1 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:15,360 Happy Monday. Pastor Matt is here with you. 2 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:22,520 Pastor Chris out on vacation. So Dom Wiese is here sitting in 3 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:25,920 on the pod this morning. Welcome to The Leftovers. 4 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:27,760 Yeah, I'm always happy to be here. 5 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:33,760 I enjoy our conversations. Yeah, Dom is interning over the 6 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:34,880 summer. He's going to be around a lot 7 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:39,440 more in ministry life at ERC. You're always kind of here. 8 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:41,240 You're always, always kind of here. 9 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:46,720 Anywhere from scrubbing toilets to playing on worship. 10 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:48,200 Dean, you've preached a couple times. 11 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:52,480 You are full on in. Yeah, in in between. 12 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:57,280 Yep, the servant. Leadership, part of vocational 13 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:01,280 ministry. But no, you are officially going 14 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:04,360 to be around more of the summer. My sabbatical coming up starting 15 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,720 on June 1st and you're going to step in and fill in some of the 16 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:09,240 gaps. You'll be on the pod with Chris 17 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:11,960 over the summer. What else? 18 00:01:11,960 --> 00:01:15,280 What else all did we task you with doing this summer? 19 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:20,600 Yeah, just really get to, I'm really excited for the preaching 20 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,040 opportunities. Yep, you're preaching over the 21 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:26,320 summer too. I didn't go into homiletics this 22 00:01:26,320 --> 00:01:28,560 semester exactly excited for that. 23 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:31,480 Just cause to me that's the most nerve wracking. 24 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:35,280 Even though I've been on that, you know, up on worship team for 25 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:39,640 how many years now? Sure, that's still that's much 26 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:43,080 more nerve wracking. It's tricky, man. 27 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:47,040 Then that we've talked about it before that weight of rightly 28 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:51,840 handling the word that I don't know, it's, it's weird to call 29 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:55,240 it a sense of dread, but like Saturday nights, it's always fun 30 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:57,600 at the worship teams come in, comes in on Sunday morning and 31 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:00,960 sometimes 7:00 AM hits hard on a Sunday morning sometimes that 32 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:04,080 people are dragging. But like, I just, I never really 33 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:07,360 sleep that well Saturday night into a Sunday morning, even if I 34 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:10,919 feel completely locked in and ready and prepared and, and all 35 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:14,920 the things I don't know. Yeah, there's, there's still 36 00:02:14,920 --> 00:02:18,080 just kind of that the extra weight of, of bearing and 37 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:20,960 teaching the word of God, that higher accountability that's in 38 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:22,600 there. Yeah. 39 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:25,280 So I get the trepidation with the, the preaching class 40 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,080 homiletics and wanting to go about that rightly. 41 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:31,800 But you've preached a couple times before already. 42 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:35,480 And so that's, that's good. We got you preaching over the 43 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:38,280 summer a couple times. We'll be in the Apostles Creed 44 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:42,120 for most of the summer, working through many, Yeah, many of the 45 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,560 the phrases that stand as stands as the confessions in the 46 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:49,400 Apostles Creed and mining their roots, establishing their 47 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:52,600 reestablishing, reminding of their significance and why we 48 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:55,200 profess what we do in the Apostles Creed. 49 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:58,920 So you'll be in that with Chris over the summer, too. 50 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:04,040 You're going to Kentucky with the youth right on the on the 51 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:08,280 youth group trip. Yep, we'll go to the EYC stuff. 52 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:10,960 It's been a long time since I went and. 53 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:13,800 As a student, as a. Student, but I'm, I'm really 54 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:17,040 excited, especially being more involved with youth group stuff 55 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:20,120 now getting to know the kids a little bit more and spend some 56 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:23,800 time with them and also, you know, getting to bring them the 57 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:26,320 word on Wednesday nights. But even just knowing them a 58 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,520 little more personally, I'm really excited for that trip, 59 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:34,120 even though it's going to be a long one, just with that many 60 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:35,920 people and that many things going on. 61 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:39,040 It's we're going to come back and we're going to be exhausted, 62 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:42,000 but it's going to be amazing experience while we're there. 63 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:43,800 And I'm really excited for that, yeah. 64 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:46,400 It'll be a quicker trip than Colorado. 65 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:49,520 It's at least a lot closer for us than it's been in years past. 66 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:53,040 But yeah, that'll that'll still be something. 67 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:55,600 It's one thing just to be you're stuck. 68 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:59,280 You're committed on the road with students for a week. 69 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:02,800 There's no there's no relief. You're just. 70 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:05,920 Not getting out of that. One you're always on for yeah, 71 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:08,880 for all the days in a row so yeah. 72 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:12,320 And you're you're stepping up and taking over a lot of the 73 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:14,840 particulars of worship ministry this summer too. 74 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:17,519 Going to be leading the band and teams on Sundays with that. 75 00:04:17,519 --> 00:04:20,000 So yeah, we're just going to see, we're going to put you 76 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:23,960 through all the things and see see how that goes, see how, see 77 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:26,280 how it grabs you so. I'm excited for it. 78 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:27,880 Cool. No, that'll be great. 79 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:32,760 So yeah, Dom sitting in on the pod with us this week. 80 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:36,920 Pastor Chris gave a graduation Sunday message yesterday. 81 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:41,520 Joshua won the 1st 9 verses of that chapter centered on be 82 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:45,720 strong and courageous. Congratulations to all the grads 83 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:47,680 out there. We acknowledge and recognize the 84 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:52,160 the high school graduates here in our ERC community yesterday. 