Joshua: The Battles Of Life
Sermon Notes
Introduction:
Hey everybody my name’s Louis I’m the lead pastor here at City Awakening, it’s great to gather with you both onsite and online. At this time we can dismiss the children to children’s church. If you didn’t get to check your child in, please see our children’s ministry leaders in the back and they’d be more than happy to assist you with that...Don’t forget next week is Easter, so make sure you’re inviting some friends to come with you. Something we often say in our church is its invitations that leads to transformations. If you think your invitation doesn’t matter, then let me prove it. Raise your hands if you came to know Jesus, through social media?...Raise your hands if you came to know Jesus, through a church doing community service?...Raise your hands if you came to know Jesus, through somebody inviting you to church, or inviting you to meet with them 1 on 1 to learn about Jesus?...Our greatest tool for leading people to Jesus is personal invites. So take the invite cards on your seats and invite some friends to attend our Easter service next week. If you watch online, invite some friends to watch online with you. Let’s remember it’s invitations that leads to transformations. So let’s invite, and pray for those we invite.
Now today we’re continuing our teaching series called The Story, where we’re going through the biblical narrative from the very beginning in Genesis 1 to the last amen in Revelation 22, and today’s text brings us to the story of Joshua. It’s a story about trusting God, in the battles of life. Both skeptics and believers go through different battles in life. In fact some of you might be facing battles right now. Are you facing marital battles?...Are you facing parental battles?... Are you facing career battles, health battles, financial battles?...What battles are you facing in life?...Everybody goes through battles in life, and today we’re talking about how to make it through those battles. So let’s turn to Joshua ch 1 and get into it. You’ll find Joshua in the front quarter of your bible, and we’ll start in Joshua 1:1-8. Title of today’s message is The Battles of Life, and the big idea is to trust God, with the battles of life...Trust God, with the battles of life.
Context:
Here’s your context. The book of Joshua records the history of Israel finally getting to enter the Promised Land. Remember the Lord rescued them from harsh slavery in Egypt, and they’ve been wandering in the desert for 40 yrs because of their disobedience to the Lord. But the younger generation has now grown up, and it’s time for them to enter the Promised Land, to finally have a place they can call home. At this point in Israel’s history Moses has already died, and Joshua is their new leader. In the book of Numbers we learned Joshua and Caleb were the Navy Seals of Israel who scouted out the land, and were full of courage and faith when nobody else was. Well in today’s text we’ll see Joshua’s courage and faith being displayed again, and we’ll learn two things when it comes to making it through the battles of life. So let’s check it out.
The Word:
Joshua 1:1-8 states, “After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’s assistant: 2 ‘Moses my servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites. 3 I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great river, the Euphrates River—all the land of the Hittites—and west to the Mediterranean Sea.’” So the Lord says he’ll give Joshua whatever ‘territory’ his feet tread on, which requires active not passive faith. He’ll have to trust the Lord, actively step into this territory, and fight some battles. Joshua has to lead over 2 million Israelites into this territory, the people there are known for their violence, and they don’t want the Israelites there. So there’s some tough battles ahead of them, but they aren’t alone in those battles. Listen to vs 5.
Vs. 5, “No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or abandon you.” The Lord’s reminding Joshua he isn’t alone in the battles. He says “I’ll be with you. I’ll never leave you. I’ll never abandon you in the battles of life.” He’s teaching Joshua to face the battles of life by looking above, instead of within. By relying on the Lord being with him, instead of his own self-confidence within him. We’re taught by teachers, coaches, life coaches, Disney movies to find confidence from within, but self-confidence is fragile. It can easily shatter when somebody rejects you, breaks up with you, fires you, outperforms you. Your self-confidence is fragile, so you need a greater confidence than self- confidence! You need confidence from above, instead of from within! Joshua’s confidence in the battles of life came from the Lord being with him, instead of from the self-confidence within him. The Lord was with him, and the Lord’s with you, in the battles of life.
Again vs. 5, “No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or abandon you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their ancestors to give them as an inheritance...8 This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.” The “book of instruction” the Lord’s referring to is the instructions the Lord gives Moses in the bible. He’s telling Joshua to read and follow the bible. He says if Joshua does this he’ll prosper and succeed in whatever he does, even in the battles of life. Joshua’s first battle happens in ch 5 when the Israelites arrive in Jericho, and historically we know Jericho was one of the most fortified cities in the world. It was considered a symbol of such military strength that people considered it invincible, which means they’ll have to trust God in the battle. Check out ch 5.
Ch. 5:13 states, “When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua approached him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’” In the original Hebrew the text states Joshua was “at Jericho,” meaning he snuck right up to the walls of the city. Remember he’s a scout, a Navy Seal type of warrior, so this is a military scouting operation. But Joshua sees a guy with a drawn sword and walks right up to the guy ready for battle. He asks whose side the guy’s on, and this is how the guy responds.
