1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,900 I would like for everyone to open up to Joshua 1. 2 00:00:06,100 --> 00:00:09,100 And we can read together here in a couple minutes. 3 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:16,500 When you hear the word meditation or meditate, what's 4 00:00:16,500 --> 00:00:19,000 the first thing that kind of comes to our mind. 5 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:22,900 Sometimes we think about somebody holding their hands out 6 00:00:22,900 --> 00:00:26,400 with their thumb and their index finger touching with their eyes 7 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:32,900 closed looking up crisscrossed and and might think of Buddhism 8 00:00:32,900 --> 00:00:38,800 or or some other Eastern. Religion or belief. 9 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:45,400 Where they focus and meditate on emptying, their soul or emptying 10 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:53,400 their mind. and, they do that in order to focus on their soul as 11 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:58,000 a result we as Christians virtually avoid the idea and 12 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:03,800 practice of meditation because of that stereotype And for good 13 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:09,100 reason because we know that meditation has no, no way, not 14 00:01:09,100 --> 00:01:13,300 even a way to Salvation. Meditation does not get us 15 00:01:13,300 --> 00:01:18,100 salvation, but when we read text like we're going to read this 16 00:01:18,100 --> 00:01:21,700 afternoon. This evening, we have to ask 17 00:01:21,700 --> 00:01:23,200 ourselves. What are we supposed to do with 18 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:24,900 some of these? Some of these things that are 19 00:01:24,908 --> 00:01:31,300 said we need to meditate on the word of God. 20 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:36,000 So to avoid meditation. All together is, in fact, a 21 00:01:36,008 --> 00:01:42,800 Disobedience to God. One writer said, meditation is 22 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:47,300 deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities revealed in 23 00:01:47,300 --> 00:01:50,900 scripture for the purpose of understanding, application and 24 00:01:50,900 --> 00:01:54,300 prayer. So meditation is not necessarily 25 00:01:54,300 --> 00:01:57,600 about our posture. It's about the goal. 26 00:01:57,900 --> 00:01:59,600 It's about what we're trying to understand. 27 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:04,700 So the goal of Eastern mysticism or even New Age meditation is 28 00:02:04,700 --> 00:02:07,700 emptying of your mind in order to have complete Focus. 29 00:02:08,100 --> 00:02:11,400 But the goal in biblical meditation is totally different. 30 00:02:11,900 --> 00:02:14,700 The goal would be the same. We want to have complete Focus, 31 00:02:14,700 --> 00:02:17,100 but the means of accomplishing that goal. 32 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:27,400 It is not the meditation that empties our minds, but 33 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:32,100 meditation that fills our mind with truth of God's word. 34 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:36,000 So that's the reason why we meditate is, so we can fill our 35 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:39,700 minds with the word of God. That's why in the one that's 36 00:02:39,700 --> 00:02:42,400 passions In this passage, we are getting ready to read. 37 00:02:43,100 --> 00:02:47,200 If you look at verse 8, it says they're the book of the law 38 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:50,800 shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on 39 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:55,100 it day and night. So, meditation involves filling 40 00:02:55,100 --> 00:02:58,000 our minds with God's word and it's in doing that. 41 00:02:58,000 --> 00:02:59,900 We find the right Focus for our lives. 42 00:03:00,700 --> 00:03:04,200 The kind of focus this kind of focus necessitates more than 43 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:08,800 just reading the Bible. So we can read that in verse 8. 44 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:12,700 It says it does not say that the book of the law shall not depart 45 00:03:12,700 --> 00:03:15,800 from your mouth but you shall read it day and night and said 46 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,100 it says you shall meditate on it day and night. 47 00:03:18,100 --> 00:03:20,300 So reading it alone is not enough. 48 00:03:21,900 --> 00:03:27,000 So, there's a difference there. So meditation does not need to 49 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:31,400 be some sort of mystery to us. When we read God's word, it does 50 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:33,900 need to be, doesn't need to be a mystery to us as Christians. 51 00:03:34,900 --> 00:03:36,400 We need to be doing it every day. 52 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:40,100 Actually, so there's a couple words in the Hebrew that are 53 00:03:40,100 --> 00:03:44,500 translated, meditate that we can read in the Old Testament. 54 00:03:44,500 --> 00:03:47,500 The first one is used in Psalms one, where base basically, it 55 00:03:47,500 --> 00:03:51,800 says to meditate and that is talking about a murmuring that 56 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:55,600 somebody may do murmuring over and Over repeat repeating the 57 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,400 word of God. Psalms 1 says blessed is the man 58 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,000 who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the 59 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,500 way of Sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers. 60 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,300 But his Delight is in the law of the Lord. 61 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:10,500 And on his law, he meditates day and night. 62 00:04:11,100 --> 00:04:14,600 That is where it is referring to a murmuring over and over again 63 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:17,700 every day and every night, the other word for meditate is in in 64 00:04:18,300 --> 00:04:23,500 Psalms 119 and verse 99, it says there I have more understanding 65 00:04:23,500 --> 00:04:28,400 than All my teachers for your testimonies are my meditation. 66 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,900 And the word for meditation there in that passage is, is 67 00:04:33,900 --> 00:04:39,300 talking about reflecting quietly and deep devotion. 68 00:04:40,500 --> 00:04:44,000 So, notice the difference, reading the Bible is good and 69 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:46,900 it's necessary as a starting point for meditation, but it's 70 00:04:46,900 --> 00:04:51,100 not where it stops because we don't just read the Bible. 