85 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:55,560 But yeah, for all of you who have connections in in college 86 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:59,200 or or high school, it's kind of a yeah, it's a milestone 87 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:04,120 weekend, which whichever that graduation is from high school 88 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:08,480 or college or or beyond even. But where are you at? 89 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:13,840 How did you wrap up seminary? This is first, first year of a 90 00:05:13,840 --> 00:05:16,520 three-year program, right? For those who don't know the 91 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:19,560 Lutheran Brethren Seminary where we receive our pastoral 92 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:22,000 training. You've wrapped up year one right 93 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:24,960 and their graduation already happened a couple they usually 94 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:26,560 are done by like second week of May. 95 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:31,440 So those the 2026 seminary graduates have happened, but you 96 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:35,120 have two more years. What's what's left? 97 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:39,520 Did you have Hebrew and? Greek this year so they split 98 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:42,560 them up from my understanding. I believe you guys took them 99 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:45,160 both at the same time. It there was some crossover, 100 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:49,040 Yeah, yeah. This actually, I'll have a 101 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:51,240 little bit of crossover just because of the way I did it this 102 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:54,680 semester, but they split them. So first year you have Hebrew, 103 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:58,480 second year you have Greek. So you haven't started Greek at 104 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:00,400 all yet? I have not started that is that 105 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:04,120 is this upcoming semester. Cool Greek is weird. 106 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:10,320 Yeah, every everyone I've talked to says that Greek is slightly 107 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:13,840 easier than Hebrew because it more mimics, you know, the the 108 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:17,920 way that you put English sentences together. 109 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:20,640 The structure is a little bit more similar, whereas Hebrews 110 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:22,440 just. Hebrews completely. 111 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:24,280 Yeah, yeah. Yep. 112 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:28,040 What else is coming up in year 2? 113 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:31,280 Do you know what your what's on like your class list for this 114 00:06:31,280 --> 00:06:34,400 next year? That is a great question. 115 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:38,000 I actually have a meeting with my advisor because I think we're 116 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,680 going to do things a little bit different than what like in the 117 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:43,000 booklet they have, hey, if you want to get it done in three 118 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:44,440 years, this is kind of the program. 119 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:48,760 I think we're changing things up just slightly, but I know I have 120 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:52,480 a a history course, a couple more history things. 121 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:54,880 Year 2, you usually start getting into the systematic 122 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:58,560 theology thing with systematics and Yep, and ethics. 123 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:03,240 That's kind of the yeah, the groundwork of Lutheran theology 124 00:07:03,280 --> 00:07:06,480 and yeah, some of the some of the church history stuff I'm 125 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:09,960 sure will be in there too. So yeah, that's about preaching 126 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:12,880 languages, doctrine. That's Oh yeah. 127 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:16,240 That's a large thrust of the seminarians work. 128 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:18,440 So no, we're excited for you, man. 129 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:22,920 Two more years in school and you're you get to do that online 130 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:25,160 while being in very involved in ministry here. 131 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:29,200 That's how I did it and that's it doesn't work that way for 132 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:30,640 everyone. I know some people like just 133 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:34,600 need to be isolated in the academic setting and just feel 134 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:37,720 like they're focused on that. I really liked taking in the 135 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:41,560 academia while I was kind of live in the practical side of 136 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:44,360 it, you know, in a week in, week out church community. 137 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:48,440 So yeah, one year down to to go. Happy to have you here. 138 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:53,280 We're going to dive into the sermon text for this week. 139 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:58,320 Kind of take it in a couple pieces here, just setting up 140 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:04,040 where we're actually at the beginning of the book of Joshua, 141 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:10,720 Joshua chapter 1, Joshua was Moses's assistant. 142 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:13,960 Basically he was not relationally like he wasn't 143 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:18,400 related to Moses, but through their relationship through 144 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:22,840 attributes that Joshua had leadership that Joshua had. 145 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:27,440 He he was clearly going to be Moses's successor as the leader 146 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:31,240 of the people of Israel about I think it was about 35 years 147 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:38,400 before where we are in Joshua one here Joshua and Caleb were 148 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:42,080 the Israelite spies. They were part of the 12 149 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:45,120 Israelite spies that were sent into the land of Canaan in the 150 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:48,920 promised land to scout and see what was there. 151 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:52,640 And they were the only two of the 12 who came back hopeful, 152 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:55,200 who the God had promised this land to them. 153 00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:59,640 The other 10 spies came back with various reasons that Nope, 154 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:02,040 we should, we should turn back. There's no what there's, there's 155 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:04,320 giants here, there's, there's fierce people here. 156 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:06,240 There's, there's threats, there's things that we should 157 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:08,440 not. Well, Joshua and Caleb held to 158 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:12,200 the promise of no, this is, this is the land the Lord has 159 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:15,160 promised to us, has given to us. And that's interesting as we 160 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:18,280 come to this passage of, of being strong and courageous, 161 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:20,360 this passage that is full of God's promises. 162 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:23,800 Joshua already kind of had that that's how he'd been living his 163 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,720 life this, this whole way 30, almost 4 decades ago. 164 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:32,040 He had already held to no God promised us this land. 165 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:35,640 Of course we're we're going to enter into it and and receive 166 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:40,520 this gift and this blessing. So let's pick it up at Joshua 167 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:44,120 chapter 1, starting at verse one. 168 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:46,760 Just yet. Some some sort of context things 169 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:49,600 after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord came to pass 170 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:53,800 that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun Moses assistant 171 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:55,960 saying Moses, my servant is dead. 172 00:09:55,960 --> 00:10:00,480 Now therefore arise go over this Jordan, the river, you and all 173 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:03,640 this people to the land which I am giving them the children of 174 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:05,720 Israel. Every place that the sole of 175 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:10,280 your foot will tread upon I have given you as I said to Moses 176 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:13,840 already we're in with the promises. 177 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:18,920 God is reminding Joshua, hey, this, this deal's the same. 178 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:22,840 This is, this is what I had set up with Moses, your mentor, your 179 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:25,400 leader. You are commissioned in, in 180 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:29,520 taking up this mantle and leading my people through here. 181 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:33,720 And just as I promised Moses, I'm, I'm treating it that the 182 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:37,880 deal is the same with you, Joshua. 