Sermons
January 19th, 2025 by Pastor Solley011925AM Obeying the Command
Sub. Command to be strong and of good courage.
Theme: How to obey the command.
Text: Joshua 1:1-9
“Obeying the Command” Joshua 1:1-9
Introduction
I want to speak to you this morning about a command given by God and how to obey that command. With every command given in the Word of God there is also given a way to obey that command. For example when Jesus commanded “Ye must be born again” and Nicodemus did not understand Jesus made it very clear how to obey that command in John chapter three. With every command given by God there is also given a way to obey that command.
I. In Joshua chapter one we find a very clear command given by God to His chosen people: Joshua 1:1-9 Three times in nine verses God gives the same command. Not in the very same words, but the same command. – Joshua 1:6 , 7 , 9 Be strong and of a good courage in verse six, be strong and very courageous in verse seven, and be strong, of good courage, and be not afraid in verse nine. Do you get the idea that God wanted His people to be strong, courageous, and not afraid?
A. Why would God repeat that command so often and so close together? Because they were facing changing times, they were facing unknowns, they were about to go where they had not gone before.
1. Moses had died: Joshua 1:2 He was the only leader this generation had known, spiritual and otherwise. What type of leader was Joshua going to be? That was an unknown.
2. They are going to leave the time of wondering and enter into the Promised Land: To them that was also an unknown.
3. They would apparently face some opposition: Joshua 1:5 Some were going to stand against them.
4. They were about to go to a place the previous generation had been afraid to go, following a leader they had never followed before and face opposition they had not faced before: There was a lot in front of those people.
5. So God gives the command to be strong, be courageous, and be not afraid: Joshua 1: 6-7 , 9
B. God also gives to them within the context of these verses a way to obey that command: With every command given in the Word of God there is also given a way to obey that command.
II. That command, given to Israel in Joshua chapter one, is for us today as well: Joshua 1:6-7 , 9 Be strong, be courageous, be not afraid. In 1 Cor 16:13 believers are commanded to “Be strong”. In Acts 28 we find believers taking “Courage”. In 1 Peter 3:14 believers are command “Be not afraid”. I can state that the command given to Israel through Joshua is also given to the New Testament believer today through the Holy Ghost in the written Word of God. The command is for us today as well.
A. How then to obey that command? There are times when the command seems easy to obey and then there are times when it is not.
1. When the sea of life is calm, when there are no winds of trouble blowing, when all is right in our lives, when the path to take is clear, the command to be strong, courageous, and not to fear is easy to obey: Those are the times we all long for are they not?
2. But what when there is that troubled sea, when there are storms in our lives, when all is not right, what then? What when we can say as Paul did in 2 Cor 4:8 that we are “Troubled on every side”? What then? What if the path we are to take does not seem so clearly marked? What then?
3. There are times when the command is not so easy to obey: What then?
B. With the command comes a way to obey the command: Within the first nine verses of Joshua chapter one we find several things we can do to make the command to be strong, courageous, and not afraid easier to obey.
PROP: We all need to know the ways that will make the command easier to obey. TS. For the command is for us today as well.
Body
I. Listen for and to the voice of God: Joshua 1:1 God is going to speak to Joshua, Joshua needs to listen for and to the voice of God. Can you imagine how many other voices may have been in the ear of Joshua? Caleb, his closest friend and ally may have had something to say. Those who were following in the line of Aaron and would become the priests may have had something to say. Those who were fearful about entering the Promised Land like their fathers were may have had something to say. The decedents of Moses may have had something to say? The looming enemy in the Promised Land may have been on the mind of Joshua. The flooding Jordan River and how to cross it may have been on the mind of Joshua. Can you imagine how many other voices may have been in the ear of Joshua? Joshua needed to shut all those others voices out and first listen to the voice of God.
A. There are a lot of voices that can get into the ear of God’s people today: Some well meaning, some not, but a lot of voices.
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1. Social media, news, text messages, face book and so on have the ear of a lot of God’s people: Not bad all of the time but they are not the voice of God. The vast majority of things on social media are not truthful. People can post anything on face book and are not held accountable. Text messaging never allows you to talk to someone face to face. Those are not the voice of God.
2. Government has the ear of a lot of God’s people: Government, good or bad, is not the voice of God and all parties will tell what they think you need to hear in order to stay in power. Government is not the voice of God.
3. Entertainment and sports have the ear of a lot of God’s people: But that famous star and that sports team do not care about you. They are not the voice of God.
4. Even family and friends who really care about you can give you wrong advice: They are not the voice of God.
5. There are a lot of voices that can get into the ear of the Christian today: But they are not the voice of God.
B. Christians, all Christians, need to spend more time listening for and to the voice of God: Joshua 1:1 The same God that spoke to Joshua wants to speak to you and me today. But are we listening for and to the voice of God? How do we do that?
