‘THE REPONSE OF FAITH’
JOSHUA 1:10-18
George was 28 years old, single, and still living with his parents. One Sunday morning, George told his mother he wasn’t going to church. "First," he said, "I’m tired. Second, the people there don’t like me. And third, the sermons are dull." But George’s mother wouldn’t take no for an answer. "George," she said, "you have to go. First, we always worship on Sunday. Second, it doesn’t matter whether they like us or not. And third, you are the pastor!"
God has always had some rather reluctant leaders. Moses didn’t want the job and flat out told God to “find somebody else.” Jeremiah thought he was too young. Jonah didn’t like being a prophet to Nineveh. But Joshua is ready to be God’s leader.
But we need to remember that Joshua had patiently served God as helper for many years. Some think you ought to be a full grown Christian in a few weeks, but it will take time. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the same is with Christian growth.
This passage shows us the response of faith Joshua made after his promotion, and his obedience to God in going into the promised land. Thus today, let us look at two responses of Joshua and the people.
I-NOTICE THE COMMAND OF JOSHUA TO THE PEOPLE: 10
A-THIS COMMAND INCLUDED A PROMPTNESS:10 ‘then’
Once a duty is discovered, then it should be discharged right away.
David-Psalms 119:60-”I made hate and delayed not to keep thy commandments.” God’s motto is today, the devil’s is tomorrow.
Our trouble sometime is that we are in more of a hurry to sin than to obey God and his commandments.
When you you want to do something, you usually can do it pretty quick.
When my boss at the Chevrolet place years ago told my-self and the shop foreman we could have tickets that day to the Alabama-Auburn ball game, we got ready in 30 minutes.
When we put things off spiritually and don’t act promptly , it will cost us.
Once, a little girl asked her father to go to Sunday School with her. He would say maybe next Sunday, today I am going to relax and rest. The years passed, and finally, he found time to go. But then his girl refused, she said, I got to rest, I got to sleep. His delay cost him and his girl.
B-THIS COMMAND INCLUDED A PLAN: 10
Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
Joshua shared his plan with his officers of the people. There is a chain of command.
In verse nine, Joshua is commanded by God, and now Joshua commands his officers. And in verse eleven, the officers command the people.
A man who was with Eisenhower in the days prior to the Normandy invasion, while Eisenhower was deliberating what to do, paints a dramatic picture. England’s General Montgomery was urging Eisenhower not to invade; other generals were advising the opposite. Eisenhower never said a word. He paced back-and-forth in the room while all eyes were upon him. The fate of the whole war was in his hands—perhaps the fate of the entire world.
Finally Eisenhower stopped his pacing, turned to the Generals and spoke: "All right," he said, "I have made a decision. Here is what we will do." . Joshua made a decision to obey God.
The Bible says that God is not the author of confusion. Thus there must be some type of organization in the Church. Spiritual chain of command.
But remember, to have authority, one must be under authority. I remember years ago, a Church was having a lot of problems and it was caused by the Deacons. And one of the reasons was that, they didn’t recognize the authority of God over them.
Stuart Briscoe writes: "One of my young colleagues was officiating at the funeral of a war veteran.
The dead man’s military friends wished to have a part in the
service at the funeral home, so they requested the pastor to
lead them down to the casket,
stand with them for a solemn moment of remembrance,
and then lead them out through the side door.
This he proceeded to do, but unfortunately the effect was
somewhat marred when he picked wrong door.
The result was they marched with military precision into a
broom closet, in full view of the mourners.
Their hasty retreat dissolved into confusion.
"This true story illustrates two cardinal rules:
First, if you’re going to lead, make sure you know where
you’re going.
Second, if you’re going to follow, make sure that you are
following someone who knows what he is doing!"
C-THIS COMMAND INCLUDED A PREPARATION: 11a
Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan,
The waiting for God is often the most difficult part for us, but days of waiting are always days of preparation in God’s work. There is no wasted time with God.
I remember the first time, I heard the term, victuals. It was while I was in the Air Force in Ohio. I went on my break with a fellow airman to Pikeville, Kentucky. His parents invited us to come in the kitchen and have victuals with them. (food)
For although Manna was given them to supply their want of ordinary provisions in the wilderness; yet they were allowed, when they had opportunity, to purchase other provisions, and did so, Deut 2:6,28. And now having been some time in the land of the Amorites, and together with Manna used themselves to other food, which that country plentifully supplied them with; they are warned to furnish themselves therewith for their approaching march.
Today our spiritual victuals is the Word of God. And we are feast upon Its Words.
I read a story of a man in Africa who keep asking when was God’s Book going to arrive in their country. I heard that it has arrived and I have walked for five days to get here. He was given a Bible and in return, he gave the missionary a goat. As he was leaving, he was pressing the Bible to his chest and saying over and over again. God’s book, He has spoken to me in my language. (we too should be hungry for God’s book. )
So the people are told to prepare, for in three days, they will pass over the Jordan.
