Be Strong and Very Courageous (Josh 1)

Speaker: 
Andrew Fountain
Date: 
Sun, 2022-01-23
  • This is an incredible promise, but can we take it personally?
  • If we understand the context, the meaning, and our part in it, the answer is yes!
  • What an encouragement!
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Sermon Slides - Be Strong and Very Courageous (Joshua 1)

Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be frightened,
and do not be dismayed,
for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

Be Strong and Very Courageous

  1. Background Story
  2. How Joshua’s problems relate to ours
  3. God’s Solution and promise

1. Introduction: The Story

Jordan Valley

Jordan Valley

Image source: Look and Learn

Joshua’s Problems

  1. External: a huge task and vicious enemies
    • Massive hostility to their presence in the land -later banded together and attacked them
    • Joshua didn’t even have an army, but an unarmed rabble of ex-slaves
  2. Internal: His own people
    • A history of constant rebellion against their leaders and God

2. How Joshua’s problems relate to ours

Hebrews 3 – This life is our “wilderness journey”

  1. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice,
  2. do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,
  3. where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.

Hebrews 4 – Rest

  1. for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.
  2. Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
  3. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
  4. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

2 Corinthians 10

  1. For though we live as human beings, we do not wage war according to human standards,
  2. for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments
  3. and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ.

3. God’s Solution and promise

Joshua 1:1–9

  1. After Moses the LORD’s servant died, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant:
  2. “Moses my servant is dead. Get ready! Cross the Jordan River! Lead these people into the land which I am ready to hand over to them.
  3. I am handing over to you every place you set foot, as I promised Moses.
  4. Your territory will extend from the wilderness in the south to Lebanon in the north. It will extend all the way to the great River Euphrates in the east (including all of Syria) and all the way to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.
  5. No one will be able to resist you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.
  6. Be strong and courageous! You must lead these people in the conquest of this land that I solemnly promised their ancestors I would hand over to them.
  7. Only be strong and very courageous! Carefully obey all the law my servant Moses charged you to keep! Do not swerve from it to the right or to the left, so that you may be successful in all you do.
  8. This Book of the Law must not leave your lips! You must meditate on it day and night so you can carefully obey all that is written in it. Then you will prosper and be successful.
  9. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

based on NET Bible

Jordan (painting)

Jordan (painting)

Image source: Snapshots of The Past

Total devotion to the Scriptures

  • Read the Bible regularly.
  • Meditate on it
  • Be obedient to it.
  • Amazing promises

God’s solution

  1. Devotion to the Scriptures he’s given us
  2. Strength and Courage coming from a trust in himself
    • v6 says “Be strong and of good courage”
    • v7 says “Only be strong and very courageous”
    • v9 says “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed”

Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be frightened,
and do not be dismayed,
for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

Updated on 2022-01-24 by Andrew Fountain