The life of Joshua - Faith to overcome Giants and Jericho - a faith-building sermon

[0:00] Looking at a life here tonight, and when you look at a life you learn stuff don't you? When you look at the life that someone's lived and I know at home I've got quite a few Christian books and I've got a whole!

[0:12] bookshelf or two of autobiographies, but the Bible itself is filled with biographies. It's filled with the life story of people and we're going to look at one life today, the life of Joshua. And what can we learn from the life of Joshua?

[0:26] Joshua, his name means God is salvation. And one of the first things that we notice about Joshua is that God's spirit was with him.

[0:37] God's spirit was in him it says, and it tells of him that he was a man of God. We see that Numbers 27 and verse 18 it says, And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay thine hand upon him.

[0:57] Moses was told to appoint, to anoint, to take Joshua as the man in whom is the Spirit. And that's what matters, isn't it?

[1:08] To have the Spirit of God. And we hear about Joshua as we travel through some of the journey of his life together tonight. Joshua led the people of God against the Amalekites. And it was as Aaron and Hur raised up Moses' hands that Joshua prevailed.

[1:25] Joshua and the Israelites prevailed in the battle as Aaron and Hur raised up Moses' hands as they yielded to God, as they trusted God to bring the victory. And God did bring the victory. And Joshua fought the battle as the Lord enabled through that prayerful spirit, that united spirit that they had as he battled on.

[1:48] And we hear about Joshua, that he was a faithful servant of God. He was Moses' assistant. He learnt to wait on the Lord and to be a faithful worshipper. And when you think about it, both Moses and Joshua, they were both born as slaves but died as leaders of a free nation.

[2:06] So it was Joshua who led the Israelites into the promised land after Moses' death. And we're going to take a look at some of the instances of that, seeing the example of Joshua, of his faith, of his leadership, of his courage, his service.

[2:22] And the example that he set, not only to his family, but to the nation and even to us today. So Moses, when the time came, as they were about to come to the promised land, Moses appointed 12 men, 12 men to go and spy out the land.

[2:42] And theirs was this crucial mission to explore that land that God had promised to them. And these 12, they observed everything. They observed the fertility of the soil, the strength of the fortified cities, the customs of the people.

[2:59] And of those 12, 10 came back terrified. They trembled before the giants. Yet Joshua and Caleb had a different heart.

[3:12] They trusted God to demonstrate his power. And Joshua and Caleb, they were the only ones, these two, They brought a positive report back, contrary to the 10. And their voice was a voice of faith, Joshua and Caleb.

[3:26] And we pick it up there in Numbers 13, 30. And they were saying, if the Lord is pleased with us, that he will certainly bring us into this land and give it to us.

[3:38] And they described how it's a land flowing with milk and honey, and there's these great clusters of grapes, and there's much bouncy. And it reads here that when the people brought this negative report, Caleb stilled the people before Moses and said, Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it.

[4:01] Caleb and Joshua, they said, we're going to be able to do it. God's promised it. Let's go up. Let's go at once and possess it. We are well able to overcome it.

[4:11] You see, Caleb and Joshua, they had courage. The others were overcome with fear and with unbelief. And we can learn, I think, the same sentiment of courage.

[4:24] That we can learn to have courage, to trust God, to stand for the truth. Even though it's unpopular, they were outnumbered, 10 to 2. And it's the same for you and me, isn't it?

[4:35] When we try to follow our Lord, generally we're in the minority. And we must remain firm in our godly convictions, even when it's not popular.

[4:47] So Joshua and Caleb, they were ready to lead the people into the promised land, to face the giants and to tear down walls. But the people rebelled.

[4:58] They said, we're not able. They said, we're like grasshoppers in the sight of these giants. Notice here the power of our words. And we're living in a world that's full of information, isn't it?

[5:10] It's flooded with information. Who is it that we're going to tune into? Who is it that we're going to listen to? Are we going to listen to God and what he tells us, as in what's written?