71 00:04:51,100 --> 00:04:55,200 Like, we're reading a novel for entertainment or nonfiction book 72 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,400 for information. We read the Bible, we want to 73 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:01,200 absorb what's in the Bible. We want to understand what's in 74 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:06,700 the Bible. So do we ever find ourselves 75 00:05:06,700 --> 00:05:10,900 doing that? Just reading words, I know I do, 76 00:05:11,500 --> 00:05:14,700 you know, we've we've read at home and we can read a chapter 77 00:05:14,700 --> 00:05:18,900 or two and at the end of that reading, we kind of just go what 78 00:05:18,900 --> 00:05:21,600 in the world did I just read? I have no remembrance of what I 79 00:05:21,608 --> 00:05:23,200 just read. We were just reading, just to 80 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,600 read. We need to do more than that, 81 00:05:25,900 --> 00:05:30,600 you know, think about it like this, you know, this is guys or 82 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:35,100 husbands or may go out on a date with our a wife or girlfriend or 83 00:05:35,100 --> 00:05:38,200 fiance and we want to have conversation with them and we 84 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:41,600 sit down at a table for dinner and our wife or girlfriend is 85 00:05:41,608 --> 00:05:47,200 right across from us but just beyond Them is a television 86 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:53,400 sports center or a game something like like that and 87 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:57,400 there's conversation happening and all of a sudden you realize 88 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:02,200 that there's a pause from your wife and you realize she was 89 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:05,500 talking about something to me that I need to respond to and 90 00:06:05,500 --> 00:06:08,300 you do not remember what she was talking about. 91 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:12,000 That's what we're talking about. We can't just read to read. 92 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:13,900 We have to understand. We have to focus. 93 00:06:13,900 --> 00:06:17,600 We have to realize What is going on in the scriptures? 94 00:06:20,500 --> 00:06:26,800 So, One writer said, most Christians read the Bible but 95 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:30,700 few Christians. Meditate on it as a result so 96 00:06:30,700 --> 00:06:33,000 many cents, little spiritual impact from the time. 97 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,800 They invest in scripture intake. So the main reason more 98 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:38,500 Christians, don't find their daily time. 99 00:06:38,500 --> 00:06:41,400 In the scriptures, more profitable has little to do with 100 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:44,000 the strength of their memory, the level of their average 101 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:48,500 education or their our IQ. Rather, the problem is very 102 00:06:48,500 --> 00:06:51,700 simple, a lack of meditation on scripture. 103 00:06:52,700 --> 00:06:56,800 James 1:22 says, be doers of the word and not hearers only 104 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:02,100 deceiving yourselves. So is it possible that us here 105 00:07:02,100 --> 00:07:07,000 at this congregation completely can be extremely biblically 106 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:10,700 literate and yet be totally deceived in the process. 107 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:15,200 Do we understand? Can we recite passages? 108 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:17,500 Do we know how to how to memorize the Bible? 109 00:07:17,500 --> 00:07:20,700 But yet, not understand the contents of the Bible and and 110 00:07:20,700 --> 00:07:22,400 what God is really wanting us to know. 111 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:23,900 I don't think that's the case here. 112 00:07:24,300 --> 00:07:26,400 But I think it can be the case if we're not careful. 113 00:07:28,300 --> 00:07:32,700 So while we read this passage, I want us to understand. 114 00:07:32,700 --> 00:07:37,600 And and I'm going to deliberately slow down and read 115 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:39,800 this. So we can understand what's here 116 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:45,300 and think about these things and understand them as we read them. 117 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:51,100 So, let's read Joshua chapter 1 and we will read through verse 118 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:55,400 9. And it says there. 119 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:01,400 After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it came to 120 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:05,800 pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua, the son of nun. 121 00:08:06,100 --> 00:08:11,400 Moses assistant saying Moses my servant is dead now. 122 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:17,500 Therefore arise go over this Jordan, which you and all this 123 00:08:17,500 --> 00:08:21,600 people to the land, which I am giving to them the children of 124 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:24,400 Israel. Every place that the sole of 125 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,300 your foot will. Tread upon I have given to you 126 00:08:27,700 --> 00:08:32,100 as I said to Moses from the Wilderness and this Lebanon, as 127 00:08:32,100 --> 00:08:36,400 far as the Great River, the river Euphrates, all the land of 128 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:40,400 the Hittites and to the great seed, toward the going down of 129 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:46,200 the sun shall be your territory. No man should be able to stand 130 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:50,400 before you all the days of your life as I was with Moses. 131 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:56,700 So I will be with you, I will not leave you nor forsake you be 132 00:08:56,700 --> 00:09:01,100 strong and of good courage for to this people you shall divide 133 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:05,100 as an inheritance, the land which I swore to their fathers 134 00:09:05,100 --> 00:09:08,500 to give them. Only be strong and very 135 00:09:08,500 --> 00:09:11,500 courageous that you may observe to do. 136 00:09:11,500 --> 00:09:15,900 According to all the law which Moses my servant, commanded you 137 00:09:16,700 --> 00:09:21,100 do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left that you may 138 00:09:21,100 --> 00:09:26,500 Prosper, wherever you go, this book of the law shall not depart 139 00:09:26,500 --> 00:09:31,400 from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night 140 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:35,200 that you may observe to do, according to all that is written 141 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:38,400 in it. For then you will make your way 142 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:42,300 prosperous and then you will have good success. 