183 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:45,040 Originally he was named Hoshea, which means salvation and Moses 184 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:48,080 changed his name to Joshua, which it which is kind of the 185 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:53,920 adding that that Yeshua in into it, meaning Yahweh is salvation 186 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:57,640 and really relying on the promise and salvation of the 187 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:00,600 Lord that's now in his name. We see that a lot in the Bible 188 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:04,880 people's names being changed or or renamed repurposed for God 189 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:08,480 and that follows the vein of those are in Christ or a new 190 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:10,800 creation. We we see that lived out 191 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:17,040 throughout the Bible of of this is this is your new calling. 192 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:20,080 This is your new meaning. This is your new name. 193 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:23,480 So I thought the whole thing Joshua's now given name 194 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:28,840 Yahoshua, which means Yahweh saves and delivers. 195 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:34,760 So that's that's how God's addressing him here and at God's 196 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:38,160 command, Moses who had already kind of formally recognized 197 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:42,200 Joshua as as his successor. God is now affirming that 198 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:45,320 saying, Yep, you're the dude for for all these reasons. 199 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:47,480 You've been the leader of the army of Israel. 200 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:49,560 You were Moses's assistant disciple. 201 00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:54,640 You, you've, you were one of the two faith filled spies that came 202 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:56,160 back. You've already demonstrated 203 00:11:56,520 --> 00:11:58,720 faithfulness. You've demonstrated leadership 204 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:02,400 in, in soldiering and and pressing on you. 205 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:05,400 You've been one of the most faithful people here. 206 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:09,880 He's not a perfect person, but he has lived a life of 207 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:13,000 faithfulness. So that's where we're at with 208 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:17,080 with Joshua as he kind of his leadership is established here 209 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:21,040 by God. I always think this passage is 210 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:23,320 interesting. I, I love this narrative of how 211 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:26,680 the how God's work. Where is that it? 212 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:28,960 It told us in verse one after the death of Moses, the servant 213 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:30,480 of the Lord. So it told us Moses is dead. 214 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:33,480 And then it kind of we reiterate God's word. 215 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:35,560 Moses, my servant is dead, says God. 216 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:39,560 OK, Yep. Yeah, we we got that. 217 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:42,520 But God is just letting us know that I know too, right? 218 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:46,400 Just to make sure. Yeah, in case in case you didn't 219 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:52,840 get the scroll this this happened a thought from the 220 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:57,280 enduring word commentary here just on Joshua. 221 00:12:58,320 --> 00:12:59,600 This is from the commentator Morgan. 222 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:03,680 It says God's instruments are men and high indeed is the honor 223 00:13:03,680 --> 00:13:06,200 of being such. Each will take up a work already 224 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:08,120 begun and we'll leave it unfinished. 225 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:11,360 Each is a debtor to those who have gone before and creditor to 226 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:14,120 those who are follow who who will who are to follow. 227 00:13:14,680 --> 00:13:17,640 Therefore it behooves us to be filled with humility and 228 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:20,160 restfulness. There had to be a measure of 229 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:26,240 Joshua that felt unworthy, I think to continue on this thing 230 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:30,120 that Moses had started. I we certainly don't see a 231 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:33,640 display of of arrogance and in fact, most of the rest of this 232 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:35,320 passage this be strong and courageous. 233 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:38,400 We had to actually get the impression there was a there's a 234 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:40,280 feeling of unworthiness. There was a feeling of 235 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:44,440 trepidation that that Joshua was like, I can't do what this guy 236 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:47,320 did. I'm I'm, I'm not, I'm not worthy 237 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:52,200 to continue this on, but this is this is kind of the start of 238 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:54,080 that and and the continuation of God. 239 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:57,720 No, man, that you're you're the guy just like Moses was before 240 00:13:57,720 --> 00:13:59,120 you. As much confidence as you had in 241 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:02,440 Moses that I was with him in the same way I'm with you. 242 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:06,440 When and to think about, we talk about, you know, the nerves and 243 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:09,880 nervousness and all the things that come with, you know, 244 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:14,720 leading our people. And just imagine that on a 10X 245 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:17,840 scale, like you are the guy, you are next. 246 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:22,360 Like Moses was that guy, but it's also the cool imagery of 247 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:26,600 it's not just the person doing the work. 248 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:30,600 God is doing the work. And he's using US in the moments 249 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:35,280 to lead his people to to lead his people to his Kingdom. 250 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:39,000 And it's cool that, you know, yeah, there's the leader that I 251 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,720 want to follow is the one that is slightly nervous is the one 252 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:46,400 that is, you know, doesn't necessarily feel like he should 253 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:50,040 be the guy, but he is the guy. He's got the tools, He's got the 254 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:53,120 abilities. God chose him for a reason. 255 00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:54,600 Like, yeah, I want to follow that guy. 256 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:57,520 I don't want to follow an arrogant, you know, Oh yeah, 257 00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:00,480 that I should have had this job. I should be this leader. 258 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:04,560 So it to me, it's really cool seeing Joshua in this moment. 259 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:06,600 Like, yeah, there is nervousness. 260 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:08,680 There is you're you're leading God's people. 261 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:13,520 Like Moses had the bar pretty high, but Moses wasn't doing all 262 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:15,280 the work himself. God was. 263 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:18,480 And God's going to God's promising Joshua here that he's 264 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:21,880 going to continue to do those works even through him. 265 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:26,600 So I really like, I really like Joshua as a leader. 266 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:28,800 Like this is a guy that I would want to follow. 267 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:29,960 Yeah. And there has. 268 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:33,840 To be that I'm sure he had that base understanding that there 269 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:36,560 wasn't anything magical about Moses. 270 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:38,920 He saw how God was working in and through him. 271 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:42,200 And so so verse 5 of chapter 1, hear this promise from God. 272 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:45,520 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your 273 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:48,280 life. And as I was with Moses, so I 274 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:50,560 will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake 275 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:53,200 you. Joshua that that had to be a 276 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:56,920 reassuring word as he had already witnessed God working 277 00:15:56,920 --> 00:15:59,080 through Moses. And God again is saying, no, 278 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:01,320 it's it's the same deal. I'm choosing you. 279 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:05,800 I'm going to work through you as I worked through Moses. 280 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:09,560 So that's yeah, that's one of the great promises in here. 281 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:12,800 And then we get to the really kind of the main thrust in verse 282 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:14,680 6. He says for the first time, God 283 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:17,800 says to Joshua, be strong and of good courage. 284 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:21,520 For to this people, you shall divide as an inheritance the 285 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:24,560 land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 286 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:28,280 There's already been there's, there's 13 times specifically in 287 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:31,240 Genesis, but throughout the Pentateuch, this, this promised 288 00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:35,560 land promise has, has happened again and again and again. 289 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:38,920 And then the Israelites kind of, they lose sight and meander and 290 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:41,280 God reminds them, no, I still have this salvation in store. 291 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:43,520 I still have this land in store for you. 292 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:47,800 And he's once again reminding Joshua, Nope, this is I'm still 293 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:50,040 holding up my end of of what this is. 294 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:55,560 Spurgeon has a thought on this on this promised land because it 295 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:57,680 was quite literally a location for them. 296 00:16:57,680 --> 00:17:03,640 But us modern day Christians and Jesus coming and establishing 297 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:07,480 the new covenant that this is now for all people. 298 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:11,640 It's salvation in him. This this promised land, though 299 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:17,480 it was a literal place becomes more of a metaphor for the 300 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:20,560 modern Christian that really the post Jesus Christian. 301 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:24,040 So Spurgeon offers this thought. Though this refers to a literal 302 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:26,280 land, it has spiritual application. 303 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:29,720 All that is in Christ is meant for all believers, and therefore 304 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:33,880 all believers may have all that is in Christ, who is All in all. 305 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:37,920 We should not be content with Pence when he endows us with 306 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:42,720 pounds, though this was an an actual place. 307 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:45,960 We sing a song Egypt sometimes. You, you stepped into my Egypt. 308 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:48,920 You, you took him by the hand and brought me out of freedom 309 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:52,280 into the promised land. That's what we have now. 310 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:56,760 We were slaves to sin even when we were dead in our sins and 311 00:17:56,760 --> 00:18:00,440 trespasses, God made a way to bring us out of that into the 312 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:04,000 promised land. So now, now our promised land 313 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:11,880 is, is abiding in God's Word, is is in full life with him, not 314 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:13,760 just a place. And this was an orchestrated 315 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:19,600 place where the Israelites were called to go and be and live in 316 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:24,520 his provision for them. That obviously looks different 317 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:27,720 for us nowadays, but it's still, if we, if we can think of it as 318 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:30,880 a metaphorical place or a metaphysical place or kind of 319 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:34,640 just a mental place to our promised land is God His, his 320 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:37,880 very being, his Word, his presence, his spirit. 321 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:41,880 Those were things that also weren't present for the people 322 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:46,680 of God at that. Time so and Chris touched on it 323 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:50,640 a little bit too I believe you said something along the lines 324 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:55,560 of you know Christianity is the only faith on the planet that 325 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:59,320 doesn't just promise that God loves you but God dwells in you. 326 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:03,320 So even as we're living our earthly lives like we have a 327 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:07,480 piece of that with us at all times God is dwelling in US. 328 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:13,480 His Kingdom is within us and to me that's a scary promise, but 329 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:18,080 it an awesome promise of like, no matter where we are, it, we 330 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:19,840 don't have to be in a physical place. 331 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:21,920 Like they're like you're talking about here. 332 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:26,440 They have a specific area that's promised to them and where 333 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:29,400 they're living. We get to live our lives 334 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:33,680 wherever we are and we get a piece of that Kingdom with us. 335 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:37,360 We get God dwelling in US. And that's such a cool promise 336 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:42,200 that I personally overlooked for a long time in in my own faith 337 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:46,560 of like, yeah, God is with you all of the time, no matter where 338 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:50,480 you are, whether you're you feel like you're behind enemy lines 339 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:54,360 or you're in your comfort space, like God is dwelling in you at 340 00:19:54,360 --> 00:19:57,200 all times. Yeah, and Chris talked about 341 00:19:57,200 --> 00:20:00,880 that. I think he got into the one of 342 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:03,640 his, one of his phrases from yesterday was nail your colors 343 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:06,680 to the mast. The the story about the the 344 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:11,000 naval battles and and how ships flying their colors was. 345 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:15,400 It was a symbol of which which team you're on which side you're 346 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:17,920 on, but also signals to your team that I'm I'm still 347 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:20,560 fighting, I'm still championing this thing. 348 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:25,080 I'm still believing that this this is the fight we're fighting 349 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:26,560 in. That's what God's kind of pep 350 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:31,680 talk is here for for Joshua to of as he as he continues on 351 00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:33,520 verse 6, be strong enough good courage. 352 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:38,320 Verse 7 then reiterated, only be strong and very courageous that 353 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:41,560 you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses my 354 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:44,600 servant commanded you stick, stick to this. 355 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:46,680 Don't deviate. He said he goes on. 356 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:49,920 Do not turn it from the right hand or to the left that you may 357 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:53,560 prosper wherever you go. He has a plan to prosper here. 358 00:20:54,360 --> 00:20:57,120 It's it's in his plan. It's in sticking to that 359 00:20:57,120 --> 00:21:02,520 remembering that he is with you, that he's our that he's our true 360 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:08,560 north, that he's our direction. So this this whole passage 361 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:15,160 promises of God for the good, for the prospering of his 362 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:17,800 people. We get into some conditional 363 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:22,160 statements here in in the last part of it, verses 6 through 9. 