Let's begin our worship now. We're singing, firstly, tonight, from Psalm 18.
! In the Sing Psalms version, Psalm 18.
! The tune is Rockingham. That's on page 19.
And singing verses 1 to 6.
I love you, Lord, you are my strength.
A fortress is the Lord to me.
My rock and my deliverer for refuge to my God I flee.
He is my stronghold and my shield,
the Lord who saves me by his might.
I'll call on him and give him praise.
I'm saved. He puts my foes to flight.
The cords of death entangled me.
Destruction hit me like a wave.
Encircled by the snares of death,
I faced the terrors of the grave.
In my distress I called on God.
I cried out to the Lord for aid.
He from his temple heard my voice.
He listened to the prayer I made.
These verses in Psalm 18.
I love you, Lord, you are my strength.
A fortress is the Lord to me.
I walk and I deliver
For refuge to my God I flee.
He is my stronghold and my shield.
The Lord who saves me by his might.
And call on him and give him praise.
And save me through my foes to cry.
The thoughts of death.
The thoughts of death that I will be.
His heart shall live may like a wave.
And sacrifice the snares of death.
I face the terrors of the grave.
In my distress I call on God.
I cry now to the Lord for aid.
He confess the terrors of death.
He confess the terrors of my heart.
He listened to the grave I made.
And let's now call upon the Lord in prayer.
Let's join together in prayer.
Let's pray.
and we pray that you would fill us once again with a sense of wonder
that we should be able to draw near to the holy God
the God who exclaims his holiness to us so frequently in his word
and we thank you that that oh Lord lies upon the heart and minds of your people
as they come towards you they realize that it is by your grace alone
that they are able and provided for as they come into your holy presence
we thank you for all that makes you holy that makes you so far above us
in the life that you have as the uncreated God
and we thank you for the way that in your sovereign rule over us
you are unique in yourself
well we bless you Lord tonight that all your attributes that are set out for us in your word
many of which we find it so difficult to comprehend
that they are used Lord to the salvation of your people
that they are for the furtherance of your own kingdom
your wisdom and your power and your love and your might
your judgment
that all of these things together combine to make you God
and we bless you that in the unity of your being
you provide such a refuge and help for your people
bless us we pray as we come once again into your presence
we thank you for your word that guides us at all times
that teaches us that shows us the way of life
and we thank you that tonight we are privileged once again
to come around your word and to come seeking
that your word will place itself through your spirit in our hearts
and we thank you Lord for the worship of your church
for the way in which we can participate together
in the worship of your name
and we thank you for that corporate witness
that we are able to bear
in every community where your people worship
to the Lord who presides over all things
and we bless you Lord that you have in the past seen
to bless the gatherings of your people
not only to themselves and as they gather
but also to the world around them
we pray that that will be the case in our day too
that people will take note of us
that we have been with Jesus
that our life may be day by day transformed
so that it will conform to that
which your word sets out for us
is fit and appropriate for your people
and we thank you for every aid that you give us Lord
from day to day
and as we sing your praises in regard to your greatness
we give thanks that you have not stood aloof from us Lord
though we deserve that you should turn your back upon us
and we bless you that instead you have come into this world
in the person of your son
and done so in such a very personal and human way
and we bless you for the affinity you have with your people
and for the way that not only do you understand
and know their situation and condition as God
but you have entered in to take to yourself
our human experiences
even to the extent of being tempted
to the extent of suffering as you suffered in this life
and we give thanks that you went as far as to give yourself in death
the death of the cross
for the well-being and salvation of your people
Lord we pray that tonight your blessing will be with all your people
everywhere throughout the world
and we give thanks that on this day
many millions of people
have gathered in your name like we do here
and have come to seek to exalt and glorify
the name of the same God we worship
and we ask that your people everywhere will know your blessing
in these days in which we find
in our own locality and in our own nation
such a downturn
in the way in which people regard God
and regard his day and regard his word
and we do pray Lord that your kingdom will advance among us as well
that you will be pleased oh God to bless your people
in their witness
and that you be pleased to send forth your light and your truth
to draw people to yourself
may many tonight Lord who have hearts closed against you
and even those who publicly and vocally proclaim against you
may they come to be converted and quickened
and brought into your ways
and may there be many Lord who will yet
turn out to be great ambassadors for Christ
and to that end we pray that you would raise up
those who would come to preach the gospel
not only in our own denomination
and throughout our land
but throughout the whole world
that you would raise up those
who will be heralds of the peace of Christ
and will bring that message of the gospel
to a lost world
and we thank you for every encouragement you give us
and we pray that we may build upon these
to be all the more zealous and committed to your way
and to serving you in this world
and we think of those in your word
who when they were confronted with your greatness
and your holiness and your might
not only did they come to bow in your presence
and even prostrate themselves to the ground
but Lord also asked you Lord what will you have me to do
and so we pray that that will be the same for ourselves
that our concern might be Lord
to serve you faithfully
and to exalt your glorious and great name
bless we pray those tonight
who have particular adversities and difficulties to face