143 00:09:43,100 --> 00:09:46,900 Have I not commanded. You be strong and of good 144 00:09:46,900 --> 00:09:49,300 courage. Do not be afraid. 145 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:54,400 Nor be dismayed for the Lord. Your God is with you wherever 146 00:09:54,600 --> 00:10:00,700 you go. Okay, so when we read this 147 00:10:00,700 --> 00:10:04,000 passage, there's a couple of phrases that stick out 148 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:09,900 immediately. And the first one is a command 149 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:15,900 and that command is to be strong and courageous. 150 00:10:16,500 --> 00:10:21,800 It is a command May want to take note of that and maybe even 151 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:25,200 underlining if you got your pencil out or anything like that 152 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:30,300 and verse 7 says, only be strong and very courageous and in verse 153 00:10:30,300 --> 00:10:35,500 9 have I not commanded you be strong and courageous. 154 00:10:38,100 --> 00:10:41,400 And then another phrase. So I was three times that he had 155 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:43,800 that they said that phrase and then the other phrase that is 156 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:47,400 repeated, three times is a promise and it's the promise 157 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:50,100 that God is going to be with Joshua. 158 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:57,300 Excuse me, God is going to be with Joshua. 159 00:10:57,500 --> 00:11:01,000 You see it twice, at the end of verse 5, God says, just as I was 160 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:04,600 with Moses so I will be with you. 161 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:09,100 That is the promise God promised to be with Joshua. 162 00:11:10,100 --> 00:11:12,400 And then he says it again, but he rephrase it. 163 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:16,300 He says, I will not leave you or forsake you. 164 00:11:16,900 --> 00:11:18,800 That's the second time. Then you may go down to the end 165 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:21,800 of the passage. The end of verse 9 says, do not 166 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:25,000 be frightened and do not be dismayed for the Lord your God 167 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:28,300 is with you wherever you go three times. 168 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:32,000 This is not the first time, we see these phrases in the Old 169 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:35,300 Testament. If you go back just a few 170 00:11:35,300 --> 00:11:39,700 chapters in to Deuteronomy 31, if you want to turn their will 171 00:11:39,700 --> 00:11:42,200 read a few verses out of Deuteronomy. 172 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:49,700 It says they're beginning in verse 1. 173 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:54,400 Then Moses went and spake these words to all Israel and he said 174 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:57,200 to them, I am 120 years old today. 175 00:11:57,600 --> 00:11:59,700 I can no longer go out and come in. 176 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:03,700 Also the Lord has said to me, you shall not cross over this 177 00:12:03,700 --> 00:12:05,900 Jordan. The Lord your God himself 178 00:12:05,900 --> 00:12:09,300 crosses over before you. He will destroy these nations 179 00:12:09,300 --> 00:12:11,100 from before you and you shall dispose. 180 00:12:11,300 --> 00:12:14,700 Dispossess them. Joshua himself crosses over 181 00:12:14,700 --> 00:12:18,900 before you just as the Lord to sit and the Lord will do to them 182 00:12:18,900 --> 00:12:22,900 as he did to Sion and OG the kings of the amorites and their 183 00:12:22,900 --> 00:12:27,500 land and he destroyed them, the Lord will give them over to you 184 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:30,000 that you may do to them according to every commandment 185 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:35,200 which I have commanded you And then here in verse 6, be strong. 186 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:39,000 And of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them for the 187 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:42,100 Lord, your God. He is the one who goes with you, 188 00:12:42,300 --> 00:12:47,100 he will not leave you nor forsake you the same command in 189 00:12:47,100 --> 00:12:51,000 the same promise. Then in verse 7, Moses speaks 190 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:55,500 directly to Joshua. And here's what he says, then 191 00:12:55,500 --> 00:12:58,300 Moses called Joshua and said to him in the inside of all of 192 00:12:58,300 --> 00:13:01,300 Israel, be strong and of good courage for. 193 00:13:01,300 --> 00:13:03,900 You must go with his people to the land which the Lord has 194 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:07,700 sworn to their fathers to give them and you shall cause them to 195 00:13:07,700 --> 00:13:10,900 inherit it. And the Lord, he is the one who 196 00:13:10,900 --> 00:13:13,200 goes before you, he will be with you. 197 00:13:13,300 --> 00:13:16,700 He will not leave you nor forsake you do not fear, nor be 198 00:13:16,700 --> 00:13:20,000 dismayed. That's pretty familiar. 199 00:13:20,900 --> 00:13:25,000 That is a constant reoccurring phrase that is said in the Old 200 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:27,600 Testament that we can read about. 201 00:13:28,900 --> 00:13:32,300 And then, if you go later in the chapter into verse 23 of 202 00:13:32,300 --> 00:13:36,900 Deuteronomy 31, God speaks directly to Joshua and it says 203 00:13:36,900 --> 00:13:41,100 there in verse 23. Then he inaugurated Joshua, the 204 00:13:41,100 --> 00:13:45,100 son of nun, and said, be strong and of good courage for you 205 00:13:45,100 --> 00:13:48,200 shall bring the children of Israel into the land, which I 206 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:50,300 swore to them and I will be with you. 207 00:13:52,300 --> 00:13:56,200 Now. When something is repeated like 208 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:59,200 that as many times as it has, I think it's something that we 209 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:02,200 need to take. Notice of God is telling us, 210 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:04,500 take notice of what I am telling you. 211 00:14:06,500 --> 00:14:11,300 Now, I didn't even point out yet in Joshua 1 at the end of the 212 00:14:11,300 --> 00:14:15,700 chapter, which we, of course, we did read, but the people there 213 00:14:15,700 --> 00:14:19,000 of Israel are speaking to Joshua's what, as well. 214 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:22,300 And they say the same thing in verse 16 of Joshua 1. 