CONDITIONS For ASSUMING LEADERSHIP-IV—Joshua 1:1-18
New/Begin/Start/Change
Attention:
Worms for Supper?
Little Josh was brought to Dr Gill cause he hadn't eaten anything for days. Dr Gill offered him all the goodies he could think of. No luck. He tried a little scolding. It didn't work. A little pleading, to no avail.
Finally he sat down, faced the boy, looked him in the eye. He said "Look young man, if you can be stubborn, so can I. You're not going anywhere till you eat something. You can have whatever you want, but only after you have eaten will you leave.”
Josh just sat & glared for some time, then said “Ok. I'll eat but you have to share with me."
Dr Gill was ok with this. He asked the child what he'd like. "Worms!" said Josh.
Dr Gill was horrified but didn't want to back out & seem like a loser. So, he ordered a plate of nightcrawlers to be brought in. "Not that many, just one," yelled Josh as he saw the plate.
So, everything other than one worm was removed. Josh then demanded that the single worm be cut into two & then Dr Gill eat half. Dr Gill went through the worst ordeal of his life, & after finishing barely managing to keep his cool said, "Ok, now eat!"
Josh refused as he sobbed, "No way! You ate my half!"
Before we assume leadership/take control in anything, we had better be sure conditions are right.
Need:
Resentment/Disappointment/Anger/Uneasy/Frightened/
Confused
—Accepting/Invigorated/New Life
Look to the future with...
Joy/Anticipation/Goal/Purpose/Accomplishment
Upon Moses’ death, God called Joshua to lead Israel.
God always calls capable leaders to lead His people.
What is involved in being an effective leader of God’s people?
We have found some Conditions for Assuming Leadership among God’s people are
A Defined/Decisive...
1. POSITION(:1-2)
2. BOUNDARY(:3-4)
3. ADVANTAGE(:5-6)
4. COURAGE(:6-7, 9)
5. COMMANDMENT(:7-9)
6—A Condition for Assuming leadership among God’s people is
A Defined/Decisive OBLIGATION/Delegation(:10-18)
Explanation:(:10-18)Dedication/Commitment/Obligation
:10—“Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
:11—“Pass through the camp & command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess.’”
—Corporate & Individual Preparation is for a common/shared task.
—Church membership = Commitment/Obligation to responsibility. We may get so caught-up in our obligation to one task that we ‘can’t see the woods for the trees.’
—Obligation/Commitment—Trust; Obligate oneself to.
—Cooperation—Work with one another
Share my 'mess-up' at Mt. Pisgah BC(The van incident).
“Officers”—:10
“...Joshua commanded the officers of the people...”
—Deacons/Church Council/Heads of committees—
—Prior Commitments(:12-15)—“...but you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, & help them...”
You have Commitments & Obligations to this church
He instructed them to enter the camp & command the people(under them) to prepare.
“People”—:11
“...Pass through the midst of the camp & command the people..”
They were given a Preparation Time—“Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days...”
They were given a Goal—“Possess the land.”
We don’t wrestle with flesh & blood but against the spiritual forces of wickedness—Eph. 6:12
Today we are still called upon to “possess the land” in Christ. Not politically or forcefully but spiritually & lovingly, sharing the Good News of salvation in Jesus.
They were given an initial step to take in accomplishing the goal—“Cross this Jordan.”
They were given encouragement that what they would be attempting would be attainable—“Which the LORD your God is giving you.”
Possession of the land is dependent upon Joshua’s allowing God to give it. Possession is only possible when God grants it. God’s granting it depends on the servant’s willingness & preparation to receive it.
We must Cooperate & Organize around our Obligations!
**Both are more a matter of will than a matter of enthrallment/fascination, charm or ‘how you feel’ at the time.
**Joshua’s call would have been stymied were it not for the officers & people under him.
“Command”(See :9)—hwu tsaw-vaw'—
“Prepare”—Nwk koon—Hiphil(causative) Imperative—To be firm, be stable, be established—1b) (Hiphil)—1b1) To establish, set up, accomplish, do, make firm, 1b2) To fix, make ready, prepare, provide, provide for, furnish, 1b3) To direct toward (moral sense), 1b4) To arrange, order.
“Provisions/Victuals”—hdyu tsay-daw' —Food. Strong—feminine of dyu; Food. Used 10X.
“Possess”2X—vry yaw-rash’—Qal Infinitive—To seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir. Strong—a primitive root; To occupy(by driving out previous tenants, & possessing in their place); by implication--To seize, to rob, to inherit; also--To expel, to impoverish, to ruin.
“Giving”(See :3)—Ntn naw-than’—Qal Participle Active—1) To give, put, set. Strong—a primitive root; To give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.).
:12-15—“And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, & half the tribe of Manasseh Joshua spoke, saying,“Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God is giving you rest & is giving you this land.’ “Your wives, your little ones, & your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, & help them, until the LORD has given your brethren rest, as He gave you, & they also have taken possession of the land which the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession & enjoy it, which Moses the LORD’S servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”
Joshua reminded the tribes who would settle on the east side of the Jordan to remember/recall what Moses(servant of the LORD & therefore bearer of the desire of the LORD) had commanded them previously.
