1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:04,880 Turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Joshua, chapter one. 2 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:08,560 Let me pray for us while you're turning. 3 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:15,640 Father God, we thank you again for calling us together, for 4 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:19,880 constituting us as your church, as your people, and gathering us 5 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:21,760 together around the fire of Your word. 6 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:24,040 And we pray, Lord, that you would send your Spirit and that 7 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:28,080 He would be our teacher so that we could understand the things 8 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:30,480 freely given to us through Christ. 9 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,560 We pray that you would open our eyes and open our hearts and 10 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:39,600 sharpen our minds so that as Aaron pray that we would be like 11 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:42,680 these tribes, that we would respond to the leadership that 12 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:45,160 you have put over us in the Lord. 13 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:49,760 That we would respond with with willing and ready obedience to 14 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,360 the things that you have commanded us to the mission that 15 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:56,600 you have sent us on. So we pray, Lord, for for humble 16 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:00,360 hearts as we come to your word and that you would teach us so 17 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:02,560 that we might treasure Christ all the more. 18 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:09,480 And we ask it in his name, Amen. So a quick word before we dig 19 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:13,280 into this text, we typically practice something called 20 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:16,040 expository preaching in our church, which means we just pick 21 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:19,000 a book of the Bible and we go chapter by chapter, verse by 22 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:23,480 verse through through the book. And so during the during the 23 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:26,600 holidays, we typically set that aside and we preach according to 24 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:30,560 the church calendar and look at content that goes through the 25 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:34,480 life in the ministry of Christ during the starting an Advent 26 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,200 and going until until Pentecost. I'm not sure we're going to do 27 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:39,560 that every year. Typically. 28 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:43,600 I've been here for almost 17 years. 29 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,320 We've just picked a book of the Bible and we go chapter by 30 00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:48,800 chapter, verse by verse. And one of the things that I 31 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:52,440 want to say in praise of just working through books of the 32 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:57,440 Bible is, is text like this. If if you told me, hey, you've 33 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:02,280 got one last sermon to preach, one last text, what are you 34 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:04,480 going to pick? It's not this text, I can 35 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:06,240 promise you. Could you look at it and you go, 36 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:08,199 OK, it just looks pretty straightforward. 37 00:02:08,199 --> 00:02:09,400 What are you going to say about that? 38 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:15,160 It doesn't necessarily seem as glorious as the Commission of 39 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:19,920 Joshua in verses one through 9. It doesn't seem even remotely as 40 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:24,240 fantastic as Rahab the prostitute hiding the the spies 41 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:26,840 in chapter 2. So there's just this sandwiched 42 00:02:26,920 --> 00:02:34,640 text that that doesn't really excite the preachers fire, at 43 00:02:34,640 --> 00:02:37,080 least at first look. And what I love about the 44 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:40,160 Scriptures we are told Paul tells us that all Scripture is 45 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:43,600 God breathed and profitable, including this text, one that I 46 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,880 would never pick. And I dig into it this week and 47 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:51,160 there's just absolute glory in these verses. 48 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:54,640 And so it's so encouraging to see again and again just the 49 00:02:54,640 --> 00:02:59,080 beauty of God's word that he has given us and that it's deserving 50 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:04,080 of our attention. And so the, the, the big idea 51 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:07,160 here, Joshua has been commissioned to take the 52 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:10,840 children of Israel over the Jordan and take possession of 53 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:12,320 the land that God has given them. 54 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:14,560 And now Joshua is going to start. 55 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:18,800 It's the very first thing that he does to, to prepare for, for 56 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,240 that endeavor. And he gives the people of God a 57 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,560 command and then he sort of shores up the army. 58 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,200 And I want to show you these things as they, as they come. 59 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:31,120 So the first thing I want to show you is the is the command, 60 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:34,080 the theme of command in this text. 61 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:37,680 We're going to start in verse 9 and read through verse 11. 62 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:41,560 So I want you to take note of all the different times somebody 63 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:46,480 has commanded God says to Joshua in verse 9, have I not commanded 64 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:50,840 you? Be strong and courageous, do not 65 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:54,400 be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God 66 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:58,760 is with you wherever you go. And Joshua, so there's no break 67 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:00,880 there. It just goes straight on. 68 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:06,120 And Joshua commanded the officers of the people pass 69 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:08,480 through the midst of the camp and commands. 70 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:11,240 Do you see this? God commands Joshua. 71 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:15,120 Joshua commands officers and he commands them to pass through 72 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:17,440 the midst of the camp and commands the people. 73 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:21,320 Prepare. This is the command. 74 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:26,000 Prepare your provisions for within three days you are going 75 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:29,200 to Passover, this Jordan to go in and take possession of the 76 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,680 land that the Lord your God has given you to possess. 77 00:04:33,280 --> 00:04:36,440 So there's this divine chain of command. 78 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:40,840 God commands Joshua, who comes to the leaders in Israel and 79 00:04:40,840 --> 00:04:42,480 commands them. He doesn't suggest. 80 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:46,680 He says go do this and they go do that and they command the 81 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:48,800 people. They don't suggest they do not 82 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:51,040 take a vote. It is not democracy. 83 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:55,400 It is God is in control and he has raised up his leaders and 84 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:57,440 they're leading the people of God. 85 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:00,800 And what's really interesting if you, if you don't, if you 86 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:03,480 haven't read through carefully the book of Joshua, you may not 87 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:08,480 know, but what what Joshua commands the leaders to command 88 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:11,160 the people to do is totally impossible. 89 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:14,240 Did you know that this is not like a, hey, make sure your, 90 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:18,120 your, your, your, your car has a full tank of gas or something 91 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:21,280 like that. He says, pass through the midst 92 00:05:21,280 --> 00:05:25,360 of the camp, command the people to prepare provisions for within 93 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:28,360 three days, you are going to cross over this Jordan to go in 94 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:29,960 and take possession. Nobody did that. 95 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:33,280 We're going to see, we're going to see in Chapter 3 when they 96 00:05:33,280 --> 00:05:35,840 cross the Jordan, the description of the Jordan is 97 00:05:35,840 --> 00:05:38,440 that it was at flood stage and was jumping its banks at this 98 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:40,800 time of year. And they're just going to cross 99 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:45,240 through what Joshua tells them is God is about to do something 100 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:47,640 miraculous. And I don't know what it is yet, 101 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:50,680 but you need to obey and you need to move forward. 