364 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:23,200 And I thought this was interesting. 365 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:27,160 Chris also put out in the in the life group discussion questions 366 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:32,400 talking about if you truly believe deep in your bones that 367 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:35,520 God is with you wherever you go, what would you do differently 368 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:39,840 this week? And and also just kind of asking 369 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:42,520 what practical rhythms help keep scripture in front of you 370 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:46,880 throughout the week. How how do you apply these 371 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:50,680 things because there are, I think some some conditions here. 372 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:55,320 It says, observe the law which Moses, my servant commanded you 373 00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:59,480 do not turn, do not turn from it to the right or to the left that 374 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:04,680 you may prosper wherever you go. There, there is application 375 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:08,600 there of we, we, we talk about God's word being the best thing 376 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:10,360 for us. We talk about time with God 377 00:22:10,360 --> 00:22:13,840 being, being what we need the the best thing for us. 378 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:17,800 God even attaches it to it. And I'm not saying it's a binary 379 00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:21,040 do this and get all your problems solved. 380 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:23,720 So sort of thing. It's, it's not that, it's not 381 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:27,520 that exacting that you may prosper wherever you go. 382 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:32,400 You would want to have God on your side wherever you go. 383 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:34,800 That's really, that's really what it is. 384 00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:39,440 And Joshua had lived out this faithfulness to keeping God at 385 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:42,280 his side. I also think with this, with 386 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:47,040 this verse, and Chris talked about prospering yesterday. 387 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:52,000 He, he talked about no, none of us sets out to lose our job and 388 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:55,640 and be homeless and and like that's, that's not usually our 389 00:22:55,640 --> 00:23:04,320 goals for, for life. But I do think God's prosper at 390 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:09,000 times can it can differ from what we might actually think of 391 00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:15,840 prospering, right? We may see a trial. 392 00:23:16,360 --> 00:23:19,480 God May God may see a trial as prospering as opportunity for us 393 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:24,640 to grow our faith as as opportunity for us to draw 394 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:29,040 closer to him, which is really at the root of our prospering. 395 00:23:29,360 --> 00:23:31,480 We might not see it as such in that moment. 396 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:34,520 It might not feel like prospering when we're navigating 397 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:37,920 through that. So what do you what do you think 398 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:42,880 about how do we frame that? Well, sticking to God's precepts 399 00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:45,560 to for our prospering for our good. 400 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:47,600 Yeah. I mean, I think it's, it's so 401 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:51,280 easy to fall into the earthly things of prospering. 402 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:54,240 Like when you think of someone who's prospering, you think of 403 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:58,040 someone who has the nice house, has the cars, has their family 404 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:00,880 well taken care of. But yeah, like, as you pointed 405 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:04,960 out, even in the trials, like I don't feel like God's 406 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:07,800 necessarily letting me prosper in that moment. 407 00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:12,960 I I feel quite the opposite. But yeah, like we prosper by 408 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:16,000 being closer to God. And unfortunately, because we 409 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:20,680 are human and we, we struggle with sin when things are going 410 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:24,880 well, when we are earthly prospering, we're often 411 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:28,480 spiritually hurting because we're, we're, we're kicking God 412 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:31,400 to the back seat, like, oh, it's going great right now. 413 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:34,920 I think I could drive right now. We're, we're going great places. 414 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:38,360 Things are going smooth. And then that trial hits. 415 00:24:38,360 --> 00:24:41,240 And guess what? We're back at God's feet saying, 416 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:44,600 Hey, I'm so sorry, I thought I had this. 417 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:49,200 I don't, please help me. And it is it's that constant 418 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:54,920 back and forth like when we're when we're earthly prospering is 419 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:58,160 often when we're we're hurting the most spiritually. 420 00:24:58,360 --> 00:25:02,040 And that's a, a scary thing to, to deal with because you can get 421 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:06,920 blinded by how good or smooth things are going at the time 422 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:10,520 that you start neglecting, you know, staying in the word. 423 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:13,680 For me, the biggest help has been the Bible app. 424 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:17,440 I'm more technologically savvy now. 425 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:21,560 Like I don't necessarily always have a Bible with me, but I have 426 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:25,720 it on my phone all the time. And I just the the plans that 427 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:30,520 you can find in there, like staying in the word to me is the 428 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:33,440 biggest thing. I get glimpses of it all 429 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:36,320 throughout the week, you know, preparing for worship team and 430 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:39,160 stuff like that. Like the songs we sing obviously 431 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:43,400 have elements of of the word, but it it's completely different 432 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:47,240 when you actually sit down, digest something, think about 433 00:25:47,360 --> 00:25:50,160 God's word and his promises like we're we're seeing here in 434 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:55,720 Joshua, like, yeah, just you don't, I promise you, you don't 435 00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:58,960 spend enough time in the word. And I know that's, that's rich 436 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:02,000 coming from, you know, a pastor and a soon to be pastor. 437 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:06,360 Like obviously we would want to spend as much time in the word 438 00:26:06,360 --> 00:26:11,480 as we can, but we're still, we're not even doing the bare 439 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:14,600 minimum to, if we're being honest with ourselves. 440 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:19,920 Like we just, I don't, I don't, I don't know, I know I struggled 441 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:24,200 with this, especially early on in my, my, my own faith journey. 442 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:31,600 And as soon as I spent more in the Word like, my faith grew in 443 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:34,320 an amount of understanding that I could have never imagined 444 00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:36,480 before. No, I think you're right on. 445 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:40,960 I let and I love that earthly prospering versus spiritually 446 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:43,320 hurting. That's, that's attention that we 447 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:47,880 all, we, we can get caught up in and we just have, we have to 448 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:55,920 stay humble in crediting God. Like I think, I think we need to 449 00:26:55,920 --> 00:26:58,760 not even when things are going well, whose, whose strength is 450 00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:02,360 that happening? And I think that's a good way to 451 00:27:02,360 --> 00:27:03,880 keep perspective and to stay humble. 