1. Spend more time in God’s Word: Not because you have to, but because you want to hear from God. God spoke to Joshua in an audible voice, God speaks to you and me through His Word today. But do we spend time in the Word of God?
a. Do you know that what I have before me today is better than the audible voice Joshua heard? – 2 Peter 1:18-21 – God is able to speak to us in a more clear way than God spoke to Joshua. That is what the Bible says. – 2 Peter 1:19
b. But how much time will you spend in your KJB over the next week, how much time daily will you read and meditate upon it?
c. And then we wonder why we don’t hear from God.
2. Spend more time in prayer and in sitting quietly before God in prayer: It is important that we pray, that we ask things of God, that we speak to God. It is also important that we sit quietly before God and allow Him to speak to us even in times of prayer.
a. Ever try and talk to someone and you can’t get even one word in? Imagine how God feels.
b. Spend some time in quiet meditation upon the things of God before the throne of grace.
c. We don’t pray as we should, meditate upon the things of God, and we wonder why we don’t hear from God.
3. Spend time in church, in the house of God: Heb 10:25 I am not the voice of God this morning, but this book is.
a. There will be someone here this morning who needs this message as much as I do. God is speaking to you.
b. You never know when God has something for you so you need to be in the house of God when the doors are open.
c. We miss when God has something for us and then we wonder why God is not speaking to us.
4. Pay attention to the circumstances of life: God does open and close doors, bring about certain circumstances, place certain people in our path in order to speak to us. Pay attention to the circumstances of life.
a. I have kicked open closed doors. Never has worked out well.
b. I have look through opened doors but never walked through them. Never has worked out well.
c. We ignore the circumstances of life and then wonder why God is not speaking to us.
C. Listen for and to the voice of God: Joshua 1:1
II. Leave the past behind: Joshua 1:2 The greatness of Moses and his leadership cannot be overstated. The name of Moses is found almost 900 times in the Bible, only Jesus more. The greatness of Moses and his leadership cannot be overstated.
A. But Moses was gone and could no longer be followed: All the good Moses had done for Joshua, all the battles won, all the miracles by the hand of Moses that Joshua saw, those things were now over. Joshua was now God’s chosen leader and the past was going to have to be left behind.
1. If Joshua remained in the past he would never lead the people into the Promised Land: Joshua had to leave the past behind.
2. If Joshua was content with the victories of Moses he never would have defeated Jericho: He had to leave the past behind.
3. If Joshua focused on the failures of Moses he would have been overtaken by fear: Joshua had to leave the past behind.
4. Joshua had to listen for and to the voice of God but Joshua also had to leave the past behind:
B. We also need to leave the past behind: There are three things we tend to hold onto that we need to leave behind if we are going to obey the command of God and go forward in the Lord, being strong, courageous, and without fear.
1. We need to leave the victories of the past behind: There is nothing wrong with remembering past victories and blessings, nothing wrong with giving testimony to them, nothing wrong with remembering the victories and blessings of the past. But they also need to be put behind so as not to rest on them like our work and walk through this world is over. – Phil 3:13-14 – That should be us.
a. The greatest spiritual victories in our lives should not be seen as behind us, let them there. I am 66 years old and I can testify to many great things God had done in the past but my greatest victories should not be seen as behind me, they should be in front of me.
b. God had greater in store for Joshua than He had for Moses. What if Joshua remained in that wilderness.
c. Nothing wrong with remembering, nothing wrong with testifying, but don’t allow past victories to keep you from moving forward in the Lord. We need to leave the victories of the past behind and press on.
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2. We need to leave the failures of the past behind: Joshua saw a numbers of failures during those forty years of wondering, they needed to be left behind as well. We also need to leave the failures of our past behind.
a. All the apostles forsook the Lord, Peter denied Jesus and went fishing. What if they remained trapped in that failure?
b. The apostles tried to cast out a demon in Matt 17 and could not. What if they never tried again?
c. We are going to have failures, we are going to slip, we are going to disappoint our dear Lord. Don’t stay there.
d. What would the prodical son have missed if he never went back home? – Luke 15:20-24
e. Don’t remain trapped by past failures, leave them in the past.
3. We need to leave the disappointments and hurts of the past behind: We will at times be disappointed and hurt and at times by those who are the closest to us and those disappointments and hurts need to be left behind as well.
a. I wonder if Jesus was disappointed and hurt when the people cried for Barabas to be released? Jesus still went to the cross.
b. I wonder if Jesus was disappointed and hurt when Peter denied Him? Jesus still restored Peter.
c. I wonder if Jesus was disappointed and hurt when Thomas refused to believe? Jesus still showed Himself to Thomas.
d. All of us will be disappointed and hurt from time to time, many times. But we need to put those disappointments and hurts behind and keep on going for our wonderful Lord.