215 00:14:22,300 --> 00:14:25,600 It says, then they answered Joshua, whatever you have 216 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:28,100 commanded us, we will do. And wherever you send us, we 217 00:14:28,100 --> 00:14:33,800 will go just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey, you only 218 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:36,100 met the Lord, your God be with you. 219 00:14:36,100 --> 00:14:42,000 As As he has, or was with Moses Verse 18, whoever Rebels against 220 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,900 your word and does not obey it, whatever you may command them 221 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:49,000 will be put to death, only be strong and courageous. 222 00:14:50,900 --> 00:14:55,400 So, the promise here is that God will be with Joshua. 223 00:14:56,900 --> 00:15:01,900 And there's a command that is required from that promise of 224 00:15:01,900 --> 00:15:07,000 God and the command in light of God, being with Joshua, the 225 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,600 command is to be strong and be courageous. 226 00:15:11,300 --> 00:15:13,500 So that's what we're going to kind of study on here for a few 227 00:15:13,500 --> 00:15:18,900 minutes tonight. So what we want, we understand 228 00:15:18,900 --> 00:15:22,200 what Joshua was going through at that time, but I want to try to 229 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:24,200 apply these things to our life as well today. 230 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:31,000 So, Being a Christian, what effect does knowing god that he 231 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:35,700 is with, you have upon your life. so when God is with us or 232 00:15:35,700 --> 00:15:41,700 with you, We have confidence, amidst uncertainty. 233 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:50,000 So when God is with us, when God is with me, I have confidence 234 00:15:50,500 --> 00:15:55,100 admits uncertainty. So the context of the Bible 235 00:15:55,100 --> 00:16:02,700 leading up to Joshua, one is is pretty Monumental in Deuteronomy 236 00:16:02,700 --> 00:16:05,200 30. For the last book of 237 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:08,600 Deuteronomy. There was a huge event in 238 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:13,600 Israel's, in the time of Israel's people Moses had Died. 239 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:17,700 That was huge the man who led them out of Egypt. 240 00:16:17,700 --> 00:16:23,600 The man who who went to Mount Sinai and the tick, brought the 241 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:26,900 Ten Commandments down and led the people of Israel out of 242 00:16:26,900 --> 00:16:29,500 Egypt had died. It was their leader. 243 00:16:29,500 --> 00:16:35,800 They saw him as their leader. so, And Joshua saw him in the 244 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:40,800 same light as well. Here stands God's people on the 245 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:43,900 brink of the promised land and their leader is dead. 246 00:16:44,100 --> 00:16:47,400 So you can only imagine the uncertainty that Joshua and the 247 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:51,400 People Israel may have had. Sure, Joshua had been appointed 248 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:55,400 by Moses as his successor, but there was so much Unknown about 249 00:16:55,400 --> 00:17:00,000 how he would lead them and what would happen after Moses death. 250 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:08,200 It comes right into Joshua 1 and verse 1 of Joshua 1. 251 00:17:09,099 --> 00:17:12,099 It says there after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, 252 00:17:12,099 --> 00:17:18,000 the Lord said to Joshua And we are reminded right here, that 253 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:25,300 Moses was only a servant to God. that's all he was the Lord was 254 00:17:25,300 --> 00:17:31,300 with his people, regardless of who, the leader was And if you 255 00:17:31,300 --> 00:17:35,000 go on to verse 5 of Joshua 1, he says, just as I was with Moses, 256 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:38,100 so I will be with you. So the man who leads God's 257 00:17:38,100 --> 00:17:40,400 people is not ultimately what matters. 258 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:46,700 Ultimately, what matters is that the Lord Who leads his people 259 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:51,100 will be with his people. The Lord is our leader, God is 260 00:17:51,100 --> 00:17:54,300 our leader, and when God is with his people, they can have 261 00:17:54,300 --> 00:17:56,600 confidence and missed a certainty. 262 00:17:58,100 --> 00:18:00,900 Now this I think has some corporate application as well. 263 00:18:00,900 --> 00:18:04,600 We can think about it. You know, it's good to remember 264 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:09,400 that we here at this congregation and Bakersfield. 265 00:18:10,500 --> 00:18:17,200 Are not dependent on one leader or a group of leaders anywhere, 266 00:18:17,500 --> 00:18:20,300 we don't have any biblical text for that at all. 267 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:27,500 You know, we are not dependent on on my on Frank or Darren or 268 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:33,400 Danny or anybody here to lead our leader is God in Jesus and 269 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:37,700 we have to remember that and this is a perfect example of how 270 00:18:37,700 --> 00:18:40,100 God shows us that the person does not matter. 271 00:18:40,300 --> 00:18:44,300 But as long as the people are following God, that is what 272 00:18:44,300 --> 00:18:48,900 matters. So, when things like that happen 273 00:18:48,900 --> 00:18:55,800 in our life, if we have uncertainty in our life, Maybe 274 00:18:55,800 --> 00:19:00,200 someone in our lives is all of a sudden, not there anymore that 275 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:04,000 we've relied upon, maybe it's all of a sudden. 276 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:06,500 We lose our job. There's an uncertainty of how 277 00:19:06,500 --> 00:19:08,100 we're going to provide for our family. 278 00:19:09,700 --> 00:19:15,400 In any type of situation we can rely on God that he is still 279 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:24,000 there with us. So, God is saying to Joshua 280 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:27,200 Joshua in the middle of his uncertainty around him. 281 00:19:27,300 --> 00:19:30,700 I'm with you and you can be confident me in me. 282 00:19:32,300 --> 00:19:37,000 God also says, don't put your confidence in the circumstances. 