Strategy for Living in Victory
LOGO: The strategy for living in victory is to believe God’s Covenants and behave God’s Commands.
TEXT: Joshua 1:1-9
HOOK: Because of my sordid professional background as a lawyer, I like to read interesting and unusual legal cases. I read recently of a story where a barrister in London, England probated a will. It took over two years to find an heir, but they finally found an heir in U.S. They found him through the obituaries - he had died destitute in an abandoned building.
He had inheritance he never possessed.
He had inheritance that would have provided for his needs beyond his dreams.
He had inheritance that would have saved his life.
So many Christians live this same way. We have so much available to us, yet we don’t possess it and even struggle in poverty without ever possessing it.
Recite John 10:10:
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
God has planned for us a victorious life. This is the central truth of God’s grace. Have you ever heard of the definition of grace using the word as an acrostic? God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Then why do so many Christians live defeated lives in which they never possess what Christ died on the cross for them to have? We must learn to possess this inheritance He created for us at Calvary.
LOGO: The strategy for living in victory is to believe God’s covenants and behave God’s commands.
The book of Joshua tells the story about possessing God’s inheritance He has set aside for His people. The book of Joshua tells story of:
• God’s deliverer for His people - Joshua
• the inheritance God provided His people
• His plan for victory over their enemies
• His instructions for possessing all He created for them
The book of Joshua is a key book for us because it teaches how to possess victory in our lives. Joshua is a primer, a painting, a parable, and a prophecy for Jesus’ redemption of His people and the plan for appropriating the abundant life He promises. Joshua is an Old Testament picture of the New Testament truth of victory in Jesus. Joshua foretells of:
• God’s promised deliverer - Jesus
• the abundance He has promised for our life
• His plan for living in Victory
• His instructions for life
Joshua teaches us that (logo) the strategy for living in victory is to believe God’s covenants and behave God’s commands.
A. The Battle Commenced
Read verses 1-2
• God says arise and go over the Jordan to Canaan
-----easier said than done
• Canaan = same Canaan filled with “giants which made them look like grasshoppers”
• Main road leading through the land of Canaan was guarded by the fortress city of Jericho.
• Boy, some “gift” huh?
You may ask the question: What kind of gift is this that you have to fight for it? What was God’s purpose in telling the children of Israel that Canaan was a gift, but requiring them to engage in battle to possess it? Would it not make sense for God to wipe out all the Canaanites with fire from Heaven and then let the children of Israel walk into Canaan? Remember Sodom and Gomorrah? What if He simply flooded Canaan and killed all of those evil nations? Remember the days of Noah?
The answer: The battle was necessary to teach Israel to give God the glory for the victory and to teach them the necessity of obedience. It was to allow time to develop their character so they would appreciate the blessings of God in Canaan and learn to follow Him. God’s plan in settling them in Canaan was to give glory to Himself and spread the message to follow the God of Israel. It was a testimony of God’s power and blessing and Israel would have to be obedient to make that testimony clear to the world.
This type of training through battle would be necessary because this was the same Israel who fled at the sight of the “giant” Canaanites 40 years earlier. This is the Israel that doubted repeatedly during their wandering in the wilderness. This is the same Israel that turned away from God despite His continued miraculous deliverance.
• Bible Scholars have deduced the campaign to conquer Canaan was approximately 7 years. During the seven years of war, people again had periods of doubt and disobedience. Each time they failed to believe God’s covenants or behave God’s commands they suffered a loss. i.e. Ai - the defeat following the victory at Jericho.
• In fact, God deeded over 300,000 square miles of land to Israel. At the apex of their power they only conquered roughly 30,000 square miles. The battle was necessary to teach them what to believe and how to behave.
APPLICATION POINT:
Today, we are no different than the children of Israel. God requires of us that we believe His covenants and behave His commands. In order to live in victory, we must “Trust and obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey.”
