Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
1/4/98 am
Facing The Challenges Of A New Year
Reading — Joshua 1.1-11
As we get into the new year, we find ourselves wondering what kind of challenges we’ll be called to face in 1998? Will we be able to deal with our challenges?... And do some devastate us?
In our text Joshua is facing a new year, a new beginning... And a great challenge. Moses is dead, and God has asked Joshua to lead the people, 2 million of them, into the promised land. -- What a challenge! What an awesome task! I believe Joshua was just like you and I would be... He was overwhelmed, devastated, anxious, uncertain, and afraid.
So God gave him five specifics... five things that would help him, and will help us, when facing such a challenge. What can we learn that will help us face the challenges of the coming year... whatever they may be.
FIRST, KNOW THAT GOD IS ALIVE.
What a great leader Moses had been. He had performed so many great tasks:
- The plagues in Egypt.
- The miraculous crossing of the Red Sea.
- He delivered the Ten Commandments from a smoking, thundering, trembling Mt. Sinai.
- There was water from a rock.
- Manna like a morning dew... Enough to feed two million people.
- A serpent on a stick that healed all those who obeyed God’s command to look upon it.
- Plus all the knowledge, wisdom and understanding it took to lead, judge, and motivate Israel for 40 years in a hostile wilderness.
Who could ever successfully repeat such difficult tasks? Who could ever preach, teach, elder, deacon, live like Moses? Joshua was scared... Who wouldn’t be? But God said, Joshua, Moses is dead, but I am not.
Church we must understand that the power behind great men of the past has been God and He is still alive and well. Listen to David’s affirmation of God’s power in our lives:
Psalm 28.8, The LORD is the strength of his people.
Psalm 46.1, God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in time of trouble.
God asked Abraham in rhetoric, Is anything too hard for the Lord?
Matthew 19.26 answers the question, With God all things are possible.
An example of what happens to people when they forget God is alive is found in the Apostles after the crucifixion. They thought Jesus was dead. So we find them:
- Fearful,
- Running,
- Hiding,
- And generally uncertain as to what they were suppose to do.
We must know this morning that this is no way to face life’s challenges.
No. No. We are not an Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, a Peter or a Paul.
- We can’t preach like Apollos.
- Serve like Stephen
- We may not be able to give like Barnabas.
- I can’t preach like Joe Banks.
- You can’t teach like Fred Wise used to teach this church.
- We can’t serve like Deb Smith.
- We can’t evoke a smile and laughter like Earl Herndon.
- We can’t oversee a new building project like Billy T. Randolph.
- We can’t remodel rooms and lay tile like Marty Fritz.
- We can’t teach ladies class like Thelma Priddy or Edrie Hair.
But they are dead and now the task is ours... AND - NOW - THE - TASK - IS - OURS. God is calling us, and He says, Remember I am alive.
Like Paul, we must remember that our strength comes from the power of God working within us. I can do all things through Christ who gives me my strength. We must remember the promise to the church at Ephesus and to us here in Bella Vista, Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
SECONDLY, KNOW THAT GOD IS WITH US.
Joshua knew that God had been with Moses. He knew that no man could do such works without the power of His presence. In fact, Moses had said as much in Numbers 16.26, when he declared, This is how you know that God is with me—HOW?—By these things I do. So God promised Joshua in verse five, As I was with Moses, so will I be with you.
Question! Does God promise His presence and power to be with and in us TODAY?... Does He? I believe He does... Listen to these challenges and promises from New Testament scriptures.
Matthew 28.18-20, All authority, all power, in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I am with you always, to the very end of the age. The challenge is to take the gospel to the world. The promise is that Jesus will be with us in these challenge.
John 14.23, If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Does this sound like a challenge and a promise? The challenge is to obey His teaching. The promise is that God, Jesus and the Spirit will come make their home in our heart.
Hebrews 13.5-6. Do you know what God promises in Hebrews 13.5 and 6? How many can quote Hebrews 13.5 & 6? Church, if we don’t know what it says, how can we make use of the promise? Memorize it today... Take it with you for those times when the challenges are bigger than we are. Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So we should say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
This was God’s promise to Joshua and it is His promise to us. Why is it we can see the power and presence of God in the lives of Bible greats like:
- Enoch,
- Noah,
- Abraham,
- Joseph,
- Moses,
- David,
- Peter,
- Paul,
And others, but we can’t accept His power and presence in our lives today?
We must know this morning that God will be with us.
- As we strive to do His will,
- Obey His commands
- And carry out His commission.