[5:21] Or are we going to go with the flow, with what's popular, with the world that would naysay and doubt? But the consequences of the lack of faith of the ten and the nation that followed them was very severe.

[5:39] And God decreed that that generation would wander in the desert for 40 years. They couldn't go into the land. They would not be allowed to enter the promised land. But only Joshua and Caleb, among all the adults who left Egypt, they would be allowed to enter the promised land.

[5:58] They were different. What was it that made the difference? It was faith. And we notice here what it reads about them, how no one was going to enter the land except Caleb, it says here.

[6:11] This is Numbers 32, 12. No one could enter the land save Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua, the son of Nun. Why? For they have wholly followed the Lord.

[6:23] So these two, they were different. Why? Because they wholly followed the Lord. And it's the same for us in our world today, isn't it? That our choices have consequences, not only affecting ourselves, but even future generations.

[6:37] Those ten caused much destruction and damage by the negative report. If only they'd listened to Caleb and Joshua instead.

[6:50] But for the next 40 years, Joshua would see an entire generation pass away, yet he persevered. And his vision, his faith was unshaken.

[7:00] What about you and me? When we see this world that doubts the truth of God, doubts the gospel, can we be like Joshua? He trusted. He trusted God. He believed the promises.

[7:11] We can see the power of faith. He believed what God said. He believed that God said that's the promised land. It's his promise for you to enter in. And he believed God. Notice the call of God to Joshua.

[7:24] It tells us when Moses died. It says, Now after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, Moses, my servant, is dead.

[7:38] Now therefore arise. Go over this Jordan, thou and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Notice God says, I'm going to give you this land.

[7:51] He says, go over this Jordan. Notice God says that he's with us. And it reads on verse 5. He says, There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life.

[8:02] As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. What made the difference is that God says, I will be with thee. And it's the same when we are a believer in Christ.

[8:15] Jesus says, I'm with you. I'm with you always. He says, I'll never leave thee, nor forsake thee. It's the same promise. And we can likewise know God's presence. That God is with us through our walk with him.

[8:27] God is with us every step of the journey of our life. If we trusted him, he says, I'll never leave thee. I'll never fail thee. I will not forsake thee. And notice here the call to courage.

[8:38] So we see God chose Joshua, this faithful minister, this assistant to Moses, this servant, this man of unwavering faith.

[8:49] And what does God say to Joshua? He says, be strong and of a good courage. For unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I swear unto their fathers to give them.

[9:01] He says, be strong, being of a good courage. And again, he repeats at verse 7, only be thou strong and very courageous that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses, my servant, commanded thee.

[9:15] Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou mayest prosper with us, however thou goest. He says, be strong. He says, be courageous. He says, don't get detoured.

[9:26] Keep straight on and know that I am with you. The Lord says, I'm with you. God reassured Joshua that his presence would be with him.

[9:38] And we see Joshua and Caleb, they set an example for us, this lesson that we can learn. And it's about perspective. They all saw the same things, but Joshua and Caleb saw things differently.

[9:53] They had a different perspective. Their vision was different. They didn't focus on the giants. They focused on the promise. They didn't focus on the fear. They focused on faith. And what about you and me?

[10:04] It's our perspective that makes a difference, isn't it? And how many times in our lives do we encounter situations that are scary, things that seem impossible? When we live the Christian life, we can face times of doubt and discouragement.

[10:20] What matters is how we choose to see things. Do we see God? Do we see God who is with us? Do we see God's promises? And we believe him and trust his power.

[10:30] Notice Joshua's faith. He trusted in God's promises. And it's the same for us today. The Bible says that there's exceeding great and precious promises.

[10:41] There's promises here. God promised the land. It was called the promised land. It was called God's land that they promised to the people of God. And when we think about the scriptures as we meditate on the word, that we can have that certainty of God's promises.

[10:56] We can meditate on them. And it says there, verse 8, it tells us, Notice there the power of God's word.