283 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:41,500 They may be around. You put your confidence in me 284 00:19:41,500 --> 00:19:43,800 myself because I will always be here. 285 00:19:45,700 --> 00:19:50,500 Secondly, when God is with you, you have strength despite your 286 00:19:50,500 --> 00:19:54,100 weakness in verse 5. It says no one will be able to 287 00:19:54,100 --> 00:19:58,200 stand against you all the days of your life as I was with Moses 288 00:19:58,500 --> 00:20:02,500 so I will be with you. I will never leave you nor 289 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:08,500 forsake you Joshua needed strength in his room in his 290 00:20:08,500 --> 00:20:12,100 weakness. I didn't know this until I 291 00:20:12,108 --> 00:20:14,800 started studying but did you know that Josh would tried to 292 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:17,500 lead the people of Israel. One time before back in numbers 293 00:20:18,100 --> 00:20:22,500 and numbers 13, Joshua and Caleb. 294 00:20:22,500 --> 00:20:27,000 This was about 40 years prior had gone into the promised land 295 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:31,000 as spies with the other 12 Spies. 296 00:20:33,500 --> 00:20:39,000 And when the spies came back, all these of the tribes came 297 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:43,500 back to report, to Moses all of them, except for Caleb, and 298 00:20:43,500 --> 00:20:46,500 Joshua did not want to go, enter into the Promise, Land into 299 00:20:46,500 --> 00:20:49,600 Canaan. So Caleb and Joshua spoke up and 300 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:52,200 said, yeah, let's go, let's go get this goat. 301 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:54,300 Start taking this over, because God is with us. 302 00:20:54,300 --> 00:20:59,300 We can do it in numbers, 14, Joshua specifically Rises to 303 00:20:59,300 --> 00:21:01,800 speak, and he tells the people we can take this land. 304 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:05,800 Do you know how the people Bonded to Joshua, they wanted to 305 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:12,000 rise up to Stone him. They disagreed with Joshua and 306 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,800 what he wanted to do. Now. 307 00:21:16,100 --> 00:21:21,700 It has been about 40 years. Since that situation happened 308 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:26,900 until we until the first chapter of Joshua, but I don't think 309 00:21:26,900 --> 00:21:32,400 that kind of situation could ever be forgotten by somebody 310 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:35,200 who's trying to lead. You try to leave one time and 311 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:37,500 you got the people who you're trying to lead one to Stone you. 312 00:21:37,900 --> 00:21:43,600 That's pretty discouraging. So, Joshua had fear, Joshua had 313 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:52,100 had concerns about his leadership, I think. so, God 314 00:21:52,100 --> 00:21:55,200 says to him, I am with you and in light of this, even though 315 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:58,200 that you are weak with me, you are strong. 316 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:02,800 Have any of us ever felt overhead? 317 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:04,900 In like we're in over our heads in life. 318 00:22:05,900 --> 00:22:07,900 Whether it be with our relationships, whether it be 319 00:22:07,900 --> 00:22:13,900 with overhead in our marriage or overhead and parenting or in 320 00:22:13,900 --> 00:22:18,500 over your head at work, you know, when Lizzie and I had 321 00:22:18,500 --> 00:22:23,900 Kylie, we were 23 years old. Anthony was six years old. 18 322 00:22:23,900 --> 00:22:27,500 months later. We had Emma. 23. 323 00:22:27,500 --> 00:22:30,400 And we have three kids. We were in way over our head. 324 00:22:31,100 --> 00:22:32,400 We wouldn't change you for anything though. 325 00:22:33,100 --> 00:22:37,200 Ever. So I think all of us can kind of 326 00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:39,800 relate that there are. There are situations in our life 327 00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:43,000 where we feel like we are over in over our head. 328 00:22:44,100 --> 00:22:46,500 Emotional difficulty. Is there any of that that we may 329 00:22:46,500 --> 00:22:49,200 be facing? Maybe physical challenges that 330 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:54,500 we're encountering relational strain and you just don't know 331 00:22:54,500 --> 00:22:56,300 what to do with those points in time. 332 00:22:57,800 --> 00:22:59,600 Maybe the only thing you do know. 333 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:04,700 To do is extremely hard to do. So all those Christian men and 334 00:23:04,700 --> 00:23:07,800 women husbands and wives moms and dads and employees and 335 00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:13,000 employers facing all kinds of situations God is with us, he is 336 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:17,500 with you and he gives you strength despite your weakness 337 00:23:17,900 --> 00:23:21,400 also. When God is with you, you have 338 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:25,400 courage in the face of fear. So think about this. 339 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:29,000 Why did God tell Joshua three different times to be strong and 340 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:32,900 courageous. Well, the implied answer in the 341 00:23:32,900 --> 00:23:36,000 text is obvious. God told Joshua three times to 342 00:23:36,008 --> 00:23:39,400 be strong and courageous because Joshua was scared to death to 343 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:43,300 enter land of Canaan and take them over and take over the 344 00:23:43,300 --> 00:23:45,200 land. He was looking at land of Canaan 345 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:48,700 currently divided into 31 different city states and he 346 00:23:48,700 --> 00:23:50,900 supposed to lead God's people to conquer them. 347 00:23:50,900 --> 00:23:56,200 All, how's he going to do that? Starting with a major city of 348 00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:59,800 Jericho that has walls as thick as you and I can read of in the 349 00:23:59,808 --> 00:24:05,300 Bible. So I think Joshua had a lot to 350 00:24:05,300 --> 00:24:08,900 be afraid of, I mean, that's a huge task that God is asking if 351 00:24:08,900 --> 00:24:12,900 Joshua. So let's see what God says to 352 00:24:12,900 --> 00:24:18,600 him in verse 6 of our passage says, be strong and courageous, 353 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:22,100 because you would lead these people to inherit the land ice 354 00:24:22,100 --> 00:24:24,900 work to their ancestors, to give them. 355 00:24:26,300 --> 00:24:28,200 That's God. Saying you're going to cause 356 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:31,200 this people to inherit this land, I swore a long time ago 357 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:33,400 and give to them, God just said back up. 358 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:36,900 In verse 3, I will give you every place where you set your 359 00:24:36,900 --> 00:24:42,500 foot as I promised Moses. Every place verse for your 360 00:24:42,500 --> 00:24:45,500 territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon. 361 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:49,800 And from the Great River, the Euphrates, all the hittite 362 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:55,300 country to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, that is a guarantee 363 00:24:55,300 --> 00:25:00,000 from the almighty God. And that's the reason For 364 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:06,900 courage, in the face of fear. Joshua hasn't even fought one 365 00:25:06,900 --> 00:25:12,100 battle in the promised land yet. God is already guaranteeing 366 00:25:12,100 --> 00:25:14,900 victory. That's pretty amazing. 