remember those belonging to this congregation itself
who have at this time Lord
difficult providences to contend with and overcome
bless them we pray
whether it be over the loss of loved ones
or an illness or anxiety over loved ones
in regard to their work
or whatever else causes
our anxieties from time to time
oh Lord we pray that we may draw our strength from you
and we pray that you would use even these times of trial
affliction and difficulty for ourselves
to be a means by which we will reach out
and take hold of you by faith
and so further our lives in relation with you
bless we pray tonight the unsaved
the many unsaved around us who care not
for the things of God or for their own souls
Lord we ask that you would send
your own spirit to quicken and to awaken many souls
and to bring us Lord to a sense of
a realization of eternal things
and so we ask that tonight your spirit will even be working
whether it be through those who are at home watching
online or in some ways not at all interested in the things of God
you have raised up for yourself in the past
a people who in certain times Lord did not
look out for you or reach out to you
and yet you came into their lostness
you came into their darkness and you quickened them and brought them to life
and so we pray that you would be abroad amongst all our communities to that end
we thank you again for your day
we pray that you would enable us oh Lord to
not only enjoy it for ourselves but to continue
to commend it to others
and where attempts are made locally or nationally to further erode
the importance of your day
and the sanctity of your day
oh Lord hear our prayer as we pray
in regard to these things locally especially
at this time
we ask that you would be pleased to bless
the crying of your people
to hear us as we pray
that you would ensure oh Lord
by your own blessing
and by your own power
that we may continue to enjoy
a restful and peaceful Lord's day
and that many will come yet to make it
a day of worship
and a day of seeking the Lord
while he is to be found
and calling upon him
while he is near
now bless all the troubled places in the world
that we hear of from day to day
and those we don't hear of at all
bless especially where there is war
and the threat of terror
and the massive loss of life
we pray that you would bless oh Lord
the people involved in such difficulties
in such stressful times
whether it be in the Middle East
or in Ukraine or Yemen
Lord we know that there is so much in our world
that causes people to cry out in pain
and so we pray that their cry may be addressed to you
we pray that you would bring peace
where there is war
that you would bring stability
where there is uncertainty
bring assurance we pray
where there is doubt
and grant that you would reveal yourself Lord
as one who is on the throne of the universe
and presides over all things
and is worthy
that we should fall down
and worship you
and serve you
continue with us now we pray
hear our prayer
and answer us we pray
in Jesus name
Amen
I'm going to sing again to God's praise
they're singing this time from
Psalm 18
this time from the Scottish Psalter version
and beginning at verse 27
June is Moravia
that's on page 221
verses 27 to 32
for thou wilt the afflicted save
in grief that low do lie
but wilt bring down the countenance of them
whose looks are high
the Lord will light my candle so
that it shall shine full bright
the Lord my God will also make my darkness
to be light
by thee through troops of men I break
and them discomfort all
and by my God assisting me
I overleap a wall
as for God
perfect is his way
the Lord his word is tried
he is a buckler to all those
who do in him confide
who but the Lord is God
but he who is
a rock and stay
does God that girdeth me
with strength
and perfect makes
my way
these verses to the tune Moravia
for thou wilt the afflicted save
in grief and older life
but wilt bring down the countenance
of their blessings
all their blessings
and high
the Lord will light my hand
and his soul
and he shall shine full bright
the Lord my God
will also make my darkness
to be light
by thee through troops of men I break
and tear
e
!
e
This is me, the Lord is glorified.
He is a father to all those who live in him all night.
Who are the Lord, this hope of me, who is an all-nast day?
This hope that earth did me which served and perfected my way.
Now please turn with me to Joshua, where we're going to read God's Word this evening.
Joshua chapter 5.
And we'll read through the whole of the chapter.
Joshua chapter 5, from the beginning.
As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west,
and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea,
heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over,
their hearts melted, and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.
At that time the Lord said to Joshua,
Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.
So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gebeeth Haraloth.
This is the reason why Joshua circumcised them.
All the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war,
had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt.
Though all the people who came out had been circumcised,
yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness,
after they had come out of Egypt, had not been circumcised.
For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness,
until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished,
because they did not obey the voice of the Lord.
The Lord swore to them that he would not let them see the land
that the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give to us,
a land flowing with milk and honey.
So it was their children whom he raised up in their place that Joshua circumcised.
For they were uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way.
When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished,
they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed.
And the Lord said to Joshua,
Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.
And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.
While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal,
they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month,
in the evening on the plains of Jericho.
And the day after the Passover, on that very day,
they ate of the produce of the land,
and leavened cakes and parched grain.
