WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.919 It's good to be here with you today. 00:00:07.540 --> 00:00:10.599 I'm not sure, Tom, did we run out of service booklets? 00:00:11.400 --> 00:00:12.560 Do we still have some? 00:00:13.380 --> 00:00:14.240 Okay, good. 00:00:14.480 --> 00:00:14.720 Excellent. 00:00:14.800 --> 00:00:16.940 I wasn't sure how many we put out. 00:00:18.519 --> 00:00:24.260 I'm going to ask you to turn in your Bibles today to the book of Joshua, chapter 1, verses 00:00:24.260 --> 00:00:25.600 1 through 9. 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:35.980 And it's right after Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, and it's on 00:00:35.980 --> 00:00:41.060 page 189 in your pew Bibles, page 189. 00:00:42.040 --> 00:00:49.040 And I invite you to turn there and sort of my New Year's gift to you. 00:00:49.780 --> 00:00:53.400 Some of you, I'm sure this is a very, very, very familiar passage. 00:00:53.399 --> 00:00:58.960 But for me, this is a text that I look at virtually every New Year's Day. 00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:06.620 And in fact, it's a text that I look at virtually every time I have to enter into sort of a new 00:01:06.620 --> 00:01:14.659 phase in my life, or any time that I have to take on a new project or a new endeavor, or 00:01:14.659 --> 00:01:19.120 any time when I realize that I'm going to need some strength and I'm going to need some courage. 00:01:19.659 --> 00:01:22.859 And I know there's probably many of you have looked at this text yourselves. 00:01:22.859 --> 00:01:29.680 It is a classic text which talks about our need for strength and courage and what is 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:31.260 needed for godly success. 00:01:32.140 --> 00:01:37.579 And I wasn't sure this morning if I'd have six people in church or six, I knew I wouldn't 00:01:37.579 --> 00:01:41.120 have 600, but or 200 people in church. 00:01:41.219 --> 00:01:45.840 But I thought it's not often that I preach on New Year's Day. 00:01:45.960 --> 00:01:50.640 And I thought I'd share with you some meditations and reflections upon this classic text. 00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:56.780 And if all that you get out of the service, out of the sermon this morning is an awareness 00:01:56.780 --> 00:02:04.379 of such a brilliant text that can guide you whenever you have to take on a new venture 00:02:04.379 --> 00:02:08.900 or go into a new year or any time you're turning a corner in your life. 00:02:08.900 --> 00:02:14.580 If all that happens this morning is you become aware of the existence of this text so that 00:02:14.580 --> 00:02:19.860 you yourselves will meditate upon it and turn to it in times of transition and in times 00:02:19.860 --> 00:02:22.939 of crisis, then my job has been done. 00:02:24.860 --> 00:02:31.540 But this is, through generations and generations, this has been a text of scripture that people 00:02:31.540 --> 00:02:32.319 have turned to. 00:02:32.319 --> 00:02:38.139 So I'm just going to read it again and we'll stop and I'll point out some of the, just some 00:02:38.139 --> 00:02:44.759 of the major teachings and principles of godly success and how to move forward in a godly 00:02:44.759 --> 00:02:47.479 manner which are contained in this verse. 00:02:48.579 --> 00:02:56.419 Just before I start reading on page 189, the context is, for some of you, you know that 00:02:56.419 --> 00:03:07.839 Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt and then Moses sent 12 men to look at the promised 00:03:07.839 --> 00:03:08.319 land. 00:03:08.939 --> 00:03:14.039 And you might remember that out of the 12 people who went to look at the promised land, 10 of 00:03:14.039 --> 00:03:17.539 them came back and said, we can't go into the promised land. 00:03:17.539 --> 00:03:25.879 The promised land is filled with scary, tough, strong people and we are too weak to deal with 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:26.280 this. 00:03:26.699 --> 00:03:32.120 And there were only two people who said, no, no, no, no, no, our god is big enough to deal 00:03:32.120 --> 00:03:33.199 with these problems. 00:03:34.019 --> 00:03:35.699 Let's just trust god. 00:03:35.819 --> 00:03:41.060 Don't look at how big they are and how strong they are and how powerful they are and how wonderful 00:03:41.060 --> 00:03:45.699 their cities are and how spectacular their religion seems to be. 00:03:45.699 --> 00:03:47.199 Don't look at any of these things. 00:03:47.419 --> 00:03:49.599 Trust in god and let's move forward. 00:03:49.599 --> 00:03:55.859 And out of these 12 spies, 10 of whom counseled fear, two counseled courage. 