Num. 32:1-7, 16-18, 20-22—“Now the children of Reuben & the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock; & when they saw the land of Jazer & the land of Gilead, that indeed the region was a place for livestock, the children of Gad & the children of Reuben came & spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, & to the leaders of the congregation, saying, “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Shebam, Nebo, & Beon, the country which the LORD defeated before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, & your servants have livestock.” Therefore they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan.” And Moses said to the children of Gad & to the children of Reuben: “Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? Now why will you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD has given them?”.....“Then they came near to him & said: “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, & cities for our little ones, but we ourselves will be armed, ready to go before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place; & our little ones will dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until every one of the children of Israel has received his inheritance.”.....“Then Moses said to them: “If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before the LORD for the war, & all your armed men cross over the Jordan before the LORD until He has driven out His enemies from before Him, & the land is subdued before the LORD, then afterward you may return & be blameless before the LORD & before Israel; & this land shall be your possession before the LORD.”
:16-18—“So they answered Joshua, saying, “All that you command us we will do, & wherever you send us we will go. Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your command & does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong & of good courage.”
—Note “We will do” whatever, “We will go” “Wherever” & “We will Heed” “All.”
—Note: Rebellion will be quashed.
—Note: The people will not follow anyone who is not “strong & of good courage.”
Heb. 13:17—“Obey those who rule over you, & be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy & not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”
As the Leader replacing Moses, Joshua is Obligated to keep the word of God which had been determined thru Moses. Others depend upon it!
The leaders of the 2 1/2 tribes(Reuben, Gad, 1/2 Manasseh) are Obligated to do as God had stated thru Moses.
The Church is a Family, a Body, a Temple which works together in unity to present Christ to a world lost in its own ends & determinations.
As Israel was to conquer their land thru unity & selfless dedication, so is the Church.
Mat. 28:18-20—“And Jesus came & spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven & on earth. Go therefore & make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; & lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.”
This commission was directed toward the 11 disciples, but has direct ramifications for the body of Christ at large, & thus individuals who comprise that body.
Church membership implies a shared/common direction.
Our Southern Baptist Cooperative Program is designed to accomplish just that! Together we maintain our integrity. Together we maintain our passion. Together we maintain our mission. Together we conquer those unseen spiritual forces of darkness.
Eph. 6:12-13—“For we do not wrestle against flesh & blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, & having done all, to stand.”
Argumentation:
**Jn. 17:22-23—“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: “I in them, & You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, & that the world may know that You have sent Me, & have loved them as You have loved Me.”
**Php. 2:1-2—“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection & mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”
**Mat. 5:11-16—“Blessed are you when they revile & persecute you, & say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice & be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out & trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. “Nor do they light a lamp & put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, & it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works & glorify your Father in heaven.”
**Lk. 17:7-10—“And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once & sit down to eat’? “But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, & gird yourself & serve me till I have eaten & drunk, & afterward you will eat & drink’? “Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. “So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”
Servants are Obligated to their duty...But Christian servants are Obligated to a godly attitude as they go beyond the call of duty!
**1Cor. 9:16-17—“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship.”
“Stewards work to bring gain to their master, not to themselves.”—ECNT
**Rom. 1:14—“I am a debtor both to Greeks & to barbarians, both to wise & to unwise.”
Js. 3:18—“Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
**Heb. 5:12-14—“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; & you have come to need milk & not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good & evil.”
**Jude 1:3—“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”
**1Pet. 2:9-12—“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. Beloved, I beg you as sojourners & pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
Our “good works” are manifold, encompassing & involving the church in every aspect of God’s love for His entire creation!
Illustration:
*We went to the 20 screen AMC theatre in Tallahassee on Friday(Jan. 16, 2015)/After the movie my wife commented that a lot of the people simply left their trash behind without even attempting to take it to the ample trashcans in the hallway/As we were talking about that, & moving out of out of theatre #4, we were greeted by a nice young man holding a large plastic bag & broom/We turned the corner & there were two more young men at the end of the hall with the same equipment!/As we exited the door of #4, we were met by at least six other men & women shoulder-to-shoulder with the same equipment!/As soon as we were out, they descended upon the theatre to get it ready for the next showing!—Wow!/They had a Decisive OBLIGATION
*Not many like to use public restrooms—Nastiness/I’ve walked into some restrooms where even though I don’t touch anything in the room, the smell & general grossness make me turn around & leave!/Why?/Takes obligation on both business & customer side/Obligations of many are needed for a clean restroom/(give a ‘thank you’ to church custodian)/Decisive OBLIGATION
Mission trip to Venezuela/Driving—Seemingly no set rules/No one expects the other guy to stop for himself/Obligated to be cautious of the other guy/Safe driving results!/Why?—There’s a Defined/Decisive OBLIGATION
Application:
?Assumed God’s Defined/Decisive OBLIGATION/Delegation in your Leadership?
?What is your Defined/Ordained OBLIGATION/Delegation?
?You fulfilled the Conditions for Assuming Leadership?
?You wholeheartedly dedicated to the task & people before you?
?Do we enter a situation seeking the best or to satisfy our own desires?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Worms for Supper?—"No way! You ate my half!"
Action:
6 Conditions for Assuming leadership among God’s people are
A Defined/Decisive...
6. OBLIGATION(:10-18)
1. POSITION(:1-2)
2. BOUNDARY(:3-4)
3. ADVANTAGE(:5-6)
4. COURAGE(:6-7, 9)
5. COMMANDMENT(:7-9)
Joshua never entered any battle on his own...never by himself...He had his/God’s army behind him which He was compelled to lead.
Pnt. 6 only Presented 03/01/2014pm to:
FBC C’belle
206 Storrs Ave.(Ave A) SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Presented 11/14/99am to:
Providence Baptist Church
975 Providence Rd.
Whigham, GA 31797
