ST TIMOTHY'S CHURCH - SERMON NOTES + GROUP NOTES
DATE / SUBJECT (also at StTims.org.uk) / TEXTS10/05/15 / Land yet to be conquered. / Joshua 23.1-11, Luke 5.1-11
Wanting to continue on the theme from the last few Sunday sermons:
looking at practical ways in which we can really make headway in our lives to make them better,
- practical ways to make headway in helping other people to live better lives.
Last week, John was helping us to see that understanding our true identity in Jesus Christ hugely impacts how we see ourselves, and the potential of our lives. We are not defined by a physical appearance, our talents, whether we are male/female, rich/poor, young or old, or any other human categorisation. We are defined by the fact that we are children of God, brothers sisters of Jesus Christ. Huge significance! Sons & Daughters of God!
And couple of weeks before that, we looked at this amazing teaching that we are sitting with Jesus on the right-hand side of Almighty God in heaven, in one sense,
The question is now… what do we do about all this? What is the significance of this?
In the second sermon of this series we looked at the fact that we are called to be agents with Jesus to liberate the captive, set free the oppressed.
Today’s sermon looks of that more in more detail, helping us to see how we practically can do that with Jesus.
We are now going to go back into the old Testament, a continuation of the Exodus story, where Joshua is now giving a farewell speech to the Israelites, now settled in Canaan, the promised land of Israel.
Before we have the reading, it’s important to understand that in many respects the old Testament is a metaphor for our spiritual life with God, and what happened on a grand scale, in the dramatic story of Israel through the centuries is in some sense a parable of our relationship with God today, in all its ups & downs – God’s purpose…
To take one example related to this story, the Exodus: Its all about God’s people being liberated from bondage in Egypt, taken through the deep waters of the red Sea, through a process of refinement and learning about God’s ways and his kingdom, before finally reaching the promised land, flowing with milk and honey.
This relates directly to the story of all God’s people, down through the ages, that through Jesus Christ we are liberated from slavery to sin, taken through the deep waters of baptism, through a period of wilderness and refining, learning the new ways of God, leading us ultimately to the promised land of heaven.
Many of the physical battles of the old Testament help us to understand the spiritual battles that we face today, and St Paul reminds us in Ephesians thatour struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms...
So we are not learning from the old Testament about fighting physical opponents, but about fighting spiritual opponents, outside us, and within us, as we battle on towards liberation, and helping others to be liberated in the process.NB, That spiritual realm in which were fighting, is the same spiritual realm in which we are sitting upon thrones with Jesus…
In the passage we are about to hear, Joshua is exhorting and encouraging the people of Israel to complete the conquest of the promised land, explaining how they can do expect to overcome every obstacle, every enemy.
How could God justify driving out the indigenous people of Canaan? How could the people of Israel be permitted to conquer the Amorites, Hittites and Canaanites, et cetera? The reason for this is because their culture had become so sinful, such as sacrificing their own children to their pagan gods - that God used the Israelites to be a means of divine punishment. Such as the text Genesis 15.16, where God is speaking to Abraham explaining why there will be a delay before God’s people return to canaan:It will be four generations before your descendants come back here, because I will not drive out the Amorites until they become so wicked that they must be punished.
Josh 23.1-11
After a long time had passed and theLordhad given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then a very old man,2summoned all Israel– their elders, leaders, judges and officials– and said to them: ‘I am very old.
3You yourselves have seen everything theLordyour God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was theLordyour God who fought for you.
4Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain– the nations I conquered– between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea in the west.
5TheLordyour God himself will push them out for your sake. He will drive them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as theLordyour God promised you.
6‘Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left.7Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them.8But you are to hold fast to theLordyour God, as you have until now.
9‘TheLordhas driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you.10One of you routs a thousand, because theLordyour God fights for you, just as he promised.11So be very careful to love theLordyour God.
Here's a picture of the land of Israel round about the time that Joshua was speaking.
The darker areas indicate where Israelites have control, and the other areas are where they have yet to drive out the inhabitants.
This is an illustration of our life with God. Some areas of our lives have come under the control of God, where Jesus is Lord. But some parts of our lives are still not fully under God's control. Sin has not been cast out, there is still areas of discord, of selfishness, pride, anger, etc.
Is that not true for all of us?
This passage helps us to understand how God can help us to gain control of other areas of our lives, so that God gains increasing control over every aspect of our lives.
Also how God can help us bring under his control the world around us, helping more more people and situations experience the wonderful blessing of God's rule.
Great encouragement – but again its about spiritual battle not physical…
… called to work with God – as his sons and daughters - to bring his kingdom into all those areas of our lives, other people’s lives, into our society, where God is not yet acknowledged as Lord. - To liberate the captive, set free the oppressed, and help others to come to know Jesus as Lord, Saviour and Friend - even double the size of our congregation so that we can be more effective as a light in the darkness
What guidence and insight does the passage reveal?
V3. It's good to be reminded that any progress that has been made has been made by God alone.
V4. Yet there is much more to be fully under God’s control…
V5. God will help us drive out the sin in our/others lives.
But he does this as we step out in faith, not before. (“drives them out as we advance…” GNB)
We have to make the first step, weak though we feel… not wait for God to wave a magic wand…
V6-8…and we also have to be obedient, be holy…
Keep seeking God's will in his word, and obeying… Not turning to the left or to the right, but keeping straight…
Zero tolerance to sin…
Holding fast to God all the way through.
If we are not seeking to be holy, how can he work through us, use us as agents of transformation?
V9-10 - again looking back at what God has done in the past, to help us to have confidence in the future…
V11 - so be careful to love God…- if we are casual/take things for granted/ not bothered – no progress.
But remember This battle is fought and won - or lost - in the spiritual realm
Spiritual battles, and weapons, Ephesians 6.10-20, and 2 Corinthians 10.2
3For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, [these weapons,] they have divine power to demolish strongholds.5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Our problem at St Tims is that we tend to do things in our own strength. We wont make real progress that way.
- In what way does the partial victory of the Isrealites in the promised land reflect our own spiritual state?
- How can God help us to win the battle against evil inside and outside us, so as to make real progress?
- What enemies do we face?
- What do you learn from Joshua’s exhoration?
- What spiritual weapons and armour do we need to access if we are to see out church double in size?
- Do we tend to do things in our own strength here at St Tims? – how can we change for the better?