The challenges we face today, and in the coming months of this new year, may be bigger than we are, but they are not bigger than God. When the storms of life swirl about us remember, Jesus is asleep in the back of the boat. He is available to help us. If He can calm the storms on the Sea of Galilee with 3 words, Peace Be Still.
- He can and will see us through our storms and uncertainties.
- He can and will empower us to accomplish the task at hand.
His name is Immanuel God with us. In Jeremiah 23.23 God says, I Am a God that’s nearby, not a God that’s afar off. Believe it! Accept it! Live it! Because God’s promise is always true... As I was with Moses, so will I be with you.
NUMBER THREE, TAKE COURAGE.
In verse 6, God tells Joshua, Be strong and of good courage. Joshua was a smart man, he knew he was filling big shoes and he knew that he was inadequate for the task. Church, it’s wise to feel inadequate, because only then will we learn to lean on God. Listen…
- I don’t want to be under an Eldership who feel that they are adequate for the task of shepherding the church.
- I don’t want a teacher who thinks he or she knows enough that they don’t have to study and study and study and study.
- I don’t want to listen to a preacher who is not afraid and feels he is adequate every time he steps into the pulpit.
- I don’t want a counselor who thinks he has all the answers to life’s situation.
—Do you think Daniel was scared when he was placed in the lion’s den? Of course he was!
—Don’t you know that David was trembling inside as he walked toward Goliath?
—Don’t you know Peter was a little short of breath as he began the first Gospel sermon?
—Don’t you know that Paul was praying, Help me, Lord, as he walked to the Mars Hill?
The command to Joshua AND TO US here this morning is take courage! Give us more men and women, in the church today, who take courage from the power and presence of God and His word in their lives.
NUMBER FOUR, DETERMINE TO FOLLOW THE BIBLE.
Look at verses 7 and 8 with me. Do not turn to the right or to the left. Do not let this book depart from your mouth. Meditate upon it day and night. Be careful to do all that is written. For it will bring you success. God doesn’t measure success by this world’s standards, but by faithfulness to His word. Solomon says, the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments.
- Want to be successful?... Prosperous? Stay in the word.
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
- Want to know how to be saved? Stay in the Word.
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed.”
- Want to know how to have perpetual, continual forgiveness of your sins? Stay in the Word.
“Walk in the light as he is in the light... And the blood of Christ will purify us from all our sins.”
- Want to have genuine peace and contentment? Stay in the Word.
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
- Want to know how to live the good life? Stay in the Word.
“Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”
- Want to be set free and eternally sanctified? Stay in the Word.
“You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free... Sanctify them through Thy truth, Thy word is truth.”
STAY IN THE WORD, JOSHUA. STAY IN THE WORD, CHRISTIAN.
- Your success
- Your salvation,
- Your forgiveness
- Your contentment,
- Your happiness,
- Your freedom and sanctification DEPEND UPON IT.
THEN FINALLY THIS MORNING, ENTER INTO ACTION.
Obey immediately! God stopped talking to Joshua in verse 9. Then in verse 10 Joshua went into action. Called his commanders and said, make ready, we’re crossing the Jordan in three days.
Reminds us of the Macedonian call. Paul sees a vision one evening of a man in Macedonia saying, come bring us the Gospel. Do you know what the next verse says? And immediately we got ready and sailed to Macedonia. Paul having concluded that he had been called to preach there. My good people, when we know to do right, we must act immediately. The longer we put it off, the more time and opportunity Satan will have to convince us that obedience to God is unnecessary.
As an alien sinner, when you know you need to be baptized into Christ for the remission of your sins, don’t put it off. When the light comes on and you say:
- I know right from wrong.
- I know what I must do to be saved.
Then is the time to act! Not one minute later. Procrastination is of the devil. It is one of his most effective tools. And it robs so many today of their eternal salvation.
As Christians, when we know we should:
- Be teaching a class,
- Serving as an elder or deacon.
- When we know we should be working in particular ministry, because we are equipped for it, and we say no, we’re acting against God’s will.
- When we know that we ought to forgive a brother... JUST DO IT, because it’s right.
- When we know to stop some ugly sin in our life and don’t, we’re on shaky ground. James tells us, To him that knows to do right, and does it not, to him it is sin.
Question!!... What important task are you facing this morning, this new year?
- Need to become a child of God by Faith, Repentance and Baptism?
- Need to become active in the Lord’s work?
- Need to confess some sin in your lives?
- Forgive a brother?
- Talk to a friend about Jesus?
Do it NOW... Do It immediately!
