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Here are my sermon notes for last Sabbath. Joshua - God Has Plans For Us Too Joshua 1:1-9 - We're going to look at how this applies to our lives today. If you were to ask any of the Israelites at this who the greatest leader was, they would have probably said Moses. For many of them, that's the only leader they had ever known. Of course, this does not include God. He would of course be the greatest leader. Moses was a reluctant leader at first. But, it's who went to Pharaoh in Egypt and said, "let my people go." It was Moses that was there during the ten plagues. It was Moses that led them through the Red Sea. It was Moses who went up on Mount Sinai, spoke with God and came back with the 10 commandments. These are all a really big deal. Moses is the greatest leader they know and now God is saying "Joshua, Moses my servant is dead.” Then, he’s basically telling him, “you’re next.” Moses is gone. He did what he needed to do. Now, it’s your turn. Can you imagine being him at that moment? How would you feel? How would you react? There is a reason God chose Joshua. He didn’t choose him randomly. Exodus 24:13 – when Moses went up to the mountain and received the commandments, Joshua went up part of the way with him. KJV says “his minister Joshua.” Clearly he is someone special to Moses. Numbers 27:15-23 This is where we see Joshua is commissioned in front of the entire congregation. Exodus 33:7-11 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp. And it came about, whenever Moses went out to the tent, that all the people would arise and stand, each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses until he entered the tent. 9 Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and [g]the Lord would speak with Moses. When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would stand and worship, each at the entrance of his tent. So, the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. Again, obviously Joshua is considered someone special that he went into the tent with Moses. Going back to Joshua 1:1-9, we see God say several times to Josuha be strong and courageous. The third time God says it he says “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage.” Now God isn’t just saying it to Joshua. He is saying “have I not commanded you?” This is a command God gives all of us. There are several reasons Joshua could be strong and courageous in this moment. God tells Joshua be strong and courageous, but He is encouraging him and giving him direction too. Joshua 1:1-2 “Moses My servant is dead; so now arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.” Imagine you are one of the Israelites at the time. Or even Joshua. You might be thinking, “Moses is dead? Now what?” But God gives them very specific instructions. He says “arise” and tells them exactly where to go. God is telling them that even though Moses is gone, there is still a very specific purpose and direction He has for His people. Joshua 1:6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. God is telling Joshua that after all these years, they are finally going to go into the promised land. God is telling Joshua and Israel this is it! You can finally go. I still have a purpose for you and I am still going to keep my promise. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could have this same type of direction from God where He would speak directly to us and give us very specific instructions? Imagine waking up in the morning and God says “Rob, Dagney… Be strong and be courageous. Pack everything up today and go to this specific place.” Of course, that isn’t exactly how it works today. Instead, God left us His word, the Bible. He has given us direction and instructions in His word. We just need to seek Him and read His word. Just like the Israelites, when we have big change in our lives, we can be afraid and worried about “what next?” If we continue to read in Joshua 1:10-16, we see how the Israelites reacted to “what’s next.” They were not worried. They knew that God had a plan for their lives and it was going to be fulfilled just as God promised. In the end of this scripture we see that they also knew that God’s command to “be strong and of good courage” was not just for Joshua, but for all of them. This is meant for us too. God has a plan for us as well. There are tons of scriptures that tell us this. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Psalm 139:16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 16:9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. Deuteronomy 31:8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. In other words… “Be strong and of good courage.” Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. There are so many scriptures that encourage us this way and tell us that God does have a plan for each and every one of us. Just like there was a plan for Joshua and the Israelites. How do we know what those plans are? How do we tell God our thoughts about our lives? Read the Bible and prayers.
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