United Church of God

Be Strong and Courageous

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Be Strong and Courageous

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Be Strong and Courageous

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Whether we fully realize it or not, courage is necessary to live life in the right way on this planet.

Sermon Notes

A partial set of notes and Scriptures:

Jos 1:1  After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying:
Jos 1:2  "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel.
Jos 1:3  Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
Jos 1:4  From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.
Jos 1:5  No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.

1 - Joshua was given a SPECIFIC JOB TO DO

(Jos 1:6)  Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

Mar 16:15  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

Mat 28:18  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Mat 28:19  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Mat 28:20  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

(Heb 2:10)  For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

(Heb 2:11)  For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
(Jos 1:7)  Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
(Jos 1:8)  This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
2 - Joshua continued learning...

(Mat 19:16)  Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"
(Joh 14:14)  If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
(Joh 14:15)  "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
(Joh 14:16)  And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
(Joh 14:17)  the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
(Joh 14:18)  I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
(1Jn 3:24)  Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
(Joh 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.
3 -  As God was with Joshua, HE is also with us.

(Jos 1:9)  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

(1Sa 2:2)  "No one is holy like the LORD, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.
(1Sa 2:3)  "Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the LORD is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed.
(1Sa 2:4)  "The bows of the mighty men are broken, And those who stumbled are girded with strength.
(1Sa 2:6)  "The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up.

(Psa 18:2)  The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
(Psa 18:3)  I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.

(Heb 13:5)  Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU."
(Heb 13:6)  So we may boldly say: "THE LORD IS MY HELPER; I WILL NOT FEAR. WHAT CAN MAN DO TO ME?"

4 - EACH OF US has a VITAL role in the MISSION

Jos 1:10  Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
Jos 1:11  "Pass through the camp and 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.' "
(Jos 1:12)  And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh Joshua spoke, saying,
(Jos 1:13)  "Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, 'The LORD your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.'

5 - HOW we do our job can either compromise or propel the MISSION

(Jos 7:2)  Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, "Go up and spy out the country." So the men went up and spied out Ai.

(Jos 7:3)  And they returned to Joshua and said to him, "Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few."
(Jos 7:4)  So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai.
(Jos 7:5)  And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.

(Jos 7:6)  Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.
(Jos 7:7)  And Joshua said, "Alas, Lord GOD, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!

(Jos 7:10)  So the LORD said to Joshua: "Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face?
(Jos 7:11)  Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff.
(Jos 7:12)  Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you.
[read joshua 6:18]
The sin of one MAN Compromised the WHOLE MISSION...

(Jos 2:1)  Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.
Not noticed going to the house of a harlot...

(Jos 2:2)  And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, "Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country."
(Jos 6:22)  But Joshua had said to the two men who had spied out the country, "Go into the harlot's house, and from there bring out the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her."

Further benefits of doing right... Matt 1  ... DIRECT ancestor of Jesus Christ. IT IS NOT how one starts... but how one finishes.

BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS, is the message God had for US today.

5 - WE must remember TO ASK before making MAJOR DECISIONS.

Jos 9:3  But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
Jos 9:4  they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended,
Jos 9:5  old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.
Jos 9:6  And they went to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us."
Jos 9:7  Then the men of Israel said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you dwell among us; so how can we make a covenant with you?"
Jos 9:8  But they said to Joshua, "We are your servants." And Joshua said to them, "Who are you, and where do you come from?"
Jos 9:9  So they said to him: "From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt,
Jos 9:10  and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan—to Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.
Jos 9:11  Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, 'Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, "We are your servants; now therefore, make a covenant with us." '
Jos 9:12  This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you. But now look, it is dry and moldy.
Jos 9:13  And these wineskins which we filled were new, and see, they are torn; and these our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey."
Jos 9:14  Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the LORD.

(Pro 3:5)  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
(Pro 3:6)  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
(Pro 3:7)  Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
(Pro 3:8)  It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.

WE MUST ASK HIM for direction, inspiration, guidance IN ALL OUR DAILY TASKS AND PLANS>

(Jos 24:29)  Now it came to pass after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being one hundred and ten years old.
Joshua learned a few things in his life time... now SERVANT Of THE LORD [ instead of just: Moses's  assistant... ]