“One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”  Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.  And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’” (Mark 12:28-30 NLT)

At it’s heart, this is a commandment for God’s people to be loyal to him.  You do not have to be an expert in the Old Testament to know that staying loyal to the LORD was the challenge the Israelites faced.  The people of the exodus struggled to stay loyal in spite of their wilderness wanderings.  The people of the conquest struggled to stay loyal in spite of the fact that it meant fighting what seemed a hopeless cause.  The people of the monarchy struggled to stay loyal in spite of the constant temptation to give in to other deities – often being tempted to do so by their own kings and priests.

Every generation has its own test of loyalty.  Ours is no different that the ones who have come and gone.  It is our test – it is not God’s.  He knows who he is.  He knew the time in the beginning when no one else existed.  He had no rivals.  He also knows about eternity future.  He has appointed a day of judgment.  He knows that there will be no rival standing after that day.  He has a day of destruction coming that will deal effectively with all his enemies. One by one, all humans and all demons who have dared compete with him for the allegiance of others will be judged, punished, and destroyed, until the last enemy (death itself) will be destroyed (1 Cor. 15:26). The Judgment Day is the Final Exam. It is the time when all will see who made it to the next term (which, in this case, is eternity).

The standard is this: loving the LORD as the one and only lord.  The apostle Paul said:

“There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life.” (1 Corinthians 8:5-6 NLT)

Living for the one creator and trusting in his one means of life is what Christians do.  It is how we show our loyalty to our LORD.  We have been born into a generation of religious pluralism, but we dare to be religious singularists. We will tolerate and befriend others who hold to other faiths, and accept them as individuals.  We may even defend their right to believe what they do.  But we cannot join their worship, not allow our children to be proselytized.  The Bible teaches the truth. Things that contradict the Bible’s message cannot be taught or accepted without breaking the most important commandment.

Our God looks beyond this age with its relativism and uncertainty.  He sees into eternity, when no rival to his throne exists.  He knows what is real and what is just a passing fancy.  The Christian is challenged to see this world as God sees it.  Today it is filled with things that are temporary, but there are some things that will remain.  Loyalty to the LORD makes sense, because only he and those who cling to him will last. It is not just that we want to be on the winning team. It is that we understand that even the contest is temporary.  God’s enemies will be destroyed.  Those who follow them will be destroyed.  Jesus is not just one of those offering life: he is the life.

“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life.” (1 John 5:11-12 NET).

The life we are born into is a gift from our creator.  The life that we expect to receive at our resurrection is a gift from our redeemer.  He is coming in the clouds one day, and he has a gift with him.  We are so certain that he is coming back and has that gift for us that we can talk about having it now.  It is a done deal, because it is a promise from the one who loves us so much that he went to the cross for us.  He is not going to let us down.  So, whether we are alive when he comes, or asleep in death, we know we will live along with him.  He is the firstfruits from among those who sleep (1 Cor. 15:20,23).  Just as he was raised (awakened) to life again, so we will be raised (awakened) as well.

THE ORGAN OF LOYALTY

In ancient days, the heart was more than the seat of the emotions. It was the organ of loyalty.  When God told the Israelites that they would rebel against him, he also promised that “The LORD your God will also cleanse your heart and the hearts of your descendants so that you may love him with all your heart and soul and so that you may live.” (Deuteronomy 30:6 NET).  If the opposite of loving God is rebellion, how do we show our love for him?  Those who rebel must return.  You cannot love God if you remain distant.  The first Christians were taught how to live because “the aim of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5).  You have a heart which is capable of clinging to the LORD in loyal love.  The Father knows that you will do it.  He sees into the future, and sees you loving and serving him forever (if you are a believer now). 

THE LOYAL LIFE

Your soul is not some invisible life force which survives death and flies away when the body dies.  Your soul is your life itself.  The Old Testament Hebrew word nephesh is related to a Ugaritic  word for neck or throat.  It had to do with eating and breathing.  The word came to express one’s life.  In the New Testament, Jesus said:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25 ESV). 

That word “life” was the word psuche, the Greek word for soul.  It had to do with eating and drinking. Disembodied souls do not eat and drink, but living souls do, because eating and drinking keeps them alive.  Jesus was challenging his disciples to live lives so loyal to him that the LORD was more important that staying alive. That is what it means to love the LORD with all your soul.