Vs. 14, “‘Neither,’ he replied. ‘I have now come as commander of the Lord’s army.’ Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in homage and asked him, ‘What does my lord want to say to his servant?’ 15 The commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, ‘Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did that.” Who is this “commander” of the Lord’s army? Some say it’s an angel, but that isn’t the case because it says Joshua bowed to worship him, and they didn’t stop him. In the bible anytime somebody tries worshiping an angel the angel stops them since we’re to only worship the Lord. For example in Revelation 22 John bows and worships an angel, but the angel says “What you doing? I’m just a creature, a servant like you. Worship the Lord not me!” But in this situation Joshua isn’t stopped, which is why many scholars believe this commander is really Jesus. It’s what theologians call a Christophany, which is an appearance, a non-physical manifestation of Jesus before his incarnate birth. The point is this is a battle Joshua isn’t fighting alone. It’s a battle he can’t win alone, but it’s a battle he isn’t fighting alone. It’s a battle Jesus came to fight for him.
Ch. 6:1-2, “Now Jericho was strongly fortified because of the Israelites, no one leaving or entering. 2 The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Look, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its best soldiers over to you. 3 March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry seven ram’s-horn trumpets in front of the ark. But on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the rams’ horns. 5 When there is a prolonged blast of the horn and you hear its sound, have all the troops give a mighty shout. Then the city wall will collapse, and the troops will advance, each man straight ahead.’” So the battle plan is to “march” around the city in silence for 6 days, and have priests “blow horns” on the 7th day, while soldiers give a “mighty shout.” If they do this the walls of Jericho will collapse. Not exactly the greatest battle plan, but that’s exactly the point! It’s that they can’t win against Jericho like this. They can’t win, unless the Lord fights the battle for them.
Vs. 20-21, “So when they heard the blast of the ram’s horns, the troops gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. The troops advanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city. 21 They completely destroyed everything in the city with the sword—every man and woman, both young and old, and every ox, sheep, and donkey.” So they win the battle against Jericho. But many people have issues with vs 21 where it says they destroyed everything in the city. It says they destroyed every man and woman, both young and old. When we read that it sounds cruel, it sounds like genocidal destruction, but it isn’t...and I’ll give you 3 reasons why.
1st This Is God’s Judgement Against Jericho = The people in these regions were some of the most cruel, violent societies in history. For example the people in Jericho, also known as the Canaanites, they worshipped deities such as Anath who’s the patroness of sex and war. She’s described as “Splashing in blood up to her neck and washing her hands in human gore, with a heart of joy!” They also sacrificed children to a god named Moloch. One historian states, “The image of Moloch was a human with a bull’s head and outstretched arms, ready to receive children destined for sacrifice. The image of metal was heated red hot by a fire, and the children laid on its arms rolled off into the fiery pit below. In order to drown out the cries of the victims, flutes were played, and drums were beaten; and mothers stood by without tears or sobs, giving the impression of voluntary character in the offering.” So when God sends the Israelites to this land it isn’t genocidal destruction, it’s God’s judgement against these cruel and violent societies.
2nd The Lord Spares Some = It isn’t complete genocidal destruction, because the Lord spares those who put their faith in the Lord. For example the Lord spares Rahab and her family in ch 6 for having faith in the Lord and helping the Israelites. Joshua 6:25, “However, Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, her father’s family, and all who belonged to her, because she hid the messengers Joshua sent to spy on Jericho.” The implication is the Lord was willing to spare anybody in Jericho who put their faith in him. So in vs 21 when it says they destroyed everything in Jericho, it doesn’t mean they literally destroyed everything since Rahab and her family were spared. As retried Notre Dame Philosophy Professor Alvin Plantinga said, it’s like a football fan yelling “We destroyed that team!” It isn’t literal destruction, it’s an exaggeration of a great victory.
3rd Evil Can’t Be Overlooked = The Canaanites were cruel, violent people who had a chance to turn to God and be spared from God’s judgement, but they refused. It wouldn’t be just or loving if God overlooked their cruel atrocities and let it last forever. So God puts an end to their atrocities, while allowing the Israelites to create a new nation, to help restore beauty to the land.
Ch. 7:1-5, “The Israelites, however, were unfaithful regarding the things set apart for destruction. Achan...of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart, and the Lord’s anger burned against the Israelites.” The Lord’s angry because in ch 6 he tells them not to take any of the plunder from Jericho, but Achan did. Achan basically looked for plunder and wealth to fulfill his needs and joy instead of the Lord. The Israelites were being unfaithful, and it hurt them in the next battle. Joshua sends out scouts to the next city which is Ai, and here’s what happens next.