And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land.
And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel,
but they ate the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
When Joshua was by Jericho,
he lifted up his eyes and looked,
and behold, a man was standing before him
with his drawn sword in his hand.
And Joshua went to him and said to him,
Are you for us or for our adversaries?
And he said,
No, but I am the commander of the army of the Lord.
Now I have come.
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth
and worshipped and said to him,
What does my Lord say to his servant?
And the commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua,
Take off your sandals from off your feet,
for the place where you are standing is holy.
And Joshua did so.
Again, may God, with this blessing,
follow our reading of his word.
Now we'll sing now some verses from Psalm 66.
Psalm 66 on page 83, verses 1 to 7.
Tune this time is Selma.
Shout loud with joy to God,
all earth your chorus raise.
Sing loud the honor of his name,
and glorious make his praise.
Speak thus to God the Lord,
how great your works of power,
so overwhelming is your might,
that falls before you cower.
All earth bows down to you,
they sing aloud your fame.
They never cease to celebrate the glory of your name.
Come, see what God has done,
his mighty works of old,
his deeds towards the human race.
How awesome to behold!
To let his people pass on foot
through waters broad,
he turned the sea into dry land.
Let us rejoice in God.
With might and power he rules,
on nations sets his eyes.
So let not rebels in their pride
against him turn and rise.
These verses in Psalm 66,
shout loud with joy to God.
singing singing singing
Thank you.
and now they've begun to enter the promised land and to settle in the promised land
and to face the adversaries that they meet and met within the promised land.
It's the final phase of their journey towards this land that God described for them
as a land flowing with milk and honey.
So in chapter 3 and 4 you find an emphasis on the crossing itself,
on the way in which they set up a memorial of stones.
And then in this chapter 5 we come to read about the circumcision of those who had been born since they left Egypt
and also the Passover that they kept when they reached this place at Gilgal.
And so all of these details are deliberate links with the past.
And that's important in the teaching that you find in the book of Joshua
in regard to the people coming to establish themselves under God and under Joshua's leadership in the land of Canaan.
There are links here with the past.
You find it in, as we said, in the Passover, the crossing of the Red Sea mentioned, and circumcision.
So everything you find now in verses 13 to 15 must fit into the emphasis that you have here of links with the past.
And links with the past are important because Joshua and Moses especially are actually linked in the passage.
Things you read about here about Joshua are also things that you read about in terms of Moses
and how God had used him to lead the people out of Egypt.
The conquest of Canaan begins with this supernatural appearance
on the part of the man who calls himself the commander of the armies of the Lord.
And that means that it's a continuation really of God guiding his people,
being with his people, leading his people, blessing his people,
making them powerful in the face of their enemies.
All of that follows through from the time of Moses to the time now of Joshua under his leadership too.
The emphasis really is something that's very important for ourselves.
The Lord of Moses is the Lord of Joshua.
The Lord of Moses' day is the Lord of Joshua's day.
And the Lord of Joshua's day is the Lord of our day.
That principle of continuation of the Lord's provision for his people,
the Lord going before his people as their commander,
is something that's so crucial for us today as a church.
In that sense, nothing has changed.
The same God who delivers his people is the God who goes before them.
The God who brings them out of adversity and out of darkness
is the God who goes before them in whatever remains of their journey.
And so there are all these important links with the past,
but there are links that give them an assurance for the future.
And isn't that how it is for yourself tonight?
We look back over the history of this congregation,
even not to go beyond that,
or the history of our community,
and can reflect upon, as we're singing,
come and behold the works of God,
the great things which God did in the past,
the times of special blessing,
the times of revival,
the times of God coming in power amongst his people
and bringing many others into his kingdom.
Well, that same God is our God tonight.
He has not changed.
And we can look to him as one,
just as Joshua did in his day.
He looked to him as the God of Moses,
and we look to him as the same God
who has always been with his people down through the ages.
And whatever's been in your own life,
personally leading up to where you are tonight
in the providence of God,
be assured of this,
that the God who has been in the past with his people
is the God who will be with his people in the future.
And as you, if you're a follower of the Lord,
a Christian, someone who knows the Lord as your Savior,
this is really one of the precious things
that you've come to know, isn't it?
That the God who was with you yesterday
is the God who is with you today.
And the God who is with you today
is going to be with you,
God willing, if you live to see tomorrow.
He's going to be with you tomorrow as well.
It doesn't matter what adversaries stand in the way,
whether they're Canaanites
or present-day equivalents.
This remains very true.
And whatever changes in your providence
actually come your way,
however, things might change unexpectedly.
This is not going to change.
The same God will go before you into the future.
Well then, as you look at that,
there are three things here
that we can briefly look at.
First of all,
the passage speaks about a confrontation
where Joshua comes to see
this man with a drawn sword in his hand
and Joshua went out to him with this question.