THE LOYAL MIND

To love the LORD with all your mind entails surrendering your mind to his.  It is not simply allowing someone to indoctrinate you in religious things.  It is setting your mind free to become what God intends it to be.  A mind loyal to God is always open to learn.  The prophets in the ancient world has students, and taught them how to see what God sees.  Jesus gathered disciples around him, invited them to follow him, and promised to turn them into something more than they were.  To simple fishermen, he promised to make them into fishers of men (Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17).  To teachers in Israel he promised to teach them heavenly things (John 3:12).

Satan wants to keep us from devoting our minds to the LORD’s service.  He likes to convince people that God is not interested in their minds: he only wants their hearts.  But this commandment requires us to be completely and comprehensively loyal to the LORD.  There is no hierarchy of loyalty.  Our thought lives are just as important to God as our emotions are.  Especially in this age where all religions are criticized for being primeval, we need men and women who dare to challenge that assumption.  We need Christian doctors and lawyers and teachers to unashamedly proclaim that God is sovereign in the classroom as well as the prayer room.

PRIME TIME LOYALTY

For the Hebrews, the word strength had the connotation of youth and vigor (Joshua 14:11).  Another strategy that the Enemy uses against the LORD is to convince people to waste their strong years on themselves, and to put aside the LORD’s work until retirement.  But the LORD commands prime time loyalty.  He wants the years of our strength.  In fact, if we dedicate our strength to loving him, he will renew that youth (Psalm 103:5). This appears to have been what happened in Caleb’s life.  Sadly, the Calebs of this world are few, because Satan has convinced most that there is plenty of time for religion later on, after you spend your life on other pursuits. But, imagine a generation of young men and women whose hearts and souls and minds and strengths are wholly committed to the LORD!

ONLY ONE THING

The greatest commandment challenges us to forsake a life of many pursuits and to concentrate our devotion and efforts on God: the one and only.  Most of us who want to be good Christians struggle with this.  Like Martha, we are “distracted by (our) many tasks” (Luke 10:40 NRSV).  Jesus commended Mary because “There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42 NLT).  Have you discovered it yet?  Life is like a puzzle that only makes sense when you see the big picture. Then, you can put it all together.  Discover Christ – the one and only — and keeping the greatest commandment can be done.  Come, sit at his feet, and your life will have meaning. 

 

       

This Chapter consists of five sections which Luke has placed together for a purpose. Before we try to figure out what that purpose was, we need to look carefully at each section.

The five sections can be categorized by where they take place. The first three sections take place in the home of a ruler of the Pharisees. That is important because it establishes the audience. It was religious professionals and experts in the interpretation of the Mosaic law.

Section 1

1-6

Jesus and his disciples are at the home of a rich, prominent man. There was an illusion of spiritual importance in the place. The disciples were probably caught up in it, but Jesus was not. He could see through the illusion.

Somehow a sick man appears in their midst. The group is watching Jesus to see what he is going to do. There is nothing in the text to suggest that Jesus healed this man because of his faith. The text does not say that this man deserved the healing. The law did not command healing on the Sabbath, or on any other day. Jesus went beyond the law and ministered grace.

Everyone there that day understood the principle that Jesus operated under. His question showed that. It implied that every one of them without exception would choose to rescue their own ox or their own son, regardless of what day he fell into the pit. The problem was not really a law versus grace issue. The problem was that this sick man was not deemed worth rescuing because he was an outsider. Jesus was visibly angry with them for this attitude.

Section 2

7-11

Jesus had noticed that when these people gathered together, they each tried to sit in a prominent place. Their gatherings were not opportunities for fellowship as much as opportunities for self promotion. Jesus suggested that they should have been seeking the lowest position. He pointed out that if they did this, a side benefit would be that they might be asked to take a more prominent position. But if they insisted on getting the best spots, they would likely be asked to vacate them.

Section 3

12-24

In the third section, Jesus turns his attention to their host. He had been guilty of jockeying for position as well. He had chosen people of prominence and invited them to his banquet. The only exception had been the sick man.

Jesus’ mention of the banquet had caused one of the listeners to pronounce a religious blessing upon the saved. One of the symbols of salvation the Bible reveals is the great banquet at the end of the age, also known as the marriage supper of the Lamb.

If you had called for a vote among the guests at that banquet, everyone there would have affirmed that they expected to be among the elect. They looked forward to fellowship with God for eternity -later on. Jesus told a story about people who were invited to a great banquet, but could not fit it into their busy schedules when the invitation first came.

Section 4

25-33

The venue appears to change to a more general one in section 4, but the overall topic has not changed. Jesus talks about the commitment expected of those who accept his invitation. They cannot be like those who originally received the invitations to the great banquet. They have to be willing to put everything else in their lives aside and concentrate on his kingdom exclusively.

To illustrate this, Jesus talks about building a tower and going to battle. In both of these projects, the one who intends to accomplish the task has to evaluate his resources to see whether he has what it takes to finish the task.

Section 5

34-35

The last two verses of this chapter appear to have been tacked on to it. Jesus talks about salt being worthless if it looses its saltiness. In many commentaries of this text, readers are referred to the sermon on the mount, as if Luke mistakenly put these verses in the wrong place. No, Luke did not make a mistake, and neither did the Holy Spirit. But to understand why Jesus said these words in this context, we will have to step back and look at the whole chapter again.

Colliding agendas

It is possible to look at Luke 14 as a theology proper: a chapter that reveals who God is. Jesus’ choice to heal the sick man was an illustration of pure unmitigated grace. He was presented as a creature in need, and his creator chose to meet that need.

God is the loving father who graciously rescued his stupid son who has fallen into a well and cannot get himself out.

God is the loving host, who sees his friend at a lowly position and invites him to a higher place.

God is the master of the banquet, who commands his servants to scour the city for every last riffraff, so that his banquet hall is filled.

I deliberately pointed this out because we tend to read past this message of grace and make this chapter all about personal commitment. Here Jesus commands his follows to hate their friends and relatives, and even their own lives. Believers must renounce all, and take up their crosses and follow him to their deaths. Last year when I wrote a devotions text based on this chapter, my conclusion was that we all have only enough resources for one project, so that project better be God’s kingdom.

I have to admit that I have always preached this chapter with the aim of encouraging people to be more committed — more faithful.

But I’m worried about that. Those two possible agendas (grace and commitment) seem to clash in this chapter. I’m not ready to conclude that either Jesus or Luke was schizophrenic. There has to a pin that connects these two different rail cars.

I think I’m beginning to understand what that pin is. The clue that got me started is in those final two verses of the chapter where Jesus warns us not to lose our saltiness.

Being salty in Jesus’ messages means leading people to God by proclaiming his gospel of grace. It is the true spiritual prominence we get when the gospel takes hold in our lives. Losing one’s saltiness, then, would be moving away from that message of grace.

When we only emphasize the commitment of Luke 14, we forget what that commitment is for. Jesus calls his followers to renounce all and follow him because their all is not enough.

We all start to build our tower and then realize that we are going to be a few stories too short. Isn’t that the problem they had at Babel? There was  no way they were going to reach the stratosphere on their own.

We all plan to go to war and then realize that we are going to lose badly. We start out life as an ox in a well. It does not matter how strong or dedicated we are. We are not going anywhere without rescue. It does not matter how many resources we have. In fact, the more resources we have apart from Christ, the less likely we will surrender to his rescue.

Jesus was not teaching the Pharisees that they should be more humble. He was using these interactions with the socially prominent to teach his disciples that his kingdom works a different way. In Christ’s kingdom, the only resource we need is the Holy Spirit. Luke emphasizes this throughout his Gospel and throughout the book of Acts.

This truth can set us free. When we are challenged to take on more than we can handle, we need not concern ourselves with that fact. Taking on more than one can handle is the norm in Christian service. It is one way of demonstrating that our faith is in Christ, not in ourselves.

— LORD, forgive us for relying so much on our own abilities and experiences. Forgive us for not trusting your Holy Spirit. We come back to the cross where we first met you. There we see that you renounced all for us. We choose to renounce our all to serve you.

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This message was preached by Jeff in Japan at the Fukuoka Agape House worship service, Sunday morning, July 29, 2012.

Joshua 1:10-18 NLT

10 Joshua then commanded the leaders of Israel, 11 “Go through the camp and tell the people to get their provisions ready. In three days you will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land the LORD your God has given you.” 12 Then Joshua called together the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. He told them, 13 “Remember what Moses, the servant of the LORD, commanded you: ‘The LORD your God is giving you rest and has given you this land.’ 14 Your wives, children, and cattle may remain here on the east side of the Jordan River, but your warriors, fully armed, must lead the other tribes across the Jordan to help them conquer their territory. Stay with them 15 until the LORD gives rest to them as he has given rest to you, and until they, too, possess the land the LORD your God is giving them. Only then may you settle here on the east side of the Jordan River in the land that Moses, the servant of the LORD, gave you.” 16 They answered Joshua, “We will do whatever you command us, and we will go wherever you send us. 17 We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses. And may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses. 18 Anyone who rebels against your word and does not obey your every command will be put to death. So be strong and courageous!”

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Outline:

Big Idea: God has called you to a mission, and no matter who you are, that mission is possible, although…

1) Preparation will be necessary.

a) “tell the people to get their provisions ready” (11)

2) Your mission will be a challenge to you.

a) “be strong and courageous!” (18).

3) You will not be able to do it alone.

a) “Joshua called together the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh” (12).

b) “your warriors, fully armed, must lead the other tribes across the Jordan to help them conquer their territory” (14).

c) “Stay with them … until the LORD gives rest to them as he has given rest to you, and until they, too, possess the land the LORD your God is giving them.” (14-15).

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Let’s review last week’s message:

Big Idea: God has called you to a mission, and no matter who you are, that mission is possible.

Remember that there are (at least) three things that the Bible instructs us on.

It teaches us how to be saved by explaining the gospel of salvation by grace through the death of Christ on the cross.

It teaches us how to cooperate with the Holy Spirit and be sanctified – cleansed from habitual sin, and fit for the Master’s use.

It teaches how to follow the heart of God and be sent on a mission or missions wherever he chooses to send us.

So, last week we talked about why that mission is possible.

1) The Mission is Possible because the presence of the LORD is with us wherever we go.

2) The mission is possible because the grace of God is demonstrated in our lives.

3) The mission is possible because we have the word of God as our mission manual.

Today’s Big Idea is the same, except I’ll be using the word although instead of because.

It is important to see both sides of an issue. We need to have the courage to do what we are called to do, but we also need to be aware of the challenges we face in doing so.

This is particularly important because believers often get inspired to serve the LORD in some particular way, but then reject that mission at the first sign of difficulty or conflict.

The Book of Acts records stories of the missions the first century Christians went on in attempts to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and reach their world with the gospel. They faced trouble and opposition all the way.

Our Old Testament mission manual, the book of Joshua, tells a similar story. The mission was different, but there are a number of similarities as well.

Joshua 1:10-18 begins to reveal some of the challenges God’s people face when following him into missions.

Big Idea: God has called you to a mission, and no matter who you are, that mission is possible, although…

1) Preparation will be necessary.

a) “tell the people to get their provisions ready” (11)

This is God’s way of saying “get yourselves ready because what I’m calling on you to do is not going to be easy.

This was Joshua’s way of telling the Israelites that they were not just going to parade into Canaan and get all they wanted handed to them.

The WWI soldier would hear this command: “lock and load.”

He’s telling the Sampsons to get their donkey’s jawbones ready.

He’s telling the Davids to get their slings ready and pick up their stones to sling.

He’s telling the Daniels to prepare for some quality time with the lions.

He’s telling the Jeremiahs to get ready for a long mudbath.

He’s telling the Elijahs to get ready for conflict with the priests of Baal.

He’s telling the disciples to get ready to face the cross.

He’s telling Peter and Paul to get ready to face the sword.

What he is not saying is what we often hear from television and radio pulpits: that if God calls you to himself, it is not going to cost you anything. In fact, the implication is that following Christ will only make you richer, healthier, and handsomer. Poppycock!

God calls you to himself by his grace, but when he sends you into this world as his representative, it may cost you everything you’ve got.

It may cost your reputation.

It may cost your family.

It may cost your job.

It may cost your health.

It may even cost your life.

Jesus put it this way:

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34 NLT).

“If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine” (Matthew 10:38 NLT).

Taking up the cross was a sign of only one thing: you were about to die. You were about to face the greatest challenge a person could ever face.

Following Jesus where he sends us, and doing what he calls us to do is going to be the most difficult thing we ever do.

