
What Its Going to Take (Joshua 1:1-9; 16-18)
- I don't know how you came this morning
- you might have come encouraged by what's happening
at the church
- as I talk to people, I sense an excitement about the
future
- I sense a deeper hunger for worship and a passion for
evangelism
- some of our leading indicators would seem to suggest
that we are making progress
- some of you came excited about the future at Richview,
and thats great
- I like that!
- I love the believing expectation that God is going
to move in this group of people
-
- but some of you might have a little bit of fear
- and thats okay too
- you may be wondering what these two young pastors are
up to
- I sense when I really listen that many of you are trying
to be supportive, but you're not sure
- perhaps there are some here this morning who struggle
with the whole idea of change
- you haven't heard everything you need to hear from
leadership to be convinced
- or maybe you're carrying around baggage from the past
- youve heard it all before, and you dont
know whether or not to believe
- you came this morning not completely buying in to whats
happening
-
- for the past 5 or 6 weeks, weve been talking
about changing as a church
- weve talked about becoming a purpose-driven church
- but some of us might not be sure that we want to change!
-
- this morning Id like to talk about what its
going to take to become a transformational church a church that
is living up to its mission
- last year I traveled to Israel
- as we drove down the length of the Jordan River, I
looked over and saw the land of Jordan
- I saw the general area from which Moses would have
viewed Israel
- I imagined the millions of people camped out on the
east bank of the Jordan River
- as the book of Joshua opens, thats where they
are
- the Israelites are camped on the east bank of the Jordan
River at the very edge of the Promised Land
- we have a lot in common with them
- for one thing, theres new leadership
- they had just lost the only leader they had known for
40 years
- Moses was the one who started it all
- now there was a new kid on the block - one who had
been chosen while Moses was still alive, but he was still a new leader
-
- we also face impossible obstacles
- it wouldn't have been hard for one of the children
of Israel to stand up at a business meeting and say, "We've tried
this before - 40 years ago. Look across the river! What do you think
we're doing?"
- the obstacles were obvious
- what they faced was impossible by human means
- the only way to overcome was through an implicit trust
and absolute dependence on God's miracle-working power
- and so it is with us
- look around us
- in Canada, 82% of people are unchurched
- "no religious preference" is the fastest
growing religion
- and most evangelical churches are in decline
-
- they had another thing in common with us
- they had God's guarantee; and so do we
- God commanded them to go across the Jordan River and
take the land he had given them
- they had God's promise and guarantee of help
- Jesus commanded us to go into the world and make disciples
- we have his promise that he will be with us, that he
will build his church
- staying on the east side of the Jordan would have been
disobedient and showed a lack of trust
- for us to stay where we are right now would also demonstrate
disobedience and a lack of trust
-
- there's one more similarity between them and us
- theres the issue of choice
- remember what I said earlier?
- they could keep going the way they'd been going for
40 years, and they could keep getting what they'd always be getting
- they could have chosen another few years of wandering
in the wilderness
- or they could enter the Promised Land
-
- we have a choice
- we can keep doing what we've always been doing
- we can settle for 82% of Christians in this community
remaining unchurched
- or we can enter the Promised Land we can become
a transformational church
-
- what will it take to enter the Promised Land?
- what will it take for our church to be a thriving church
a place where we see lives transformed?
- I take a hint from what I read in Joshua 1
- four times in Joshua 1, God tells Joshua, "Be
strong and courageous!"
- its going to take strength and courage for us
to become a transformational church
- its going to take strength and courage to open
up our doors to people who matter to God, to embrace them, and to walk
with them until theyre fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ
-
- in Joshuas day, two and a half tribes had decided
that they liked it better on the east side of the Jordan
- they were just as happy settling on the east side,
which had great pasture for their flocks
- I imagine that some of them could have said, "We
were here before. We didnt have what it took"
- there was probably a temptation on the part of many
to settle for life on the east of the Jordan
-
- some of us are probably happy with things the way they
are
- its going to cost us something to become transformational
- theres a price tag attached to becoming the church
that God wants us to be
-
- but then I see whats at stake
- I can see the other side
- I can see Richview becoming a prevailing church
a place where lives are transformed
- I can see Richview being a place of transformation
- I can see our church making a significant impact on
the community
- people are at stake, and people matter to God!
