2nd in the Series on Joshua
SERMON PREACHED AT
STOUFFVILLE UNITED CHURCH
REV. CAPT. JOHN NILES
MUSIC BY DANIEL MEHDIZADEH AND CHOIR
Scripture:
Joshua 1:3-17
Suggested Video:
Mark Twain once said, “The hardest month of the year is September, followed by October, November, December, January…”
Troubles are always make worse by nursing them, that is, as we dwell on them. It is because dwelling is another way of avoiding. It is a way of appearing like you are doing something without really accomplishing anything. For some, ignoring or avoiding a problem is their answer to the problem. That was the case for the Israelites, who for forty years – rather than dealing with their troubles and entering the Promised Land – nursed them in the desert. And after all that time they were again faced with the same situation.
Isn’t that just the way it is in life? Avoiding something never solves anything. The chosen people were still faced with the same decision – risk failure for the promise of success or do nothing and achieve that. The very things that stop us from claim our future – in our spiritual, personal, familial, financial, social, and vocational lives, are the very same things that stopped the Israelites – fear, doubt, uncertainty and negativity immobilized them in the past; their unwillingness to believe barred them from being able to take possession of what was meant for them in the future. It is no different for us. We, like they, too often refuse to accept that “Whatever your mind can conceive and you truly believe, you will achieve” So rather than acting on that belief and risk failure for something better; we avoid finding out and wither away while we wait a future that never comes. And still God, offers us another chance.
The opportunity was once more before Israelites; a new generation had come to maturity. A new leader was raised up before the people. The land was before them, and the challenge was given, “Arise, go over into Jordan, and take possession of the land.”
I
Last week we learned that both Moses and Joshua made the decision to believe and so had to chart a new course, take courage and bring his companions along with them if they were to claim what God had promised. And this week as we continue in the study of Joshua we learn how he learned from Moses to overcome the challenges before him and claim the promised future God has for them, so we too can claim our future.
The first thing we see is that Joshua knew that to claim your future there had to be proper preparation. As we get further into the book of Joshua we will see in the first three chapters the complex plans Joshua made before the people ever took their first step. I said in the past that “if you aim at nothing you will be sure to hit it.” I have also said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
Planning is essential to success.
Having come back from vacation we all know, as parents how much time we spend preparing for a trip. We take every precaution because safety is an important part of any preparation – we take sunscreen, aspirin, medicine, security blanks and toys. We put our children in booster seats, car seats and everyone knows by now, the importance of seatbelts. I sometimes wonder how we survived childhood. I don’t even turn the car on until all the kids grandkids are in the booster seats, car seats and seat belts. But I distinctly remember, as a child though, traveling to British Columbia for my father’s next military posting before we went to Germany, that I was lying in the back window of the car like one of those old plastic dogs with the bobbing heads. If my brother and I started to fight, my father never shouted or threatened us; he just slammed on the breaks. We bounced around the car like pin balls.
In my neighborhood, all the smart kids like my brother, got chemistry sets and those not so smart would get wood burning kits.
Now, those are two safe things to give to kids?! One kid gets to make poisons to through in his sibling’s eyes and the other a rod the heats to three thousand degrees to burn things! Everyone knew the dog that the kid in the neighborhood named Tommy’s was though because he branded him. The problem came when he started branding all his neighbour’s dogs and cats. After that we didn’t see much to Tommy anymore; he was sent away to some place… While those whose siblings got the chemistry sets very often walked around with patches on our eyes or prematurely had to get glasses. You can guess which kit I got. My brother went on to be a dentist and still inflicted pain on people. And what did our parents say, “Now children, play nice. Play nice, I was being poisoned, my only defense was a rod heated at 3000 degrees that if I move three feet unplugged from the wall; that is until someone, thank God, invented extension cords.
After that my parents, like so many others, thought better of it and gave us something less dangers to play with outside. Do you remember lawn-darts? Now, what psychopath thought that thing up! On one hand you’re taught not to play with knives and on the other you’re given a 3-pound dart with a three-inch spike on the end to throw at a circle on the ground while the other person stood beside it, with their lawn dart to do the same to you. The instructions said “children will have hours of fun throwing them at the circle.” Really? Hours? It only took my brother and I and the other kids in the neighbourhood to call the sibling that annoyed them to stand at the other end and aim that 3lb darts with a spike at the end to aim it precisely at the head of your annoying older or younger sibling. Hours of fun? Yah in the emergency room!!!