[11:20] God's word has power. And God says to Joshua, he says, This book, this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth. So he's talking about confessing it.

[11:32] He's talking about articulating it. He's talking about speaking it. The Bible says give attention to reading. It's a good thing when you read the word of God.

[11:43] Read it out loud. Joshua is told, This book shall not depart out of thy mouth. And what's more, thou shalt meditate therein. So chew it over day and night.

[11:53] Meditate therein. And then what's more, observe to do it. What's written therein. And verse 9, it reads on, Wherever you go, wherever you go, he says, I'm with you, I'm with you.

[12:15] It's the same for you that believe our Lord, that you believe Christ as your saviour. He says, I'm with you. He says, don't be afraid. He says, don't be dismayed. He says, I'm with you, wherever you go.

[12:27] Will we learn to trust God's promise, the word of God, to take these promises to heart, to take them individually, to step forward in faith, see the spirit of Joshua was one of courage.

[12:39] And the strength that he had was not his own, but it was a strength from him, the Lord. He says, be strong. God called Joshua to meditate on the word of God day and night.

[12:52] And friends, tonight we can meditate on the scripture too, day and night. I know some people like to write the scripture verses on their fridge or have a wall text here or there and have scriptures in their pocket that they can turn to and meditate on it, chew on it.

[13:09] And take those promises and confess them and meditate on them. And they'll give you courage and strength. As we meditate on the word, God's going to transform our mind too.

[13:24] There's a transforming of our mind. As the more that we confess the truth of God, the more we believe, the more our faith can grow. And Joshua demonstrated this faith. And what's more, this faith was demonstrated in, at times, impossible situations.

[13:40] Notice the first thing that God tells Joshua to do when he was appointed in the place of Moses. Moses is dead. He says, go over this Jordan.

[13:54] So this is really the first big call on Joshua. He says, go over this Jordan. We see the crossing of the Jordan, the Jordan River.

[14:06] And then we see the conquest of Jericho. And through it all, we see Joshua's faith in God's power. There'd been all this wandering time, this lost time, really, in the desert, where the people of Israel had wandered because of their unbelief.

[14:23] And now they were finally there, just right at the brink, right at the edge, at the lapping waters of the Jordan River. And the promised land was in sight, was just over yonder.

[14:35] And Joshua faced this first major challenge of leading an entire nation across a raging river. It was the flood season. This river was enlarged.

[14:47] It was overflowing its banks. The Jordan was in flood. And Joshua tells the people, he says, sanctify yourselves. Tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.

[14:58] And we pick it up from Joshua 3, from verse 15, and it reads how they followed God's instructions that were quite unusual in a way.

[15:10] And it reads there, verse 15, And as they that bear the ark were coming to Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bear the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest.

[15:23] So, you've got here this picture of these priests as they're carrying the ark of the covenant, the graphic, visible symbol of God's presence.

[15:33] The ark of the covenant. And they had to enter the waters first. It was an act of pure and simple faith. Imagine the scene as the priests advanced towards those turbulent waters.

[15:45] They were carrying this most sacred symbol of their faith, of really the Lord's presence. It was a picture of God being with them. And the people might have watched on, feeling maybe a mix of fear and anticipation.

[15:58] What's going to happen when the priests' feet touched the water? And then it says, verse 16, we read on, that the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon a heap very far from the city Adam, that is, beside Zeratim, those that came down toward the sea of the plain.

[16:21] Even the salt sea failed. So the dead sea. And they were cut off and the people passed over right against Jericho. So here they were as the people watched on, as the priests' feet, touched the edge of the water.

[16:35] And as soon as the priests' feet touched the water, the river stopped flowing. And the people walked over. All the people walked over on dry ground. It was just as God had parted the Red Sea with Moses, now God parted the Jordan for Joshua and the people of God.

[16:54] It was like God had shown His power again, as He had with Moses. Now He showed His power with Joshua too. And all Israel crossed by till the whole nation had crossed over.