00:03:56.000 --> 00:03:58.759 One of those who counseled courage was Joshua. 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:08.139 And as you know, unfortunately, the people of Israel believed the 10 and disbelieved Joshua 00:04:08.139 --> 00:04:09.319 and the other. 00:04:09.900 --> 00:04:15.500 And so they turned back from the promised land and they were to spend 40 years wandering in 00:04:15.500 --> 00:04:16.000 the wilderness. 00:04:16.899 --> 00:04:22.740 And as you know, there was a, God said to the people of Israel, all of you adult men 00:04:22.740 --> 00:04:28.120 who were too, who did not trust me enough to go forward. 00:04:28.500 --> 00:04:31.399 None of you will enter the promised land. 00:04:31.399 --> 00:04:36.259 And it is your children whom you thought would die who will be the ones who will enter into 00:04:36.259 --> 00:04:37.240 the promised land. 00:04:37.240 --> 00:04:45.100 And 40 years later, Joshua throughout this entire 40 years had been Moses' assistant and 00:04:45.100 --> 00:04:46.800 close confidant. 00:04:47.000 --> 00:04:52.019 And after 40 years of wandering throughout the promised land, they come once again to 00:04:52.019 --> 00:04:57.199 the banks of the Jordan River and they are once again in a position to enter into the 00:04:57.199 --> 00:04:59.759 promised land and Moses dies. 00:05:00.680 --> 00:05:06.540 Moses dies in fulfillment of something that God had told them because Moses himself in those 00:05:06.540 --> 00:05:12.939 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, Moses himself had lost his trust and faith in God 00:05:12.939 --> 00:05:16.140 and refused to honor God in the company of the people. 00:05:16.939 --> 00:05:20.820 And God said to Moses, you also will not enter the promised land. 00:05:20.920 --> 00:05:25.600 You will take the people to the edge of the promised land, but you yourself will not enter. 00:05:26.340 --> 00:05:27.939 And so Moses has died. 00:05:28.780 --> 00:05:34.720 And there had never been anybody like Moses who spoke to God, as the scripture says, face 00:05:34.720 --> 00:05:35.360 to face. 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:40.520 And after he had spoken to God, he had to put a veil over his face because the glory of 00:05:40.520 --> 00:05:48.320 God's presence just so erupted out of Moses' body that he had to put a veil over his face. 00:05:48.820 --> 00:05:50.100 So Moses has died. 00:05:50.840 --> 00:05:56.660 And Joshua is looking at the Jordan River and the river is really, really full. 00:05:56.840 --> 00:05:57.900 It's springtime. 00:05:58.600 --> 00:05:59.640 Moses had died. 00:05:59.639 --> 00:06:04.259 You know, the great leader was no longer with them. 00:06:04.539 --> 00:06:06.439 The promised land is before them. 00:06:06.779 --> 00:06:08.939 The river looks unpassable. 00:06:09.959 --> 00:06:15.339 And the book of Joshua literally begins with an and or a for. 00:06:15.979 --> 00:06:21.279 In other words, Deuteronomy ends and literally Joshua is to continue on with this. 00:06:21.279 --> 00:06:28.959 And so what we have in verses one to nine is Joshua's commissioning and God giving Joshua 00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:35.119 a talk as to how he, in fact, is going to be successful in doing that which seems to 00:06:35.119 --> 00:06:42.359 be impossible, crossing the river, conquering the land, dealing with a fearful people and 00:06:42.359 --> 00:06:46.419 losing the death of the greatest leader that the people of Israel had ever known. 00:06:46.420 --> 00:06:48.699 And this is what God says. 00:06:49.480 --> 00:06:54.660 After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to 00:06:54.660 --> 00:07:00.620 Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying, Moses, my servant, is dead. 00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:07.560 Now, therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people to the land which I am 00:07:07.560 --> 00:07:09.960 giving to them, the children of Israel. 00:07:09.959 --> 00:07:17.060 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given you, as I said to 00:07:17.060 --> 00:07:17.399 Moses. 00:07:18.180 --> 00:07:20.339 Now, we just want to pause here for a second. 00:07:20.439 --> 00:07:21.539 Look at that verse three. 00:07:23.240 --> 00:07:25.759 He's saying he's going to give the land to them. 00:07:26.620 --> 00:07:32.079 And he says then, every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given you, 00:07:32.240 --> 00:07:33.299 as I said to Moses. 00:07:33.300 --> 00:07:38.699 What we see there is you have to step out to take the promises of God. 00:07:40.199 --> 00:07:41.800 This is really, really important. 00:07:41.960 --> 00:07:45.319 You know, first of all, God promises Joshua success. 