Joshua 1:1-9 Starting A New Life After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, Israel was about to enter the Promised Land. There are some similarities in what Israel was about to experience and what our graduating seniors are about to experienceand I dont mean to imply that these years in school have been a wilderness experience. Rather, Israel, like our seniors were about to enter a new life. Israel was about to begin the new life that God had given to them in a new land, and the seniors are about to begin the new life that God has given to them. Some are moving on to the next level of education. Others are finishing their school careers and will probably try their hand in the job market. But wherever they go and whatever they do, it will be a new life for them. As Israel prepared for their new life, God gave them some instructions. Once the instructions were given, Israel had to decide if they would follow them or not. If they followed them, you can rest assured, they were blessed. If they did not, you know they suffered. These instructions, although hundreds of years old, are still sound today. Young people and older alike, I will tell you something that will help you tremendously if you will heed it. You can not live a successful life by flying by the seat of your pants. Life doesnt work well that way. You must take Gods instructions, then you must make some decisions. Following Gods instructions may seem difficult to you, but if you do not, you will end up ruining your life before you have had the chance to enjoy it. (I will take a few good amens right there.) Concerning these instructions and decisions, let me say: (1) You need to make the decision to obey early. Choosing to follow Gods instructions will improve your life whenever you make them, but the longer you delay, the more likely you will damage yourself in an irreparable way. (2) If you make the right decision, you need to stay with it. Some have started well but have not finished well because they did not stick by the decisions they had made. God was giving to Israel the opportunity to make these decisions. Please notice what Gods instructions were and what decisions you need to make. I. \\#Joshua 1:6, 9\\ Be strong and very courageous. Joshua 1:6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. 9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. A. God was telling Israel that they needed to strengthen and encourage themselves. B. That God would tell the Jews this, implies two things. 1. God was telling Israel that things were going to get hard. a. Even though Israel was being punished for their sin, they had been living a sheltered life. 1. During the time they had wandered, their cloths did not get old, their shoes did not wear out, and they did not have to plant or build. \\#Deut 8:4, 29:5, Neh 9:1\\ 2. God had feed them bread, given them water, even supplied them with their meat. 3. Israel probably did not realize it, but they were about to move into the "real" world. 4. They were about to start getting up to find there was no breakfast laying around They werent even going to have groceries on the shelves. For that matter, they werent going to have any shelves if they did not build them. 5. They were about to find out what it was to have keep them- selves in shoes and clothes. 6. They were about to find out what it was to make decisions and live with the consequences. 7. In short, they were about to move into a world where they had to earn their own way and live with their mistakes. 8. If you think I am talking about the graduating seniors, youre wrong! I am talking about the Jews. However, the similarities are remarkable. b. Graduating seniors, you likewise are about to move into the "real" world. 1. As parents, we are not going to throw you to the wolves, but you need to realize that your parents cant shelter and take care of you forever. 2. Get ready! a. Strengthen yourself. Build up your courage. b. Things are about to get hard. 3. Some of you are about to find out that snacks dont appear behind a cabinet door, milk isnt produced in a refrigerator, and you cant get out of a microwave what you dont first purchase at a store. 4. And those are the easy lessons! 5. I dont want to scare you but I want to warn you. Things are about to get tough. 2. God was telling the Jews that they needed to have their strength and courage fixed in the right source. a. If you will read the entire passage, I believe you will rightly conclude that God wanted them to determine to take their strength and courage from Him. b. No matter who you are, you are not strong or brave enough to withstand all that life is going to hurl at you. c. As one of the parents of these graduating seniors, I know it has always been our goal to teach you to lean on Jesus. 1. He is the only Source that can help you, and He is the only Source that you can trust. 2. Your parents will fail you, your finances will fail you, your health will fail you, your rearing will fail you, but Jesus will never fail you. C. So here is Gods first instruction. Stir up your courage and strength in the Lord. 1. With that challenge, you must make your first graduated decision. 2. You must decide to trust and lean on Christ. 3. If you do, you will prosper spiritually, physically, emotionally, even financially, materialistically, socially, in your education, in your career, and in your health. 4. If you do not, you will hurt yourself. II. \\#Joshua 1:8\\ Take the Word of God with you. A. All of the instructions that God gave were important, but one is very important. 1. God says to keep His Word in your mouth, 2. keep it in your mind, 3. and to keep it in your manners. 4. This is a very important formula. B. Keep Gods Word in your mouth; that is, talk about the Bible. Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth" 1. Todays young people must be one of the most talkative generations. a. It seems they all carry cell phones, use texting, and spend hours on Facebook. b. Without doubt, they are the communication generation. 2. However, what are they talking about? a. Most conversation today is just crude and vulgar. b. A great majority of the remainder is useless chatter. c. Sadly, a good bit of that comes from the mouths of those who claim Christand I dont just mean the kids either. 3. Do people ever talk about the Bible? a. Do fellow church members ever talk about the sermon the pastor preached? b. Do brother and sister in Christ every discuss a Bible passage that has blessed them? c. Maybe the question is, "Does a Bible passage ever bless them?" d. We talk sports, vacations, jobs, children, costs, and the weather. e. God wants us to talk about His Word at least as much as those things. C. Keep Gods Word in your mind; that is, think about the Bible. Joshua 1:8 "but thou shalt meditate therein day and night" 1. I think the reason God wants us to talk about His Word is because God wants us to think about His word. Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. 2. The Bible can change your life, but only if you put it into your mind. a. If the Bible is only something you listen to on Sunday morning for a few minutes, it will do about as much good for you as the commercial you half-way listen to while rushing into the kitchen to get a snack. b. Lets face it. The only reason you listen to that commercial at all is so you will know when the ballgame comes back on. c. Some people consider the Bible to be the commercial you have to endure in-between your work week and your fun weekend. 3. Young people, put the Word of God into your mind and let God speak to you from it. D. Keep Gods Word in your manners; that is, put it into practice. Joshua 1:8 " that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein" 1. This is not rocket science. a. As you talk about the Bible, you will think on it. b. As you think about the Bible, you will practice it. 2. This is what God desires for every person. E. However, there is an added promise with this instruction. 1. I told you that this was a formula. What does following give you? Joshua 1:8 "then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." 2. If you will keep Gods Word in your mouth, mind, and manners, God promises you prosperity. 3. There are a lot of prosperity preachers on radio and television, but did you know this is the only place in the Bible where God actually promises prosperity? a. According to the Bible, being prosperous has nothing to do with faith or planting a seed. b. It has to do with taking Gods Word with you. F. Now, you have Gods instruction. You must decide whether you will obey it. III. \\#Joshua 3:5\\ Clean yourselves up. Joshua 3:5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you. A. God was telling the children of Israel that He would not walk in a dirty camp and He that would not live with a dirty people. B. To sanctify means TO SEPARATE, TO HALLOW, TO CONSECRATE. 1. These are religious terms which meant the people were to make themselves holy. 2. A simpler application is that they needed to clean themselves up. C. We live in a filthy world. 1. There is sin all around us and it rubs off. 2. Christians, God loves us but He still hates sin. 3. We must purpose to keep ourselves from it. D. This is a teaching that has largely fallen by the wayside in our modern religious world, but it is Bible. 2 Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Psalms 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. Proverbs 9:6 Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding. 1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1. I am not for certain that churches are really expecting their children to stay clean and pure. 2. I am not for certain that parents are really expecting their children to stay clean and pure. 3. Young people, God is expecting you to stay clean, and if no one else has told you then hear me this morning. a. KEEP YOURSELF CLEAN. b. If you have not soiled yourself, DONT. c. If you are already engaged in impure behavior, quit it and clean yourself up. E. Young people, God wants you to take this instruction and to work it into your everyday life. 1. Many of you are old enough to do any sinful thing you want. a. You can watch nasty movies, listen to vulgar music, in most countries of the world you can drink and go to bars. b. You are even legally entitled to have sex if you want to. c. Most young people feel that they must. 2. Dont! a. These behaviors will destroy your morals, ruin your health, take your wealth, cripple your mind, and may even kill your body. b. But even worse, these things will separate you from God. c. God cannot walk in a dirty camp! F. God has given you this instruction and now you must decide whether you will be obedient to it or not. IV. \\#Joshua 3:6,11\\ Follow the Ark of the Covenant. Joshua 3:6 And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people. 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. A. The Ark is a picture of Christ. 1. The Ark was the place where the presence of God meet with the people. a. During the days of the wilderness travels, the Ark was placed in a tent. b. Later, a temple would be built for it. c. But in both places, when God wanted to speak to His people, He would appear upon the Ark of the Covenant. d. When God wanted to deliver the message of salvation, He came in the Person of Jesus Christ. 2. The Ark held the Word of God for Israel. a. Of course Jesus was and is the Living Word of God. b. In that sense, Jesus contained the Word of God for the people. 3. The Ark was the place where atonement for Israel was made. a. Once a year, the High Priest entered into the Holy of Holies to make atonement for the nation of Israel. b. The blood for that atonement was placed on the top of the Ark of the Covenant so the Ark of the Covenant became the point where the atonement was made. c. Jesus Christ, Gods sinless Son, took our sins upon Himself. (1) He then poured out His own blood and life to make atonement for us. (2) Jesus is the point where atonement was made for us! B. The Ark of the Covenant was to lead the children of Israel. Joshua 3:4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore. 1. Israel was in a new land and they had not been that way before. a. They needed a Guide. b. It was to be God through the Ark of the Covenant. c. Life is a journey of new frontiers and you need a Guide. (1) May I recommend Jesus? (2) In the discovery of new worlds, many have died because they lacked necessary knowledge. (a) How many crews perished because they did not know where land was? (b) How many settlers perished due to lack of water or stumbling upon hostiles? (3) Jesus Christ is the only One who knows your tomorrows. 2. Gods presence was much more than just a Guide to Israel. a. He was their Protector and Provider. b. Young people, as surely as you need a Guide, you need a Protector and Provider. C. Young people, as you begin your new life, Jesus desires to be your Guide, your Protector, and your Provider. 1. God is instructing you to follow Jesus. 2. He knows the way for you to go and He alone can protect and provide for you. 3. The question is will you make the right decision and follow Him? God gave Israel four instructions as they began their new life. 1. Be strong and courageous in the Lord. 2. Take the Word of God with you. 3. Clean yourselves up. 4. Follow the Ark. God is on your side. He wants the best for you and will not withhold anything from you without a reason. Like Israel, you are moving into new territory. Will you chose to follow Gods instructions?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Joshua 1:1-9 Starting A New Life After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, Israel was about to enter the Promised Land. There are some similarities in what Israel was about to experience and what our graduating seniors are about to experienceand I dont mean to imply that these years in school have been a … Continue reading “Joshua 1:1-9 – Starting A New Life – Bible study”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1865","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1865"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1865\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1865"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1865"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1865"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}