367 00:25:16,100 --> 00:25:18,600 When they'll God, the one true God, the only God who is 368 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:21,800 Sovereign over all the people and all the nations and all the 369 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:25,300 universe universe. When this God is with us, we 370 00:25:25,300 --> 00:25:31,800 have no reason to fear You know, I don't know what kind of fears 371 00:25:32,300 --> 00:25:37,100 you guys are facing in your life right now, but I do know that we 372 00:25:37,100 --> 00:25:42,100 have a God who spoke creation into existence The God Who 373 00:25:42,100 --> 00:25:45,500 Reigns over all creation and Over All Nations, he holds them 374 00:25:45,500 --> 00:25:48,000 in the palm of his hands. And when this God is on your 375 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:49,900 side, we have nothing to be afraid of. 376 00:25:50,300 --> 00:25:53,200 We have courage in the face of fear also. 377 00:25:54,900 --> 00:25:59,500 When God is with us. We have success in battles 378 00:25:59,500 --> 00:26:05,700 according to scripture. Notice how everything here on 379 00:26:05,700 --> 00:26:10,800 this text hinges on God's word to Joshua, God's word to his 380 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:14,900 people, which is why in verse 7. God says only be strong and very 381 00:26:14,900 --> 00:26:16,600 courageous that you may observe to do. 382 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:20,400 According to all the law which Moses my servant, commanded you 383 00:26:20,700 --> 00:26:24,400 do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left that you may 384 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:31,200 Prosper, wherever you go. Now, success here is tied to 385 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:34,100 obedience. Now, when I say the word 386 00:26:34,100 --> 00:26:36,900 success, I'm not talking about financial success. 387 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:40,600 I'm not talking about success in your job or success with your 388 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:44,900 personal life success. Here is success in the battles 389 00:26:44,900 --> 00:26:48,000 that we may be facing in our life and success of 390 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:50,700 understanding what God's will is for us. 391 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:52,700 That's what success is talking about. 392 00:26:52,700 --> 00:26:56,200 Your he was talking telling Joshua, if you do and stay with 393 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:59,200 me, if you follow, Me, I will be with you and you will be 394 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:03,100 successful in the battles. Coming in front of you, taking 395 00:27:03,100 --> 00:27:07,500 over the land of Canaan, verse 8, this book of the law shall 396 00:27:07,500 --> 00:27:11,200 not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and 397 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:12,900 night that you may observe to do. 398 00:27:12,900 --> 00:27:15,700 According to all that is written in it for. 399 00:27:15,700 --> 00:27:19,300 Then you will make your way prosperous and then you will 400 00:27:19,300 --> 00:27:26,100 have good success. It's interesting in the way this 401 00:27:26,100 --> 00:27:29,900 plays out in the, in the upcoming chapters of Joshua. 402 00:27:29,900 --> 00:27:34,300 If you read it, Israel's mirror military success in the Book of 403 00:27:34,300 --> 00:27:39,500 Joshua is never based on the strength of the army of Israel. 404 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:45,100 Never it is always based on God being with them because they are 405 00:27:45,100 --> 00:27:49,600 following God. Human strength, human strategy, 406 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:52,800 have nothing to do with whether or not the Israelites. 407 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:56,300 When different battles instead their battles are totally tied 408 00:27:56,900 --> 00:27:59,600 to whether or not these Israelites are obeying God. 409 00:27:59,700 --> 00:28:01,900 When they're walking in obedience to God's word, they 410 00:28:01,900 --> 00:28:05,900 can win a battle with nothing but trumpet players and people 411 00:28:05,900 --> 00:28:10,900 shouting yet on the other hand, when they're not walking in The 412 00:28:10,900 --> 00:28:14,700 Obedience of God's word, they can't even defeat the smallest 413 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:22,500 tiniest town of AI, even with their strongest men, So, let's 414 00:28:22,500 --> 00:28:24,600 all notice this, what we're talking about, we're talking 415 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:27,200 about confidence strength, courage, success. 416 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:31,500 All these things hinge on trusting in and clinging to 417 00:28:31,500 --> 00:28:38,700 God's word God doesn't give specifics at this point to 418 00:28:38,700 --> 00:28:43,500 Joshua on on what is going to happen when he goes to battle 419 00:28:43,500 --> 00:28:47,200 this city or the strategy or anything like that, God doesn't 420 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:51,300 give any specifics like that. So we may not know the specifics 421 00:28:51,300 --> 00:28:53,700 in our life when we're going through any type of battle or 422 00:28:53,700 --> 00:28:57,200 struggle. We may not know how to make the 423 00:28:57,200 --> 00:29:01,300 next move. But God is with us. 424 00:29:01,300 --> 00:29:04,400 If we are with Him, Frank mentioned this morning. 425 00:29:05,100 --> 00:29:08,200 God never leaves us. We are the ones who choose to 426 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:12,000 leave God. So as long as we don't leave God 427 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:15,600 God will be with us and our success is found in 428 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:19,700 understanding the scriptures and how to apply those to our life. 429 00:29:19,900 --> 00:29:24,400 God leads his people. According to his word, he has 430 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:27,500 not left us in the dark regarding his will and he will 431 00:29:27,500 --> 00:29:30,300 give us success and understanding his will if we 432 00:29:30,300 --> 00:29:34,000 follow his work. Also. 433 00:29:35,300 --> 00:29:40,500 When God is with you, you have hope in the face of despair. 