C. Leave the past behind: Joshua 1:2
III. Trust in the promises of God: Joshua 1:3-6 God gave specific promises to Joshua, more than are contained right here. Joshua was now to trust in the promises of God, promises made to him. God did keep all those promises.
A. We also can trust in the promises of God: I have read that there are about 8,000 promises in the Bible, promises made by God. How many of those promises can we trust?
1. Some of those promises are to specific people or peoples: Promises made to Abraham, promises made to Moses,. Promises made to Joshua, promises made to Israel and so on. Some of those promises are made for specific people and peoples.
2. But the majority of those promises cross those lines and are for all who place faith and trust in Jesus Christ: Promises for us today.
B. How many of the promises that can be applied to believers of any age can we believe? All. – Heb 6:18 ; Titus 1:2 – How many of the promises of God can I believe? I need to trust in the promises of God.
1. Ps 84:11 ; Rom 8:28 I don’t always understand but I do believe the promises of God and trust in the promises of God.
2. Jer 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. I like that promise and then the New Testament counterpart. – Eph 3:20
3. The promise of His provision in the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus tells us He will provide all that we need: Matt 6:33-34
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
4. The promise of His presence: Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
5. Among other things the Bible is a book of promises, promises made to us today, how many can we trust to be true?
C. Trust in the promises of God: Joshua 1:3-6
IV. Let the Word of God guide in every area of your life: Josh 1:7-8 Joshua was to let the Word of God guide Him in everything.
A. There would be nothing that God would not guide Joshua in, no area that God would not cover: God would guide in everything.
1. God would guide Joshua spiritually: Josh 3:11 That is the presence of God guiding Joshua.
2. God would guide in passing into the Promised Land: Josh 3:13
3. God would guide in battle: Joshua 6
4. God would guide in the division of the land: Josh 14:13
5. God would guide in his family: Josh 24:15
6. God would guide Joshua in every area of life: All Joshua had to do was follow the leading of the Lord.
7. The only time Joshua got in trouble was when he did not bother to follow God’s leading:
B. We need to let the Word of God guide us in every area of life: Do you know that every area of our lives is covered in the Word of God and we need to follow the leading of the Lord.
1. Our thought life is covered in the Word of God: Read Philippians chapter four.
2. Our married life is covered in the Word of God: Read Ephesians chapter five.
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3. Our parental life is covered in the Word of God: Prov 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Read Ephesians chapter six.
4. Our entire family life and social life is covered in the book of Proverbs:
5. Our financial life is covered in the Word of God:
6. Our recreational life is covered in the Word of God:
7. Our physical life is covered in the Word of God:
8. Our life and walk as a child of God is covered in the Word of God:
9. Our spiritual life is covered in the Word of God:
10. Every area of our lives is covered in the Word of God: And it all applies today.
a. If what God said was ever good to do and to follow it is still good to do and follow.
b. If what God said not to do was best it is still best not to do it.
c. Every area of our lives is covered in the Word of God.
C. Let the Word of God guide in every area of your life: Joshua 1:7-8
Conclusion
It will not always be easy to obey the command of God. – Joshua 1:6-7, 9 – Be strong, be courageous, be not afraid. It will not always be easy but it will be best and God makes a way for us to obey that command.
I. Listen for and to the voice of God: Joshua 1:1 God is going to speak to Joshua, Joshua needs to listen for and to the voice of God. Can you imagine how many other voices may have been in the ear of Joshua? Caleb, his closest friend and ally may have had something to say. Those who were following in the line of Aaron and would become the priests may have had something to say. Those who were fearful about entering the Promised Land like their fathers were may have had something to say. The decedents of Moses may have had something to say? The looming enemy in the Promised Land may have been on the mind of Joshua. The flooding Jordan River and how to cross it may have been on the mind of Joshua. Can you imagine how many other voices may have been in the ear of Joshua? Joshua needed to shut all those others voices out and first listen to the voice of God.
II. Leave the past behind: Joshua 1:2 The greatness of Moses and his leadership cannot be overstated. The name of Moses is found almost 900 times in the Bible, only Jesus more. The greatness of Moses and his leadership cannot be overstated.
A. Leave past victories behind:
B. Leave past failures behind:
C. Leave past disappointments behind:
III. Trust in the promises of God: Joshua 1:3-6 God gave specific promises to Joshua, more than are contained right here. Joshua was now to trust in the promises of God, promises made to him. God did keep all those promises.
IV. Let the Word of God guide in every area of your life: Josh 1:7-8 Joshua was to let the Word of God guide Him in everything.