- a little like the children of Israel, we face a choice
of whether or not were going to cross that river
-
- so if youre interested, how are we going to do
it?
- how are we going to get the strength and courage we
need?
- its going to take strength and courage on the
part of all of us not just me, but you
- how can you get the strength and courage you need?
- Joshua 1 gives us three steps that we will have to
take
-
- FIRST: GET YOUR MARCHING ORDERS FROM GOD
- (Joshua 1:2) "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 to them--to the Israelites.
- (Joshua 1:3) I will give you every place where you
set your foot, as I promised Moses.
- (Joshua 1:4) 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.
- (Joshua 1:5) No one will be able to stand up against
you all the days of your life.
-
- was there any doubt what Gods will was for the
people of that day?
- they knew, without a question, who their leader was
- they knew exactly where they were supposed to go
- they knew the results that God had guaranteed them
-
- we as a church need a crystal-clear understanding of
what God has commanded our church to do
- question: has God given us marching orders?
- these past two months, weve talked about our
mission: to lead all people to become fully devoted followers of Jesus
Christ
- weve talked about the five purposes God has given
us as a church: service, worship, outreach, relationships, and discipleship
- we believe that if we do these five things with excellence
and balance, we will become an even more exciting and energized church
- we know the leaders God has given us
- we need to be crystal-clear about what God is calling
us to do
-
- at the beginning of September, I promised you that
we would go out of our way to communicate what is going on at Richview
- since that time, I have been meeting with key leaders
to go over our strategy as a church
- this month we will finish meeting with key leaders
and getting their feedback
- and on Saturday, December 5, we will begin to present
to you what we believe our future should look like
- we wont be coming with everything figured out
- we will come to you with a plan to discern our future
together as a church
-
- as leaders, we are rediscovering Gods purpose
for Richview
- its not new its why this church
was founded
- its as old as the New Testament
- we believer weve got our marching orders from
God
- and I guess I have to say, are you willing to follow
the orders weve received?
- because were not sensing a lot of wiggle room
in what God has called us to do!
-
- SECOND: OBEY HIS DIRECTIONS
- (Joshua 1:7) 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.
- (Joshua 1:8) 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.
- God requires that we be a people who are absolutely
committed to obeying the Word of God
-
- did you notice that the emphasis in these verses is
not knowledge but obedience?
- John Maxwell says that most of us are educated way
beyond the level of our obedience, and I tend to agree
- imagine if we cancelled church until we had obeyed
everything in this weeks sermon?
- its very possible we wouldnt have to have
church again until Christmas!
- its one thing to understand, and its another
thing to obey
-
- can I give you an example?
- one of the values that were going to elevate
at Richview is this value of outreach
- Pastor Ed talked the other week about how lost people
matter to God
- lets take a vote how many people here
believe that lost people matter to God?
- how many people believe that we need to do everything
possible to reach everyone we can?
-
- okay
- now, next week we have a Discovery Service
- were committed next week to creating an environment
in which seekers can come and hear in a clear and relevant format the
claims of Christ and how it relates to them
- studies show that 10-15% of people come to a church
because of mass marketing
- 10-15% come because of a drive-by or name recognition
- 70-75% of people come because of an invitation from
a friend or relative
- all it takes is an ask
- have you obeyed God by giving that ask to someone doesnt
yet follow Jesus?
-
- friends, we want to take these two steps
- we want to get are marching orders from God
- we want to obey his directions
- its going to take one more step
- STEP THREE: EXPECT GOD TO BRING RESULTS
- (Joshua 1:5) No one will be able to stand up against
you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with
you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
- (Joshua 1:9) 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."