So there's a confrontation there.
They come to meet together in this unexpected way.
Secondly, you find a revelation
because this man whom Joshua sees here
comes to reveal himself
as the commander of the armies of the Lord.
And he says to him,
I am the commander of the Lord's army.
Now I have come.
And thirdly,
there's an instruction given to Joshua.
As Joshua went to him,
what does my Lord say to his servant?
How often do you find that in the Bible,
don't you?
People who come in the presence of God
and virtually overtaken by the awesomeness of God,
instead of actually being repelled,
instead of what you might think
would be that they would just fall down dumb
and not really have anything to say,
just here in Isaiah chapter 6,
you find that same emphasis.
What will you have me to do?
What does my Lord say to his servant?
What command, what instruction,
what information do you have for me?
What do you require of me?
And the Lord answers,
this man answers,
take off your sandals from off your feet,
for the place where you are standing is holy.
And of course,
that again ties up,
doesn't it,
with Moses in the wilderness
at the burning bush,
at the outset of God's revelation of himself
in this way to his people,
as they're in Egypt at that time.
Of course,
here is God coming to reveal himself to them
and to say,
I've heard their cry.
I've come down to deliver them.
And he said to Moses,
take off your shoes from off your feet,
for the place on which you're standing is holy.
And just to link up again,
here's Joshua,
the new commander,
well,
the new leader,
with this commander of the Lord.
As we'll see,
it's the Lord himself in this form.
And he's given the same instruction,
as if to say,
God is still the same God in his holiness
as he was with Moses too.
A confrontation,
sudden,
dramatic,
unusual.
When Joshua was by Jericho,
he lifted up his eyes
and looked,
and behold,
a man standing before him
with his sword drawn in his hand.
And it's emphasizing
that it was a man.
He had the features of a man.
It was a human form.
And although we read
as you go through
the rest of the chapter,
it's obvious that this is God
in this form
that has revealed himself
here to Joshua.
Something that has anticipated
the coming of the Son of God
permanently in human form
in the incarnation,
the New Testament age.
But here it is,
this man.
It's emphasizing,
a man was standing before him.
Joshua saw a man.
Joshua saw a human form.
There's an important emphasis in that.
It wasn't an angelic form.
It wasn't anything other than human.
It wasn't something different
to God or to man.
It was a man that he saw.
So you see,
there's an affinity there
with Joshua and with his people.
As we said,
it's something that anticipates
the coming of the Lord
in human form
as he was born as a human.
And that's an important emphasis,
of course,
in so many ways.
It applies to Jesus especially,
the Son of God incarnate,
taking our human nature to himself.
Now through the Old Testament,
you find this figure
from time to time appearing.
Very often he's called
the Angel of the Lord.
But he has a human form
and you find him at different times
revealing himself
in the Old Testament.
And as always for a particular reason
in certain circumstances.
And theologians believe
that it's right to see this
as God in human form,
anticipating the coming
of the Son of God,
Jesus,
who came to be Jesus of Nazareth.
But here is something down
through the years
of the Old Testament
that anticipates that,
that prepares a way for that,
that really instructs the people
that God is going to come
and he's going to come
in a way that closely ties himself
to them,
even in a human sense.
And where is there
a more important truth tonight
for you and for me
than the fact that God
has come in the person
of his Son
and he's taken
and he's taken our human nature
to himself.
He's united our humanness
to his deity
and he remains God
and man.
You see,
when the Son of God
came into the world,
he came into the world
to die the death of the cross
and to rise from the dead
on the third day.
But he came into the world
as part of that
to engage with
our circumstances
as human beings
in this world.
He was,
as Hebrews puts it,
tempted in all points
like as we are
and yet without sin.
Tonight you can go to Jesus
and you don't need to be afraid
that he doesn't understand
your circumstances.
Because whatever
your circumstances are
as human circumstances,
as human sufferings,
as human situations
in this life,
Jesus has been there
before you.
And not only has Jesus
been there before you,
but he's been there
before you
so that he can take
from that
allied with
and joined
to his deity
to be the saviour
that you and I need.
We need a saviour
and we have a saviour
who is himself
touched with the feeling
of our infirmities,
who understands
what we're going through
and who's able
to deal with it
as the God-man
that he is
in a way that
nobody else can.
Here is a man
revealed to Joshua
with a sword
in his hand,
a drawn sword.
In other words,
what Joshua saw here
was a man ready
for combat.
Somebody was just
going out
to take on
his enemies.
He's ready for action.
His sword is in his hand.
And that draws
Joshua's mind
to ask him
this question.
Are you for us
or for our adversaries?
Now,
there's a question.
And you know,
in the experience
of Jesus,
there was never
a question
as to whose side
he was on.
But as he came
into this world
and went into
the desert
to be tempted
by Satan,
and you have that
in Matthew's gospel
and Luke's gospel,
the specific temptations
with which the devil
came to assault
the Lord,
trying to get him
to be deflected
from the path
he was on,
trying to get him
to leave this path
of obedience
to the Father.
That's really what
the temptations
essentially were about.
Because the devil
knew if he could
manage that,
then he would
disqualify Jesus
from being a savior
of his people.
I'm not saying
in any way
that there's any danger
of Jesus doing that.
Can you just imagine,
let's just say,
the inhabitants
of these angelic
armies of the Lord
of which he is
the commander,
just imagine,
if you like,
as it were,
as they look at
the Son of God
in our nature
in the desert,
tempted by the devil
and saying,
if you are the Son of God,
command these stones
that they be made bread.
You can just imagine
them holding their breath.
What's he going to do?
Whose Messiah
is he going to be?
Whose servant
is he going to be?
Who is he going to obey?
The Father who sent him
or the devil
who's tempting him?
There was never a question
in Christ's mind,
of course.
But remember,
the temptation
for him was real.
Something we cannot
fully enter into,
but we mustn't think
that because Jesus
never sinned
and couldn't sin
in that sense
that he was therefore
not really subject
to temptation
like you and I are.
He was tempted
in all points
like as we are,
yet without sin.
That means he was
truly tempted,
really tempted,
tempted as a human being.
And here he is,
and there's the question.
Are you for us
or for our adversaries?
Jesus in the wilderness,
tempted by the devil,
is he there for his people?
Will he continue
in that path to the cross?
Will he capitulate
to the devil
and so leave us
in our lostness?
And of course,
you know what happened.
He dismissed the devil
and not in any way at all,
giving heed to
obey his temptation.
And isn't it a wonderful
truth for you tonight?
Not only that you can go
to one who knows
your circumstances,
but one who's been in them
and has overcome them.
One who has faced the devil
and overcome him.
One who knows what it is
to be tempted
and yet never yielded.
One who knows
the power of temptation,
especially in the hands
of the evil one,
and yet who in himself,
not for one single iota
of a second did he capitulate
to what the devil
was asking him to do.
Now when you come
to your temptations
and you come like I do
to have to confess to God,
Lord, I shouldn't have done that.
I shouldn't have listened to that.
I shouldn't have capitulated
and given in to the temptation,
whatever it was.
You take that to the Lord.
You express your sorrow.
You express your repentance.
You come to the Lord
and how thankful
and how relieved you are
that the God,
the Lord,
the commander
that you bring
your concerns to,
that you bring
your confession to,
is one who's been there
and overcome
and says,
thank you for bringing
this to me.
I can deal with the problem.
Leave it with me.
I will give you
the capacity
because that's something
that I've proved
already to be mine
in overcoming your enemy.
this confrontation
and this question then
from Joshua,
are you for us
or for our adversaries?
And then you find
in answering that,
that this figure said,
he came to reveal himself.
There's a revelation
following the confrontation.
Are you for us
or for our adversaries?
And he said,
no,
but I am the commander
of the army of the Lord.
Now I have come.
And that seems
rather a strange answer
because he didn't answer
the question directly.
He didn't say,
no,
I'm here for you
and I'm here for the people
that you're the leader of.
He simply said,
no,
but I'm the commander
of the army of the Lord.
Now I have come.
Why such a strange reply?
Why didn't he answer it
directly yes or no?
Well,
I think one of the reasons
for that is that
here is the Lord,
as we said,
revealing himself
in human form,
but still saying to Joshua,
I am here as the commander
of the armies of the Lord.
Therefore,
I am here to direct you.
You're not here to direct me.
You ask me,
am I here for you
or for your adversaries?
I am here as the commander.
I am here to do my will.
I am here not to actually
meet your questions as such
because you don't control me.
I control you.
No,
but I am here
as the commander
of the armies of the Lord.
In other words,
he's not bound
by Joshua's questions.
He's not himself
duty bound
to answer Joshua's questions
the way Joshua
would like them answered.
He's demonstrating
that whatever Joshua
says to him,
he's not in charge
of this person's life.
He's not in charge
of the situation.
It is the commander
of the armies of the Lord.
The Lord himself
is in command
of the armies
of the angels of heaven.
He's now saying,
this is why I'm here.
I'm the commander
of the Lord,
of the army of the Lord.
Now I have come.
And that's an interesting
reference as well.
Now I have come.
He is for them,
but he's not under
Joshua's command.
Joshua is the commander
in human terms
of the people.
He's the leader
of the people.
He's taken over
from Moses.
He's been appointed
by God.
But here this person
is saying to him,
this figure is saying to him,
yes,
you're the commander
of the people.
That's what you've been
placed as.
But I am here
as your commander.
You don't command me.
I command you.
I'm in charge
of the situation.
