June 26, 2024
Joshua 1:8 Pt 3
We continue our study of Joshua 1:8
We continue our study of Joshua 1:8
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Looking at our world from a theological
perspective. This is the Theology Central podcast,
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making Theology Central. Just in the
nick of time. I mean it's
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close, ladies and gentlemen, it's
close, But just in the nick of
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time, I can still say good
morning. The afternoon is almost here,
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but good morning everyone. It is
Wednesday, June the twenty sixth, twenty
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twenty four. It is currently eleven
fifty three am Central Time, and I
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am coming to you live from the
Theology Central studio located right here in Abilene,
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Texas. So there's a part of
me that wants to say, hey,
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by the time this broadcast is over, I have provided to you.
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I have provided for you to you
about two hours of content, all before
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noon. But that would not really
be accurate, right, I mean,
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the first episode I did today was
obviously before I'm starting this one right before
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noon, but it'll be closer to
one pm by the time we are done,
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so I really can't say that.
But just in the neck of time,
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I at least started it before noon. Does that count for something?
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Does that? Like two two broadcasts
before twelve pm? Just do I get
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any extra credit for that? No? Nobody really cares. One way or
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the other. You probably don't even
care about the time when I give the
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time for the broadcast. But hey, at places a historical time stamp on
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the file so that whenever anyone listens
to it, they know exactly the date
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the time in which it was recorded. So then they if I mention anything,
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they know the context. So I
hopefully you find that to be beneficial.
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Probably no one does. Probably no
one does. All the things I
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may think are beneficial, no one
else probably thinks is beneficial. But you
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know what, we're not here to
talk about any of that, even though
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I've now spent one minute in fifty
seven seconds talking about it. We are
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done with that. But that's probably
more pleasant to probably discuss should you have
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a time stamp or not have a
time stamp on your podcast? I mean,
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should you tell everyone the date and
the time or shouldn't you? That
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would probably be a far more beneficial
discussion than what we're going to be discussing,
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because what we're going to be discussing
is Joshua one eight. What you
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would think would be very beneficial,
What you would think would be, hey,
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that's a great thing. Let's talk
about Joshua one eighth. That'll be
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wonderful, that will be awesome,
But in the reality of it is just
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becoming more and more frustrating. And
I know we've dedicated this entire week to
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Joshua one eight, and you're supposed
to be listening to random sermons, and
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I've already provided you a new interpretation
of Joshua one eight, but by it's
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I know it's only Wednesday. But
if I'm just, if I can just
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be honest with you, I'm already
just frustrated and irritated and kind of just
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already want to just give up and
move on. If I'm being honest with
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you, I'm just I just don't
understand sometimes how a passage in the Bible
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can just become so difficult for anyone
to provide a coherent interpretation, when the
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interpretations are so convoluted and just and
just deny reality, I just get very
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frustrated with that. Like you think
everyone should be able to look at Joshua
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one eight, if you had a
if you had a room of twenty Christians,
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you think everyone should read Joshua one
eight, and everyone should raise their
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hand and say something similar like this. Well, nobody does this. Nobody
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accomplishes this. Even the original recipients
did not obey this, so no one
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does it. So then how what
do we do with this? But no
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one? Everyone looks at Joshua one
a like, that's it. I can
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do it. I can accomplish it. Maybe maybe the original recipients couldn't accomplish
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it, but I can. And
then you convince I guess you convince yourself
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you're doing it, but no one
is even coming close to accomplishing it.
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You think everyone should be bothered by
that, So I've told you to start
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listening to random sermons. So far, all the sermons that we have listened
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to on Joshua one eight have been
maddening. I mean literally, I keep
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making the joke, but it's like, by the time the broadcast is over,
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well, the broadcast is still going
on. Well you're listening to whatever
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we're reviewing. I'm already in the
car driving to the liquor store. By
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the time the broadcast is over,
I'm here pouring me at myself a glass,
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and I'm getting ready to get drunk. No, not literally, but
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that's how figuratively, allegorically, that's
how frustrating it has all become. So
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let me just remind you of the
basics of my new interpretation of Joshua one
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eight. First, let me read
the verse. I probably don't need to,
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but let me read the verse.
Joshua Chapter one, verse eight reads
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like this, This book of the
Law shall not depart from your mouth,
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but you shall meditate in it day
and night, that you may observe to
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do according to all that is written
in it. For then you will make
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your way prosperous. Then you will
have good success. So this verse gives
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you a promise, almost a guarantee, that if you want to be prosperous,
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and if you want to have not
just success but good success, then
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you only need to accomplish three very
simple things. The first thing you need
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to accomplish is you cannot let the
Law of God depart from your mouth.
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Do not let the Law of God
depart from your mouth. Number two,
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you meditate on it day and night. And number three, you observe to
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keep as basically it reads, I'm
gonna I don't want to misquote it.
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That you may observe to do according
to all that is written in it.
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So you must keep it in your
mouth. Don't let it depart from your
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mouth, meditate on a day and
night, and observe, keep obey every
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single thing in it. That's all
you have to do. And if you
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will accomplish those very three simple things, that's the way it's typically presented,
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then you will have prosperity and good
success. Now my issue my new interpretation.
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First, the first part of my
new interpretation is this is law,
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and the law we cannot obey.
No one is going to be a person
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that's never going to let the word
of God depart from their mouth, meaning
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they're constantly talking about it. As
one commentary put it, and let me
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quote Joshua one Aide states, this
book of the Law shall not depart from
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your mouth, but you shall meditate
on it day and night, so that
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you may be. So you may
be, so you may do according to
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all that is written in it.
For then you will have. Then you
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will make way prosperous, and you
will have good success. Here is a
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summary and an outline of what this
verse teaches. All Right, here we
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go. You're ready. Number one
constant meditation and confession. The phrase shall
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not depart for your mouth emphasizes the
importance of continually meditating and speaking the word
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of God. It teaches that God's
words should be consistently on our lips,
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guiding our thoughts, words, and
actions. In other words, you should
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be constantly talking about it. You
should be constantly thinking about it. You
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should be constantly the word of God, the word of God, the Word
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of God, the Word of God. Well, just prior to this broadcast,
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just prior to this broadcast, I
spent the last hour. You know
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what I did? Are you ready
for this? First, I went downstairs
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and I got myself some white Castle
sliders and a bag of sun chips and
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a big Red. Now, if
you don't know what a big red is,
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well then I'm sorry. Your life
really is not complete. Okay.
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So I got myself of a glass
of big Red, a bag of Sonships,
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and some white Castle sliders, the
Breakfast of Champions. Okay, Right
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then I went and I turned on
my television and I turned on an episode
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of Survival Race New Zealand. And
I watched the episode of Survival Survival Race
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New Zealand. As a group of
a number of teams competing in this survival
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race in New Zealand, and it's
crazy and all the things they go,
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it's it's it's pretty fun to watch. I mean, it's it's kind of
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mindless television in one sense. But
you know what, while you're sitting there
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eating white Castle sliders, eating a
bag of Sonships, and drinking a big
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red it's perfect for just you know, just having something on while you're eating.
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Okay, great, but guess what
I was not doing during that hour.
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I was not meditating on God's word. I was not talking about God's
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word. I was not thinking about
God's word. I wasn't doing anything at
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anywhere close to that. Don't let
it depart from your mouth. Do you
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consistently talk about it? Do you
consistently think about it? You are you
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constantly meditating on God's day and night? Just right there? Everyone should be
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like, we're in trouble. We're
in trouble. So my argument is,
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this is law and law. What
law always demonstrates is our lack of obedience.
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It demonstrates our inability to keep it. It breaks us, it humbles
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us, and it shows us that
we can never do this. So in
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yourself, you will never obey Joshua
one to eight. You'll have to water
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it down, you'll have to modify
it. You have to grade it on
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a curve. But I just look, even if you think you can pull
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off, it never departs from your
mouth. Even if you think you can
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pull off, meditate on a day
and night, even if you convince yourself
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you're even coming close to that,
you're not obeying everything that is in it.
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I can give you three scriptures.
Love the Lord that God with all
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your heart, mind, body and
soul. If you think you do that,
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you're out of your mind. Love
your neighbor as yourself. Come on
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now. And then number three,
this one, you're just in the discussion.
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Be ye holy as he is holy. You don't accomplish that. If
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you don't accomplish those three things,
then you're not obeying everything that's in it.
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Therefore you cannot be prosperous or have
good success. Meaning this is a
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law passage which condemns you. So
then what's your hope? You put your
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faith in Jesus Christ, and guess
what he did. The Law of God
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never departed from his mouth. He
meditated on it day and night, and
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he observed everything that's in it.
And by putting your faith in him,
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his obedience to Joshua one aid is
imputed to your account. And because of
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your position in Christ. Now,
spiritually you are prosperous, and spiritually you
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will have good success. Now you're
more than a conqueror. Nothing can separate
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you from the love of God.
In Christ. You're perfect, holy,
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and you have been blessed with all
spiritual blessings, and you're seated in the
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heavens at the right hand of the
Father in Christ, Jesus, you're perfect,
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you're holy, and everything is perfect. That is the only way to
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understand Joshua one to eight. If
you say, oh no, we can
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do this, you are literally out
of your ever living mind. So that's
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my first part of my new interpretation, and the second part of my new
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interpretation is Joshua one eight. The
first part of my interpretation is if you
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so desperately want to apply this to
you, well, then that's how it
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would be applicable. But primarily my
second part of my interpretation, Joshua one
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eight is specifically directed towards Israel,
and it's connected to Deuteronomy twenty eight and
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the Land covenant that God made with
Israel. When you go into the land,
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you must do this, do this, do this, do this.
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If you do this, it's gonna
be blessing, you're gonna have success,
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You're gonna be prosperous. If you
don't do this, you get curses.