452 00:27:04,120 --> 00:27:08,840 But even as, even as I hear you say, you're not in, you're not 453 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:11,920 in your Bible enough. And I think that's, that's true 454 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:15,280 for all of us. The longer I've been in this, 455 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:21,400 and this was, this was how one of Chris's questions kind of hit 456 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:23,680 me last night. When have you experienced God's 457 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:26,280 word giving you clarity, courage or direction in a difficult 458 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:31,160 moment? I took that question because I 459 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:33,080 think a lot of life can be difficult a lot of the time. 460 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:36,320 But I kind of took that question. 461 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:40,000 The more of what you're saying, the more I'm saturated in the 462 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:43,240 longer I've been in it. And yes, we've been throwing 463 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:46,280 around the professional Christian term the past few. 464 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:48,200 Like, I don't. I don't want to use that as a 465 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:49,760 crutch, though. Like we should. 466 00:27:51,120 --> 00:27:54,680 I should be in the word, the ton. 467 00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:59,360 If I, if I'm leading this out, living this out, I should be in 468 00:27:59,360 --> 00:28:02,240 the word more than anyone else I know, right? 469 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:08,120 And the more I have been, especially in recent years, have 470 00:28:08,120 --> 00:28:10,240 I experienced God's Word giving me clarity, courage or 471 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:15,560 direction. It, it's, it has become my 472 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:22,280 compass. If, if, if there are struggles 473 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:27,560 or brokenness in people's lives, it, it, it I have that clarity 474 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:33,200 of, well, are we doing the things are, are, are we 475 00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:38,520 following what God's Word says? And some of those and some of 476 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:44,120 those situations, no, that that person has no regard for God's 477 00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:47,880 Word anyway. And I'm like, they weren't using 478 00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:49,880 it as their guiding light to begin with. 479 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:53,800 So that would be completely out of left field for them to all of 480 00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:56,280 a sudden like start living by these standards. 481 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:59,000 But at the same time, I see, I see like, I know you don't think 482 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:03,200 this is a thing and I know it, but I see exactly what's going 483 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:07,840 on that you're not living in this way that God designed out 484 00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:11,040 for you and yell, your life is hard right now. 485 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:15,000 That and, and I see that direct correlation in God's word. 486 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:17,600 And then there are others that like, and we all get in that 487 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:22,280 place of we know better. We, we know, we know the way we 488 00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:24,480 should go. And we do get caught up in 489 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:28,320 prideful moments and, and just decide, Nope, I'm going to, I'm 490 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:31,560 going to try my way. And sometimes we even enter into 491 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:35,600 that with I'm going to try my way and I'm willing to take the 492 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:37,480 consequences. I'm, I'm willing to deal with 493 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:39,600 what's going to fall out. Sometimes we're I'm going to try 494 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:42,760 my way and we forget that, oh, that probably wasn't going to 495 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:45,240 work out. And now, now I feel sorry for 496 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:47,040 myself and I'm looking for someone to bail me out. 497 00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:50,080 When I was just, I was recklessly careless anyway. 498 00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:54,920 So yeah. But as to to your point, though, 499 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:57,560 the word of God, it sounds cliche and it sounds weird, but 500 00:29:57,560 --> 00:30:04,920 I I also see it lived out. Joshua's best qualification for 501 00:30:04,920 --> 00:30:07,560 inheriting this leadership was that he was faithful. 502 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:13,840 We don't he he was obviously a a good military leader, but we 503 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:18,480 don't hear a whole lot of other detail about like his 504 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:22,240 righteousness like like we would like like Abraham and God 505 00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:24,960 credited credited his faith to him as righteousness. 506 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:30,920 We, we don't hear descriptors even like of Job or or Noah or 507 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:34,080 or of some of these, some of these other Old Testament 508 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:38,040 figures. Joshua's best attribute was his 509 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:43,280 faithfulness. And that at times I think, I 510 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:47,040 think faithfulness and obedience, they don't feel 511 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:53,440 glamorous because they are best. The results are best seen and 512 00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:57,080 felt with those things with faithfulness and obedience over 513 00:30:57,080 --> 00:31:01,160 a course of time, right? Because really those things are 514 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:07,360 attached to time. If I, if I told my kids to do 515 00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:12,960 something today, like, OK, whatever, pick, pick up your 516 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:15,480 shoes and put and put them away in, in your locker and they did 517 00:31:15,480 --> 00:31:21,960 it today, is that obedience? Maybe like, OK, in that, in that 518 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:25,480 moment, But is there also the overarching expectation, like in 519 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:28,240 our household that every day when you come home from school, 520 00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:32,920 you, you put your shoes in the in the locker And that's, that's 521 00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:36,040 just how that goes. If I have to remind the that for 522 00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:38,920 them every day is, is that obedience? 523 00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:42,880 I don't know. We don't feel if they made it 524 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:46,400 through the whole week without me reminding them, that probably 525 00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:47,840 looks a little more like obedience, right? 526 00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:52,560 Or at least faithfulness to the way it should go, right. 527 00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:56,760 So that can be, I feel like that can be frustrating as a 528 00:31:56,760 --> 00:31:59,160 Christian. Do you have do you have thoughts 529 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:01,440 on that? The the kind of the drawn 530 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:04,240 outness of faithfulness and how it becomes faithfulness. 531 00:32:04,680 --> 00:32:08,440 Yeah, I it's, it's a struggle all of the time. 532 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:12,480 You know, we talk about God's provision and his promises to 533 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:17,800 provide for us at all times. Like that's hard to see in some 534 00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:19,680 moments. Where you're not feeling 535 00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:22,160 provided. Like and, and obviously like 536 00:32:22,160 --> 00:32:27,480 faithfulness, it's a long time spectrum that we have to be 537 00:32:27,600 --> 00:32:30,560 doing the things to really see the fruits of that. 538 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:33,920 But we're promised daily provisions. 539 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:37,280 We're we're promised exactly what we need each and every day. 540 00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:42,120 And for me especially, like I struggled with that because I 541 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:44,600 want to know what's going to happen in two years, in five 542 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:46,120 years, in 10 years. I want to know where I'm going 543 00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:48,440 to be. Can I provide for a family? 