434 00:29:42,100 --> 00:29:45,500 This passage closes out in verse nine with God saying, have I not 435 00:29:45,500 --> 00:29:49,500 commanded you be strong and courageous do not be frightened 436 00:29:49,500 --> 00:29:52,900 and do not be dismayed. The do not be dismayed, do not 437 00:29:52,900 --> 00:29:55,700 be discouraged. Do not be disheartened downcast 438 00:29:55,700 --> 00:29:58,900 or distressed. Don't let your heart. 439 00:29:58,900 --> 00:30:02,100 Give way to despair because the Lord, your God is with you, 440 00:30:02,100 --> 00:30:06,600 wherever you go. Whenever you get to a point in 441 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:11,200 your life or situation where you have no idea what to do next 442 00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:16,600 when it looks like there is nothing, but Darkness all around 443 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:20,100 you. And you don't know if there's 444 00:30:20,100 --> 00:30:27,800 any way to go forward at all. Know that you have hope in God, 445 00:30:28,700 --> 00:30:30,600 you have hope. Why not? 446 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:34,000 Because we are guaranteed that the circumstances are going to 447 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:37,100 change. Either tonight, tomorrow or the 448 00:30:37,100 --> 00:30:42,100 situation may get flipped around to, where it's going our way. 449 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:45,900 Our hope is not in the circumstance of the Searchers or 450 00:30:45,900 --> 00:30:49,700 the situation. Our hope, the hope of our heart 451 00:30:49,700 --> 00:30:53,800 is in the Rock. Solid reality that the Lord our 452 00:30:53,800 --> 00:31:01,600 God Is with us wherever we go. So don't be dismayed. if we go 453 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:09,000 back to Numbers, Chapter 13, Moses sent the twelve spies out 454 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:13,400 into the land, he gives the names out of the twelve spies 455 00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:16,100 that are going in. But when Joshua is name is 456 00:31:16,100 --> 00:31:21,600 mentioned, he is not initially called Joshua and numbers. 13:8, 457 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:25,700 he's called hoshea son of nun and it's not until we get to 458 00:31:25,700 --> 00:31:28,200 verse 16 in that chapter that we read. 459 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:31,000 It says there. There were the names of men whom 460 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:35,900 Moses sent to spy out the land and Moses called hoshea, the son 461 00:31:35,900 --> 00:31:37,600 of nun. Joshua. 462 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:46,400 So, why did Moses change the name of hoshea to Joshua? 463 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:50,700 Well, there's always a difference and there's always a 464 00:31:50,700 --> 00:31:55,000 meaning to names in the Old Testament and even the New 465 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:57,800 Testament. And the answer is hoshea means, 466 00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:02,400 Deliverance or salvation, but Moses makes a slight but 467 00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:05,100 significant change at the beginning of his name, where he 468 00:32:05,100 --> 00:32:08,600 changes it to Joshua. So now it doesn't just mean 469 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:12,900 Mean, Deliverance or salvation. But now it means Yahweh 470 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:17,100 delivers. Or Yahweh saves. 471 00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:21,700 In other words, the Lord delivers, the Lord saves. 472 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:25,400 It's the first name we see in the Bible that explicitly 473 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:31,200 incorporates Lord or Yahweh into a someone's name. 474 00:32:31,300 --> 00:32:35,100 And it is deliberate. God is always deliberate in 475 00:32:35,100 --> 00:32:41,500 everything that we can read out of the Bible. so, When we come 476 00:32:41,500 --> 00:32:44,700 to this book, that bears, the name of Joshua, the overall 477 00:32:44,700 --> 00:32:46,700 message of the Book of Joshua is clear. 478 00:32:47,100 --> 00:32:51,600 The Lord delivers, his people the Lord saves his people 479 00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:56,000 because of yahweh's presence because of God's presence with 480 00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:58,400 his people. They can have hope in the face 481 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:00,000 of this bear. He will deliver them. 482 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:04,000 He will save them. God delivers God Saves his 483 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:08,700 people. Now, if that's like change in 484 00:33:08,700 --> 00:33:12,500 the Old Testament, isn't isn't cool enough for pretty, pretty 485 00:33:12,500 --> 00:33:18,200 neat enough. The Hebrew name Joshua is 486 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:22,300 translated into the New Testament into the Greek and 487 00:33:22,300 --> 00:33:26,900 Joshua translated into the New Testament as Yeshua. 488 00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:32,400 Or Jesus. For in the Greek New Testament, 489 00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:36,600 it's the name of Jesus, that's translates the Lord saves or the 490 00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:40,500 Lord delivers. So let's not miss, what is going 491 00:33:40,500 --> 00:33:41,900 on here? All this talk about God's 492 00:33:41,900 --> 00:33:45,600 presence with his people was foreshadowing a day. 493 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:50,500 When God would come literally to dwell on Earth with man among 494 00:33:50,500 --> 00:33:55,000 his people and that is Jesus, the Lord, who saves, who would 495 00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:58,500 come to Earth as a man, the perfect presence of God dwelling 496 00:33:58,500 --> 00:34:03,100 with and among his people, Oh, Jesus, stood in our place on the 497 00:34:03,108 --> 00:34:07,500 cross willingly suffered and died for our sins and he 498 00:34:07,500 --> 00:34:11,500 purchased our reconciliation to God and in his unique life in 499 00:34:11,500 --> 00:34:16,000 his substitutionary, really nari death and in his resurrection 500 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:19,699 over sin and death, Jesus had made it possible for you and I 501 00:34:19,699 --> 00:34:22,300 to be restored to the presence of God. 502 00:34:22,300 --> 00:34:27,400 So it's only through Christ and through faith and trust in