Change part 2
Jos 1:6-9 Be strong and courageous, because you will help these people take possession of the land I swore to give their ancestors. (7) "Only be strong and very courageous, faithfully doing everything in the teachings that my servant Moses commanded you. Don’t turn away from them. Then you will succeed wherever you go. (8) Never stop reciting these teachings. You must think about them night and day so that you will faithfully do everything written in them. Only then will you prosper and succeed. (9) "I have commanded you, ’Be strong and courageous! Don’t tremble or be terrified, because the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.’"
1. Change requires strong people and courage.
These words were spoken to him by Moses himself in Deu 31:7 Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous. You will go with these people into the land that the LORD will give them, as he swore to their ancestors. You will help them take possession of the land.
Joshua was moving from follower to leader. From order receiver to giver, and things are about to change. This is a scary place for anyone. The fear of failure in change keeps most people from ever setting out to make a difference. The stock market always goes down during an election because people are afraid of the change that happens.
2. Don’t get side tracked during the process.
The Lord told him to be faithful to the teachings of Moses, or the Law. Don’t turn away from them. Success will come as we institute God’s plan for change. Some people get off track during change and forget the goals that were set.
3. The Word of God gives the insight for change. Follow its principles.
We need to look at the patriarchs of the Bible and follow their lead. Don’t look at the follower’s attitude, but the Leaders attitude. What if we were to follow the disciples’ attitudes during Christ’s walk on earth? We would be worried about who would be greatest, or what position we were going to have. People and the positions are a very destructive thing.
You can’t judge the success of the change by the *temperature* of those followers.
4. Don’t get discouraged or afraid.
Change is sometimes a slow process. Sometimes the opposition will be great by the ones you thought were with you. Notice the Lord spoke this to Joshua 4 different times. 3 in the verses we are looking at and once by Moses as stated earlier. We are prone to stop changing when we get afraid. We begin to doubt ourselves and the Lord. We start listening to circumstances instead of God’s Spirit. Ministry is one of those places where only the strong survive.
Mat 11:12 From the time of John the Baptizer until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful people have been seizing it.