544 00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:51,560 Can I do the things? And I struggled with that 545 00:32:51,560 --> 00:32:53,520 recently, especially with going to seminary. 546 00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:56,920 Yeah, I, I left my job, I sold my car, I moved back home. 547 00:32:56,920 --> 00:33:04,280 Like, I am poor, like I, I, I am, I do not have finances to do 548 00:33:04,280 --> 00:33:08,400 the things I'm getting by. But at every single turn, 549 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:13,000 because I trust God, because I'm fully trusting him, especially 550 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:17,360 in this moment, Like every single time I, every corner, 551 00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:20,920 everything that's come up, God has provided in a way that I 552 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:25,520 wouldn't have been able to see if I wasn't in a moment like 553 00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:29,480 this where, yeah, I don't like relying on people. 554 00:33:29,480 --> 00:33:33,320 I don't necessarily love asking for help, but God's using this 555 00:33:33,320 --> 00:33:38,000 time and to to show me that, hey, I'm going to provide for 556 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:42,080 you at every single turn. And that has grown my 557 00:33:42,080 --> 00:33:45,840 faithfulness tremendously. And now, yeah, I can see this on 558 00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:47,240 a much larger scale. Yeah, yeah. 559 00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:49,560 I'm not going to see tomorrow, unfortunately. 560 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:52,760 Tomorrow I'm not going to run into $1,000,000 inheritance and 561 00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:56,600 be and be set and great. It's going to take a while. 562 00:33:56,600 --> 00:34:00,880 But also at every single turn, God has provided exactly what 563 00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:04,680 I've needed financially and otherwise, spiritually putting 564 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:09,560 people in my life that need to be either for myself or even for 565 00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:12,719 them. Like I get to the opportunities 566 00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:16,639 that I've gotten to speak to people about my faith and about 567 00:34:16,639 --> 00:34:21,880 God and about how he promises to continue to provide has gone up 568 00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:26,159 dramatically because my eyes are a little more open to it now, if 569 00:34:26,159 --> 00:34:29,719 we're being honest. But also, yeah, this, this 570 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:33,360 moment of, of being faithful, of doing the things, of taking the 571 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:40,320 steps to me is growing to true faith, Not just, hey, I believe 572 00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:42,199 God exists. I believe he did these things 573 00:34:42,199 --> 00:34:44,600 for me. But I'm going to kind of go off 574 00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:47,239 and do my thing and live life the way I want to. 575 00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:51,639 As much as I would probably enjoy doing that while here on 576 00:34:51,639 --> 00:34:55,239 earth, longevity wise, that's not going to turn out in my 577 00:34:55,239 --> 00:34:56,880 favor ever. Yeah. 578 00:34:57,440 --> 00:35:00,240 And, and going back to the language here, the words that 579 00:35:00,240 --> 00:35:03,800 are translated, you, you will be prosperous, you will have 580 00:35:03,800 --> 00:35:06,000 success wherever you go as you hold to my precepts. 581 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:08,040 That that's kind of what's being talked about in verses 6 through 582 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:12,120 9 of Joshua one here. There's 59 times in the Old 583 00:35:12,120 --> 00:35:14,640 Testament that these words are, are translated as either 584 00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:17,520 prosperous or success. There's obviously nothing 585 00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:20,640 financial in this passage. There's no, there's no talk of 586 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:22,520 money. There's no, there's no talk of 587 00:35:22,720 --> 00:35:26,520 riches or anything. 59 times in the Old Testament, these two 588 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:28,800 verses are these two words prosperous and success. 589 00:35:29,240 --> 00:35:35,000 Only once our finances even closely connected to the passage 590 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:36,000 of the words that's and that's it. 591 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:43,040 That's in Ezekiel 1613. Paul goes on to to remind and 592 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:45,280 and reference back to this strength and courage. 593 00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:49,120 Not for again, not for worthy success, not for worldly 594 00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:53,600 prosperity. Ephesians 610, Paul reminds 595 00:35:53,600 --> 00:35:56,200 believers that Joshua was to be strong in the Lord and in the 596 00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:59,440 power of his might. This is the pattern for 597 00:35:59,440 --> 00:36:03,400 believers to find their strength in God and not in self. 598 00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:07,240 So there's not things going on here that are going to bring us 599 00:36:07,240 --> 00:36:14,800 that that earthly prosperity. It's it's a reminder that our 600 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:21,760 success depends solely on our ability to keep God's word, the 601 00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:26,480 presence of God. I'm sorry, I said I said that 602 00:36:26,480 --> 00:36:28,600 wrong. Our success does not depend 603 00:36:28,600 --> 00:36:31,080 solely on our ability to keep God's word because we can't I 604 00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:34,480 missed that don't because we can't keep that perfectly right. 605 00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:36,200 So we're going to we're going to fail. 606 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:39,880 We're going to meet frustration as we try to keep God's word 607 00:36:40,240 --> 00:36:44,600 perfectly and God in nowhere in here says you're going to do 608 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:47,960 this perfectly. But there is a but he says, but 609 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:49,880 I will be with you wherever you go. 610 00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:54,680 The fact that his presence, his advocacy, his strength is with 611 00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:59,600 us, that is what gives us the ability then to keep his word, 612 00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:04,840 to to be drawn to his goodness, his direction, his, his 613 00:37:04,840 --> 00:37:08,640 prosperity for our life. And again, his prosperity is 614 00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:12,480 going to look different. I think I, I think from God's 615 00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:17,440 perspective for us, we are best when we abide in him, when we 616 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:22,760 rely on him and there's not some, there's not addendums, 617 00:37:22,760 --> 00:37:29,120 there's not add-ons to that. God wants most for us to be 618 00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:32,760 found in him to spend time engaged with him. 619 00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:37,840 One more thought here from Enduring Word commentary. 620 00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:41,320 David Guzik says under the new covenant, again, this is so like 621 00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:44,600 new covenant post Jesus Christendom, post Jesus on 622 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:46,960 earth, Christendom. Under the new covenant, God's 623 00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:50,400 people are not blessed primarily because of their obedience, but 624 00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:54,480 because of their relationship of love and trust in Jesus Christ. 625 00:37:54,920 --> 00:37:57,640 Yeah, because God commands are inherently good and wise. 626 00:37:57,640 --> 00:38:00,960 There is a built in blessing in conforming to this good and wise 627 00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:02,880 design. There is a great blessing for 628 00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:05,680 the believer in knowing and obeying God's word. 629 00:38:06,840 --> 00:38:10,640 So that still sets that still sets the table of, you know what 630 00:38:11,560 --> 00:38:14,560 found in Jesus, found in faithfulness to God. 631 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:18,280 That's that's what matters first, your relationship there. 632 00:38:18,280 --> 00:38:22,640 But as you do that, as you're drawn closer to him, as you 633 00:38:22,640 --> 00:38:27,200 learn every day more and more to walk in faithfulness, to walk in 634 00:38:27,200 --> 00:38:32,400 obedience that God's way really is best you, you then get to 635 00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:35,760 discover that it is best. And then you get you get to walk 636 00:38:35,760 --> 00:38:37,560 in those ways as He's orchestrated your steps. 