When the people of Israel entered the land of Canaan, their first major obstacle to overcome was the city of Jericho with its thick, high and wide walls. By human account, getting past those wall was an impossibility, but when Joshua fell on his face before the Commander of the Lord’s Army, he guaranteed victory for his people by abandoning his plans for attacking Jericho and being obedient to the Lord’s strategy. That strategy found in Joshua 6:1-27 involved a lot of marching, trumpet blowing and shouting, but the wall fell and we learn from it the kind of patient, disciplene and perserving faith that God’s people need in daily living.
Sermons
‘Weighed down by suffering?’ (Luke 13:1-21)
Throughout the history of time, people have always been weighed down by some kind of suffering. In Jesus’ day this was no different. in Luke 13:1-21 we find that the sudden deaths of some people who were killed by a murderous Pontius Pilate or by a falling tower, caused some people to approach Jesus and share their concerns with Him. In response, Jesus told them that the problem of suffering is caused by sin in the world, that the solution to the problem of sin is something that only He can deal with and the great incentive that believers look forward to is found in the coming of His Kingdom.
‘Getting back to basics’ (Joshua 5:1-15)
Once the people of Israel under the leadership of Joshua entered the promised land of Canaan, they faced all kinds of next lessons and experiences. In Joshua 5:1-15 we find that by instructing Joshua to circumcise all the men, God reminded them that their past disobedience would no longer be tolerated. By ending the daily supply of manna, God showed His people that His daily provisions would no longer come in the same way. By sending the commander of His army to meet Joshua, God showed Joshua that he was no longer in charge. By falling on his face to worship, Joshua won the battle that was to be fought against Jericho in chapter 6. All these lessons remind us that we are always in God’s school, as He calls us to learn His ways and walk by faith not sight.
‘Lessons from a pile of stones’ (Joshua 4:1-24)
All kinds of memories can be evoked by certain sounds, sights or smells. In Joshua 4:1-24, God instructed the people of Israel to gather large stones from the bed of the River Jordan while the waters were held back and to create a memorial on the banks of the river. By this memorial, the people of Israel were taught to remember the Lord’s power who saved them, to fear the Lord’s name because it is great and to know for sure that they were His people. All believers know of God’s saving grace and can testify to what God has done by the power of the gospel at work. They will also know that God no longer bears witness through memorials but does so through His ‘living stones’ who can speak openly of His grace at work in them.
‘First, you get your feet wet…’ (Joshua 3:1-17)
After the encouragement Joshua received through the conversion and rescue of Rahab, the next obstacle in his way was the flooded Jordan River which lay between the people of Israel and the Promised Land. However, as we read in Joshua 3:1-17, God knew what He was doing, and arranged it so that when the priests of Israel placed their feet in the flowing water, it stopped flowing and stood up in a heap. It was a miracle of a similar order to the crossing of the Red Sea under Moses. And by it, God showed His people that He was able to get them into the land, just as He had got them out of the land of Egypt. He can be trausted to complete what He has begun
‘Watching the hand of God at work’ (Joshua 2:1-24)
After Joshua assumed the mantle of leading the people of Israel into the promised land, he would have been greatly encouraged by the report of the spies he sent into the city of Jericho. There, as is found in Joshua 2:1-24, they were received by the a prostitute named Rahab, who not only confessed that she had come to believe in the living God but whose actions in giving the spies a safe hiding place, proved the reality of her faith. Before any battle for the land or for Jericho, Joshua discovered that God’s plans were for the salvation of all he would call – even Rahab and her family.
‘Following the leading footsteps’ (Joshua 1:1-18)
After Moses’ death, the mantle of leading the people of Israel into the promised land fell upon the man of God’s choosing, Joshua. Though Joshua had been Moses’ apprentice, this was no small task! But God’s appointing is also his enabling and in Joshua 1:1-18, God gave Joshua clear instructions in the way he should go, always depending upon God’s promises and His Word to be his guide. At the start of the new year, it it is good to put these principles into action and go forward trusting in God’s precious and very great promises.
‘A bright hope for God’s people in a dark time’ (Micah 5:1-5)
When the prophet Micah spoke up, things were looking very grim for the nation of Israel. The Assyrians were threatening to invade and idolatry and corruption were high. The prophecy recorded in Micah 5:1-5 reminds us that he looked forward to better days ahead for the people of God and it would all stem from the arrival of a ruler who would come from Bethlehem. Matthew’s gospel picks up this theme and points to the birth of Jesus as the fulfilment of that prophecy, and in turn, gives God’s people a sure hope in these similarly dark times.
‘Christmas in just 4…no, 5 words’ (John 1:14)
There have been a lot of words written and spoken about the central meaning of Christmas. The Apostle John, in his prologue to his gospel (John 1:1-18), hits the nail on the head in just 4 words from verse 14. These words are so deep and profound that we need to get our heads around them… and it will take 5 words for us to do just that!
‘The Gospel is next to godliness’ (Titus 1:1-4)
The greeting in Titus 1:1-4, at the start of Paul’s letter, is a preview and an overview: the truth about Jesus accords with godliness. For the Christian, belief in Jesus ought to be reflected in our behaviour as we seek to be more like him. But our good works don’t save us – Jesus is the saviour. At Christmas, we celebrate God’s grace shown to us and have the privilege of reflecting that grace to others.