102 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:54,040 And this is leadership among the people of God that we have the 103 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:58,040 word of God coming to the officers of God's people who are 104 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:01,520 to take that word to the people and say, look, this is what 105 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:05,240 we're doing, to which the people should normally respond. 106 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:09,800 We can't do that, right? Go disciple the nations. 107 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,720 And what do you want to tell me? We can't do that? 108 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:15,480 Like it's just we're little old Muldoon. 109 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:18,840 OK. Well, there is an ecclesiastical 110 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:23,400 chain of command that this verse teaches us that there aren't in 111 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,320 our congregation. There aren't a bunch of pastors. 112 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:30,440 And so I'm, I'm sort of maybe talking to the wrong crowd, but 113 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:34,400 it's important for all of us to understand what is going on in 114 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:38,320 this text that we pastors are to take the promises and the 115 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:43,760 commands of God through his word and in love require obedience of 116 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:46,960 the congregation. That's that's my job. 117 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:50,800 That's the elders job is to take the commands and the promises of 118 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:55,080 God's word and to lovingly, not dominating you, but to lovingly 119 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:58,440 require obedience from the congregation. 120 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:02,440 Churches are not and have never been democracies. 121 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:04,360 Like where do we want to go? Let's all take a vote. 122 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:07,200 That's not what we do here. That's not what we do here. 123 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:12,800 We want God to speak and we want leaders to, to take that word 124 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:16,200 and mandate and for congregations to willingly give 125 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:17,800 themselves. Here's the problem. 126 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:22,920 In American church, we have something called membership, 127 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:24,880 which by the way, we're, we're trying to think through what 128 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:27,720 membership should look like and ought to look like. 129 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:30,240 And we're in the process of, of working through some of those 130 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:32,240 things. I'm in the process of 131 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:35,880 researching them so that our elders can come to A, to a more 132 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:38,160 full understanding of what church membership is going to 133 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:40,280 be. But the, but the problem in 134 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:45,640 America is you just, you have an individualistic Christian 135 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:49,680 mindset that says, look, the pastor can do and say whatever 136 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:52,360 he wants to do, but at the end of the day, I have walk out 137 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:55,840 power. I can just say I, I don't want 138 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:57,040 to do that. And we leave. 139 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:01,560 And so we view churches like the difference between Walmart and 140 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:04,280 HEB. Sometimes you go here, sometimes 141 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:07,880 you go there and listen to me that that mentality. 142 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:11,360 Most pastors know that I know that I know that I could say 143 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:16,360 something to offend some of you that you would and and some of 144 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:19,480 you might leave. But what that will what that 145 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,480 will do with that mindset does to pastors is it cripples them 146 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:24,960 because they're afraid they're afraid of saying anything that's 147 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:27,440 going to run people off out of the congregation. 148 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:31,480 So when we were going through teaching on eldership, we lost 149 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:34,240 people saying like this is the standard of God's word. 150 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:37,039 And some people said we've never done that here and we're not 151 00:08:37,039 --> 00:08:38,880 going to do that here. And they and they and they left 152 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:42,520 and many pastors have have said, look, I know that that's the 153 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:45,240 requirement, but my people would never go for it. 154 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:46,640 And so I'm not going to teach on it. 155 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:54,240 I that's, that's the most unbiblical mindset for for a 156 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:56,920 leader of God's people think about Joshua. 157 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:01,240 I get a command from God to do that, which is impossible. 158 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:03,760 I'm not sure they're going to these people are going to 159 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:06,800 follow. Did they follow Moses perfectly, 160 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:08,640 yes or no? No, they did not. 161 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:10,840 They threatened to stone him all the time. 162 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:13,240 So he's like barely hanging on by a thread. 163 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:15,480 And now Joshua was supposed to take the helm and think like, 164 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:17,760 wait, you want me to tell them to do what now? 165 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:21,920 Right. Listen, here's the problem when 166 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:24,920 when our churches are not rightly aligned according to the 167 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:29,360 mind of Christ and when we don't joyfully embrace the beauty of a 168 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:33,440 hierarchy in in the people of God, that always has a trickle 169 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:37,440 down effect into the family. Where husbands are supposed to 170 00:09:37,680 --> 00:09:41,520 lovingly lead and protect their wives and their children who are 171 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:44,840 supposed to joyfully submit to their husbands into greater 172 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:47,880 levels of familial Christian obedience. 173 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:50,880 Meaning like a husband doesn't have the right to just lead his 174 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:54,480 wife any old way to lead her into rebellion against God, but 175 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:57,120 a husband is there to say, babe, this is the word of God. 176 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:00,720 This is where we're going as a family, but when you don't see 177 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:03,920 that in the church, then a husband tries to do that in, in 178 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:05,960 his home and the wife says, well, I don't want to submit to 179 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:07,920 that. And now we're at a, we're at a 180 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:10,520 stalemate. And I, I know many, many 181 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:13,800 Christian men who just say, like, my wife has never seen a 182 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:18,440 church submitting to leadership. And so she's not very keen on 183 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:21,320 submitting to my leadership. And you just have a family 184 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:27,200 that's that's disordered. So listen to me, the world hears 185 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:30,960 of biblical authority and they only hear abuse. 186 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:33,160 They hear, oh, you're in authority over me, you're going 187 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:35,880 to abuse me. The scriptures hold out 188 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:38,200 authority as a blessing for the people of God. 189 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:41,400 I just we're going to we're going to skip and I want you to 190 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:46,000 look at verse 18, how these people who've been how the we're 191 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:48,560 going to I'm going to show you Reuben and Gad in the half tribe 192 00:10:48,560 --> 00:10:51,160 of Manasseh. Joshua gives them a very 193 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:57,440 particular command and they say in verse 16 through 18, all that 194 00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:01,760 you have commanded us, we will do and wherever you send us, we 195 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:05,360 will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all 196 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:09,800 things, we will obey you and and I'll explain that in a moment. 197 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:12,680 That's not we're not supposed to laugh at that. 198 00:11:12,680 --> 00:11:16,720 That's a meaningful thing that the the generation of the exodus 199 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:18,960 that rebelled against Moses, they're all dead. 200 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:23,880 This is their children who have not perfectly but sincerely try 201 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:27,000 to obey Moses and all that, then all that he has done. 202 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:29,280 And so they're saying to Joshua, we're the same. 203 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:31,680 We're the same way with you only. 204 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:35,480 And watch the encouragement that they give Joshua only. 205 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:40,960 May the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. 206 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:44,320 Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your 207 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:47,640 words, whatever you command him shall be put to death. 208 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:53,240 Only be strong and courageous. So they come to him and they 209 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:56,640 say, look, we want you to lead us. 210 00:11:56,840 --> 00:12:01,160 We will gladly get behind you. And so there's not this 211 00:12:01,560 --> 00:12:04,560 dominating, domineering subjugation of a congregation. 212 00:12:04,560 --> 00:12:07,760 It's willing leadership and it's willing submission. 213 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:09,920 We will follow wherever the Lord leads. 214 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:13,520 Just be strong and courageous, ladies, just as a word in 215 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:18,480 passing, you think about do you want your husband to lead you 216 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:21,880 well and to lead your family well into biblical fidelity? 217 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:27,080 If you do, then take every opportunity to gladly embrace 218 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:29,920 any leadership that he gives. That's not evil. 219 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:34,400 Anytime that he says, hey, I think we need to, we've been 220 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:35,880 doing this wrong. I think we need to do it this 221 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:38,760 way. Jump, jump on board there. 222 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:41,280 Encourage him in that so that he can lead. 223 00:12:41,680 --> 00:12:46,440 OK, so you have commands, commands to prepare, get 224 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:49,000 yourself ready to go up and take possession. 225 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:52,160 And then Joshua comes to and you have to know some biblical 226 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:55,080 background here. So if you write in your Bibles 227 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:59,520 out beside verse 12, write Numbers 32, the book of Numbers 228 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:02,240 32. That's the back story to this 229 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:04,520 command. But he, Joshua comes very 230 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:08,320 interestingly to the Reubenites, the Gaddites and the half tribe 231 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:12,000 of Manasseh. And Joshua said, remember the 232 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:14,520 word that Moses, the servant of the Lord commanded you. 233 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:16,600 So again, we're on this theme of command. 234 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:21,160 There's 7 commands here. It's a very important number. 235 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:25,840 They've been commanded. Remember what the Lord commanded 236 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:29,320 you through Moses saying, the Lord your God is providing you a 237 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:33,440 place of rest. That word for rest is not where 238 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:37,680 we get our word for Sabbath. It's the word where we get the 239 00:13:37,680 --> 00:13:40,440 name Noah. You remember when Lamech named 240 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:43,160 Noah, he said out of the out of the dust that the Lord has made 241 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:47,480 this one will give us rest. And it's it's where we get our 242 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:49,320 word Noah. And it's used twice in this 243 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:50,480 text. It's very interesting. 244 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:54,880 He says he's provided you a place of rest and he will give 245 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:56,680 you this land. Your wives and your little ones 246 00:13:56,680 --> 00:14:00,760 and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you 247 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:04,280 beyond the Jordan. But all the men of valor among 248 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:07,560 you shall Passover armed before your brothers and shall help 249 00:14:07,560 --> 00:14:11,560 them until the Lord gives rest to your brothers as he has to 250 00:14:11,560 --> 00:14:13,480 you. And they also take possession of 251 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:16,040 the land that the Lord God is giving to them. 252 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:19,080 Then you shall return to the land of your possession and 253 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:22,240 shall possess it, the land that Moses, the servant of the Lord 254 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:24,600 gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise. 255 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:28,840 So the, the background here, if you don't know this story, the 256 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:32,040 children of Israel, I, I probably should have got a map 257 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:33,800 for you so that I'm not doing it backwards. 258 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:36,400 But the children of Israel had gone from Egypt. 259 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:39,120 They'd wandered in the Sinai Peninsula and they had made 260 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:41,040 their way to the east side of the Jordan. 261 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:46,440 And they were attacked by two Amorite kings, Sihan and Ogg. 262 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:50,840 Both of them were called Refeim, which means they were giants. 263 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:56,280 Ogg in particular, the text says that he had a, he had a bed that 264 00:14:56,280 --> 00:15:00,320 was 13 foot long. That's how giant this man was. 265 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:03,520 And the, the children of Israel said, hey, we don't want any 266 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:05,240 fight with you. We want to pass through. 267 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:07,600 We'll pay you for water, we'll pay you for passage. 268 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:11,560 We're just passing through. And Sahan and Ogg attacked them. 269 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:15,200 And so in self-defense, Israel annihilated them and they did 270 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:19,240 what God commanded them to do. And so they have this beautiful 271 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:21,680 land on the east side of the Jordan that was not part of the 272 00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:24,920 possession, part of what Israel was supposed to possess. 273 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:29,160 And it was really good for livestock and for, for, yeah, 274 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:32,520 for livestock. So Reuben, Gab and the half 275 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:37,080 tribe of Manasseh, they come to Moses and they say, hey, we 276 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:40,720 don't want to go into across the Jordan, into the land of 277 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:42,480 promise. We want to stay here and 278 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:46,360 inherit. And Moses in #32 takes that as 279 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:50,680 they don't want to go to war. They're trying to rest early. 280 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:53,160 And he rebukes them. And he says, do not do this. 281 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:56,480 Do not discourage your brothers. And so he rebukes them. 282 00:15:56,480 --> 00:15:58,920 Well, they come to him and they say, no, no, no, we're not 283 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:01,920 trying to get out of the fight. We will absolutely. 284 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:05,080 We'll build sheep paddocks for all of our livestock. 285 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:08,720 We'll build temporary dwelling places for our old men and for 286 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:13,080 our wives and for our children. But our armed men will go with 287 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:15,640 the children of Israel. We will fight to to maintain a 288 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:18,040 possession. And so they make this promise 289 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:25,160 years ago and Moses dies and now Joshua is about to rise up and 290 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:27,440 take over the land. And he goes to them and he says, 291 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:30,920 remember your word. Remember your word. 292 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:36,280 So I just want to to invite you to put yourself in that 293 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:39,960 situation where you see a great opportunity and you make a 294 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:42,760 covenant to to where? OK, listen, we will take this, 295 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:46,440 but we promise in the future to rise up and to go to war. 296 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:49,400 But now the guy that you were talking to has died. 297 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:53,160 And if there's ever a time where you could say, you know, we kind 298 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:55,400 of spoke out of turn, we're not really sure if we want to do 299 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:56,800 that. We have this land. 300 00:16:56,800 --> 00:16:59,920 We're looking at still remaining giants in the land. 301 00:16:59,920 --> 00:17:03,920 And maybe we should. Maybe we should renege on our 302 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:06,560 word. You can imagine a situation 303 00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:09,400 where the promises you made yesterday look really 304 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,640 terrifying. Today you've got the hazards of 305 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:14,440 war. People are really going to die. 306 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:17,119 There are legitimate giants in the land. 307 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:20,079 There's all kind of risk and Moses had died. 308 00:17:20,079 --> 00:17:23,400 And so if ever the Reubenites, the Goddites, and the half tribe 309 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:26,319 of Manassa should say like, hey, we're just not going to keep our 310 00:17:26,319 --> 00:17:31,600 word, it would be right now. But Psalm 15 asks this question. 311 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:36,720 I want you to just listen to listen to Psalm 15-O Lord, who 312 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:39,720 shall sojourn in your tent and who shall dwell in your holy 313 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:41,960 hill? And it lists all of these 314 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:45,520 qualities that are perfection that are only perfect in Christ, 315 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:48,160 but that good men sort of approximate. 316 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:52,720 And one of the things that he says here is that the one who 317 00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:57,280 can sojourn in the tent of God and dwell in his holy hill is he 318 00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:00,720 who swears to his own hurt and does not change. 319 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:03,920 You ever done that where you've said, hey, I will, I will do 320 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:05,360 this or I'll help with this or whatever. 321 00:18:05,360 --> 00:18:08,400 You, you, you make a promise. And then when it comes down to 322 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:10,640 it, it's like, oh, that's really going to hurt. 323 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:14,040 Well, blessed is the man who swears to his own hurt and does 324 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:17,160 not change. And to their credit, they don't, 325 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:20,320 they don't renege. They stay, they stay faithful. 326 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:23,680 But I want you to watch this cool detail in verse 14. 327 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:26,280 He says, your wives, your little ones, your livestock shall 328 00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:28,960 remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan. 329 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:34,360 But all the men of valor, all the mighty men among you shall 330 00:18:34,360 --> 00:18:37,760 Passover armed before your brothers. 331 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:42,120 And that word before sometimes people take it as they're 332 00:18:42,120 --> 00:18:44,640 supposed to go first or take like the front lines. 333 00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:47,760 That's not what it means. The Hebrew there is before the 334 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:53,880 face of meaning you. Moses concern was that these 335 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:57,640 tribes and not going to war would discourage the hearts of 336 00:18:57,640 --> 00:18:59,800 their brothers. So imagine if all the men say 337 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:01,440 we've got to fight and we've got to go. 338 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:04,320 We actually have to go get into a war and some of us are going 339 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:08,840 to die. And I don't know what percent 3 340 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:10,800 of 12 is, but it's a big percent. 341 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:13,840 But a bunch of the men in the congregation say I'm not doing 342 00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:15,600 that. Then the rest of us are like, 343 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:16,800 well, should we go? Should we? 344 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:18,680 It's a it's a discouraging thing. 345 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:22,360 So he says, I want you to go before the face of your 346 00:19:22,360 --> 00:19:25,360 brothers. I want them to see you armed for 347 00:19:25,360 --> 00:19:28,760 battle and going with them so that they will be of good 348 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:31,640 courage. But you need men of valor armed 349 00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:35,960 before your brothers to help them until the Lord gives rest 350 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:38,760 to your brothers as he has to you, and that they take 351 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:42,080 possession of their land. So you have 3 tribes that have 352 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:46,800 already received what is theirs, but they are commanded to 353 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:51,000 continue to work so that their brothers and the Lord can 354 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:55,280 inherit what God has given them. So Passover armed before your 355 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:57,560 brothers. And this is there's a really 356 00:19:57,560 --> 00:20:00,080 helpful principle here and it's the covenant nature of the 357 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:04,640 people have gone that we are together in this and we want not 358 00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:07,880 only to have our own blessing from the Lord, our own 359 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:10,920 inheritance from the Lord for me, for my house, for for our 360 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:14,880 family, but. Faithful Christians also look to 361 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:19,200 other Christians and say you are my brother and I want you to 362 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:22,600 have inheritance from the Lord for you and for your household. 363 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:25,400 And we need to work together to make sure that those things 364 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:26,960 happen. And so are you. 365 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:30,280 Are you praying and are you actively seeking the good of 366 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:33,320 those in the body of Christ? We should be. 367 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:37,080 Now in verse 16, you have the response and we read it, but I 368 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:39,400 want to read it again and make a couple of observations. 369 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:43,760 He says they they so this is the command that you need to go in 370 00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:47,560 and help your brothers and they answer Joshua, all that you have 371 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:51,160 commanded us we will do and wherever you send us, we will 372 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:54,600 go. That's I think it was Chuck 373 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:57,800 Swindoll that said whenever he was preaching and somebody, 374 00:20:57,800 --> 00:20:59,800 somebody would shout out and they would say preach it. 375 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:02,600 He's like that's like saying sick him to a bulldog. 376 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:04,760 Be careful doing that because I'll just take your whole 377 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:07,960 afternoon. Imagine you're the leader of 378 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:10,720 Israel and God gives you this command and you're wondering 379 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:12,920 then, how are the people going to respond to this? 380 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:15,880 And you give them an impossible invitation, an impossible 381 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:18,000 command. And they say whatever you say 382 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:20,280 we're going to do. We are with you to the end. 383 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:22,920 We're with you to the death. You just tell us where to go. 384 00:21:23,120 --> 00:21:26,120 And anybody who disregards you, we will put to death. 385 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:28,400 You are our guy. Just lead us. 386 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:31,800 Just be strong, be courageous. That's the most encouraging 387 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:34,720 thing that leaders of the people of God could ever hear. 388 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:37,080 Wherever you send us, we will go. 389 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:41,240 Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you and 390 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:42,920 I. And I mentioned that that's not 391 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:46,280 to make you laugh. This was a faithful generation. 392 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:49,800 And they generally speaking, were, were very obedient to 393 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:51,480 Moses and then to Joshua later on. 394 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:54,200 They had their mistakes for sure, but generally speaking 395 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:57,400 they were obedient. And then they say, only may the 396 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:00,840 Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. 397 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:05,720 Remember, God who promised Joshua, as I was with Moses, so 398 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:08,600 I we will be with you. And they give this, this 399 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:10,840 pronouncement, this blessing over Joshua. 400 00:22:11,360 --> 00:22:14,600 May the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. 401 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:19,360 Whoever rebels and disobeys, whatever you command, he shall 402 00:22:19,360 --> 00:22:21,880 be put to death. And then they give him the same 403 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:25,760 invitation that God, or the same invitation and command that God 404 00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:29,960 had given him three times. Only be strong and courageous. 405 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:35,880 They want him to take the lead and judges and judges 5 After 406 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:41,120 Deborah and Barack had had thrown off their enemies and 407 00:22:41,120 --> 00:22:46,120 jail had nailed Cicero's head to the floor to the ground with a 408 00:22:46,120 --> 00:22:49,360 tent peg, Deborah and Barack sang these words. 409 00:22:49,360 --> 00:22:51,320 They they started their song of victory. 410 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:55,640 And with these words that the leaders took the lead in Israel 411 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:59,040 and that the people offered themselves willingly, bless the 412 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:01,360 Lord. Brothers and sisters, I would 413 00:23:01,360 --> 00:23:04,680 submit to you, this is the reason the church in America is 414 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:10,600 so damnably weak is that leaders will not lead and people will 415 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:13,160 not give themselves to the leadership that that we just 416 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:17,840 will not do this. Pastors will see which way the 417 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:20,680 wind is blowing, how the congregation wants to go. 418 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:23,400 And they'll be, they'll happily lead them where they want to go, 419 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:25,640 but they will never say we're not doing that. 420 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:28,480 And so the people don't know what it's like to submit and 421 00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:31,000 obey the leadership that God has provided. 422 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:35,640 So the biblically speaking, the pattern is when God speaks, 423 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:38,160 leaders lead and the people are to follow. 424 00:23:38,360 --> 00:23:42,440 And then when we do that, the nations always fall. 425 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:46,320 So if we want to win the mission that Christ has sent us on, this 426 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:49,680 is what we need to embrace. God has spoken already. 427 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:52,920 And so the question is, what are your elders going to do about 428 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:54,360 that? And then what is a congregation 429 00:23:54,360 --> 00:23:57,360 are we going to do about that? And let me say, I'm preaching to 430 00:23:57,360 --> 00:23:58,800 the choir. I don't have anybody in the 431 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:01,160 crosshairs. Like man, this family over here 432 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:03,360 is just super rebellious, nothing like that. 433 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:05,280 I just want to remind us of these things. 434 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:09,800 OK, So let me work through a couple of applications how we 435 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:11,880 could how we could apply these things. 436 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:16,000 First off is thinking about the idea of a command. 437 00:24:16,040 --> 00:24:20,720 I think it's helpful for all of us to take this moment to ask 438 00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:23,640 ourselves a question and nobody can answer this but you. 439 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:27,800 And the question is, what do you want from from church 440 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:30,720 leadership? What do you want from your 441 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:32,400 elders? What do you want from deacons? 442 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:35,360 What do you want from participation in the body of 443 00:24:35,360 --> 00:24:38,480 Christ? Do you want to be entertained? 444 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:40,800 Do you want me to throw a sword at you and say, are you not 445 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:43,440 entertained? Like so many churches, that's 446 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:45,800 what pastors engage. Like, I've got to make sure I 447 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:49,480 have 27 funny stories so that I can slip a little bit of Bible 448 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:51,240 truth in there. Do you want to be entertained? 449 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:55,560 Do you want to be nearly comforted sometimes even in your 450 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:57,200 sin? Like I'm doing this sin and I 451 00:24:57,200 --> 00:24:59,800 just want you to comfort me. I want you to affirm me. 452 00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:01,480 I want you to tell me that this is OK. 453 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:06,600 Is that what you want? Or do you want church leadership 454 00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:11,160 to love you enough to be a sanctifying influence towards 455 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:14,640 obedience to the Lord Jesus, to sanctify yourself and your 456 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:17,560 family? Here's what we want in the 457 00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:19,960 church. We want leadership that is 458 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:23,760 qualified according to Scripture and functioning according to 459 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:27,200 scripture. Those two things, qualified and 460 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:30,480 obedient functioning. OK, so I have a good friend in 461 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:34,760 town whose church is a hot mess. And he, he called me the other 462 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:36,480 day and he was laughing. He was like, you're not going to 463 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:39,320 believe this. So our, their elder body is, is 464 00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:44,200 a mess and they keep getting keep having problems with those 465 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:46,640 in, in leadership. And so they've got a, a new 466 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:49,360 election cycle of officers of, of elders. 467 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:52,520 And he said at the meeting, they're, they were talking 468 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:55,680 about, man, how do we, how do we keep getting all these bum 469 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:57,760 elders? Like we need some good elders in 470 00:25:57,760 --> 00:25:59,640 place. And then somebody came up with 471 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:01,440 this really great idea. They said, you know what we need 472 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:06,040 to do, we need to come up with some qualifications we should 473 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:09,720 get a think through like what kind of men should be or well, 474 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:13,240 they wouldn't say men, what kind of people should be leading and 475 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:15,040 elders. It's almost like we need a list 476 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:17,960 of things that somebody wants. This office needs to meet these 477 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:22,160 qualifications as though God's word has not already given them 478 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:25,240 to list in first Timothy and then Titus, but they're going to 479 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:27,240 create their own because they're seeing all these problems. 480 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:31,680 Well, listen, it's very, it's just obey, obey what God's word 481 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:33,840 has said. And so we want qualified 482 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:38,080 leadership, men that meet those qualifications of eldership and 483 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:42,000 people, men and women who meet the qualification of deacons and 484 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:45,360 then that they would be functioning, that those leaders 485 00:26:45,360 --> 00:26:48,360 would be functioning biblically. And there's there's a million 486 00:26:48,360 --> 00:26:51,240 texts I could read to you, but this is maybe the cheap one. 487 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:56,160 When I think about what, what my office as a as a teaching elder 488 00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:58,600 with the office of eldership is supposed to look like. 489 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:01,800 The qualifications are in first Timothy and Titus, but the 490 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:05,440 function is in first Peter 5 most explicitly. 491 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:07,720 It's also in Ephesians 4 and some other places. 492 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:12,480 But listen to listen to Peter. Peter says, I exhort the elders 493 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:16,480 among you as a fellow elder, which is marvelous. 494 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:19,440 He's going to demonstrate what he's going to require. 495 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:23,680 Peter does not come and say, listen, Christ gave me the keys 496 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:26,360 of the Kingdom. And so you got to listen to me, 497 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:29,720 he says. I exhort the elders among you as 498 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:32,360 a fellow elder. He embraces A lesser office. 499 00:27:32,360 --> 00:27:34,280 He doesn't say I'm the chief apostle. 500 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:37,880 You have to listen, he says. I'm a fellow elder in the church 501 00:27:38,360 --> 00:27:41,360 and I'm a witness to the sufferings of Christ as well as 502 00:27:41,360 --> 00:27:43,600 a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed. 503 00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:46,640 And he exhorts the elders to do these things. 504 00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:49,480 One, to shepherd the flock of God. 505 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:53,080 It means to pastor Shep pastor is a verb. 506 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:56,080 It's not a it's not a noun. It's something that elders do. 507 00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:59,640 They shepherd the flock. They take care of the sheep that 508 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:03,720 Christ has made his own. So shepherd the flock of God, 509 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:06,800 knowing them, protecting them, leading them, feeding them, 510 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:10,760 watch over. And then he says exercise 511 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:14,560 oversight. So, so, so lead the people have 512 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:18,000 gone. You can't let flocks and sheep 513 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,360 just kind of do whatever they want to do because they're going 514 00:28:20,360 --> 00:28:23,680 to eat themselves to death or find themselves in wolf infested 515 00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:25,920 territory. You have to watch over the 516 00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:29,040 people have gone. So biblically qualified and 517 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:32,040 biblically functioning. And he tells them this. 518 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:34,920 And, and I want you guys to understand this is these are 519 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:36,920 texts that we take seriously as elders. 520 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:40,520 He says, do these things not under compulsion, but willingly. 521 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:44,720 Not, he says not under compulsion, but willingly as God 522 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:48,520 would have you, not for shameful gain, but eagerly. 523 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:52,720 And then not domineering over those in your charge, but being 524 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:54,760 examples to the flock. So don't. 525 00:28:55,960 --> 00:29:00,080 And, and, and please tell me if you ever smell this on me where 526 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:03,720 I'm staunchly commanding you to do something that you've never 527 00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:07,640 seen me do or that, you know, it's hypocritical, like, please 528 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:10,200 pull me aside and say you're violating this and you need to 529 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:12,440 repent. And if it's true, I will gladly 530 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:17,040 repent or explain why. But that so, so biblically 531 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:20,240 qualified elders, functioning biblically is what we want. 532 00:29:20,240 --> 00:29:24,400 And then we want a congregation that is prayerfully and 533 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:29,840 peaceably and practically and then joyfully following that 534 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:33,760 leadership. Let me while I'm while I'm 535 00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:37,840 reading texts, listen to listen to the author of Hebrews talking 536 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:41,400 to the congregation. He says obey your leaders and 537 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:45,480 submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls as 538 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:47,560 those who will have to give an account. 539 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:51,560 Why do we do membership? Why is membership so important? 540 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:55,800 Membership is important because Jesus knows by name the sheep 541 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:58,280 that are his, all of them by name. 542 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:03,440 And your elders will give an account by name for the people 543 00:30:03,440 --> 00:30:05,800 that were shepherding. And that's terrifying, brothers 544 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:07,560 and sisters, it's totally terrifying. 545 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:11,920 And so he says when, when you, when you obey your leaders and 546 00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:15,520 submit to them, you're doing that because they are keeping 547 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:17,960 watch over your souls as those who will give an account. 548 00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:21,320 And then the command is let them do this with joy and not with 549 00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:23,960 groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. 550 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:27,440 If every time the the elders come and say, hey, we really 551 00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:28,760 feel like the Lord would have us do this. 552 00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:31,480 And we just hear the collective sigh of the congregation. 553 00:30:31,520 --> 00:30:35,280 Oh man, which again, we don't from our church, our church. 554 00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:38,080 You guys are amazing. But again, I just want to state 555 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:41,320 these things so we all know the types of things we should be 556 00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:44,960 embracing. Ask for counsel, ask for prayer, 557 00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:47,960 be open for correction, be open for reproof. 558 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:51,560 Secondly, we need to prepare right? 559 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:55,760 It's a it's a the the the keywords in this text command 7 560 00:30:55,760 --> 00:31:01,320 times possess I think was was mentioned five times that that 561 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:05,840 Joshua commands them to prepare to possess what God has given 562 00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:07,240 them. And so the question is, how do 563 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:10,680 we as a congregation prepare to take possession of what Christ 564 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:14,400 has given us as an inheritance? If the nations are his and he's 565 00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:17,960 commanded us to go take them, how do we prepare for that? 566 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:21,200 How do we do as Joshua and and the children of Israel did? 567 00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:25,840 Well, it starts with self government that every single 568 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:29,320 human being that is in the Lord is to walk by the power of the 569 00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:32,160 Holy Spirit and exercise self-control. 570 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:36,240 Proverbs say that that a man who lacks self-control is like a 571 00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:39,680 city that has no walls. You have no protection. 572 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:41,960 Whoever comes in gets to live there. 573 00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:44,360 If lust comes in, he gets to live there. 574 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:46,760 If greed comes in, he gets to live there. 575 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:49,120 If if worship comes in, he gets to live there. 576 00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:51,080 You just can't. There's no discerning, There's 577 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:54,680 no, there's no discriminating what comes in. 578 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:58,040 Just whatever comes to your appetite, that's what you're 579 00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:00,840 going to do. We have to have self-control 580 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:03,640 that's given by the Holy Spirit to say no, I'm not going to give 581 00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:05,720 vent to that. I'm I'm going to be a city with 582 00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:08,320 walls that can say you are welcome to enter. 583 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:12,200 You are not starts with self government and then family 584 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:14,840 government that you have. You have husbands that are 585 00:32:14,840 --> 00:32:19,640 supposed to lovingly lead and nurture and cherish their wives 586 00:32:19,640 --> 00:32:22,840 in the Lord, sanctifying them with the Word and wives that are 587 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:25,280 to submit to their husbands and everything. 588 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:28,520 As the church submits to Christ, so wife is to submit to her 589 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:31,160 husband. Children are to obey their 590 00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:34,320 parents and the Lord parents are to lovingly discipline their 591 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:37,240 children. Whoever spares the rod spoils 592 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:39,320 the child. He who spares the rod hates his 593 00:32:39,320 --> 00:32:42,280 son. We are to, we are to to have 594 00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:45,760 good order in our family. And it's supposed to be 595 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:48,680 beautiful, not dominating and domineering. 596 00:32:49,320 --> 00:32:51,480 So there's self government, there's family government. 597 00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:53,920 And then as we've been talking about, there's church 598 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:59,560 government, eldership, deacons, congregations that that submit, 599 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:03,120 elders that lead lovingly Christ like leadership and 600 00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:06,400 congregations that respond, brothers and sisters, These are 601 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:09,160 what I would call home field advantages, right? 602 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:13,400 This is our stuff like we are Christian individuals, we are 603 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:15,640 Christian families. We are a Christian Church. 604 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:18,840 We can, we can obey God without anybody's permission. 605 00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:22,560 Typically what happens is churches that want to take a 606 00:33:22,560 --> 00:33:26,720 dominion in the places where they live, they start with with 607 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:29,440 secular government instead of starting with themselves, 608 00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:31,400 starting with their families, starting with their churches. 609 00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:34,520 You cannot do that. We can't get off the ground 610 00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:36,680 because here's what would be happening. 611 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:41,240 It would be us pride personally and in our family and in our 612 00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:45,360 church, totally disregarding the word and the will of God and 613 00:33:45,360 --> 00:33:48,240 then going to the world and saying you guys got to submit to 614 00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:50,320 Christ. That's ludicrous. 615 00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:54,080 We show them the way. We submit ourselves, our self, 616 00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:57,640 our family, our church, to the government, to the Lordship of 617 00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:00,320 Christ. And then we must. 618 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:04,560 Having done those things, we must live and prepare to take 619 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:07,880 local government and command that they do the same thing. 620 00:34:08,199 --> 00:34:11,440 Our Constitution, the Constitution and our land made 621 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:15,120 local government the most powerful over the people so that 622 00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:17,880 the people could more readily protect themselves from tyranny, 623 00:34:18,800 --> 00:34:20,760 right? What goes on in Washington is 624 00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:24,639 supposed to be very small compared to what goes on in at 625 00:34:24,639 --> 00:34:27,840 the courthouse, in our local, with local leadership. 626 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:31,679 So if we were to establish liberty locally in Christ's 627 00:34:31,679 --> 00:34:34,239 name, it would reverberate across the entire nation. 628 00:34:34,679 --> 00:34:37,440 But in order to do that, in order to do that, we need three 629 00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:40,000 things. We need faith to believe that it 630 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:41,600 is something God intends us to do. 631 00:34:41,719 --> 00:34:45,480 And I'm not sure that we're all on the same team there that we 632 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:47,960 might, some of us might say, I don't think that's what God 633 00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:51,440 would have us do. And so we're going to have to 634 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:54,520 agree to disagree. But that is what Christ, when he 635 00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:58,640 said go disciple, not people in nations, but nations that have 636 00:34:58,640 --> 00:35:01,480 been given to me. This is what he meant, that we 637 00:35:01,480 --> 00:35:06,720 are to announce that Christ has crown rights in Fayette County. 638 00:35:07,240 --> 00:35:10,680 Can you Amen that? You should be able to Amen that. 639 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:13,480 So we need faith to believe that this is something he intends us 640 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:15,920 for do to do. Secondly, we need to, we need 641 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:18,800 the wisdom to wage war according to biblical ethics. 642 00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:22,280 We're talking sermons, not swords primarily. 643 00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:26,240 We're talking prayer more than protesting primarily. 644 00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:30,000 We need to wage war according to biblical ethics. 645 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:33,600 We need to take the weapons of our warfare and wage war that 646 00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:35,400 way. And then thirdly, we need the 647 00:35:35,400 --> 00:35:39,520 courage to step out and try that we, that we believe this is what 648 00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:42,040 he has called us to to do. And we're going to do it the way 649 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:44,520 he calls us to do it. And then we're going to actually 650 00:35:44,800 --> 00:35:46,720 try. We're going to attempt this. 651 00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:51,160 This is how we prepare. And lastly, the exhortation is 652 00:35:51,160 --> 00:35:55,000 that we need to aim to possess all that Christ has given us to 653 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:58,840 possess. OK, We need to aim at possessing 654 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:01,800 everything that Christ has commanded us to possess. 655 00:36:03,440 --> 00:36:06,880 Think about this, right? Christ has given us as a 656 00:36:06,880 --> 00:36:10,880 possession forgiveness of sin and a clean conscience. 657 00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:14,320 That's what he's given you in himself, full forgiveness and 658 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:15,840 and access to a clean conscience. 659 00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:21,000 He wants you to be shame free and guilt free because on his 660 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:23,520 cross He once for all dealt with your sin. 661 00:36:23,720 --> 00:36:29,000 And so beware, brothers and sisters, of throwing past sin 662 00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:32,480 and guilt and shame on people that Christ has forgiven, 663 00:36:32,480 --> 00:36:36,320 because that's giving your brothers ground back to the 664 00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:38,760 enemy, right? We sin. 665 00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:40,200 We all have skeletons in our closet. 666 00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:44,440 We all have guilt and shame and we repent and we, we, we trust 667 00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:48,200 the Lord and we're fighting to, to walk in the freedom that 668 00:36:48,200 --> 00:36:51,160 Christ has given. But then we have brothers that 669 00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:54,720 throw our sin back in our face again and again and again. 670 00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:58,680 And what that does is it just gives ground back to the enemy. 671 00:36:58,680 --> 00:37:00,240 We cannot do that to one another. 672 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:04,000 He has given us participation in the body of Christ as an 673 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:07,200 inheritance. And so let's beware of keeping 674 00:37:07,720 --> 00:37:10,240 in particular and, and we're growing in this. 675 00:37:10,240 --> 00:37:14,200 We're doing much better in this. But like as as a church in 676 00:37:14,200 --> 00:37:17,560 America, we tend to keep our children, the very children that 677 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:19,760 Christ said, let the children come to me. 678 00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:25,000 We, we, we keep them away from baptism. 679 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:26,640 We keep them away from the Lord's table. 680 00:37:26,640 --> 00:37:29,640 We need to beware of keeping repentant sinners from the 681 00:37:29,640 --> 00:37:32,120 table. We need to beware of keeping new 682 00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:34,680 believers at an arm's distance. If you want some homework this 683 00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:39,840 week, go find Kanye West's song Hands On and listen to it. 684 00:37:40,880 --> 00:37:44,800 You've got this total buffoon lost guy. 685 00:37:45,360 --> 00:37:49,400 And God sovereignly, I believe, saved him eternally saved him in 686 00:37:49,400 --> 00:37:51,320 Christ. And he is not perfect. 687 00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:52,560 And this is not an endorsement there. 