- these people had an unwavering confidence that came
from a calm assurance that God was with them in their obedience
- they had expectation they expected that God
would work
- they knew that as they entered the Promised Land, God
would go before them and drive out their enemies
-
- Jesus promised us:
- (Matthew 28:18) Then Jesus came to them and said, "All
authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
- (Matthew 28:19) Therefore go and make disciples of
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit,
- (Matthew 28:20) and teaching them to obey everything
I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end
of the age."
- we have the same promise from Jesus
- how much do you expect God to show his power in this
church?
- what do you expect him to do?
-
- I cant wait to see what God is going to do here
at Richview
- I cant wait to see the lives that he will transform!
- Billy Graham once said of Canada, "I believe that
Canada stands in a very unique position. If Canada should have a spiritual
awakening and a spiritual revival, I think it could lead the world.
And I think Canada could become the world leader in the spiritual dimension!"
-
- for Richview Baptist Church, these are the best of
times and the worst of times
- in a short while, were going to enter a new millennium
- call it 21-C for the twenty-first century, 3M for the
Third Millennium, or what you will
- as the year odometer changes over to a 2 followed by
3 zeroes, our society is in the midst of a major sea change
- for those of us who are passionate about reaching this
Canadian generation for Christ, this presents a major challenge
-
- we live in a new day a day which requires, in
the words of Len Sweet, "the fieldwork skills of an anthropologist,
the dedication of a missionary, the patience of a saint, the learning
curve of a child, the cunning of a spy, the stamina of an athlete, and
the resolve of a Coast Guard sailor" (AquaChurch)
- how are churches responding to this environment?
- Terry Cuthbert, our Fellowships president, has
observed three responses among churches
- the first is that of denial
- he says, "These godly men and women do not want
to admit to themselves that the world is changing dramatically around
them. They are carrying on, business as usual. They continue to do what
they have always done, except that it has been years since they have
seen any significant spiritual results"
-
- the second response is to "hunker in the bunker"
- or, as younger people say while playing video games,
"Shields up!"
- Terry Cuthbert says, "These godly men and women
see the change coming but have developed a healthy fear of the negative
aspects of these changes, without recognizing the significant opportunities.
They would rather form the holy huddle and keep themselves untainted
in this wicked and vile generation"
-
- the late Canadian novelist Robertson Davies said, "The
world is full of people whose notion of a satisfactory future is, in
fact, a return to an idealized past"
- we have not been called to serve previous generations
- we have been called by God to serve this one
- thus, you and I need to adopt a third response
-
- the third response is to hoist the sails
- "These godly men and women have understood that
we are not of this world, but we still have a significant role to play
in it. Separation and engagement go together. There are churches and
individuals across Canada that with boldness and courage are scouting
out this new world after the sea change. They are fully convinced of
the priority of the great commission and are taking the necessary risks
to find out how to connect to this new culture"
- but theres a price tag attached
- as one church planter asked, "What are you willing
to endure to see change occur?"
- what are you willing to give up to enter the Promised
Land?
-
- do you know what the Israelites decided to do?
- (Joshua 1:16) Then they answered Joshua, "Whatever
you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.
- (Joshua 1:17) Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we
will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with
Moses.
- (Joshua 1:18) Whoever rebels against your word and
does not obey your words, whatever you may command them, will be put
to death. Only be strong and courageous!"
- they decided to hoist the sails
-
- I stand before you today to tell you that God has given
us clear direction
- hes with us hes promised to give
us success
- and Im here to tell you, as for me and my house
were going to hoist the sails
- are you?
-
- lets pray
- [commitment to ask someone for next week]
- [commitment to honor Gods purpose for our church]
- [commitment to obey]
- [commitment to expect God to do great things]
- (Ephesians 3:20 NLT) Now glory be to God! By his mighty
power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than
we would ever dare to ask or hope.
- (Ephesians 3:21 NLT) May he be given glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen.