he’s calling you to trust him...to believe him...to follow him and REST in him. Is he calling you to a new career, a new ministry role? A new challenge? A new risk?

Is he calling you to a new way of living...calling you to give up your dependency on pornography, alcohol or an overcommitted life? Living without those addictions feels scary at times...overwhelming at times...it will be painful...but, God calls you to trust him...to be strong and courageous, determined, resolute and persistent.

This call of God on Joshua and the people has particular application for those who are called into leadership roles around the church. What’s God calling us to? Will we have the guts to trust him...will we be strong and courageous. It will likely get messy...at times it will be hard. Difficulty and fear will make us think we should go backward when we should go forward.

[Transition] - If we believe God is calling us and leading us...then we must be strong and courageous! Now, notice where this ability to be strong and courageous comes from. It’s what I call the “with” factor. Look at verse 5.

God calls you to be confident that you will thrive because he is leading you and will be with you.

The two words used there, in that phrase, “I will never leave...nor forsake you” pictures God as One who will never relax, he’ll never let you sink or drop down. He’ll be like a responsible, loving Father who holds their infant child in the pool...no matter how overwhelming the situation is, he’ll never let you drown. Layered on this promise, is the promise that he’ll never forsake you, which means, he’ll never desert you, he’ll never quit or abandon you.

God assures Joshua in verse 6: this new challenge, this new opportunity is my idea...this is my calling for you...this is my promise and I’m making good on it. And in verse 9 he repeats the promise of the “with factor.” Don’t be terrified or discouraged...Why? “...For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

And lest you think that this promise was to Joshua and Israel and maybe not to every follower of God; this promise of presence is reinforced in the New Testament and made even more internally real by the filling of the Holy Spirit.

For example: Hebrews 13:5 repeats this promise, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So, I say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

Jesus said, “...when he, The Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.”- John 16:13-14.

And 1 John 4:13 says, “We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.”

What’s God calling you to? Can you embrace this truth that he’ll be with you in it? He won’t lead you part way into something and then leave you. He won’t lift you up only to let you down. He won’t teach you to swim to let you drown. And he won’t lift you up only to let you down. Sometimes the circumstances make us ask, “Where’s God?” But we really don’t ever have to wonder, do we?

God calls us to be strong and courageous. He calls us to be confident that we will prevail because of the “with factor.” He will be with us...leading us...guiding us...sustaining us...never letting us slip out of his hand or slip out of his mind. NOW, don’t miss this: In order to enjoy the strength of his grip...in order to enjoy the guidance of his hand....in order to experience the protection of his hand...you have to place your life in his hands. You have to surrender to his plan...you have to submit to his leadership. You have to put your life in his hands. God makes it clear to Joshua and the gang that full reliance on God is the key to prevailing in the opportunities and challenges they will face. Look at verse 7-8.

Full reliance on God is the key to prevailing in the opportunities and challenges God calls you to.

What does this call for full reliance look like for us today? What does...not letting the book of the Law depart from you...meditating on it day and night...being careful to do everything written in it...look like in our lives?

First of all: remember that all commands and direction from God is given to protect us or provide for us. It’s all for our good! So, this call to rely on God is like the rules you lay down for your kids to protect them and provide for them.

Secondly: This call to obey and rely on God is not, as we often think, calling for Holy Perfection and if I make one mistake or step out of line in anyway God will toast me.

Instead... full reliance on God begins by admitting that you have sin in your life that you need God to forgive.
Full reliance on God involves believing that Jesus is the Son of God who came and died for your sin.
Full reliance on God involves surrendering to his will in all ways in your life, coming under his leadership, valuing what he values and hating what he hates.
Full reliance on God involves growing in your understanding of who God is and how he wants us to live.
And don’t miss this...full reliance on God means you own your sin and you live your life under the forgiveness of Jesus and in step with the empowerment of his spirit.

Here’s how John describes full reliance, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” -1 John 1:8-9

This orientation of soul, this posture of heart is what is involved in full reliance on God. It’s not perfection...its dependence. It’s not perfection...its reliance. And reliance on God enables you to be strong and courageous knowing that God will never fail you.

George Patton said, "Courage is fear that has said its prayers."

—General George Patton, as heard from Chaplain George Metcalf. James P. Moore, Jr., One Nation Under God: The History of Prayer in America (Doubleday, 2005); submitted by Van Morris, Mount Washington, Kentucky

What is God calling you to? What is he nudging you to do...how is he nudging you to grow...where is he nudging you to risk? Have you already stepped out in faith? Have you already said, “Okay, God, let’s go...” But, now you’re feeling scared? Or overwhelmed? Maybe you are feeling like retreating rather than advancing. Remember God’s charge to Joshua...As you follow God’s call into new challenges or opportunities you can be courageous and strong, knowing you will thrive as long as you remain reliant on Him.

Some of you may be recognizing that you are filled with unrest or anxiety, because you used to be reliant on God but lately you’ve wandered off from him. Now, you are feeling vulnerable, maybe a little scared and discouraged. I’d encourage you...stop wondering “Where’s God?” And starting paying attention to where you are. Know that God hasn’t moved. He’s still watching over you...he’s still calling you...he’s still drawing you to himself because he loves you. But, you need to reconnect with him...you need to place your life back in his hands. And instead of squirming to get away, try resting, try trusting...try believing that he is with you. And be strong and courageous.

Are there some of you here this morning that recognize that you have never put your life in God’s hands? You’ve never relied on him and so you’ve never experienced the strength, courage or confidence he can give in the face of all the challenges of life.

Well, today is the day you can change that. Take the first step toward full reliance on God by trusting Jesus to be your Savior. God is calling you to this today. Have you felt him nudging you to trust him? Say “yes” to him. Begin to rely on him...and you can be confident that he is with you enabling you to be strong and courageous and empowering you to conquer the challenges in your life.