And
where he says,
I am the commander
of the army of the Lord,
the commander
of the Lord's
army of angels,
I think he means.
It's really the same
as we said earlier,
a reference to
the angel of the Lord,
where you find that
in the Old Testament
described.
And he says,
now I have come.
And you see,
again,
he doesn't say,
now I have come
to help you.
Now I have come
for this or that purpose.
He simply says,
now I have come.
And through the Old Testament,
I'm sure these references
and these statements
lived with the people
of God
in their memories,
those of them
who could recall them.
And that itself,
too,
was for them
a sign of hope.
a sign of anticipation
or anticipation
of something
which was going to happen
as it did
in the coming
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And you remember
how Psalm 40 puts it.
Now I have come.
Hebrews picks that up
and says,
now I have come
to do your will,
O Lord.
There's Jesus
from the days
of the Old Testament,
the anticipation
of Jesus,
the servant
of the Lord.
And there is the voice
put in the mouth
of Jesus
before he became human.
And nevertheless,
it's there in prophecy.
It's there in the Old Testament
anticipating his coming.
Now I have come.
This is what the Old Testament
was waiting for
all these years.
And here's an anticipation
of it
on the lips
of this commander
of the army
who's speaking
to Joshua.
You find the same thing
in other parts
of the Psalms
as well.
Psalm 50 verse 3,
Psalm 98
and verse 9.
And so when he says,
now I have come,
as that anticipates
the coming
of Jesus.
So you can look
back tonight
and say,
it's actually
really happened.
This very act
that the Old Testament
anticipated
through these events,
it's actually happened.
It's now in the past.
And it's a reality.
The Lord has come.
He's come as the commander
of the armies of the Lord.
He's come as the Son of God
in our nature.
He's come into this world
and He's come permanently.
It's God's arrival
to lead His people.
Is there anything
more precious to you tonight
than that the Lord has come?
That this weary world
so full of sin and sorrow
has somebody
who's come into it
who is set above it,
who is the commander
of the armies of the Lord,
who has come into this world
and now permanently remains
God and man
in the person of Jesus?
Is there anything
more precious to yourself
than to know this person?
Than to know this commander
of the armies of the Lord?
Is there anything
more wonderful
than to realize tonight
that the Jesus
you serve,
the Jesus you believe in,
the Jesus you've come
to trust in
by His grace
is none other
than this great figure
who was seen
by Joshua
and by Moses
and by others
in the days of the Old Testament
as the angel of the Lord?
Now I have come.
And here He is assuring you
through this very passage
of Scripture
and His fulfillment
in Jesus
that that coming
is permanent,
that that coming
is something
that's decisive
and definitive
in the history of the world.
it lies really
as the pivotal
point of history.
Whatever people
will say to you
as the most important
events in history
and there are many
events in history
that are historic,
that are really
crucial events.
Many times
in the history
of humanity
where discoveries
have been made
that people will say
surely that's one
of the pivotal moments
in history,
the discovery
of whatever it is,
whether it's some kind
of cure for this,
that or other
or some event
that demonstrates
the ingenuity
of human beings
and their inventiveness
and so on.
But here is
the event.
Now
I
have come.
I have come.
God
has entered
this world.
He's done so
in the person
of His Son,
the very God
of Moses
and of Joshua
and tonight
this reality
remains a reality
and will be
forevermore.
I have come.
Now here is
something
for you
and for me
that really
surely
instills
a sense of
dependence
upon this person.
Because here
you are
and I am
tonight
without human
needs.
Here we are
needing somebody
who can understand
our situation.
Somebody who
can appreciate
what we're
going through
in this world
whether it's
temptation
or suffering
or whatever.
Here is
somebody who
knows what
it is to
bear the
sin of
his people
successfully,
vicariously,
powerfully,
permanently,
forevermore
in the result
of it
on the cross.
Here is
somebody who
can deal
with your
situation
as nobody
else can.
Here is
somebody who's
saying,
by these words
I have
come.
He's saying,
I have
come so that
you can say
he's here for
me.
He's here for
me in my
situation
and I can't
do without
him and I
can't get help
from anyone
else the way
I get it
from him.
Lo, I
have come.
And the
fact that he
has a sword
drawn in his
hand, of
course that
was relevant
to Joshua's
situation,
the people's
situation then
when they
had to do
battle with
various inhabitants
of the land
to drive them
out and to
actually settle
in the land
and the
various ways
in which in
the following
chapters you
see the
defeats as
well as the
ways in
which the
overcame.
But all of
that is
important in
this context
of this man
being seen
with a sword
drawn in his
hand.
In other
words, Joshua
has been
assured that
this person
is here to
lead them,
to lead them
to be the
conqueror of
their enemies.
And that's
so true of
everything you
face as far
as Jesus is
concerned.
When the
Lord is your
Savior,
whatever you
have to
meet with,
whatever
enmity you
meet with,
whatever
opposition you
meet with,
you may
think,
I'm never
going to be
able to
overcome this.
The powers
in the world
are so great,
far greater
than I can
handle myself,
you might
say.
The things
that I see
in my life
loom so
large and
make such a
dark shadow
in my soul.
how can I
overcome
this?
Well,
look to
this person
because this
is how you
must always
see him,
with a
sword drawn
in his
hand,
ready to
conquer all
your foes,
all your
adversaries,
everything that
causes you
concern.
I mean,
in the
Gospels,
you find the
record of
the exploits
of Jesus,
the way
in which
he demonstrated
himself to
be someone
unique,
healing
diseases,
raising
people from
the dead,
all of
these things
demonstrating
that he
had come,
and he
had come
for the
benefit of
his people,
and that
such a
person is
worthy of
your trust,
such a
person surely
is someone
whom you
cannot bypass
to put your
trust in
anyone else.
Lo,
I have
come,
and not
only for
individuals,
but also
for congregations,
for denominations
as a church,
who do we
need tonight
to guide us
into the
future?
Who do we
need tonight?
Who do we
have tonight
to go before
us into the
advance of
his cause?
Who do we
have to take
on the forces
that we see
are seeking
to destroy
the gospel
and the
Lord's day
and the
Ten Commandments
and all the
things that
are precious
to the
Lord's
people?
Look to
Jesus,
because as
you see him
tonight,
he has his
sword drawn
in his
hand,
he's still
the commander
of the
Lord's
army,
he's still
the one
who has
the capacity
to be
on your
side,
to lead
you,
to guide
you,
to take
you through.
And that's
the case
for the
whole church
as well.
One of
Satan's
favorite
devices
is to
cause
discouragement
and
disconsolation
and doubt
in your
mind.
God's
It was
like that
from day
one when
he came
to Eve
in the
garden,
has God
indeed
said?
He wants
you tonight
to doubt
his word.
He wants
you tonight
to doubt
the validity
of the
Sabbath day,
of the
Lord's
day.
He wants
you to
doubt
whether it's
profitable
anymore.
Does it
fit into
the present
day in
our society?
He wants
you to
doubt the
importance
of actually
maintaining
not just
that but
every other
commandment
in terms
of your
moral integrity
!
And the
well-being
of our
community
and our
people.
And you
must look
to Jesus
who has
the sword
drawn in
his hand
ready for
battle,
who's always
prepared,
who's never
caught out,
who's always
fitted out
to lead
his people
in whatever
they meet
with,
in his
life.
And Joshua's
reaction is
the reaction
that shows
he realized
this was
God.
Joshua's
response is
he fell
on his
face to
the earth
and worshipped
and said
to him,
what does
my Lord
say to
his servant?
Now Joshua
would never
have offered
worship to
anyone other
than God.
And yet he
falls down
before this
figure and
worships and
says, what
does my
Lord say to
his servant?
an instruction
then comes
from this
figure.
Take off
your sandals
from off
your feet
for the
place where
you are
standing is
holy.
It is an
amazing thing
in many
ways that
a person
who comes
to realize
the holiness
of the
Lord,
whatever
measure we're
able to
realize and
appreciate the
holiness of
the Lord,
it doesn't
actually thwart
your desire to
serve him.
It's the very
opposite.
The better you
know the
Lord,
the more we
appreciate his
holiness,
the more we
come to
realize that
this is none
other than
the holy
God,
our creator,
and this
commander of
the Lord's
army who's
here before
us,
who actually
comes to
bring us
into his
presence,
the more we
realize the
immensity of
God,
the holiness
of God,
the uncreated
being of
God,
the more in
realizing that
properly and
believingly and
lovingly,
the more you
will fall
down and
say,
Lord,
I'm here,
send me,
what will
you have
me to
do?
What does
my Lord
command of
his servant?
Let that
question be
your question
tonight.
Let that
request be
your request
and my
request.
The same
God who
was there in
the beginning,
who created
all things,
the God
who was
with his
people,
Israel,
at the
beginning of
their journey
from Egypt
to the
promised land,
who was
with them
through the
years of
the wilderness,
who was
actually here
with them
as they
entered the
promised land,
that same
God,
that's the
God tonight
who's seeking
your response,
who's looking
for your
question in
your heart,
Lord,
what will
you have
me to
do?
What does
my Lord
say to
his servant?
And as
it assures
Joshua of
the continuing
leadership of
God,
so Joshua
falls down
and worships.
And he
hears these
words,
take off
your sandals
from off
your feet,
for the
place where
you are
standing is
holy.
That's what
Moses heard
at the
beginning of
his leadership
of Israel.
This is what
Joshua hears
in this new
chapter,
with all of
these links
to the
past.