Vs. 3, “After returning to Joshua they reported to him, ‘Don’t send all the people, but send about two thousand or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, don’t wear out all our people there.’ 4 So about three thousand men went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai. 5 The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them and chased them from outside the city gate to the quarries, striking them down on the descent. As a result, the people lost heart.” They lost the battle and lost heart. When they were faithful they won a big battle, but when they were unfaithful they lost a small battle and lost heart. Joshua eventually leads them back to the Lord, and in ch 8 they end up defeating Ai. But the point is we need to follow and rely on the Lord if we’re going to make it through the battles of life. You aren’t facing hand to hand combat like Joshua, but you are sometimes facing mental and spiritual battles. So let me give you 2 things we’re learning from the text, that can help you make it through your battles.
#1 Surrender Control = If you want to make it through the battles of life, you need to surrender control to the Lord saying “I can’t make it through this battle without you. I need your help and biblical guidance.” When the Christophany happens in ch 5 it’s clear Jesus isn’t there as Joshua’s infantry, he’s there as Joshua’s commander. City Awakening is Jesus your infantry or your commander?...As you face battles in life do you expect Jesus to surrender to your commands and turn your back on him when he doesn’t, or do you seek and surrender to his commands?...A lot of people want Jesus as their savior, but not as their Lord and commander. Achan didn’t want the Lord as his commander, he wanted to be his own commander. He didn’t want to surrender control, he wanted to be in control of his life. He tried to fulfill his needs, fulfill his joy, live his life without the Lord, and in ch 7 he loses his life. What areas of your life are you trying to control,trying to be your own commander like Achan?...Have you surrendered your marriage, your family, your dating relationship, your career, your finances, your battles into the Lord’s hands, or are you trying to control those things, trying to be your own commander like Achan?...Jesus isn’t just Lord over certain areas of our lives, he isn’t just Lord on Sundays. He’s Lord over all our lives. We need to surrender all our lives, not some of our lives to Jesus. If you surrender all your life to Jesus like Joshua, he promises he’ll be with you, helping you through the battles of life.
#2 Faithfully Endure = If you want to make it through the battles of life, you need to surrender control, but also faithfully endure. I’m talking about remaining faithful to the Lord, as you’re waiting for the Lord to do something about the battles in your life. Waiting on the Lord is never easy. I mean think about Joshua and the Israelites getting all geared up for battle, only to march in circles around Jericho for 6 days without ever drawing their swords. Day 1 they wake up, gear up, march, but nothing happens. Day 2 they wake up, gear up, march hitting their Fitbit goal of 10,000 steps, but nothing happens. They do this for 6 days without progress. Marching like that every day without any signs of the Lord doing anything, would be extremely hard. But the Lord was working in the waiting...They wanted to win the battle in Jericho, but the Lord wanted to win the battle in their hearts. The Lord was working in the waiting...He was working on their hearts in the waiting, and he’s working on your heart in the waiting. Faith is like a muscle, you have to stretch it to grow. The Lord grows their faith and ours in the waiting. Endurance is remaining faithful in the waiting. Endurance is remaining faithful even if you don’t see instant results. Endurance is remaining faithful, even in the battles of life. The way to make it through the battles of life is to surrender control, and faithfully endure like Joshua.
The Big Idea:
The big idea of the message is to trust God, with the battles of life...Trust God, with the battles of life like Joshua...In the rest of the book of Joshua, the Lord leads the Israelites through many battles, and the book ends with Joshua giving this message. Ch 24:15, “‘Therefore, choose for yourselves today: Who will you worship—the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.’” The same question he asked back then, is the same question I’m asking today. It’s who will you choose to worship, who will you chose to serve? Who will you choose to be your Savior, Lord, Commander, when the battles of life come?...and they will come. Everybody will face battles in life, and some of those battles will crush you physically, emotionally, spiritually...if you aren’t fighting those battles with the Lord.
The good news of the gospel is we don’t have to fight those battles alone. The same Jesus who fought for Joshua is willing to fight for us, and he proved it when he died for our sins on the cross. The battle Jesus fought on the cross was a battle over sin and death for our eternal souls, and his resurrection on the 3rd day proved he won that battle. It proved he’s victorious even over sin and death. If Jesus can conquer that battle, he can conquer any battle you’ll ever face in life. If he can conquer the battle over death, he can conquer the battle in your life. He can conquer the battle in your marriage, your family, your career, your struggles with sin, including the battle for your soul giving you eternal life in him. But you have to trust Jesus as your Savior, your Lord, your Commander. You have to surrender control to him, and faithfully endure as you wait on him. If you do, he’ll always be with you, helping you through the battles of life. Let’s pray.