It’s no wonder that today, unlike the past, preparation for our health and safety in my generation boarded on fanaticism – and that’s not always a bad thing. People in my generation gave their kids educational toys – those boring toys no kid ever wanted to play with. Except for mine. They played with them by throwing them at each other. Yet, though we tried to prepare for every eventuality, people hardly ever prepare for their future. Joshua understood that after 40 years in the desert and had being preparing with Moses his generation to be ready to claim their future. because he learned it under Moses that there would be uncertainty and difficulties ahead. He ordered the people to prepare sufficient food (1:11). He sent spies to analyze the situation in Jericho (2:1). His instructions were given to the priests (3:6). And a challenge was issued to the people (3:9)
Every step was carefully planned by Joshua so success could be realized. He knew that enthusiasm alone for an idea will get you moving forward, but only proper preparation will get you there. As it has often been said, “pray as if everything depends upon God; then, plan as if everything depends on you.”
II
We learn from Joshua that to claim your future you have to have proper preparation, and complete commitment. Preparation without commitment is pointless. You can have the greatest plan in the world, but without the people being committed to it; nothing will come of it. Claiming the Promised Land was contingent upon the complete commitment of the people of God. This is an important principle that he learned from Moses, because, when Moses arrived at the promised land the first time, the people refused to go in. There was infighting, division as to how to hand it, fears of giants in the land as a result they wandered in the desert for another 40 years until those half-hearted people died off.
So Joshua, had to not only prepare his people but make sure of their full-hearted commitment. This is true not only in the biblical past; but in claiming your future. This principle can be simply stated: unity brought victory, but division brings delay (40 years) or defeat. Commitment is something that seems to be taken for granted today. The Barna Research group found in it’s study that:
- Adults feel that they have fewer close friends than did adults in past decades
- Brand loyalty in consumer purchasing studies has dropped in most product categories, and by as much as 60% in some categories.
- The proportion of people willing to join an organization is declining in relation to churches, labor unions, political parties, clubs and community associations.
- Book clubs and record clubs are less likely to attract new members when multiple year or multi-product commitments were required.
- The percentage of adults who sense a duty to fight for their country, regardless of the cause, has dropped.
- The percentage of people who commit to attend events but fail to show is on the rise
Commitment seems to be a little thing; yet, it truly makes a big difference.
A certain man wanted to sell his house in Haiti for two thousand dollars and another man wanted badly to purchase the house. The problem was that the man who wanted to purchase the house could not come up with enough money to buy the house. After a great deal of negotiating the owner of the house agree to sell the house for half of the original amount under one condition. He would still own one nail that hung over the home’s front door. The agreement was made and the sale of the house was completed. After a few years the original owner of the house wanted to buy the house back but the new owner refused to sell. So the first owner went out and found the carcass of a dead dog and hung it on the nail that he still owned in the house. Before long the house became so unlivable that the family was forced to sell the house to the owner of the nail. If you don’t have the commitment nailed down everything else will fall apart.
III
Joshua learned from Moses and that to claim your future you have to have proper preparation, complete commitment and finally, a unique unity. Success also demanded a unique unity of purpose. Has it has been said, “united we stand, divided we fall.”
Before crossing the Jordan, the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half- tribe of Manasseh requested permission to settle on the east side of the Jordan. Joshua agreed, on one condition. These tribes must first cross the Jordan with the others and participate in the capture of the land (1:12-17). Joshua realized that the task before them demanded the total efforts of all the people blended together in a unique unity of purpose.
There can, and always will be, diversity in any group. Yet, success comes when the diverse gifts, abilities, talents and strengths are focused in unity. Unity amidst diversity brings victory. Diversity without unity does nothing. After an accident in which she lost her arm, a girl named Jamie refused to go to school or church for an entire year. Finally, the young teen thought she could face her peers. In preparation, her mother called her Sunday school teacher and asked that he not call attention to Jamie. The teacher promised, but when he got sick on Sunday and had to call a substitute, he forgot to tell the second teacher. At the conclusion of the lesson that day, which was about inviting friends to church, the sub led the class in doing the hand motions to the familiar children’s poem: Here’s the church. Here’s the steeple. Open the doors. See all the people. Jamie’s eyes filled with tears. A 13-year-old boy realized how she must be feeling. He knelt beside her. With one hand apiece, they supported each other, making the church, steeple, and people.
George Eliot said, “In life our deeds determine us as much as we determine our deeds. You think about that.” Amen.