School was just beginning. One morning , a man went out to start his car to go to church. He had a Flat tire. Lucky he had a spare. He Changed the tire quickly and on his way. He Didn’t think to drop the spare off to be fixed. He said, "I’ll get around to it." Within five days he went out to car to go to school. Another flat. Only this time no spare! He Had to roll it to nearest station and wait while it was fixed. When something breaks, fix it now. Don’t wait until you need it and then don’t have it!
D-THIS COMMAND INCLUDED A PROMISE: 11b
to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.
He didn’t say you may attempt to possess it or you shall possess it.
It seems that Arnold Palmer was invited to come to a convention of blind golfers. He asked the golfers how they were able to know what direction to hit the ball. One blind golfer explained that the caddy went out ahead of him with a little bell which he would ring as he stood near the hole. The blind golfer would then hit the ball toward the sound of the bell. Arnold asked how well it worked, and the blind golfer said that it worked so well he was willing to take on Arnold Palmer for a round of golf; and just to make it interesting, was willing to bet Palmer ten thousand dollars he could beat him. Well, this just blew Palmer’s mind. He pressed him, but the man insisted he was willing to bet that amount on his ability to beat Palmer. So, the deal was struck. Palmer said, "OK. What time do we tee off?" And the blind man said, "10:30--tonight!"
While it may seem to the world that we are at a disadvantage, we are the ones in better shape, while the world lives in darkness and can’t see its way, we know the presence of God standing nearby and we can always find our way! God will never waver from His promise to with us!
Adrian Rogers tells about the man who bragged that he had cut off the tail of a man-eating lion with his pocket knife. Asked why he hadn’t cut off the lion’s head, the man replied: “Someone had already done that.”
It’s easy sometimes to be cocky, and pretend to be brave. But what Joshua needed was true bravery, and courage.
E-THIS COMMAND INCLUDED A PEOPLE: 12-15
And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, 13 Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, The LORD your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land. 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them; 15 Until the LORD have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD’s servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.
Here was a group of people who didn’t want to cross over the Jordan, they didn’t want to pay the price. They wanted to stay on the safe side of Jordan. Today, we would call them border-line Christians.
I read a story about a little boy was keep failing out of bed. His mother asked why he keep doing this? He replied, well I guess, I sleep to close to where I got in. (Many Christians are like that too, they want to live to close to sin as they can, and get away with it.)
Their decision cost them a little later on. For we see in I Chron. 5, that they were captured by Assyrians and never returned.
II-NOTICE THE COMMITMENT OF THE PEOPLE TO JOSHUA:
A-THIS COMMITMENT INVOLVED A PLEDGE: 16-17a
And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go. 17 According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee:
What a wonderful spirit of cooperation and commitment. Just as we followed Moses, we will follow you.
Henry Ward Beecher listened as a man described his horse to him. He’ll work any place you put him, and will do all that any horse can do. Beecher replied, I wish he was a member of my Church.
A missionary society wrote to David Livingstone and asked, "Have you found a good road to where you are? If so, we want to know how to send other men to join you." Livingstone wrote back, "If you have men who will come only if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all."
B-THIS COMMITMENT INVOLVED A PRAYER: 17b
only the LORD thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.
They were saying as we have hereby promised thee our obedience, so our prayer shall be, that God would bless and prosper thee, as he did Moses.
Mrs. Irene Mims, was a member of one the Churches I pastored. She had cancer and became so sick she couldn’t come to Church. But I remember what an encouragement to me she was when I visited her. When I prayed, she always prayed too. She would pray, Oh God bless our pastor, Bro. Evie, give his souls for his labor, give his the message to preach Sunday, etc. Her prayer to God was an encouragement to me.
C-THIS COMMITMENT INVOLVED A PUNISHMENT: 18
Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.
They pass an act to make it death for any Israelite to disobey Joshua’s orders, or rebel against his comma. ALSO EVERYONE WAS TO BE BRAVE
One summer evening, during a violent thunderstorm, a mother was tucking her small boy into bed. She was about to turn off the light when he asked with a tremor in his voice, “Mommy, will you sleep with me tonight?” The mother smiled and gave him a reassuring hug. “I can’t dear,” she said, “I have to sleep with Daddy.” A long silence was broken at last by a shaken little voice saying, “The big sissy.”
Conclusion:
When Robert Louis Stevenson was a boy he once remarked to his mother, "Momma, you can’t be good without praying." "How do you know, Robert?" she asked. "Because I’ve tried!" he answered. This brings to mind a story about another little fellow -- one who had been sent to his room because he had been bad. A short time later he came out and said to his mother, "I’ve been thinking about what I did and I said a prayer." "That’s fine," she said, "if you ask God to make you good, He will help you." "Oh, I didn’t ask Him to help me be good," replied the boy. "I asked Him to help you put up with me."
WE DON’T NEED TO ASK GOD TO PUT UP WITH US BUT WE NEED TELL GOD WE WILL OBEY HIM AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS
