Sermons

A Gracious and Covenant-Keeping God

Throughout the Book of Jsohua, we are reminded over and over again that the Levites did not receive any portion of land as Canaan was being divided among the tribes, for the Lord God was their inheritance. Nevertheless, they still needed to sustain themselves, and the Lord graciously provided for them. Given Israel's track record in the past, this situation could have turned out very differently; but the Lord put it in the hearts of the rest of the people to give the Levites cities throughout the land where they could live. Hence they were scattered across the whole land so that they could be held accountable in their work for the Lord, and also so that they could teach the people from the Book of the Law. They lived as permanent sojourners in the land so that they could be a living picture to the people of Who God is and what He had done for them. The heartbeat of this passage – and of the whole Book of Joshua – is that God made a promise, and He also faithfully fulfilled it! And since He was faithful to His people, they were now called to live in faith to Him. He keeps His Covenant and is true to His Word. Jesus has promised He is coming back and He will certainly do so. The land of Canaan was to be a picture pointing us to Christ, Who has done everything faithfully to give us rest; and now we are called to walk by faith toward Him. Even when we fail, He is still so good and faithful to His promises!

From Generation to Generation

Psalm 78 takes the form of a long history lesson with one inescapable truth: the grace of God continues to sine upon a people whose only claim to fame is their suicidal success in breaking His Covenant. This history lesson was given so that God's people might trust in Him, rely on Him, and hope in Him. He Who has helped us in days past will also help us in years to come. God works from generation to generation, for centuries. His work extends over a long period of time; it's like a movie, not a photo snapshot. He is writing a cinematic history of the Church. His work is a multigenerational effort, and it's a beautiful thing to see. Every generation of believers in the Church, but especially the young, need to have the good news of the Gospel pounded into our heads! Deuteronomy 6 ordained that parents were to immerse their families' daily life with the Word of God. The Word alone will not save a person; but when it is lit on fire in a person's heart by the work of the Holy Spirit, it burns brightly and becomes essential. The people of Israel were a faithless and stubborn generation. Their hearts were not steadfast and faithful to God's Covenant. Yet we are told that the Lord was faithful to provide the solution for their rebellious and stony hearts – and ours, too! The Gospel of Jesus is the only solution for all our sin and and rebellion and faithlessness. He changes us and makes us faithful Israelites. We need our sin and guilt put away, and He has not left us without hope; for He has shown us the way of salvation, by faith alone, in Christ alone!

God is Just

"Justice" is a big word today. But without a just God, justice doesn't make sense. Everything He does is just; justice flows from Him (Deuteronomy 32:4). Sometimes, even when we seek justice, we may face an unjust judge who loves being in office more than being truly just. But that is not the case with the Lord. God clearly laid out laws of justice for people who accidentally killed another person. He provided cities of refuge in the Promised Land to protect them from the avenger of blood. But even though they could find safety and justice in one of these cities, they could never live down the fact that they had taken a human life, even if it was unintentional. These cities were a place of the Lord's mercy, but they also showed that He does care about the sanctity of human life. The only reason we are still alive is because God is merciful to us, even though our hearts are evil. Jesus taught that even hating our neighbor or getting angry with him puts us on the same level as a murderer. We all have real guilt, and so we need a City of Refuge to flee to! The good news is that Jesus died in our place. He – the Just One – suffered for us who are unjust. And because the Lord laid our sins upon Him, we may now walk in the freedom and liberty that He has bought for us by His death and resurrection!

The Value of a Soul

The Land of the Seven Tribes

The Lord made all the promises and provisions for His people of Israel, but they weren't willing to do the work. They were no longer a people who were wandering around in the wilderness. The Tabernacle was permanently set up in their midst. But seven of the tribes did not yet have their inheritance, and they were basically sitting around doing nothing. It is sad but true that many are barred from entering the heavenly Canaan and enjoying the blessings of a relationship with God because of their own slackness and failure to make an effort to take possession of them. How often do we get satisfied with the things of this life instead of storming the gates of heaven? Joshua sent 21 surveyors to make a record of the rest of the land that was yet to be divided. They brought this record to Shiloh, where the presence of the Lord dwelt among His people; and there Joshua cast lots for the rest of the tribes so that the Lord's choice would determine who received what portion of land. Hundreds of years after the fact, the Lord was still being faithful to His promise to Abraham and fulfilling His Word for His people! After all the tribes had received their inheritance, Joshua asked for and was given a humble piece of property for his own personal possession. He could have demanded the best lots available in Canaan; but instead, like Jesus, he challenged the people to act, yet he himself went before and set the example. The Lord's promises are meant to be stimulants, not sedatives. Heaven and a relationship with God are within our reach... will we stretch out our hand to take possession of them?

Sowing the Gospel Seed

Matthew 13 is a theologically rich chapter, speaking of the Kingdom of Heaven. As the people of God, we have received the mysteries of God revealed in Jesus Christ. We have received His grace, and we are responsible for sharing that with the lost. Today we are not examining the four kinds of soil in the parable; rather, we are taking a closer look at the Sower himself. First, we observe that his only intention was to sow seed. Similarly, God did not give us the seed of the Gospel just to have us save it up and keep it to ourselves. He wants it to be sown! That is what Christ Himself left heaven and came to earth to do – to sow the seed of the Gospel among mankind. The Sower's method of sowing his seed was to scatter it everywhere. That is what we are to do when we sow the seed of the Gospel; we are called to all the ends of the earth to tell the lost world about Jesus and what He has done for sinners. We need to make sure that everyone from every circle of our life hears the Gospel from our lips. If we want to see the Church grow, then we need to go and sow! Was the Sower successful? The parable makes it clear that he lost a lot of seed. We have no control over the soil or the amount of fruit that each plant will produce. But God is the Lord of the harvest! When we have sown the seed, we have done our job; and then we can pray for Him to make it grow and be fruitful. Let's pray for grace that we may always be ready to sow the seed of the Gospel! We must remember that different people will respond differently to the seed, but we need not lose hope. When we do our job and go and sow, we will see a multiutude of a harvest ready for Jesus!

Joseph's Inheritance

The Israelites were receiving their inheritance from the Lord, by faith. But why were they even there in the first place? The Lord had promised this land to them over four centuries before. But as they conquered the land of Canaan, they were not to make any agreements with any of the people of the land. The Israelites were God's holy people and special treasure, and they were being called to live as such. The Lord keeps His vows to His people, and now they were being expected to keep theirs. But Israel did not fulfill this commandment of the Lord all the way. They fell short of the mark and made the people of the land serve them as forced laborers. And then the people of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh complained to Joshua that they had not been given enough room in their land. But the real reason for this was because they feared the Canaanites and their iron chariots. We wonder why the people of Israel didn't get their act together and just get rid of the enemies in their land. But we often act in a similar manner when we say our sins are too great for us to conquer. However, as in the case with the Israelites, the Lord did not give us giIants to conquer alone in our own strength – for Christ has already defeated them! Here we see just how much we need a Champion Who does keep all the commandments of the Lord. We are full heirs of the heavenly inheritance, where everything that is wrong and broken on this earth will be made right again. But how do we receive our inheritance? By faith in Jesus, Who is faithful – despite our unfaithfulness! How thankful we should be that God fixed our problem! Let's pray for grace to walk by faith and keep our eyes on our Savior.

Judah's Inheritance

Why is Judah listed as the first tribe to receive their inheritance in the land of Canaan? Judah wasn't the firstborn son of Jacob; but his three older brothers were passed over, and he was the one who received the blessing of the firstborn in Genesis 49. Judah was the brother who swore to protect Benjamin and bring him home in safety to his father. Judah was the tribe that marched first when the children of Israel moved in the wilderness. And it was hundreds of years later that David, the shepherd boy from Judah, would be anointed as the king of God's people. But it wasn't until David's time that the Israelites drove out the inhabitants of Jersualem, the Jebusite fortress. We often know by sad experience what it is like to have an imperfect conquest of the strongholds of sin in our hearts. However, there was one village in the tribe of Judah – Bethlehem – that was so small that it wasn't even mentioned in the lists of the cities belonging to that tribe! The prophet Micah foretold that one day, a King would come from that village, and all the world would bow before Him! This is why Judah is listed first. And although the people of that tribe were not able to conquer the Jebusite stronghold, our Jesus has indeed conquered – riding triumphantly through the gates of Jerusalem and defeating sin, death, and hell. And now we have an inheritance that is so much better than the dozens of cities that belonged to the inheritance of Judah in the land of Canaan. We are full heirs of Christ's Covenant!

Caleb's Faith

Joshua 13 gave us a hint that all was not well with the people of Israel in Canaan; they had grown complacent. It is often all too easy for us to become complacent in our spiritual life – either through laziness or fear. But Caleb gives us a shining example of faithfulness to the Lord! He recalls his past life and remembers the time when he and Joshua – almost at the cost of their lives – showed faith in God when the other 10 spies gave a bad report of the Promised Land. And Caleb said that during the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, his faith in God had remained strong. Strong faith requires a devotion to the Lord, even at the cost of standing alone in this world. However, as was the case with Caleb, the Lord stands by us and gives us strength. Just as He told Joshua, He tells us to be strong and very courageous, for He will never leave us nor forsake us. The anchor for Caleb's soul was the promises of God, and not his own faithfulness. He knew that the Lord had promised to defeat the Canaanite giants, and he was prepared to take Him at His Word and run the race with perseverance and take down the giants. Moreover, by Caleb's example, he spurred on the next generation to face the challenge and have faith in the Lord and His promises as well. This is a story of God's faithfulness to His promises, reminding us how we must cling to those promises and walk by faith in light of them. Will the Lord Jesus be enough for us as we cut across the grain and take a stand for Him?