00:07:46.199 --> 00:07:48.740 He promises God, and we'll look at this more in a moment. 00:07:48.840 --> 00:07:51.900 He promises, he's going to promise Joshua success. 00:07:52.160 --> 00:07:58.000 He's going to promise God, Joshua, like literal physical blessing and success. 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:06.980 But it isn't then the case that Joshua can say, let's get out the comfy chairs, and let's 00:08:06.980 --> 00:08:11.779 make some nice big fires, and we're going to have lots of really nice tabbouleh, and 00:08:11.779 --> 00:08:15.959 we're going to have lots of really nice roast lamb, and we're just going to sit back, and 00:08:15.959 --> 00:08:18.939 we're going to watch God just do all of this stuff. 00:08:19.240 --> 00:08:21.819 And when God has done all of this stuff, then we'll walk in. 00:08:21.819 --> 00:08:29.439 You know, the promise of God is connected to them stepping out. 00:08:30.360 --> 00:08:37.120 So, as in a sense, their sole of their feet, and it's a very, very earthy image, they actually 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:39.960 literally have to be standing there to get it. 00:08:40.620 --> 00:08:45.779 It's not a matter that you can get out the easy boys and just sort of, you know, somebody 00:08:45.779 --> 00:08:51.159 will give you the remote, and you just sort of lie there in the easy boy, just sort of waiting 00:08:51.159 --> 00:08:56.779 for God to zap you with blessing and zap you with blessing and zap you with victory, and 00:08:56.779 --> 00:09:01.519 then you sort of wander out, and everything just sort of parts before your path. 00:09:02.159 --> 00:09:08.919 There's this balance here in the scripture between the promise of God's power and the 00:09:08.919 --> 00:09:10.799 willingness to step out. 00:09:11.539 --> 00:09:15.980 In the New Testament, maybe the best example of this principle is when Peter walks on the 00:09:15.980 --> 00:09:16.299 water. 00:09:16.299 --> 00:09:21.179 And many of you have probably read that brilliant book by John Ortberg, which is titled, If 00:09:21.179 --> 00:09:23.919 You Want to Walk in the Water, You Gotta Get Out of the Boat. 00:09:24.919 --> 00:09:27.419 And that's really how God's promises work. 00:09:27.819 --> 00:09:30.519 If you want to walk on the water, you've got to get out of the boat. 00:09:31.059 --> 00:09:37.079 And if you want to be able to, if you want to enter into the blessings that God has offered 00:09:37.080 --> 00:09:41.660 to you, you've got to actually take those steps. 00:09:42.379 --> 00:09:47.160 And in Joshua's case, it meant you take the step towards the impassable river. 00:09:47.720 --> 00:09:50.840 You march around that impregnable city. 00:09:51.240 --> 00:09:55.680 You face those unstoppable armies by walking towards them. 00:09:56.000 --> 00:10:02.259 And there's this balance between having a trust and a faith in God and literally taking 00:10:02.259 --> 00:10:03.379 those steps. 00:10:04.220 --> 00:10:09.819 So God doesn't say, you just stand here and I'll clear 20 steps before your path. 00:10:10.539 --> 00:10:14.439 He says, listen, Joshua, you're going to do it. 00:10:15.259 --> 00:10:16.860 Joshua, you're going to do it. 00:10:17.419 --> 00:10:19.600 As we'll see later on, be strong and courageous. 00:10:19.740 --> 00:10:20.539 You're going to do it. 00:10:20.919 --> 00:10:21.720 Go for it. 00:10:22.759 --> 00:10:27.720 Each soul of the sole of your foot has to step here and here and here and here, even in the 00:10:27.720 --> 00:10:29.439 face of things which seem impossible. 00:10:29.440 --> 00:10:32.760 So once again, listen to verse three. 00:10:33.660 --> 00:10:37.580 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given you, as I said to 00:10:37.580 --> 00:10:37.900 Moses. 00:10:38.440 --> 00:10:39.220 Verse four. 00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:44.240 From the wilderness and this Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all 00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:49.400 the land of the Hittites to the great sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 00:10:50.300 --> 00:10:55.100 No person, no man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. 00:10:55.520 --> 00:10:58.460 As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 00:10:58.460 --> 00:11:01.840 I will not leave you nor forsake you. 00:11:02.340 --> 00:11:03.879 What a precious verse. 00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:06.379 And this verse here challenges us. 00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:10.080 Verse five challenges us to understand what true victory is. 00:11:11.180 --> 00:11:16.139 Some of you might know that, and he still has a continuing influence in me. 00:11:16.200 --> 00:11:20.940 There was a significant period in my life where I went through a significant number of 00:11:20.940 --> 00:11:21.300 troubles. 