This is what
you and I
are hearing
tonight.
Many millions
of people
tonight in
our nation
would ridicule
you for
believing in
God.
I would
think you
are stupid
for emphasizing
the holiness
of someone
you cannot
see physically.
But friends,
you know
better than
that.
you know
better than
to think
that this
God is
just under
somebody's
control,
whatever way
you want
him.
And there
are people
who use
the Bible,
who use
Christianity
for that
purpose,
who come
to turn to
God at
certain moments
in their
lives,
who maybe
cry out to
God in
their extremities,
and then
when the
issue is
gone,
when things
have improved,
God recedes
into the
background,
if he's
really been
there
realistically
at all.
Hence,
let's make
sure tonight
we're not
serving God
in a way
that just
uses him
for our
benefit,
that uses
him for
our advantage,
to gain
something out
of the
moment.
if you
worship God,
you worship
this God.
If you
think of
God as
God,
then this
is the
God you
think of.
If you
really want
to know
what it
is to
serve the
Lord,
first of
all,
get to
know him
in his
holiness.
And as
you get to
know him
in his
holiness,
respect him
in all
his ways.
And ask
this question
each and
every day,
Lord,
what does
my Lord
say to
his servant?
What can
I do for
you today?
What will
you have
me to
do with
my life
today?
Maybe
here you're
tonight here
and you
haven't yet
started following
the Lord
for yourself.
Maybe you
still don't
know him
as your
own personal
savior.
Maybe you're
hearing these
words and
saying,
I'm,
I know
what they're
saying,
but I'm
not sure.
Should I
or shouldn't
I?
Is he
for me or
against me?
Am I
for him
or against
him?
Well,
don't leave
your mind
questioning.
Just do
what he
requires.
Trust in
him.
Receive
him.
Accept
him.
Give
your mind
and life
to him.
Believe
his word.
serve
him in
whatever
way you
can.
You
don't
have to
occupy a
pulpit.
You
don't have
to be
an elder
or a
deacon.
But in
some way
or other
you do
need to
serve him.
And he
is calling
for your
service
tonight.
Lord,
what will
you have
me to
do?
Will
that not
be your
question?
So that
you also,
like Joshua
and the
people,
will go
forward in
the strength
of the
Lord.
Let's
pray.
Lord,
we continue
to worship
you as
God,
the
commander
of the
armies
of the
Lord.
And we
give thanks
that you
did come
into this
world,
that you
fulfilled all
these times
of anticipation
throughout the
long years of
the Old
Testament age.
We thank
you,
Lord,
that you
came in
a way
that was
prophesied
and yet
in many
ways
unexpected,
that you
came to
be born
into this
world as
a human
infant
child,
that you
developed
in a
human body
and mind
and soul,
that you
came into
this world
so that you
would face
temptation and
suffering and
trial,
but do so
in a way
that overcame.
We thank
you that you
never sinned.
we thank
you that you
overcame
temptation
and death
and the
devil and
the world
and we
thank you
tonight that
you are our
saviour,
that you are
our God,
that you are
our commander
and we pray
all these
things,
O Lord,
seeking that
each and
every day
it may be
our delight
to do
your will
as it
was your
delight to
do the
will of
the Father.
Here is
we pray
for your
name's
sake.
Amen.
Let's
conclude our
service this
evening singing
in Psalm
97.
Psalm 97,
page 128.
We're
singing
verses 7
to 12
to
Tunis
Warrington.
All those
who worship
images are
put to
everlasting
shame.
Their
worthless
idols are
their
boast.
You
gods bow
down before
his name.
All the
way through
the Old
Testament,
the prophecies,
but also in
the Psalms,
you find
idolatry
mentioned so
frequently because
the idolatry
then and
now is
idolatry that
challenges the
Lord's right
to rule and
challenges the
uniqueness of
God as
who alone
is to be
worshipped.
So we'll
sing these
verses to
Tune
Warrington
from verse
7,
All those
who worship
images.
are
good to
ever
asking
shame.
Their
worthless
idols
are
their
holes
new
gods
by
hand
before
his
name.
To
Zion
and
Judah
stand,
your
justice
Lord,
rejoice
and
die.
love
of the
earth
and
all
the
God
exalted
in
the
Lord
whose
time
he
gave
the
youth
who
loved
the
Lord
who
stayed
for
once
he
will
de
him
and
from
the
hands
of
wicked
may
to
him
he
liberals
he
will
say
!
upon
the
righteous
light
will
shine
and
joy
of
those
of
our
life
who
righteous
in
the
Lord
rejoice
and
to
his
holy
name
him
praise
I'll go
to the
door down
to my
right
this
evening.
Now may
the grace
of the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
the love
of God
the
Father
and the
communion
of the
Holy
Spirit
be your
portion
now
and
ever
more.
Amen.