who 503 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:29,900 he is. And what he has done that these 504 00:34:29,900 --> 00:34:33,300 promises Can be reality to our lives and obeying the gospel 505 00:34:33,699 --> 00:34:35,699 apart. From God, we are separated from 506 00:34:35,699 --> 00:34:39,500 God in our sin. We can put our trust in him when 507 00:34:39,500 --> 00:34:42,100 we are reconciled. When we are baptized restored to 508 00:34:42,100 --> 00:34:46,000 God, that we can just consider these promises what they mean 509 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:49,400 for you. And I All these promises are for 510 00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:53,500 us as Christians. Also, something else happens, 511 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:56,100 let's look at some a few verses here. 512 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:05,300 In Colossians 1 verse 27. It says there to them, God, 513 00:35:05,300 --> 00:35:08,700 willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this 514 00:35:08,700 --> 00:35:12,000 mystery, among the Gentiles, which is Christ in. 515 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:16,500 You the hope of glory, I believe this is talking about the holy 516 00:35:16,500 --> 00:35:19,800 spirit being in this when we choose to follow Christ. 517 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:24,700 So the picture that the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the 518 00:35:24,700 --> 00:35:28,000 Dead comes to live inside us. Ephesians 1 says that the holy 519 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:31,200 spirit is in you sealing our Eternal redemptions. 520 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:34,700 So we are sealed with the holy spirit inside of us, as long as 521 00:35:34,700 --> 00:35:39,400 we do not leave God. The scripture also talks about, 522 00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:43,300 not how just Christ is in this, but how we are in Christ as well 523 00:35:43,300 --> 00:35:46,100 as be when we are Christians. Second Corinthians 5. 524 00:35:46,100 --> 00:35:49,800 And 17 says, therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new 525 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:52,800 creation old things have passed away, behold? 526 00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:59,100 All things have become new. So we are in Christ. 527 00:35:59,100 --> 00:36:01,800 We are seal, we are a new creation, the old has gone. 528 00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:06,200 The new must the newest come, but it gets even a little bit 529 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:08,400 better for us. In Colossians 3:3. 530 00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:13,300 It says for you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in 531 00:36:13,300 --> 00:36:16,700 God. So we are hidden with Christ in 532 00:36:16,700 --> 00:36:20,900 God. The spirit is in us, and we are 533 00:36:20,900 --> 00:36:25,800 in Christ and Christ in God. There's a lot going on there. 534 00:36:26,900 --> 00:36:31,200 Now, we can think about that and think about how when we are 535 00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:34,400 being tempted by the devil. Or when he we feel like he's 536 00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:38,900 coming at his pretty hard. We are protected by a lot of 537 00:36:38,900 --> 00:36:41,700 things going on there. We're protected by the spirit 538 00:36:41,700 --> 00:36:45,100 and this were protected by being in Jesus Christ and and we're 539 00:36:45,100 --> 00:36:47,200 protected by Christ being in God. 540 00:36:48,200 --> 00:36:53,800 So we have no reason to be afraid or to be dismayed and we 541 00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:57,200 have no reason to not have strength. 542 00:36:57,200 --> 00:37:00,400 Despite our weakness. God is with us. 543 00:37:02,300 --> 00:37:07,400 Hudson Taylor says, This in his biography called Hudson, Taylor 544 00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:12,200 Spiritual Secret. He said there, I know he is able 545 00:37:12,200 --> 00:37:15,600 to carry out his will and his will is mine. 546 00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:21,400 It makes no matter where he places me or how that is rather 547 00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:25,800 for him to consider than for me, for the, for in the easiest 548 00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:28,600 position, he must give me his grace, and in the most 549 00:37:28,600 --> 00:37:31,700 difficult, his grace will be sufficient. 550 00:37:32,400 --> 00:37:37,300 So God should Place me in. Great perplexity, must he not 551 00:37:37,300 --> 00:37:40,600 give me much guidance. In positions of great 552 00:37:40,600 --> 00:37:45,700 difficulty, much grace in circumstances of great pressure 553 00:37:45,700 --> 00:37:50,700 and trial much strength. I have no fear that his 554 00:37:50,700 --> 00:37:55,700 resources will be unequal to the emergency and his resources are 555 00:37:55,700 --> 00:38:01,200 mine for, he is mine and he is with me and he dwells in me. 556 00:38:02,700 --> 00:38:06,300 We can have confidence that God is with us as long as we are 557 00:38:06,300 --> 00:38:12,100 following the scripture. So in conclusion, amidst 558 00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:16,700 uncertainty, we have confidence despite our weakness. 559 00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:21,000 We have strength in the face of fear, we have nothing to be 560 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:25,100 afraid of. We have courage, God will grant 561 00:38:25,100 --> 00:38:27,500 us, success and understanding his will, according to the 562 00:38:27,500 --> 00:38:31,700 scripture, he gives us hope. Even in the deepest darkest, 563 00:38:31,700 --> 00:38:34,600 most difficult circumstances, he is with us. 564 00:38:34,700 --> 00:38:37,300 Don't be afraid, don't be dismayed. 565 00:38:37,700 --> 00:38:42,400 The Lord God is with us in. You and him wherever we go and 566 00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:48,200 this is all a blood blood bought reality for every Christian. 567 00:38:50,100 --> 00:38:52,800 We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the 568 00:38:52,800 --> 00:38:58,500 Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you 569 00:38:58,508 --> 00:39:01,700 would like any additional information or you would like to 570 00:39:01,700 --> 00:39:04,800 receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail. 571 00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:09,300 Please email us at info at True Church of Christ 572 00:39:09,300 --> 00:39:13,200 Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays 573 00:39:13,200 --> 00:39:18,900 at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. 574 00:39:19,500 --> 00:39:23,000 Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our 575 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:23,900 honored guest.