He’s going to ask us to step way outside our comfort zone, and operate way outside our gifts and talents.

He’s going to ask us to befriend and associate with and love people we don’t like.

Jesus taught about this kind of commitment:

“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? 29 Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you” (Luke 14:28-29 NLT).

Your resources are limited. You do not have enough to follow Christ, AND do what you want.

One problem we have with modern Christianity is that we have a lot of people who join Christ’s kingdom, but still want to invest all their resources in their own. It does not work that way.

Big Idea: God has called you to a mission, and no matter who you are, that mission is possible, although…

2) Your mission will be a challenge to you.

a) “be strong and courageous!” (18).

As foreign missionaries, we often found ourselves praying, “LORD, we know you want to do this. Why is it so hard?”

Part of the answer to that question is that it has to be hard for us, so that God gets the glory when it is accomplished.

· Picture Samson on a mound of a thousand Philistine bodies. He had to be saying “there’s no way I could have done all that.”

· Picture David with Goliath’s severed head in his hands. Hundreds of Philistine soldiers rubbing their eyes and saying “did that just happen?”

· Picture Daniel confidently walking out of the lion’s den without a scratch. You can hear the soft growls of hungry lions.

· Picture Jeremiah being pulled up from the muddy pit. People mumbling in the background, saying, “there’s no way he survived that.”

· Picture Elijah on Mt. Carmel. He soaks his altar three times. He wants to make it unburnable, because God is going to burn it.

· Picture a handful of disciples turning the world upside down for Jesus Christ. People look at them and see ignorant fishermen.

· Picture Peter and Paul in Rome, each has a date with a chopping block. 2000 years later, imperial Rome is gone, the executioners are gone, but Peter and Paul’s influence lives on.

Someday you and I will see all these saints of God, and get the chance to talk to them about what they faced. Not one of them will say that following the LORD was easy. But all of them will say that it is worth it.

3) You will not be able to do it alone.

a) “Joshua called together the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh” (12).

b) “your warriors, fully armed, must lead the other tribes across the Jordan to help them conquer their territory” (14).

c) “Stay with them … until the LORD gives rest to them as he has given rest to you, and until they, too, possess the land the LORD your God is giving them.” (14-15).

Joshua’s instruction to those tribes who had already received their land on the east side of the Jordon was this: you have to join with the others because the mission is yours as well as theirs.

There are reasons that God in his wisdom saves us by grace as individuals and then enfolds us into his church by having us join his churches. We come to the cross alone, but we cannot go into his mission field alone. He will not have it.

Some years ago, I was studying the ministry of Paul. I had the impression that Paul was the “lone ranger” of missions. I discovered that my impression was false. Paul had an enormous team of people who assisted him, served with him, helped him, supported him and blessed him as he carried out his mission.

That team included Aristarchus, Artemus, Aquilla, Apollos, Barnabus, Crescens, Demas, Epaphraditus, Erastus, Gaius, Jason, Justus, Mark, Lucias, Luke, Priscilla, Secundus, Silas, Sosipater, Sosthenes, Tertius, Timothy, Titus, Trophimus, Tychichus, and Zenas.

As we join together in teams to do what God calls us to do, he gets the glory, he sets the standard, and he empowers us to do more as a team than the sum total of our individual efforts.

Last week’s message was designed to encourage us all to do missions – here, there, and everywhere.

This week’s message is designed to warn us not to dive in without first checking the depth of the pool. Both messages are biblical. Both are needed. The LORD has called us and is sending us out like sheep among wolves. So he instructs us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

He wants us to make a difference for his kingdom, and the message of Joshua 1 is that we can… but it’s going to cost us.

Joshua 1:1-9 NLT

After the death of Moses the LORD’s servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. 3 I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you– 4 from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ 5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. 6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command– be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

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Recently Pastor Travis finished a sermon series encouraging us to read our Bibles consistently because God has given the Bible to us as a “text message” directly from him. I have been a student of the Bible for about 40 years, but I have not always been faithful at doing that. A few years ago, I (once again) committed myself to going through the Bible every year. I lucked up on a website that reads the text for you and the comments on it, and prays. All I had to do was show up and stay awake. I did this for two years straight. It was awesome.

In 2011, I decided I no longer needed someone to read to me. I also started a four year project of blogging my daily devotions. At the end of the four years, I will have covered the whole Bible, and essentially written a commentary on it. You can follow my progress at marmsky.com.

I am learning some things along the way. One thing is that any passage of Scripture is going to give instruction on one or more of three purposes. In other words, God has three reasons to communicate to us. He either wants to SAVE us by his grace through Jesus Christ or to SANCTIFY us by his word through the Holy Spirit or to SEND us on a mission.

Last year – when I was reading and blogging through the New Testament, I found that each book of the new Testament highlighted one of those purposes. The Gospels helped to explain who Jesus was as our Savior, or helped us understand how to be his disciples. The epistles usually explained sanctification (in other words, “I’m saved, now what?”. The Book of Acts is the mission manual of the New Testament.

This year, reading through the Pentateuch and other historical books of the Old Testament, I am encountering the same categories. Genesis and Exodus – up until the Passover event is all about rescue, deliverance, salvation. But then Exodus changes into a law book. The reason is simply this: the first 15 chapters are about salvation by grace: getting us out of Egypt. The rest of the book of Exodus and Leviticus and Numbers is about sanctification: getting Egypt out of us. Then we come to the book of Joshua. Joshua is the mission manual of the Old Testament. It helps us understand and accomplish the missions that God gives us.

God is not calling us to fly to Israel and do battle with the Canaanites. That was the mission he gave Joshua and his generation. The missions he gives you and me are different than that. He wants us to make disciples of all nations, to love him with all our hearts, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. But I have discovered that the lessons we learn from the book of Joshua are just as valid and helpful for my missions as they were for Joshua’s.

Today’s Big Idea is this: God has called you to a mission, and no matter who you are, that mission is possible.

Some of you know that I am a fan of the old 1960s TV series Mission: Impossible. I have been watching the whole series on Netflix, usually by myself on my Kindle because nobody else in my house shares my love for the show, and we don’t own a TV. Every episode, the team leader – Jim Phelps – goes into some strange place and finds some photos and a tape recorder. The tape describes the mission, and gives Jim the choice to accept it or not. The thing I like the most about shows like that is that they involve the whole team working together to accomplish the mission.

Most of the missions God gives us are like that as well. He did not just send Joshua into Canaan to conquer the whole Holy land. It took the whole nation to accomplish the mission. Likewise, when Jesus wanted to make disciples of every nation, he did not just send one representative. He sent the whole church. He sent us all the Holy Spirit, who distributes gifts to each of us so that together as a team we accomplish the mission.

One of the lessons Joshua teaches demonstrates this. Joshua’s team had a tremendous victory at Jericho. He had given specific instructions for them not to take anything, but to destroy everything. Afterward, Joshua sent a small army to take town of Ai. But one man in the team that had captured Jericho had taken some of the spoils. As a result, Ai – which should have been a cake walk – was a defeat. It takes the whole team following instructions to accomplish the mission.

The first chapter of Joshua speaks to that big idea: God has called you to a mission, and no matter who you are, that mission is possible. It gives us the grounds for that assertion. It gives reasons that we can expect to accomplish whatever mission God gives us.

1) The Mission is Possible because the presence of the LORD is with us wherever we go.

a) “I will be with you as I was with Moses” (5).

b) “I will not fail you or abandon you. ” (5).

c) “the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (9).

The mission is never about how smart we are, or how talented we are, or how brave we are. We are going to face challenges that put all those things to the test. In fact, most of the things we encounter are going to be too much for us. That is the way the missions are planned. They are designed to break our dependence upon our own wisdom, skills and courage.

Joshua had his armies, but that was not what brought about victory in the conquest of Canaan. The victory came because God was with them. That is why the LORD wanted to reassure Joshua from the outset that he would be with them and not forsake them.

Jesus told his church the same thing. Remember his Great Commission?

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20 NLT).

The presence of the LORD with us makes the mission of the LORD possible for us. The mission gives us an opportunity to display and prove the presence of the LORD.

2) The mission is possible because the grace of God is demonstrated in our lives.

a) “the land I am giving them” (2).

b) “’Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you” (3).

c) “all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them” (6).

Just because we are now talking about the mission that God called on Joshua to accomplish does not mean that we have moved from grace to works. The mission is also about grace. You have to understand, there is nothing we ever can achieve for God that is not a result of the grace of God.