00:11:21.299 --> 00:11:26.379 And a writer by the name of John Maxwell was really important to me. 00:11:27.099 --> 00:11:33.479 And one of the things which John Maxwell really pushes all of the time is to challenge us to 00:11:33.479 --> 00:11:35.299 understand what true success is. 00:11:35.299 --> 00:11:43.079 And he uses the example that if at the end of the day, you know, at the end of his life, he has built the biggest churches 00:11:43.079 --> 00:11:47.219 and he has been, you know, really successful financially. 00:11:47.220 --> 00:11:53.279 And if all sorts of magazines and other people talk about how great he is. 00:11:53.480 --> 00:11:57.500 But if he doesn't have his wife beside him who still loves him. 00:11:58.279 --> 00:12:05.040 And if he doesn't have children who like him and love him, then he has been a failure. 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:15.139 That if he hasn't, in fact, throughout the course of his life, drawn closer to God, even if he's accomplished all of those things, he has been a failure. 00:12:15.899 --> 00:12:27.620 And the world measures success in terms of how big your bank account is, how long the obituaries are in the Globe and Mail when you die, and all of these types of things. 00:12:27.620 --> 00:12:33.240 And here the scriptures are saying to us, what does success mean? 00:12:34.060 --> 00:12:35.379 What does success mean? 00:12:35.480 --> 00:12:40.799 What does it profit you if you gain the whole world and don't have some of these things here? 00:12:41.080 --> 00:12:43.200 And there's three things mentioned here. 00:12:43.580 --> 00:12:47.620 One of them, obviously, is success, literal earthly success. 00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:51.899 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. 00:12:51.980 --> 00:12:54.200 That's literal earthly success. 00:12:54.200 --> 00:12:59.900 But then, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 00:13:00.740 --> 00:13:10.920 In other words, there is here the talk of a deep, intimate relationship between Joshua and God. 00:13:11.620 --> 00:13:19.020 And thirdly, I will not leave you nor forsake you, which is the sense of God's presence. 00:13:19.019 --> 00:13:36.679 So there is, in a sense, intertwined success, in this particular case, earthly success, a close relationship with God, and a conscious dwelling in the presence of God. 00:13:36.679 --> 00:13:44.799 And this, in a sense, is to shape what our understanding of success is. 00:13:44.799 --> 00:14:01.979 You know, it's not a matter for me as a pastor to, you know, to live my life and maybe use human technologies and try to use flattery and try to use persuasion and try to take the path of least resistance. 00:14:01.980 --> 00:14:07.060 And, you know, nobody will notice if I don't spend time reading God's word and praying. 00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:11.960 And nobody will notice if I'm not trying to draw closer to God. 00:14:12.019 --> 00:14:14.259 At least I can fool myself into thinking about this. 00:14:14.740 --> 00:14:17.500 And, you know, you play the church game. 00:14:17.620 --> 00:14:18.800 You play the religion game. 00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:20.460 You play the flattery game. 00:14:20.879 --> 00:14:22.300 You learn how to raise money. 00:14:22.420 --> 00:14:23.920 And you do all of these types of things. 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:26.120 In the eyes of the world, I could be a great success. 00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:29.080 But this text is telling me that I have become a huge failure. 00:14:30.259 --> 00:14:31.980 I have become a huge failure. 00:14:33.039 --> 00:14:39.500 Because there is no success without drawing ever closer to God. 00:14:39.639 --> 00:14:49.500 And there is no success without not only drawing ever closer to God, but to understand that I dwell and to live in the knowledge that I dwell in God's presence. 00:14:49.500 --> 00:14:55.500 And that this becomes something which I am to crave. 00:14:55.960 --> 00:14:58.639 Like I am to thirst for. 00:14:59.460 --> 00:15:03.440 I am to, I am just to feast on. 00:15:04.460 --> 00:15:17.139 And so this text is challenging us as we make our New Year's resolutions, as we think about church, as we think about our business, as we think about our families, to reconsider what true success is. 00:15:17.539 --> 00:15:18.779 Now let's continue. 00:15:19.500 --> 00:15:20.740 Verse 6. 00:15:20.899 --> 00:15:22.580 Be strong and of good courage. 