So, during my internship, I got the opportunity to preach a sermon at Level Ground Mennonite Church in Abbotsford. This worked out well, because I needed to preach a sermon for a Homiletics course I was taking DS through Bethany college. I thought I would share the sermon with you all via my blog. Just a quick note, this sermon was spoken on Father's Day...I'll attempt to edit out the specific Father's Day references, but if I miss a few, that is why. I hope you enjoy, and please let me know what you think:
I remember the day my parents told me the news. I was 13, in grade 9 and everything was going very well, until they sat me down, and told me something that would change my life forever; we were moving!. To make matters worse, my parents told me that we were moving to Manitoba. Being from Ontario, I didn’t know a lot about Manitoba; in fact, I was certain that Manitoba was nothing but a barren wasteland. I was angry at my parents, and thought they were being selfish; but as angry as I was at them, I was more angry at God. He had the power to stop this, he had the ability to prevent us from moving and he was doing nothing. He was just sitting up there, all high and mighty, watching as my life was about to fall apart. I had never moved before, which made the idea of having to move to a completely new part of the country even more frightening. I didn’t know what to expect. My entire life, up to that point, I lived in the same house, went to the same school, same church and had the same friends, and now everything was changing. Change is hard isn’t it? Starting a new job, moving to a new place, attending a new school. It’s not easy. It can make us really scared about what is to come, and we often end up questioning if God really knows what he is doing.
I wish I could say that, prior to the move, I learned to accept that God would always be in control. I would love to tell you that I trusted God, and had faith that everything would work out. But as the time grew closer, my outrage and frustration grew. Instead of trusting that God was in control, I was convinced that God didn’t know what he was doing. I thought that I would be alone and my life would begin to unravel piece by piece.
It’s not just us modern people that forget that God never leaves us, and is in control. Even the great biblical heroes who saw God do miraculous and incredible things, had to be reminded at times. In the Old Testament, Gideon had to test God’s presence 3 times before he fully accepted it. The Israelites continuously doubted that God would provide for them and protect them. Moses, the great leader who led the Israelites out of slavery, gave God numerous excuses, before he finally accepted the word of the Lord. Even Joshua, the strong leader, was terrified, and needed to be reassured that God would be with him.
This conversation, between God and Joshua, can be found in Joshua Chapter 1. It reads:
“After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses aide: ‘Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give them--to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates--all the Hittite country--to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand against you; I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.
Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and Courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go’”
While this passage is meaningful all on it’s own, it’s very important to understand the context. What happened prior to this conversation between Joshua and God.
The Israelites, God’s chosen people, had been freed from slavery, after spending over 400 years in Egypt. Moses was called by God, and led the Israelites out of Egypt, and through the wilderness. While being led through the wilderness, God showed his people his power and protection. He separated the waters of the Red Sea, so that they could cross on dry land. Everyday, He sent manna from heaven for them to eat. So they wouldn’t get lost, he led them by a pillar of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night. Once, he even gave them water from a rock. God was always present with his people, and provided all they needed. But they still often disobeyed Him and forgot about Him. They even built an idol in Exodus 32, while Moses was receiving the 10 Commandments at Mt. Sinai. It’s easy for us to judge the Israelites for making an idol, but we really aren’t as different as we’d like to believe. When times get difficult, and we can’t feel God’s presence, we turn to other things to sustain us. We trust in the power of money. We turn to Dr. Phil and Oprah for advice on how to live a meaningful life. We focus all of our attention on our jobs so that we will be able to provide for our family. While these things aren’t bad in themselves, they can easily become idols. I can completely relate to what the Israelites did, and I’m sure most of you can too. It’s very easy to trust in God when we can feel him. When he is doing miraculous things all around us, of course we are going to trust that he is there. But it’s those times that he seems to be silent. Those times that he feels distant, those are when it is most important to trust God. He is still there, he does still care for us, we just have to have faith and trust him.
Back to the Israelites now, after wandering through the wilderness for many years, they finally arrived at the land God promised to them. This promise was given to their ancestor Abraham in Genesis 12:7, “The LORD appeared to Abraham and said ‘to your offspring I will give this land”. The promise is again mentioned in Genesis 15:7, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur, to give you this land and take possession of it”. It is for this recurring promise, that the land was called “The Promised Land”. The promise was finally about to be fulfilled, after hundreds of years.