The Great Commission challenges us to make disciples of all nations, but not one soul ever comes to Christ apart from the effectual calling of the Holy Spirit upon his or her life. As Paul put it…

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory” (Romans 8:28-30 NLT).

There’s the whole story of salvation presented as God’s work from election to glorification. It’s God’s mission. Now, there are two possible responses to that. You can either say, OK, if God wants to do it all he can do it. Such a response is like telling Jesus “No thanks, I’ll pass on this making disciples thing.” The correct response is “Since it’s God’s mission anyway, I’m going to attempt great things.” “His presence is here to help me, and his sovereign grace is going to make it happen!”

3) The mission is possible because we have the word of God as our mission manual.

a) “Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you” (7a).

b) “Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do” (7b).

c) “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it.” (8).

Lots of people have tried to read the Bible and have wound up confused and disappointed. I think part of the reason is that they fail to see the significance of what’s there and what is not there. Part of the problem is that we preachers have convinced them that the Bible is simpler than it is. It cannot be reduced to a few slogans or spiritual laws. It is complicated because it is meant to do a number of things for us.

1) It introduces us to our Savior and gives us a chance to respond to his gospel and be saved.

2) It explains how the Holy Spirit wants to change us from the inside out once we have become believers, sanctifying us and preparing us for a righteous eternity.

3) It instructs us on how to live under the authority of our new king, and how to accomplish his will, including and especially his will to draw others to himself.

All Joshua had was a “Book of Instruction” – a collection of the laws and words of Moses. But that was enough to instruct him on accomplishing God’s mission. We now have the whole thing – Genesis to Revelation. Paul said…

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

That sounds like a mission manual to me. I am convinced that this is a crucial era of history. We will have more opportunity to advance the kingdom of God and share the gospel of Christ than any generation in our past. It remains to see whether we will follow Joshua and take up that challenge. He challenged the rest of the Israelites to follow his example:

“choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15 NLT).

What he was saying was that his generation had three choices: old gods, new gods or the LORD God. The LORD challenges us to make his name and his kingdom our mission in life. We have all we need to make that mission a success. It is possible.

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This message was preached Sunday, June 24th, 2012 at RELEVANT CHURCH, Williamsburg Virginia, USA.

Daniel 4:34-37.   

The book of Daniel is kind of an odd bird.  Everyone recognizes it as a prophecy, or group of prophetic visions – centered around the person of Daniel.  But most of us first encounter Daniel in the Sunday School stories taken from the book. 

There’s Daniel, thrown into the lion’s den because he refused to pray to anyone but God – even though it had become illegal.  There’s the similar story of Daniel’s three friends – Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah – rescued from the fiery furnace.  We know them better by their Babylonian names: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 

When the Jews got together to compile and categorize their Scriptures they chose to put the book of Daniel in the writings category – even though it has many prophecies.  It was obviously different enough from the Nevi’im (prophets) that the choice was justified.

But when the Greeks got together to compile and categorize the Scriptures, they placed Daniel in the category of Major Prophet.  That choice was also justified.  God is speaking through Daniel – not just in the apocalyptic visions – but also in the historical stories.

The text from Daniel that I want to highlight is the portion of the story of Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation where the great king comes back to his senses.

“At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” (Daniel 4:34-37 ESV)

This was the great king who had built the neo-Babylonian empire.  His people thought he was so great that they literally worshipped him. Those who refused to do so were destroyed.  This was what Nebuchadnezzar had planned to do with those three Hebrew officials with his fiery furnace.  God rescued them, and the king was put in his place for a while.  But before long, he was full of himself again.

Next, God struck him with insanity.  “He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws” (4:33).  He stayed like that for “seven periods of time.”

PERSPECTIVE ON GOD (34c, 35b).

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[read the story here, then come back!]

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That story reminds me of this incident with Nebuchadnezzar.  Nebuchadnezzar was everybody’s “Big John”  But God was Nebuchadnezzar’s “Big John.”  His sovereignty is absolute.  His power and authority are absolute.  That was the perspective that the great king learned by his time of humiliation. 

“for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation” (34c).

“and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth” (35b).

PRAISE FOR GOD  (34b, 37a).

“I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever” (34b).

“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just” (37a).

PERSPECTIVE ON US (35b, 37b).

“none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?“” (35b).

“those who walk in pride he is able to humble” (37b).