[17:06] Next, Joshua and God's people faced another great challenge. The fortified city of Jericho. And there's some 40,000 men gathered preparing for war to march before the Lord towards the plains of Jericho.

[17:22] And there was this great city, Jericho. And it was known for its imposing walls. And they were considered impenetrable. This was no ordinary city.

[17:34] There's no way, humanly, that anyone could conquer Jericho. It seemed an impossible task. And then God gave the battle plan to Joshua.

[17:46] It didn't involve machines or strategies of men, of military might. But God ordered the people to march around the city once a day, for six days, with the priests again carrying the Ark of the Covenant, again symbolising God's very presence was with them.

[18:06] And they were blowing trumpets. Now I've had some trumpet blowing here tonight. And it says there that the priests carrying the Ark were blowing the trumpets. We have some sound effects here. And on the seventh day there was a march around the city seven times.

[18:20] And at the sound of a long trumpet blast, the entire people were to shout. So I just, we'll pick it up there on the scriptures there. Joshua 6, verse 2.

[18:31] And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho and the king thereof and the mighty men of valor. God says, I've given Jericho to you.

[18:42] Just as he said, I've given the promised land to you. And when they face that crossing of the Jordan, God says, I've given it to you. Just go over this Jordan. And God's saying here to Joshua, I've given Jericho to you.

[18:57] I've given it to you. And the king and the mighty men of valor. And verse 3. And you shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once.

[19:12] Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of ram's horns. And the seventh day you shall compass the city seven times.

[19:23] And the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn. And when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout.

[19:38] And the wall of the city shall fall down flat. And the people shall ascend up every man straight before him. I don't know if you've heard people shout a great shout.

[19:51] People get excited about sport, don't they? Yay! Yay! You know, we can imagine how people get so excited. Wow, they kick that ball through those two wooden posts.

[20:04] Wow, it's such an amazing thing. This is much more amazing, isn't it? Isn't there something much more to shout about? To think of the power of God, to think of the faith that we can exercise.

[20:17] And it says the people shouted. Let all the people shout with a great shout. I think it's more important to be shouting. Even Baptists can shout, can't we?

[20:29] We can shout with a great shout, can't we? Amen. Because God is doing wonders. And Joshua trusted God's great plan, even though it defied human logic. And when they obeyed God, something extraordinary happened.

[20:43] The walls of Jericho, what happened? They fell down flat. And those same walls that seemed impenetrable, they just collapsed. Why?

[20:54] Because of the power of God. The power of faith, isn't it? What about you and me? Will we trust God when we face some Jericho, when we face some situation that seems that's just impossible, there's just no way we're going to get over this, through this?

[21:12] Will we trust God? That's what we need to do, isn't it? Another thing that Joshua demonstrates for us is that Joshua chose who to serve.

[21:24] Joshua chose who to serve. And Joshua led by example. Alright? Now, when you think about it, we're always leading by example, aren't we? People are watching us when we don't show up for something.

[21:40] We're leading by example. We're saying it's not important to be there. we're leading by example when we might set a bad example and act carnal.

[21:53] We're leading by example when we do something that's questionable and really brings reproach on our Lord. We're always leading by example.

[22:05] Far better it be that we lead by example in doing something that's good. Lead by example in following our Lord. We see that in Joshua 24 where Joshua really is urging the people and he's challenging them to follow the Lord.

[22:23] Joshua 24 from verse 14. Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in truth and put away the gods which your father served on the other side of the flood and in Egypt and serve ye the Lord.

[22:37] Joshua's saying here is urging the people serve God. Follow God. Don't follow the gods of your fathers, the false gods, the idols of the unbelieving nations.

[22:52] He says follow the Lord. Serve ye the Lord. And verse 15. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve. Whether the gods which your father served, they were on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites in his land you dwell.

[23:10] But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Notice the example of Joshua. And this was as Joshua was nearing the end of his life.

[23:23] And it's interesting in Joshua chapter 24, this word serve is repeated over and over again. Who are you going to serve? Who are you going to worship?