688 00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:54,840 Everything he says or everything he does by any stretch. 689 00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:58,840 But he wrote a he wrote a album, series of songs called Jesus is 690 00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:00,920 King. And there is glory there. 691 00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:04,480 It's amazing. And one of those songs is a song 692 00:38:04,480 --> 00:38:06,160 called Hands On. And it's a prayer. 693 00:38:06,160 --> 00:38:08,600 And he's talking about coming to Christ. 694 00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:11,720 And some of his worst critics are the Christians. 695 00:38:11,720 --> 00:38:13,440 What have you been hearing from the Christians? 696 00:38:13,720 --> 00:38:17,960 And there's this, there's this bridge in the middle where he 697 00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:20,160 where he sings and it's a request. 698 00:38:20,240 --> 00:38:25,160 Somebody pray for me, lay your hands on me, pray for me like I 699 00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:29,960 I repented of the world and the devil and I'm trying to count 700 00:38:30,240 --> 00:38:32,960 for Christ and for his Kingdom. The world hates me. 701 00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:36,520 And now the Christians won't won't love me, right. 702 00:38:36,680 --> 00:38:40,560 He's a new believer for crying out loud, like receive, pray, be 703 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:44,360 patient, pray for him. And so we need to be as we, as 704 00:38:44,360 --> 00:38:49,360 we think about endeavoring to help brothers and sisters, 705 00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:52,400 possess the full measure of what Christ has given us to possess. 706 00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:57,160 We need to know how these things matter, that we don't, that we 707 00:38:57,160 --> 00:38:59,960 don't hold unforgiveness over people, right. 708 00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:05,000 So he's given us forgiveness of sin, participation in the body, 709 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:09,680 and then he's given us the world, the world. 710 00:39:09,680 --> 00:39:13,440 He's given us the world. It belongs to Jesus, and he has 711 00:39:13,440 --> 00:39:16,360 given it to his people. And so Can you imagine an idea 712 00:39:16,360 --> 00:39:21,600 more ludicrous than Old Testament Joshua being strong 713 00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:25,720 and courageous, while the New Testament new and better Joshua, 714 00:39:26,200 --> 00:39:28,800 who was crucified, who was risen, who has ascended and 715 00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:31,840 what's enthroned and was given all authority in heaven and on 716 00:39:31,840 --> 00:39:36,760 earth, that the new and better Joshua somehow lives and leads 717 00:39:36,760 --> 00:39:39,080 in weakness and in trembling intimidity? 718 00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:42,760 Can you imagine such a thing? For God tells Joshua, I've given 719 00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:44,800 you this land, be strong and courageous, go take it. 720 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:48,320 And then he tells Christ, I've given you all authority in 721 00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:50,280 heaven and on earth. And Christ says, oh, I don't 722 00:39:50,280 --> 00:39:52,280 know if I can be strong and courageous and go take it. 723 00:39:52,280 --> 00:39:54,600 It's ludicrous. It's ludicrous. 724 00:39:55,160 --> 00:39:58,640 As if the Great Commission read, all authority has been given to 725 00:39:58,640 --> 00:40:01,160 me in heaven and on earth. But I don't think we can do it. 726 00:40:01,520 --> 00:40:04,640 So just try and endure until the world burns. 727 00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:09,240 Well, Can you imagine? A greater strategy of our enemy 728 00:40:09,400 --> 00:40:12,320 than to convince us that some of the things that Christ has 729 00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:16,760 really given us are not actually given or not yet given. 730 00:40:17,720 --> 00:40:21,360 Joshua has been given the land, but he still must endeavor by 731 00:40:21,360 --> 00:40:24,360 faith to possess it. And it will take years of 732 00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:27,440 diligent preparation of hard mental effort by faith. 733 00:40:27,760 --> 00:40:30,200 People are going to die in this fight. 734 00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:33,240 Even though it's a gift, even though it's grace, even though 735 00:40:33,240 --> 00:40:36,400 God promises victory, it's still going to be hard fought. 736 00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:41,040 They still must endeavor by faith to possess it all, and it 737 00:40:41,040 --> 00:40:44,480 will take years of diligent preparation and hard mantle 738 00:40:44,480 --> 00:40:46,960 effort. But what if, before the fight 739 00:40:46,960 --> 00:40:51,400 starts, if Satan can convince Joshua that what God has given 740 00:40:51,400 --> 00:40:54,600 you is actually not the land? He's given you a spiritual 741 00:40:54,600 --> 00:40:58,560 reality. He's given you a sense, a lovely 742 00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:01,920 warm feeling in your, in your soul. 743 00:41:02,240 --> 00:41:04,040 That's all He's given you. He hasn't really given you the 744 00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:08,480 land or in the land, He's only given you certain mountain peaks 745 00:41:08,480 --> 00:41:09,960 or he's only given you the valleys. 746 00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:15,880 He hasn't given you all of it. Well, God dictates to us what He 747 00:41:15,880 --> 00:41:20,360 gives us as an inheritance and we are to take possession of it. 748 00:41:20,360 --> 00:41:23,120 God told Joshua, this is what I've given you and Joshua takes 749 00:41:23,120 --> 00:41:25,960 it. God tells us in Christ, this is 750 00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:28,520 what I've given you and by faith, brothers and sisters, we 751 00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:31,240 are to take it. And the best place for us to 752 00:41:31,240 --> 00:41:34,920 come and strip away all of our unbelief in all of the satanic 753 00:41:34,920 --> 00:41:39,760 unwriting of the lines of our inheritance is the Lord's Table. 754 00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:43,640 This table is the table of fullness, of the fullness of 755 00:41:43,640 --> 00:41:47,480 Jesus Christ. You can't come here and get some 756 00:41:47,560 --> 00:41:49,240 of Jesus. It can't be done. 757 00:41:50,200 --> 00:41:53,160 You come here and you receive the whole Christ, and the whole 758 00:41:53,160 --> 00:41:57,320 Christ that brings with him absolute power, unqualified 759 00:41:57,320 --> 00:42:01,360 lordship over all things, crown, authority, and mercy that is 760 00:42:01,360 --> 00:42:06,040 made just by His own blood. Your sins, if you have repented 761 00:42:06,040 --> 00:42:08,040 of your sins, confess them to the Lord. 762 00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:12,600 Your sins are really forgiven, and this table is for you. 763 00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:16,680 You have hope, your family has hope, Your church can be 764 00:42:16,680 --> 00:42:19,040 sanctified and powerful, and your community can be 765 00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:22,040 transformed. If and when the people of God 766 00:42:22,240 --> 00:42:25,480 prepare to take up all that the king intends to give them, the 767 00:42:25,480 --> 00:42:28,680 foundations of this nation will tremble. 768 00:42:29,400 --> 00:42:33,600 And no, this is not health and wealth as it's traditionally 769 00:42:33,600 --> 00:42:35,760 meant. But I ask you now, think about 770 00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:38,600 this with me. Who is more wealthy than he who 771 00:42:38,600 --> 00:42:42,200 possesses Christ as his own? Can you improve on that wealth? 772 00:42:42,560 --> 00:42:45,360 No, you cannot. Who is more healthy than he? 773 00:42:45,360 --> 00:42:47,840 Who is the beloved patient of the great Physician? 774 00:42:48,640 --> 00:42:51,880 Worldly health and wealth. You can keep all of that stuff 775 00:42:52,520 --> 00:42:56,600 Ioffer you at this table, real health and real wealth, because 776 00:42:56,680 --> 00:43:00,800 all Ioffer you here is Christ himself in all his fullness, and 777 00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:05,400 therefore all Ioffer you at this table, brothers and sisters, is 778 00:43:05,480 --> 00:43:10,440 all, all that can be offered. Heaven and him who reigns there, 779 00:43:10,680 --> 00:43:14,240 earth and him who brought bought it with his blood, Eternal life 780 00:43:14,440 --> 00:43:15,920 and him who makes it worth living. 781 00:43:16,520 --> 00:43:19,320 Joshua was given a small piece of land and told to rise up and 782 00:43:19,320 --> 00:43:22,600 take possession to you. Ioffer this day Christ himself. 783 00:43:22,880 --> 00:43:26,640 Now rise up by faith and take him as your own because he has 784 00:43:26,640 --> 00:43:28,680 given himself for this very purpose. 785 00:43:28,880 --> 00:43:33,280 So come beloved brothers and sisters in Christ and welcome to 786 00:43:33,280 --> 00:43:35,360 Jesus Christ. Let me pray for us. 787 00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:43,120 Father God, we, we want you to speak loud enough and clear 788 00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:47,920 enough to us and give us the faith to comprehend the things 789 00:43:47,920 --> 00:43:52,480 that you have freely given us in Christ and make us faithful and 790 00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:57,480 bold, strong and courageous as we rise up in this world and 791 00:43:57,480 --> 00:44:02,280 take what Christ has given us in the manner in which Christ has 792 00:44:02,280 --> 00:44:07,280 told us to take it. We need grace, we need wisdom, 793 00:44:07,280 --> 00:44:10,320 we need faith. God, we need the power of your 794 00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:12,400 Spirit to accomplish these things in US. 795 00:44:12,400 --> 00:44:15,200 And so we pray that you would meet with us at the table and 796 00:44:15,200 --> 00:44:19,800 that you would give us these things, the preparation that we 797 00:44:19,800 --> 00:44:23,320 need to take dominion and to take the inheritance that you've 798 00:44:23,320 --> 00:44:26,400 given. So we ask you to come and 799 00:44:26,400 --> 00:44:29,520 minister to us at the table in the name of Jesus, Amen.