Look to God

In this chapter, there are three main points that draw our attention to... 1) Look to God and what He has done already 2) Beware of looking to prosperity 3) Look to God as our ultimate inheritance The mention of the names of the kings that were already defeated in battle was intended to be an encouragement to the people as they remembered what the Lord had done on their behalf in the past. They needed these reminders because they were a forgetful people – just like we are. That is why Jesus has told us to observe the Lord's Supper so that we will remember His works of love and kindness that He has done for us. But there was a real danger. When the Israelites entered the Promised Land, they grew comfortable and they failed to drive out all the enemies that they were supposed to destroy. Prosperity is often a bigger snare to us than suffering; we need to pray that we may never allow the good things of this world to crowd the Lord out of our lives. We need to make sure that the Lord is our inheritance! What is better: a comfortable life here on earth, or the enjoyment of God in the Kingdom of Heaven forever? Our inheritance is not sod on this earth; it is Christ Himself! The world will try to sell us a bill of goods; let's pray for grace to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus as our inheritance!

A Future Promised

Joshua was growing old, and yet there was still much land to conquer in Canaan; and there were even enemies to fight. That is similar to our imperfect state while we still remain on this earth. Some of us have fought great spiritual battles and have even slain many giants; but it seems that as soon as we put our feet on the necks of one of our enemies, another springs up for battle. But our inheritance is far better than that which the Israelites were taking possession of! We get God Himself, and Jesus has gone to prepare a heavenly mansion for us – the New Jerusalem, where we will no longer be able to sin! The Lord told Joshua to go ahead and cast lots for the division of the land that was yet to be conquered. He guaranteed that He Himself would chase Israel's enemies out of the land. We will go through hard times in life; but our Savior has gone before us in triumphant victory, and we can live in light of that promise! He is faithful, and His Word and promises are true and endure forever.

One King Victorious

As we read of the Israelites' conquest of the land of Canaan, we see how He alone was the Victorious One Who was giving the land and the kings into His people's hands. Moses warned them to not think they were the heroes of the story, because it was the Lord Who hardened the hearts of the Canaanites so that they would fight Israel and be defeated. The awfulness of the bloody battles that are recorded here show us just how ugly sin is and how seriously God takes it. Indeed, the only reason none of us are struck down for our sins is because of our Lord's mercy. The Israelites won these battles successfully because the God of Israel was fighting for them; for they themselves were weak, idolatrous, and sinful – just as we are. But Jesus Chirst is our Joshua! It is He Who crushes our giants and leads us in obedience to the Lord. The Book of Joshua is given to us so that we will realize that Jesus can conquer anything, and we are promised victory through Him!

Death's Dominion is Done

Look for Love of Others - Part 2

Qualifications for Elders

Grieving the Holy Spirit

Look for Love of Others – Part 1

Jesus is our Good Shepherd Who cares for and feeds His flock. Unfortunately, not all elders are good leaders who imitate Christ. The Scriptures contain more than one example of leaders who failed in their responsibilities toward the people of God. They treated them with cruelty and brutality; they neglected them and selfishly served themselves. They did not lead the sheep to green pastures; and they did not seek the lost lambs, like Jesus does. The Lord Jesus is our true and perfect Shepherd Who cares for His people perfectly! And when we elect an elder in the church, we must look for a man who loves Christ and loves His sheep. A leader in the Church must keep watch over his own life, and he must remember that the Holy Spirit has given him this office; he has not earned it by his own good merits. He must recognize that the Church is God's, not his own; and he must keep his focus on Jesus, the Good Shepherd. A good elder will recognize each of Christ's people as the one lamb who is of such unestimable worth to Him that He gave His own life to redeem them, and he will do his best to imitate the Savior and show the same kind of love to the sheep!

Look for Love of God

In the Gospel of John, Jesus declares Himself to be the Good Shepherd Who gave His own life for His sheep. And He has appointed elders to be caretakers and overseers to watch over His flock. We tend to view the lists of elder qualifications in the Epistles as a "checklist" to identify elders in the Church. But if a man is not imitating Christ and living like Him, he is not qualified for the office. He must be like Christ – feeding and leading His sheep. He must feed them on a good diet of God's Word and promises, and he must lead them as he himself follows Jesus. True elders are shepherds, not business boardmembers. Out of their love for God, they will love and care for His people. As they follow Christ, they will be examples for the flock. And when the Lord Jesus returns, they will receive an incorruptible crown of glory to take and lay at the Savior's feet!

Legacy & Honor

Look for Love

When the Church prepares to select a man to fill the office of elder, they must look for a man who is filled with love. However, they must beware of men who possess the wrong kind of love. An elder should not be a man who loves money more than the Lord; nor should he love power and influence more than Christ, since he must be committed to service and sacrifice for the good of the Church. Moreover, the selection of an elder should also not be a popularity contest, where each seeks to win the largest share of the people's praise. And a faithful elder must be committed to discipleship of the people of God, even when it's unpopular. As the Church seeks to elect an elder, we must remember that we are looking for a Christ-like man – not Christ. No human being is perfect; even the best of Church leaders will struggle with sin, as the Apostles themselves did. Besides, Christ Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is already and always with us! So we should be looking for a man who is striving to imitate our Savior as much as possible. The Church would do well to remember that the qualities which we desire to see in an elder are also qualities that ought to be practiced by all the people of God. The elders and church leaders, however, ought to take the lead role in these qualities – and it starts with love!

It's God's Victory

Joshua

Craftiness and Covenants

The children of Israel allowed themselves to be duped out of part of their inheritance because they were taken in by some deceiving "ambassadors" who lied to them and tricked them into making a covenant with them – despite the Lord's command to destroy all the wicked Canaanites. It is strange to think that the Israelites got into this mess because they repeated a failure that they had just recently made in the matter of their attack upon Ai – they did not pray to the Lord and seek His guidance before making their plans and decisions. The Christian life must be a life of prayer. A prayerless Christian misses out on so much blessedness. Without prayer and the reading of the Word, true communication does not exist between the Lord and our souls. As a part of the Body of Christ, we ought to be lifting one another up in prayer – following the example of our Lord Jesus Himself, Who is repeatedly depicted in the Gospels as spending much time praying for His people!

Victory!

After Achan's sin had been dealt with, the Lord assured Joshua that the Israelites would be successful in a second attack upon the city of Ai. This time, a plan was employed whereby the city would be captured and conquered by an ambush strategy. When the Israelites pretended to retreat again, the men of Ai pursued them, giving the ambushers an opportunity to take the city and burn it. None of the inhabitants of Ai survived; even the king, who was brought to Joshua, was not spared. Like the victorious Israelites, we might be tempted to think that we obtain victory over our sins because we are "good people." But nothing could be farther from the truth. The only reason that God shows us any favor and grace is because Jesus, our Captain and our heavenly Joshua, has already fought and won the battle against the enemies of our souls!

Kill sin - NOW

After the victory at Jericho, we are expecting to hear of more great things happening. The Israelites are confident and fully expect to continue their successses; but instead, at Ai, they are confronted with a shocking defeat. Joshua is confused and is beginning to wonder whether God is going to follow through with His promises to His people. The Lord answers Joshua's prayers rather brusquely – "Get up!" He tells him that the problem is in Joshua's own camp, and must be rooted out. We can only imagine how uncomfortable Achan was when Joshua got nearer and nearer to discovering his crime. He had stolen gold, silver, and a garment from the spoils of Jericho that had been devoted to the Lord. But he couldn't even enjoy the things he had stolen. And he could have repented of his sin at any time before Joshua's piercing eye demanded him to explain to him what he had done. When we hide sin in our hearts, its consequences are far-reaching. We cannot conceal our transgressions and our guilt from the eye of God, Who sees everything. We would do well to examine our hearts, confess our sins to the Lord, and find forgiveness and blessedness in Him! (Psalm 32)

God Takes Jericho

As Joshua is surveying the city of Jericho, pondering on the best course of action, he is suddenly confronted by a Man with a drawn sword. Joshua instinctively recognizes that this is his Lord, and he bows and worships in His holy presence. This Man was the Commander of the army of the Lord, and He had now come to fulfill His promise from Exodus 23 and go before His people in the conquest of the land of Canaan. Without Him, all the brilliant military strategies that the Israelites may have devised would have been worthless! The battle plan that the Lord laid out before Joshua seemed ridiculous. But the people were going to be shown that their victory could only be obtained by trusting in the Lord. Every step they took as they silently marched around Jericho's walls was an act of obedient faith. And their confidence was placed in the Lord Himself, Whose presence (represented by the Ark of the Covenant) was in the very midst of the marching men. Only Rahab's family was spared when Jericho was destroyed. It may seem cruel that all the others in the city were put to death, but we must remember that the Lord had patiently waited for the these people to repent and find mercy in Him for hundreds of years. And they stubbornly refused to do so. Sinners must flee from the wrath to come and turn to Jesus for their only hope and answer, contrary to what many teach us today. Will we obediently follow the ways of the Lord, or will we turn aside to pursue the world's wisdom and pleasures? Jesus Christ, our Commander, has won the victory for us; and He still leads His people. Let's pray for grace to rejoice in His victory and follow Him faithfully!