637 00:38:37,640 --> 00:38:39,840 That's cool. When I think the cool thing too 638 00:38:39,840 --> 00:38:44,080 is, you know, as you grow in your faith, as you understand 639 00:38:44,080 --> 00:38:47,280 your faith a little bit more and, and what God's saying here, 640 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:51,760 when you're, when you're living your life, you're not 641 00:38:51,760 --> 00:38:56,200 necessarily early on, you know, whether you're a non Christian, 642 00:38:56,200 --> 00:38:59,800 non believer or you're a baby Christian, you just, you know, 643 00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:02,400 got into what this all looks like. 644 00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:06,920 It's easy to continue to live your life and, and maybe commit 645 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:09,800 some of these sins without even like recognizing that you're 646 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:13,680 doing it or, or you're living in an earthly way. 647 00:39:14,520 --> 00:39:17,080 But as you're growing in your faith and, and you're spending 648 00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:21,520 more time in the word, spending more time with God, you have 649 00:39:21,520 --> 00:39:25,280 the, the double edge there of you are now more aware of all of 650 00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:29,000 the things that you're doing. It's you're, you're so much more 651 00:39:29,160 --> 00:39:33,920 aware of of the little things. Obviously on the grand scale, 652 00:39:33,920 --> 00:39:36,360 all sins are the same. But what we would classify as, 653 00:39:36,400 --> 00:39:38,040 you know, oh, it's just a little thing. 654 00:39:38,040 --> 00:39:42,080 It's just a little lie or a little this you're, you become 655 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:45,560 much more aware of that as you grow deeper in your faith. 656 00:39:46,200 --> 00:39:50,320 So that helps us continue to obey and walk in faithfulness 657 00:39:50,560 --> 00:39:53,320 because, yeah, these things that I would have brushed aside 658 00:39:53,320 --> 00:39:55,200 before and not seen as a problem. 659 00:39:56,080 --> 00:39:59,680 I feel convicted by this now. Like I, I want to change. 660 00:39:59,760 --> 00:40:02,640 And that's what that's what we're called to do. 661 00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:04,160 We're not going to do this perfectly. 662 00:40:04,480 --> 00:40:07,520 Unfortunately, we're never going to do all of the things and 663 00:40:07,520 --> 00:40:12,040 check all the boxes. But being aware and wanting and 664 00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:15,480 desiring that change and coming to God with that conviction and 665 00:40:15,480 --> 00:40:19,680 just and praying in those moments, that is what's growing 666 00:40:19,680 --> 00:40:22,400 us in our faithfulness so much more than. 667 00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:25,360 We could really see in the moment. 668 00:40:25,680 --> 00:40:28,800 Yeah, and that's, and it is, it is hard to see in the moment, 669 00:40:29,240 --> 00:40:34,600 but year over year, stacking days, stacking weeks, stacking 670 00:40:34,600 --> 00:40:39,400 years of, of abiding in his word, being filled by his word. 671 00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:43,120 It's it's the same with it. It's almost, I talked about it 672 00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:45,240 yesterday because we were talking about money and 673 00:40:45,240 --> 00:40:47,480 prosperity and things at at Life Group. 674 00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:51,560 But it almost feels like saving for retirement, like it doesn't 675 00:40:51,560 --> 00:40:55,800 feel good today it and it's very unexciting. 676 00:40:55,920 --> 00:40:56,960 I'd like to. Have that money right? 677 00:40:56,960 --> 00:41:01,480 Now it's, it's very unexciting to just like set this aside for 678 00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:03,640 30-40 years now. And I know some of you are 679 00:41:03,640 --> 00:41:05,280 further away from retirement than that, some of you are 680 00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:10,960 closer, but it either way, you're looking to reap that 681 00:41:10,960 --> 00:41:16,160 return way later. But it's by obedience today that 682 00:41:16,160 --> 00:41:18,000 you're going to have that return, right? 683 00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:21,760 And that and that's just yeah, that's the that was the simplest 684 00:41:21,760 --> 00:41:24,480 sort of analogy that I that I could bring to life group of 685 00:41:24,480 --> 00:41:27,920 last night was it's actually it's actually just an act of 686 00:41:27,920 --> 00:41:31,440 obedience and it doesn't it doesn't have to be 687 00:41:31,440 --> 00:41:34,320 revolutionarily life changing every day. 688 00:41:34,320 --> 00:41:36,720 You're not going to have I don't think maybe you do. 689 00:41:37,040 --> 00:41:41,480 I don't always have like a revolutionary breakthrough where 690 00:41:41,480 --> 00:41:44,240 I have a moment every day. I was like, oh man, so much 691 00:41:44,240 --> 00:41:46,600 closer to Jesus right now. Like because I, because I hit 692 00:41:46,600 --> 00:41:51,040 that today, but over, over a week over the time of this 693 00:41:51,040 --> 00:41:53,480 series that we're, we're going into Philippians for the next 4 694 00:41:53,480 --> 00:41:55,040 weeks and talking about Christian living. 695 00:41:55,040 --> 00:42:00,200 Like I have my eyes set 30 days from now of yeah, OK, I'm, I'm 696 00:42:00,200 --> 00:42:05,240 going to be able to measure growth in the next 30 days of, 697 00:42:05,240 --> 00:42:07,360 of where we're going. Am I going to feel it tomorrow? 698 00:42:07,960 --> 00:42:11,680 Probably not. Am I going to feel and in a 699 00:42:11,680 --> 00:42:14,160 week, yeah, I'll feel a little bit 30 days from now when we get 700 00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:18,200 through all of this deeper study of Philippians 4, Yeah, there's 701 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:19,480 there's going to be results there. 702 00:42:20,120 --> 00:42:22,360 Yeah. Well, and that's just that's a 703 00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:26,520 testimony to how you spend time in the word and and the growth 704 00:42:26,520 --> 00:42:30,160 that comes from that. Yeah, like I had New Testament 705 00:42:30,160 --> 00:42:34,240 intro one and two this year. And so we read through every 706 00:42:34,240 --> 00:42:39,680 single book of the New Testament and did some paper outline of 707 00:42:39,680 --> 00:42:43,120 how we would kind of break down each section and what we think 708 00:42:43,120 --> 00:42:47,240 the overall thrust of it was. And, and just pulling together 709 00:42:47,240 --> 00:42:50,440 different pieces and getting to see other people's ideas was 710 00:42:50,560 --> 00:42:54,640 really helpful to me as well. But yeah, instantly, like after 711 00:42:54,640 --> 00:42:58,360 spending time in these books, I mean, we're reading requirement. 712 00:42:58,360 --> 00:43:01,920 We read it once, we either read it or listen to it another time. 713 00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:05,200 And we're highly encouraged to do it three times. 714 00:43:05,560 --> 00:43:08,520 And I can tell you, like, reading through each of those 715 00:43:08,520 --> 00:43:11,280 books this many times and actually digesting different 716 00:43:11,280 --> 00:43:17,080 parts of it at different times completely changed my idea of 717 00:43:17,080 --> 00:43:20,880 how I should be living. And for each book, there's a 718 00:43:20,880 --> 00:43:26,000 unique look and a unique idea. And I'm sure different people 719 00:43:26,000 --> 00:43:29,760 come with different outcomes than what I did, but just taking 720 00:43:29,760 --> 00:43:34,000 the moment and taking the time to really sit in the word and 721 00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:38,440 ask questions, you know, having the outlet to ask questions is, 722 00:43:38,440 --> 00:43:41,680 is hugely beneficial. And I know you and Chris are 723 00:43:41,800 --> 00:43:45,320 completely open to people coming and asking those questions and 724 00:43:45,320 --> 00:43:48,320 having those conversations. And, but having it at at a 725 00:43:48,320 --> 00:43:51,880 seminary level as well with other students and professors, 726 00:43:51,880 --> 00:43:56,480 like just dramatically changes my outlook on life. 727 00:43:56,760 --> 00:44:00,320 And all I did was spend time reading God's Word. 728 00:44:00,520 --> 00:44:02,120 Yeah. Yep. 729 00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:04,480 And so, yeah, this isn't meant to be. 730 00:44:04,960 --> 00:44:07,720 I hope we're not raking you over the coals or anything with this, 731 00:44:07,720 --> 00:44:11,240 but God reiterates be strong and courageous multiple times in 732 00:44:11,240 --> 00:44:13,840 this passage. He promises, I will not leave 733 00:44:13,840 --> 00:44:16,480 you or forsake you. I'll be with you wherever you 734 00:44:16,480 --> 00:44:19,000 go. And that's what we need to rest 735 00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:22,120 on in this. Joshua's success did not depend 736 00:44:22,120 --> 00:44:24,080 solely on his ability to keep God's word. 737 00:44:24,280 --> 00:44:27,200 The presence of God with him was the greatest factor. 738 00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:29,640 And we we get to have that today too. 739 00:44:30,200 --> 00:44:33,240 So hope that's a good word for you this week, Church. 740 00:44:33,280 --> 00:44:37,040 Thanks for hanging with us on the ERC leftovers. 741 00:44:37,040 --> 00:44:40,640 Next 4 weeks we are in Philippians on Sundays. 742 00:44:40,640 --> 00:44:42,560 There's four chapters. There's four weeks. 743 00:44:42,560 --> 00:44:46,240 We're going through some principles of Christian living 744 00:44:46,600 --> 00:44:50,160 in the book of Philippians. So hope you're along with us for 745 00:44:50,160 --> 00:44:52,000 that. We'll see you Sunday. 746 00:44:52,040 --> 00:44:53,480 Until then, have a blessed week.