00:15:22.740 --> 00:15:28.200 For to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 00:15:29.620 --> 00:15:38.259 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses, my servant, commanded you. 00:15:38.700 --> 00:15:43.720 Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 00:15:43.720 --> 00:15:53.500 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. 00:15:53.500 --> 00:15:58.480 For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success. 00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:12.659 Just, you know, one of the things, this is one of the things which I, one of the things, when I read this text, I have an odd mind. 00:16:12.659 --> 00:16:19.959 And one of the things I read as I was reading this text, I was thinking, how would a Christian in the Sudan read this text? 00:16:19.960 --> 00:16:31.500 Like, how would a Christian in the Sudan facing unbelievable persecution and oppression and poverty, how would he read this text? 00:16:32.360 --> 00:16:40.440 Like, this text, remember earlier on when I said that the text, first of all, challenges us to redefine success? 00:16:40.440 --> 00:16:53.260 If we redefine success and that we understand that true success always has to involve us drawing closer to God and having a deeper sense of God's presence. 00:16:53.960 --> 00:17:02.100 And if we understand that these things, in effect, are the most important things in our life, but ultimately our truly deepest need. 00:17:02.100 --> 00:17:14.860 And these verses, which I just read, are going to encourage us not to take the way of seeking ever greater personal power and personal ability to get what we want 00:17:14.860 --> 00:17:18.839 and have other people go along with us getting what we want. 00:17:19.299 --> 00:17:25.940 And it's not just in teaching us how to be, you know, richer and more successful and more powerful in the eyes of the world. 00:17:25.940 --> 00:17:33.779 It is fundamentally calling us to reorient ourselves in terms of that there can be no success unless we submit to God's word. 00:17:34.019 --> 00:17:38.539 We can't have a sense of God's presence if we're not submitting to God's word. 00:17:38.700 --> 00:17:44.539 That we can't really understand the way that we should go in life unless we are meditating upon God's word. 00:17:45.580 --> 00:17:52.880 And I think, you know, for a person in the Sudan, if I was all of a sudden the pastor of a congregation in Sudan, 00:17:52.880 --> 00:18:03.780 and we were meeting here, and maybe even as we met we would be worried that the army would come and gather us up and throw us in jail 00:18:03.780 --> 00:18:08.120 or do even far more unimaginably terrible things. 00:18:08.520 --> 00:18:13.500 And many of us have lost our crops and are worried about even starving to death. 00:18:15.260 --> 00:18:20.500 You know, this text is just as much a text for the Sudan as it is for North America. 00:18:20.500 --> 00:18:25.720 But the people in the Sudan, what they remind us of and teach us of, 00:18:26.359 --> 00:18:30.880 is that if, in fact, knowing God is the greatest good, 00:18:31.660 --> 00:18:34.880 and being faithful to God is the greatest good, 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:40.720 and being loyal and obedient to Almighty God is the greatest good, 00:18:41.079 --> 00:18:44.759 and being submissive to God is the greatest good, 00:18:44.759 --> 00:18:49.420 than even if they take our property, 00:18:49.940 --> 00:18:52.660 even if it means we lose our job, 00:18:53.319 --> 00:18:55.900 even if it means that we lose our life, 00:18:56.720 --> 00:19:01.700 that, in fact, all of these have just been means by which we show 00:19:01.700 --> 00:19:04.339 that we are faithful and loving of God, 00:19:04.440 --> 00:19:06.160 that we are submissive to his word, 00:19:06.299 --> 00:19:08.940 that we choose him over everything else. 00:19:08.940 --> 00:19:13.240 And we get, in that sense, the most wonderful thing. 00:19:13.320 --> 00:19:16.059 In the moment of our death, we will hear God say, 00:19:16.539 --> 00:19:19.900 come into my kingdom, my good servant. 00:19:20.320 --> 00:19:23.559 I have been so looking forward to have you be here with me. 00:19:23.880 --> 00:19:24.759 Well done. 00:19:25.880 --> 00:19:26.799 Well done. 00:19:27.299 --> 00:19:30.680 Like, how can we compare having a boss say to us, well done? 00:19:31.400 --> 00:19:34.059 Even if, you know, the boss to say to us, well done, 00:19:34.120 --> 00:19:38.080 means, you know, listen, hide these things in the financial reports, 00:19:38.079 --> 00:19:40.099 and fire all of these people, 00:19:40.639 --> 00:19:42.500 and do this and do that and do this, 00:19:42.579 --> 00:19:44.220 and, you know, be shady here, 00:19:44.460 --> 00:19:47.179 and be hard-hearted here, 00:19:47.240 --> 00:19:48.059 and do all of these things. 