God permits us to go through struggles in our lives because they form the crucible in which the chemistry of the cross takes hold of our lives. Note:
VICTORY IS NOT THE ABSENCE OF BATTLE;
VICTORY IS WINNING THE BATTLE YOU ARE IN !!!!!!!
Clearly, this lesson is as tough for us to learn as it was for Israel. We as modern day believers fail to conquer as much of our birthright as Christians as Israel appropriated of the land of Canaan. God allows battles in our lives just as He did in theirs in order to force us to learn to step out in faith, to trust Him, and to give Him the glory for the victory that does occur in our lives.
B. Believe God’s Covenants
Read 1:3-6
• God re-affirms His promise to Israel to Joshua as the new leader- His Deliverer
• God affirms His promise to Israel itself through Joshua
Joke about the alliteration in the outline.
Call attention to your outline - NOTE my points all begin with the letters B and C. Actually, I don’t like the word “Promise” but much prefer the word COVENANT. It is a bible word that is true to what God is doing here and a better picture of the strength of God’s Promise.
Define covenant: It is a legal obligation undertaken by an individual such as in a disposition of property in a will.
In American language and law, we get the idea of a mutual obligation between 2 people - like a contract. This is NOT a mutual obligation. This is God’s covenant to us- His obligation to perform regardless of what we do.
God made a covenant with Joshua.
God made a covenant with Israel.
God then instructs Joshua to (1) not fear and (2) be strong. The covenant is the motivation, encouragement and hope for Joshua to act.
Joshua could act with confidence because God’s covenant to defeat the enemy was a binding, legal obligation to perform regardless of anyone else’s action. This means they learned FAITH. They stored their trust in God’s promises.
We have the same focus. See Hebrews 11:6. God will allow us to face the battle in order for us to learn to choose to believe His covenant to us
His covenant with us is JESUS. When you face an enemy, choose to believe God’s covenant. When you face defeat, choose to believe God’s covenant.
The promise of our Deliverer
• all authority lies with Jesus - no enemy can stand before Him.
• The promise to us of salvation as His people.
Jesus Himself is the affirmation of that promise
Illustration: VERSE –“new covenant in my blood” I Cor 11:23-26
Jesus is confirmation of:
Our Salvation - John 3:16
Our Source for living - Gal 2:20
Our Safety - Romans 8:38-39
Our Strength - Phil 4:13
LOGO: The strategy for living in victory is to believe God’s Covenants and behave God’s Commands.
C. To Behave God’s Commandments
God commands Joshua and Israel to:
--meditate on the law
--observe the law
In other words, He commanded them to know and obey His commandments.
Please understand: God’s covenant with Israel was because of His grace. They did not and could not earn His promises or blessings. But, God’s grace does not nullify the necessity for obedience. The gift of Canaan was God’s gracious, generous gift. BUT His objective is always to bring us into His will - that is why He commands obedience. Israel needed to follow God’s instruction in order to grow into the ability to accept the full extent of His grace and to worship Him as the God of grace. Both the promise of his grace and practice of His command work hand in hand to bring us into His will.
See I Corinthians 15:57-58
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
It works the same way for us as New Testament believers. We are dependent totally upon God’s grace. But His gracious love for us does not obviate our need for obedience. We do not earn His grace, but we learn about Him and the extent of His grace in our lives by obeying Him. If you are not living in victory, it could be that you are being disobedient.
How does obedience occur?
1) Meditation vs 8
2) Choosing to obey
Example of Adam & Eve: This is how it works
Eve - failed to meditate - it was not fresh in her heart
Adam - not deceived - he failed to choose to obey.
TRANSITION TO CLOSE:
I don’t know where you are tonight.
I can tell you, however, how you got there since there are only 2 ways: God led you there or You disobeyed Him and went there yourself.
The question for you tonight is will you choose to live in victory in that situation:
LOGO: The strategy for living in victory is to believe God’s Covenants and behave God’s Commands.
If God lead you there, then you must choose to believe in His covenant to provide for you and lead you while you are there. If you got yourself in this mess, then you must choose to behave His commands by repenting and returning to His path for your life.