[23:35] Who are you going to follow? Who are you going to love? We've all got the same responsibility to serve the Lord. It's not serving the Lord is not reserved to some special class of people.

[23:50] It's for all the people of God. And he says, who are you going to serve? Choose you this day. Choose now. Choose today. Who are you going to serve? It's interesting Joshua's verb implies I have chosen you and I will continue to choose to serve the Lord.

[24:07] He's saying I've chosen to serve the Lord and I'm going to continue to choose to serve the Lord. So it's a sense where it's not just an initial decision that we will serve the Lord.

[24:18] It's just like a one time thing. We're going to serve the Lord and we're going to keep on serving the Lord. We're going to serve the Lord today and we're going to serve the Lord tomorrow and for the rest of our lives.

[24:29] We're dedicated to serve. He had a commitment to serve and so should we. To have that commitment, that passionate love of our Lord. Like Joshua, we're called to courage.

[24:40] We're called to courage. We don't want to wimp out like the fearful and the disbelieving, the ones who were the ten who doubted God's promise and they suffered for that.

[24:51] We want to be with Caleb and Joshua. We want to stand with courage and faith, faith that takes action, faithfulness. And we can learn, brothers and sisters, we can learn today that we can take a leaf out of Joshua's book and we can say the same thing.

[25:08] A man here tonight, husband's here tonight, father's here tonight. We can say, as for me and my house, God helping us, we're going to serve the Lord. We're going to be a house that loves God, a house that serves God, a family that loves the Lord.

[25:23] And that's the testimony of Joshua. God helping us that we can be such a people, we can have such a testimony, we can lead by example and set a good godly example.

[25:35] And like Joshua, we're called to courage. And we can learn from Joshua's unwavering faith. He says, choose who you're going to serve. Yeah, you can serve the gods that your fathers worshipped, you can serve the false gods, you can serve the false gods of the land that you're dwelling in, but as for me, no, I'm not going to do that.

[25:56] I'm not going to choose that. I'm going to choose the Lord. I'm going to choose God's way. And we can resolve to follow God boldly like Joshua did. And to know that he's never going to leave us nor forsake us.

[26:09] And God says, be strong and of a good courage. We're living in a day when there's a weakness. There's a weakness. There's a softness. There's a wimpiness.

[26:20] People don't know. They don't know how to stand. They just give ground. They just give way. They just go along, go with the flow. Go with the norm. Don't rock the boat.

[26:32] Be like this fleshly, carnal, self-serving, pleasure-loving, godless world that doesn't care about the things of God. But God says to you, people of God, be strong, be strong, and have a good courage.

[26:47] And Joshua stirred up the others in their faith to claim the exceeding great and precious promises. We see that in Joshua 23, as he exhorts the people there, as he exhorts the troops, as it were, as he marshals the troops, and he says, one man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.

[27:10] He says, one of you is going to chase a thousand. He says, why? Because he, our Lord God, your Lord God, is going to fight for you, as he promised that he would.

[27:21] Take good heed, therefore, unto yourselves, that you love, the Lord your God. That's the big thing about, really, Bible Christianity, is the motive is love, isn't it?

[27:33] That's the motive. We're not motivated by law, we're motivated by love. We're not motivated because of a brow beating, we're motivated because our love for our Lord motivates us, our love, our passion, the love of Christ constraineth us.

[27:49] It's the love for our God that we want to take heed unto ourselves. And we have need of courage in these days where wimpiness prevails, when there's just this falling away, there's this abandonment of truth, this worldliness that pervades, this fleshliness, this carnality, and it's in churches, it's in Christians, we have need of courage to not wimp out.

[28:15] We have need of resolve. Joshua overcame discouragement for himself and he found strength in prayer. When God's people sinned, Joshua went to prayer.

[28:25] Joshua went to prayer at the circumstance of Achan and it says, and Joshua rent his clothes and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the eventide, again a representation of seeking God's presence.

[28:41] He went to the ark as a picture of God's presence. He went to God. He went to prayer and it says, he and the elders of Israel and they put dust upon their heads. That's the sign of remorse, of contrition.

[28:54] Joshua believed God and he took his faith seriously. And when there was a sin in the camp, he said, I'm going to have to deal with this. I'm going to have to prayerfully deal with this. He took his faith seriously.

[29:06] And what's more, Joshua was an encourager of others. Friends, we're all called to that. It says, exhort one another. It says, edify one another. It says, provoke one another unto love and to good works.

[29:18] Set an example to others. You that are older in the faith. You that are stronger in the faith. You that have known the Lord longer than others. You are an example. Set a good example to the younger ones.

[29:30] Be an example to others. And when we face our fears with faith, as Joshua did, in the back of Joshua's book, chapter 24, he recounts God's faithfulness.

[29:44] And he gives a little kind of sermon to the folk there, a challenge, and he recounts the faithfulness of God over the generations. And he says that God has been faithful.

[29:56] And he issues a challenge. Choose you this day. Who are you going to serve? It's a call to decision. And Joshua declared, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

[30:08] Joshua left a spiritual legacy. We're all going to leave a legacy, aren't we? One day I'm going to be dead and gone, in a casket, in the ground, worms eating my body. But something will live on of our life.

[30:22] God helping us will be something that's good, I pray, that will leave behind a legacy, a heritage. And Joshua's life is a model of a life wholly dedicated to God.

[30:34] Generations would look to Joshua as this example of faith, of godly leadership. And it's the same for you and me. The witness of your life will live on. Your actions speak louder than your words too.

[30:47] You can blab on about this or that, but are you there when the rubber hits the road? It's the witness of our life. Our example ought to inspire others as an importance, that we put importance on our faith.

[31:02] Friends, think of it today for yourself. What about your personal journey of faith? What is your personal Jordan, if you like? What is seemingly impossible that lies ahead for you?

[31:15] That impossible river that you face in your life? What about those walls of Jericho in your life? The obstacles that seem impossible?

[31:26] Will we move forward in faith? Will we take that step of faith and trust our God will prevail, that God will enable? Will you trust that just as the waters parted, as the priest's feet touch the water, that God will open a way for you?

[31:41] Joshua's journey was not just about great miracles, but it was about faithfulness in the small things. It was about decision after decision, about staying faithful day after day after day.

[31:55] And as I mentioned, Joshua 24, Joshua recaps the history of Israel from Abraham right up to the present, to the conquest of Canaan. And he challenges the people, hey, see what God has done, see the faithfulness of God.

[32:10] And let's affirm our commitment, our trust in him, the only true God. And we pick it up there in Joshua 24, 23, it reads, now therefore put away, say he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel.

[32:29] He says put away the strange gods. He says incline your heart unto the Lord. Get the heart right. And the people said unto Joshua, the Lord our God will we serve and his voice will we obey.

[32:43] Joshua urges them, put away the strange gods, all the false gods, and incline your heart unto the Lord God. Joshua called others to faith and faithfulness.

[32:54] And it wasn't just empty words, he lived it. What about you and me? Can we have that same faithfulness in our own lives? As Joshua, he wanted to leave a spiritual legacy for future generations to come.

[33:07] And he did. And he did. Joshua 24, 31 And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua and which had known all the works of the Lord that he had done for Israel.

[33:23] What a blessing that when Joshua was gone and the people that outlived him, they continued on in serving the Lord.

[33:34] I'd like to hope and pray that my posterity, that my children and my grandchildren will serve the Lord. I pray that.

[33:46] What legacy are we building with our own lives? What example will we leave for those who come after us? Friends, we're all setting an example.

[33:57] will it be a good one? That's the point. And will we be like Joshua and have the values that he had, the faithfulness, that he had that courage, that boldness, that faithfulness to face his fear, to put his faith into action.