00:19:48.099 --> 00:19:49.299 Then your boss says, well done. 00:19:49.579 --> 00:19:52.079 How can that compare to coming at the end of your life 00:19:52.079 --> 00:19:54.379 and hearing God say, you know what, George? 00:19:54.720 --> 00:19:55.899 You didn't make much money. 00:19:56.740 --> 00:19:58.519 You didn't make it far in the world. 00:19:58.799 --> 00:20:00.720 You know, maybe I'm the pastor of a church in Sudan, 00:20:01.220 --> 00:20:03.079 and you died at a young age. 00:20:03.079 --> 00:20:04.740 But well done. 00:20:05.619 --> 00:20:06.639 Well done. 00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:10.460 You have been, you have just done, well done. 00:20:11.280 --> 00:20:13.080 And how can we compare, 00:20:14.080 --> 00:20:19.600 how can we value what a boss will say compared to hearing what God would say to us? 00:20:20.620 --> 00:20:23.340 And so these texts here are not just telling us, 00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:29.460 I mean, by the blessing and grace and mercy of God, 00:20:30.040 --> 00:20:32.560 God does not call all of us to martyrdom, 00:20:32.559 --> 00:20:36.299 and he does not call all of us to sacrifice even our jobs 00:20:36.299 --> 00:20:38.960 and our livelihoods and faithfulness to him. 00:20:39.899 --> 00:20:42.879 This text continually challenges us. 00:20:43.359 --> 00:20:45.240 Whether we are the most important person, 00:20:45.659 --> 00:20:47.659 Paul Martin claims that he is a Christian. 00:20:48.200 --> 00:20:52.559 Paul Martin is not exempt from meditating upon God's word 00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:56.220 and learning to live his life according to God's word. 00:20:56.220 --> 00:21:00.720 And the lowest street person claims to be a Christian, 00:21:01.460 --> 00:21:04.339 they are not exempt from having to seek God 00:21:04.339 --> 00:21:06.360 and try to meditate upon God's word. 00:21:06.860 --> 00:21:09.079 If there was any person who could claim 00:21:09.079 --> 00:21:12.839 that he was going to be far too busy to meditate upon God's word 00:21:12.839 --> 00:21:16.960 and have far too important affairs of state, 00:21:16.960 --> 00:21:18.940 and if there was anybody who said, 00:21:19.059 --> 00:21:22.220 listen, I have to be very, very practical about all of these things, 00:21:22.299 --> 00:21:24.460 if there was anybody who could make all of these claims, 00:21:24.579 --> 00:21:28.600 it was Joshua who faced an uncrossable river 00:21:28.600 --> 00:21:31.120 and multiple enemies ahead of him, 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:32.980 and he was going to be very, very busy 00:21:32.980 --> 00:21:35.460 trying to organize bridge building 00:21:35.460 --> 00:21:38.279 and organize armies and organize food 00:21:38.279 --> 00:21:41.299 and organize the economy and organize all of these things, 00:21:41.640 --> 00:21:43.180 and he'd have no time, 00:21:43.180 --> 00:21:46.640 and he could easily claim that these practical affairs 00:21:46.640 --> 00:21:47.900 become the most important, 00:21:48.320 --> 00:21:49.759 but even to the greatest, 00:21:50.080 --> 00:21:51.840 God says to Joshua, 00:21:52.440 --> 00:21:54.019 even to the greatest, 00:21:55.420 --> 00:21:58.080 my words you shall meditate upon 00:21:58.080 --> 00:21:59.580 and you shall think upon 00:21:59.580 --> 00:22:01.539 and my word shall guide you 00:22:01.539 --> 00:22:03.120 and my word shall form you 00:22:03.120 --> 00:22:05.140 and you will not stray to the left 00:22:05.140 --> 00:22:06.620 and you will not stray to the right 00:22:06.620 --> 00:22:09.420 and you will make it part of your daily discipline. 00:22:09.420 --> 00:22:12.380 There is a calling, 00:22:12.740 --> 00:22:14.820 not just to us being strong and courageous, 00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:19.220 but to a lifelong meditation upon God's word. 00:22:20.100 --> 00:22:21.960 And, you know, if you think about this for a second, 00:22:22.539 --> 00:22:24.519 if, in fact, 00:22:25.460 --> 00:22:29.720 we regularly submit ourselves to God's word 00:22:29.720 --> 00:22:32.900 and regularly submit to God's word 00:22:32.900 --> 00:22:35.360 so that we desire the things that God desires, 00:22:35.359 --> 00:22:39.519 that we do things the way that God desires us to do these things, 00:22:39.740 --> 00:22:43.479 then it becomes also just sort of almost unbidden, 00:22:43.659 --> 00:22:46.119 a natural thing that we will expect God's aid 00:22:46.119 --> 00:22:50.199 because as we submit to God's word, 00:22:50.559 --> 00:22:52.119 and that means submitting to the