The Israelites were very excited, and they sent in 12 spies to inspect the land, and tell them how great it would be to live in. At least, that was the intent. The reality was, that 10 of the 12 spies gave very bad reviews. Numbers 13 tells the story, and I’ll paraphrase what they reported from verse 27:
“They gave Moses this account: ‘We went into the land in which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. we can’t attack these people; they are stronger than we are, and the land devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them’”
The spies were terrified. They forgot the promise of God, and instead focused on the danger. Instead of remembering what God had done for them, and thinking of what God was capable of, they thought only of what they could do. Without God, they didn’t stand a chance. Of course, they didn’t have to worry about fighting without God, but the spies failed to remember that. We also easily forget about all that God has done for us. When we are up against the impossible, instead of turning to God and having faith that he will lead us through it, we crumble. We focus on the “cities” and “armies” in our way, and we doubt that we’ll make it through. It’s very easy for us to act like these spies, forgetting the promise that God will be with us always.
The rest of Israel listened to the 10 spies, despite the pleas of the other 2, Caleb and Joshua. Because of this disobedience, and lack of faith, God punished those who listened to the spies by forbidding them to enter the Promised Land. In Numbers 14:22, God vows:
“Not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me…not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it”
So, the Israelites were forced to spend 40 more years in the wilderness, one year for each of the forty days they spent exploring the land, while the faithless died off.
It is here, after the excruciatingly long 40 extra years in the wilderness, that God spoke to Joshua. Moses has just died, and Joshua had just been commissioned as the new leader.
When we think of Joshua, we often picture him as the strong, courageous leader, which he was. He did great things, and is one of the most courageous, and exciting leaders in the entire Bible. However, we often forget that he was human and he felt afraid just like all of us. Everyone is afraid at times. I was terrified to move to Manitoba. Students are scared of exams, and worry about the future. Adults are afraid of the economic downturn. Simple things like going to the dentist make many people afraid. Thousands of people are terrified of flying, and nearly everyone has some fears related to death. Joshua was no different, he felt afraid like everyone else.
During this conversation with God, you know that Joshua is dealing with a lot of stress. His mentor, leader and friend, Moses, has just died. He is now in charge of the entire nation of Israel. Joshua is also standing in front of the Promised Land. He, unlike the rest of Israel, has actually been in it. He spent forty days, as a spy, scouting out the land. And while he saw the good in the land the last time he was there, you know that he is also remembering how big and strong the cities and armies are. The words of the other 10 spies must have been echoing through his head:
“We can’t attack these people, they are stronger then we are…Their cities are fortified and very large…The land devours those living in it”.
While on the outside he has to look strong, and courageous, inside, he was probably terrified. And that is why God is speaking to him. God encourages him, reminds him that this land is promised to him. And more importantly, God tells Joshua, “I will never leave you nor forsake you; I will be with you wherever you go”.
No matter what would happen, God would be there.
Do you know what happens next? The Israelites enter the Promised Land, and they take it over. They conquer the cities and defeat the armies. They didn’t win every battle. There were a few times that they disobeyed God were defeated. But God kept his promise and was always there. He never left them, they were never forsaken
Now, I have to ask the question. Is this promise consistent throughout Scripture. Are there other places in the Bible where God makes a similar promise, or is this the only one? In other words, can we take this promise as our own. Does it apply to us today, struggling with broken relationships, financial issues and everyday stresses? or was it intended strictly for Joshua and the Israelites entering the Promised Land.
Well, this promise, given by God to Joshua, is very consistent throughout Scripture. Deuteronomy 31:6, is a striking similarity to Joshua 1:9. In this passage, Moses has just been told that he will not enter the Promised Land, and is naming Joshua as his successor. Moses is encouraging the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land, saying “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you”.
God promises to be with his people, and encourages them in Isaiah, chapter 41 verses 10 and 13, saying “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”, “For I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not Fear; I will help you”. This passage is written to the nation of Israel, while they are in exile in Babylon. The land that was promised to them, has been taken away. They are discouraged, scared, and feel very much alone. But God promises them, reminds them, that he is there. Times are tough, everything they had worked for is now gone, but God remains. Just as he was with them as they were entering the Promised Land, he is with them still as they are forced out of it.