[34:15] And that can be practical wise for us as the people we need to forgive, are the things we need to resolve, is the faith and courage that's lacking, am I going to renew my faith, revive my faith, refresh my faith, to step forward, even though that journey ahead, it seems like a Jordan that's overflowing.

[34:37] It seems like a Jericho, that there's just no way I'm going to make it. Yet, you're not alone, because God is with you. Amen? God is with you.

[34:48] And Joshua had a faithful, courageous heart. And friends, tonight we can learn from Joshua's life, can't we? The thing, how can I be like Joshua, pick up the good things of Joshua, of his story?

[35:01] Joshua trusted, he had faith that God would do wonders, that God would make all things possible.

[35:12] And really, Joshua is for us a picture of the life of Christ. He's like a type, a representation of Christ.

[35:23] We see in Joshua's life, we see Christ as pictured there, as we see the deliverance of God's people. It was Christ who is the deliverer. We see the victory as they overcame Jericho.

[35:37] It's the victory that's faith. It's Christ. And we see the entering into rest, the entering into the promised land. Amen. Ultimately, we're going to enter the promised land, the promised land.

[35:49] We're going to enter the promised land, as it were, of heaven's glory. And he's promised to prepare a place for you, that trust in him.

[36:01] And when we receive Christ, we enter into rest. It's again pictured as Joshua is referred to as entering into rest. There's a wonderful rest that comes when we cease from our own strivings, our own works, and trust that Christ is our Saviour.

[36:21] There's a rest that comes. And so, in closing, may we trust in God's promises today. Take them as read. Take them to heart. May they be in your mouth, and may you be meditating on them day and night.

[36:36] May you trust in God's promises, no matter what challenge, no matter what Jordan, no matter what Jericho lies ahead for you. And just as God was with Joshua, he is with you.

[36:49] He is with you. How can we trust him more fully? Have courage. Be courageous in your faith. Friends here tonight, I trust you know Christ, who is the Joshua.

[37:01] Ultimately, Christ is the Saviour, the Deliverer, the one who brings victory. And he's the Messiah. He's the ultimate and only Saviour. And we can trust him.

[37:13] He says, I'm with you always, even to the end of the world. May we, like Joshua, set ourselves. It says of Joshua that he wholly, he entirely followed the Lord.

[37:25] There was a wholeness to his devotion. There was a fullness to his service. He wholly, he entirely followed the Lord. And Joshua was a good example.

[37:39] How can we, how can you, how can each one set a good example, a godly example? May we all live a life well lived and leave a legacy of faith for future generations.

[37:53] May we be like Joshua. Let us pray. Lord, we thank you that we see in Joshua's life your great grace. We see that he was a man in whom was the spirit.

[38:06] We pray that each one here tonight might know what it is to have the Holy Spirit come and reside as you live in hearts by faith. You dwell in human vessels still.

[38:18] As you did dwell in Joshua, you can dwell in our hearts. Lord, we pray help us to be encouraged. As the example of Joshua shows us of a godly man, a man of God.

[38:32] Lord, he said, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. He didn't care what everyone else was doing. He didn't care what others would do.

[38:43] But he said, as for me, as for me personally. And Lord, we pray for each one here, each one personally to come to that same place of faith, of trust, to say, I'm going to trust you with my life, with my family, with my home, with my heart.

[39:00] Lord, as for me, I want to trust you, to follow you. Lord, we pray that each one might have that same heart tonight, to incline our hearts unto that, Lord, that we might love you, that love might be the motive, that we might come to love you.

[39:15] As we know, to know you is to know life eternal. And Lord, to love you with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, with all our strength, as much as humanly that seems an impossible thing too, yet you can help us to love you more.

[39:30] My Jesus, I love thee. I know thou art mine. Pray that might be a heart's prayer of each one here tonight. And help us, Lord, to live the life and to go forward in faith, Lord, knowing that you are with us, just as you were with Joshua of old.

[39:47] Lord, we thank you in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.