things 00:22:52.119 --> 00:22:53.599 that he desires us to desire, 00:22:54.039 --> 00:22:56.979 to flee the things that he says that we should be fleeing, 00:22:58.439 --> 00:22:59.279 you know, 00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:01.519 if it just becomes our daily habit, 00:23:01.619 --> 00:23:03.279 the more it becomes our daily habit, 00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:06.460 the more natural it will be for us to call out to God 00:23:06.460 --> 00:23:09.879 for help as we face the uncrossable rivers 00:23:09.879 --> 00:23:13.160 and the unbelievably powerful enemies 00:23:13.160 --> 00:23:15.759 that God continues to draw us toward 00:23:15.759 --> 00:23:18.180 as we capture the land for God 00:23:18.180 --> 00:23:20.200 that God desires us to do. 00:23:21.099 --> 00:23:23.319 And so in this text that we have, 00:23:23.399 --> 00:23:24.339 verses 7 and 8, 00:23:24.700 --> 00:23:28.259 three times he is told about God's word, 00:23:28.259 --> 00:23:30.400 be very strong and very courageous 00:23:30.400 --> 00:23:33.700 that you may observe and do according to all the law 00:23:33.700 --> 00:23:36.099 which Moses, my servant, commanded you. 00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:37.180 This is God's word. 00:23:37.640 --> 00:23:40.180 Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left 00:23:40.180 --> 00:23:42.259 that you may prosper wherever you go. 00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:46.720 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, 00:23:47.160 --> 00:23:49.200 but you shall meditate in it day and night 00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:53.940 that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. 00:23:53.940 --> 00:23:55.180 The third time. 00:23:55.840 --> 00:23:58.360 For then you will make your way prosperous 00:23:58.360 --> 00:24:01.400 and then you will have good success. 00:24:03.259 --> 00:24:05.980 Just very briefly before we look at verse 9, 00:24:06.660 --> 00:24:09.320 in this text we have a particular thing 00:24:09.320 --> 00:24:13.299 which you can pray for me and for the wardens. 00:24:14.100 --> 00:24:15.259 Look at verse 8 again. 00:24:15.340 --> 00:24:18.259 This really struck me yesterday as I was looking at the text. 00:24:18.259 --> 00:24:22.000 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth. 00:24:23.099 --> 00:24:24.140 Isn't that odd? 00:24:24.559 --> 00:24:26.900 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth. 00:24:26.980 --> 00:24:29.259 We'd expect him to say from your mind, 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:32.460 but he says, or maybe from your eyes 00:24:32.460 --> 00:24:33.660 because you should be reading it. 00:24:34.079 --> 00:24:34.819 But he says here, 00:24:34.940 --> 00:24:37.519 this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth. 00:24:39.720 --> 00:24:43.799 That's, I mean, Joshua was not only the lead from God's word, 00:24:43.799 --> 00:24:47.720 but he was to explain to people God's word 00:24:47.720 --> 00:24:49.899 so they would understand as well 00:24:49.899 --> 00:24:53.220 why it is that this was the path that they should be going on. 00:24:53.759 --> 00:24:56.259 And this is a particular warning, I think, 00:24:56.339 --> 00:25:00.839 to clergy and to bishops and to theologians and to wardens, 00:25:01.759 --> 00:25:05.700 that the book of the law is to never be far from my mouth, 00:25:05.960 --> 00:25:09.779 that I am to teach you not George's wisdom, 00:25:09.779 --> 00:25:13.879 but I am to teach you the word of God, 00:25:14.039 --> 00:25:18.740 that it is to be always in my mouth as I speak to you. 00:25:18.859 --> 00:25:20.700 It is to be that which I always speak. 00:25:21.859 --> 00:25:23.019 Finally, verse 9. 00:25:24.259 --> 00:25:26.639 Have I not commanded you, be strong and courageous. 00:25:26.899 --> 00:25:28.920 Do not be afraid nor be dismayed, 00:25:29.039 --> 00:25:32.319 for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 00:25:33.139 --> 00:25:34.539 Have I not commanded you? 00:25:34.579 --> 00:25:36.299 Some of you might have heard me singing this. 00:25:36.299 --> 00:25:40.460 There's a way that I've, years ago, my wife and I, 00:25:40.500 --> 00:25:41.579 when we traveled in the car, 00:25:41.680 --> 00:25:44.559 we'd put on these kids' tapes for our kids, 00:25:44.779 --> 00:25:47.839 and there was a way that you could memorize this verse by singing it. 00:25:48.299 --> 00:25:51.220 I won't inflict my singing upon you right now, 00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:54.339 but I still remember how to sing this, 00:25:54.480 --> 00:25:55.799 and I sing it so often. 