The Psalms are also filled with promises of the Lord’s protection and guidance. Verse 4 of Psalm 23 reads, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.” David, the writer of this Psalm, is confident that whatever comes his way, God would be there.
This promise to never leave us isn’t limited to the Old Testament either.
The New Testament mentions it as well, including this verse in Hebrews 13, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’”.
These four passages are only a handful of times God promises to be with us always. All through Scripture, God promises to never leave us, and never forsake us.
I wish I remembered this promise while I was preparing to move. Had I of remembered that God would always be with me, I know that my attitude and my perspective would have been much different. Instead of fear and anger, I would have been filled with excitement and curiosity of what great things God would do.
Now it is important to remember, that just because God is always there does not mean that everything will be easy. Life will throw curveballs that you don’t see coming. Relationships fall apart. Jobs are lost. Disasters ruin homes. And people you love die. We don’t understand it. If God is always there, why do these things happen? We begin to question, we doubt that God could truly care about us. When we think of suffering and hardships in the Bible, most of us would immediately think of Job. The story of Job is a hard one for us to hear. It’s a story of suffering, and pain. In a very short amount of time, Job loses his home, his livelihood and his family. Despite all of the loss, he never doubts God. He always remembers that God is with him, right by his side. He doesn’t understand it, but he doesn’t have to. He just trusts God. Such a powerful example for us to follow.
If you read the rest of the story of Joshua, you’d discover that there are many instances where the Israelites lose battles. Taking over the Promised Land wasn’t all smooth sailing. People turned from God, and got discouraged. But God never broke his promise, he was always with them.
God never promises that everything will be easy. On the contrary. Jesus tells his disciples to expect persecution, and during the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, Jesus blesses the poor in spirit, those who mourn, and those who are persecuted. But through all of the struggle. Through the pain, through the heartbreak, disaster, hurt, and frustration, God is there. He will never forsake you. He will never leave you on your own. He will allow us, on our free will, to disobey him, and push him away. He will let us try to live life without him, relying on our own strength. But when our strength runs out, and we can no longer sustain ourselves, he is there, waiting for us to return to him.
Your probably wondering what happened to me after the move. Well, as I look back on it, I know that God truly did care. In fact, the move to Manitoba actually was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I found solid Christian friends, attended an amazing youth group, went to Bible College and met my wife, all because of the move. I can honestly say that God knows what he is doing. If you look back on your life, I can guarantee you will be amazed at the amount of times you see God’s hand directing you. Often, the times that were the most difficult, and we felt more alone than ever before, those are the times that God was the most present. I encourage you to think back on your life. Think through all that has happened, good and bad, and see how many times God shows up. There may be things going on now, that we don’t understand. We may not see God working right away, and often it takes a long time before we realize that God truly was there, walking us through a certain experience. We hear the promise all the time, “God is always with you, and he cares about you”, and often because we hear it so much, we don’t think about it. It becomes just another Christian cliché, that we say to others, but don’t truly believe ourselves. But the truth is, God is always there, and he will always be there.
The promise to Joshua and the Israelites is alive, and applies to us as well. God will never leave us, nor will he forsake us.
So whatver you plan to do with your life, wherever you plan to go, know that God is always with you.
If the financial crisis is hitting you hard, and you can’t see a way out; or if you are financially stable, remember that God will never leave or forsake you.
If your life is easy, and without pain, or if everyday you struggle to get out of bed because the pain and hurt is so much to bear, Be Strong and have Courage.
As a husband, there are days that you don’t see eye to eye with your wife. Arguments about finances and other important issues can take a difficult toll on a person. While there are a lot of great things about marriage, it’s not always easy. But through the tough times, and the great times, God is always there.
For whatever you are going through, whether difficult or easy, the promise given to Joshua is the same promise God is giving to you. Be Strong, Have courage, and know that God will never leave you, and never forsake you. He is with you always.
Thanks for reading my sermon, hope you enjoyed it and got something from it. God Bless
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