00:25:56.339 --> 00:25:59.539 Have I not commanded you, be strong and of good courage. 00:26:00.039 --> 00:26:02.299 Do not be afraid nor be dismayed, 00:26:02.299 --> 00:26:05.859 for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 00:26:06.659 --> 00:26:11.240 In 2006, we will face many times when we are going to be afraid, 00:26:11.700 --> 00:26:15.480 and there are going to be many times when it will be easy for us to turn away. 00:26:16.379 --> 00:26:18.519 But just remember this verse. 00:26:19.460 --> 00:26:23.899 God has commanded us to move forward into his blessing. 00:26:24.579 --> 00:26:27.519 God has told us that we are to move forward in such a way 00:26:27.519 --> 00:26:31.960 that we draw into a closer relationship with him and a greater sense of his presence. 00:26:32.680 --> 00:26:35.000 God has commanded us to do these things, 00:26:35.460 --> 00:26:40.759 and there will be such things that will also involve the building up of congregations 00:26:40.759 --> 00:26:43.799 and the building up of families and the sharing of the gospel 00:26:43.799 --> 00:26:47.579 and discipleship and on and on and on. 00:26:48.059 --> 00:26:50.799 And there will be so many times that people will oppose us, 00:26:50.920 --> 00:26:53.759 and there will be so many times when we are to be afraid. 00:26:53.759 --> 00:26:58.299 And God says, Have I not commanded you, be strong and of good courage. 00:26:58.980 --> 00:27:01.940 Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, 00:27:02.119 --> 00:27:04.500 for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 00:27:05.160 --> 00:27:08.700 We should go into 2006, confident of God's presence, 00:27:09.539 --> 00:27:12.680 committed to submitting our lives to God's word, 00:27:12.879 --> 00:27:14.200 meditating upon it daily, 00:27:14.720 --> 00:27:17.359 learning from God's word what true success is, 00:27:17.619 --> 00:27:20.579 and as we submit to God's word and read God's word, 00:27:20.579 --> 00:27:24.019 trust his presence and his supply, 00:27:24.720 --> 00:27:28.419 his adequacy for even our deepest fears and needs. 00:27:28.740 --> 00:27:30.259 Shall we bow our heads in prayer? 00:27:30.259 --> 00:27:51.940 Father, we acknowledge before you that sometimes, Father, 00:27:52.099 --> 00:27:56.240 we're so afraid of even feeling anxiety 00:27:56.240 --> 00:27:59.920 that once we start to feel any type of anxiety, 00:28:01.140 --> 00:28:05.059 that we seek fantasies or we seek the bottle 00:28:05.059 --> 00:28:07.339 or we seek distraction 00:28:07.339 --> 00:28:11.120 or we seek who knows what, Father, 00:28:11.180 --> 00:28:12.640 just to turn us from anxiety. 00:28:12.740 --> 00:28:14.480 And we ask, Father, in 2006, 00:28:14.720 --> 00:28:15.799 as we feel anxious, 00:28:16.339 --> 00:28:18.120 that you teach us and help us to pray, 00:28:19.000 --> 00:28:21.460 that you teach us and help us to turn to your word. 00:28:21.460 --> 00:28:23.700 And we ask, Father, 00:28:23.759 --> 00:28:26.120 that you help us to develop the daily habit 00:28:26.120 --> 00:28:27.860 of meditating upon your word 00:28:27.860 --> 00:28:29.660 and being formed by your word 00:28:29.660 --> 00:28:32.059 and being submissive and open to your word, 00:28:32.500 --> 00:28:34.360 that we might learn from your word 00:28:34.360 --> 00:28:35.840 what true success is, 00:28:36.700 --> 00:28:39.039 and that, Father, as we read your word, 00:28:39.140 --> 00:28:41.120 that you will grant us strength and courage 00:28:41.120 --> 00:28:42.880 and guidance and direction. 00:28:43.400 --> 00:28:45.480 We give you thanks and praise, Father, 00:28:45.539 --> 00:28:48.100 that your desire for us is blessing, 00:28:48.099 --> 00:28:52.199 that your desire for us is success and victory, 00:28:52.500 --> 00:28:56.299 that your desire for us is to draw closer to you, 00:28:57.279 --> 00:28:59.039 that your desire for us 00:28:59.039 --> 00:29:01.240 is to have a greater sense of your presence. 00:29:01.719 --> 00:29:03.319 Father, we give you thanks and praise 00:29:03.319 --> 00:29:06.039 that we do not have to convince you of these things, 00:29:06.599 --> 00:29:11.099 but that we have to learn to live in these things 00:29:11.099 --> 00:29:12.519 which are your will for us. 00:29:13.159 --> 00:29:15.480 And so, Father, we ask in 2006 00:29:15.480 --> 00:29:18.339 that you help us to live in accordance with your will, 00:29:18.920 --> 00:29:20.720 trusting your desire to bless us 00:29:20.720 --> 00:29:23.000 and stepping forward boldly 00:29:23.000 --> 00:29:24.579 towards greater blessing, 00:29:25.039 --> 00:29:26.120 greater knowledge of you. 00:29:26.519 --> 00:29:28.039 In Jesus's name we pray. 00:29:28.519 --> 00:29:28.920 Amen. 00:29:31.039 --> 00:29:32.400 We'll continue in our prayer.