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And guess what that is specifically for
Israel? And guess what they did not
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do all of the things they were
supposed to do, They get the curses
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and then everything falls apart. We
know everything that happens to Israel. So
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any sermons that we're listening to should
be one acknowledging our inability to obey Joshua
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one eight and number two, it
should be acknowledging Joshua one A cannot be
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interpreted or understood apart from Deuteronomy twenty
eight. Any attempt to offer an interpretation
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that ignores Deuteronomy twenty eight, that's
not an exegetical teaching. That's not Bible
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study. I don't know what that
is. It's not even I don't it's
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it's well, it should be sued
for malpractice. So that's what we've been
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talking about. And I'm just frustrated
because everything that we've looked at has just
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has not even bothered to deal with
the reality here. Look, I know
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that I don't meditate on God's word
day and night. I know the word
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of God departs from my mouth frequently, it's not constantly on my lips.
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I know I do not obey everything
in it. I don't even come close.
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I don't even get within one thousand
miles of obeying even probably half that's
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in it. Oh, you may
convince yourself you're better than me. Well,
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congratulations, that's great, But you
don't compare yourself to me. You
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compare yourself to God, which demands
an obedience that's not just external, but
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it's internal. I'm telling you you
don't do so. So then what do
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you do with Joshua one eight.
Well, I see it as law shows
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me. My inability drives me to
the one who obeyed Joshua one eight,
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which is Jesus Christ. By putting
my faith in him, his obedience to
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Joshua one eight is imputed to my
account. Therefore, I become spiritually prosperous
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and have good success spiritually because of
what I am in Christ, in my
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position, not in my practice.
Secondly, I know Joshua one eight primarily
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to the nation of Israel based off
the land covenant that's made in Deuteronomy twenty
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eight, and I cannot understand this
apart from that I'm going to just stress
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that over and over and over.
I'm going to be painfully repetitive on that.
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Now you can go listen into my
teaching on my new interpretation. But
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I just summarized it for you very
well. Now. I say all of
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that because we I tipic a lot
of times, we listen to all the
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other sermons and then kind of let
them present their hypotheses and then at the
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end I come in and give you
mine. In this case, I started
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with mine. So that just that
just kind of lets you know that as
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soon as we start listening to these
sermons and they depart wildly for my interpretation,
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you're going to start hearing my frustration. Now I'm willing to have my
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interpretations dramatically challenged. So far,
all the all the messages that have completely
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gone the opposite direction to my interpretation
have done very little. I mean,
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well, they didn't even that.
There's nothing there to even convince me of
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their interpretation, because their interpretations basically
is you can do it. Basically that.
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I think that's a good way of
summarizing it. So are you're ready?
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Are you ready to listen to a
third one? So I was looking
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on the Sermon's two point oh app. Remember this is all part of the
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Sermon's two point oh app sermon challenge. You're supposed to be grabbing random sermons
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from the Sermon's two point oh app
this week. All of those random sermons
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are on Joshua one pint eight.
So I just grabbed the app, started
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looking and guess what I found?
A sermon titled The Way of Prosperity.
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The Way of Prosperity. I again, as always, I don't listen to
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these in advance, So it's not
like I'm picking a sermon just so that
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I can be critical. You can
hear me being very critical, probably in
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my tone, just because my expectation
at this point is this is going to
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be another sermon that completely ignores our
inability to do this and not going to
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connect it to Deuteronomy twenty eight?
Am I hoping to be pleasantly surprised?
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Yes, If I'm being honest with
you, I'm extremely jaded and very I'm
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gonna I just I don't think I'm
going to be very cynical. I'm very
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jaded, and I don't think that's
what's going to happen. This thing is
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over the sermon in front of me
is over an hour long, so I
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doubt where I know We're not going
to finish it in this episode. I
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don't know if we'll do two episodes
to finish this. It really depends on
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the direction of the sermon. What
I'm going to be looking for. I'm
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just going to be honest with you. I'm just going to go until I
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kind of get an idea of where
they're going. If it's obvious they've abandoned
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my interpretation, unless I immediately start
hearing arguments that's like, whoa that I
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need to change my interpretation. If
it's just I don't know there's going to
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be I will make a determination,
and if you feel that I need to
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continue to review it, you'll be
able to email me. Of course,
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you can go look for it.
Just open up the sermon's two point oh
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app right now and just look up
the sermon The Way of Prosperity, and
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then you can listen to the rest. I have no direction. I have
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no idea which direction this is going
to go. Yes, I'm cynical,
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Yes I'm jaded. Yes I'm a
little frustrated because I just don't understand how
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Joshua went ache and become this verse
that everyone knows, but that interpretation and
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handling of it is so convoluted that
I just am perplexed and baffled. I
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shouldn't be, but I am.
Are you ready? Here we go?
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Turn with me this morning and your
bibles. Please to the Book of Joshua,
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chapter one, Joshua chapter one.
When you find chapter one, if
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you would please stand in reverence to
God's word as we read this morning from
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Joshua chapter one. I'm gonna just
read one verse, but the first part
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of my message encompasses verses one through
verse number eight, and the one verse
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that I will read this morning is
verse number eight. And I want to
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speak to you today on the way
of prosperity. The way of prosperity,
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I realize and I recognize that there
is a lot of tele evangelists that preach
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a lot on prosperity, and I'm
not doing that. I believe God does
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bless us financially, but I'm not
speaking about prosperity from financial standpoint, because
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I believe there are other ways that
we can prosper But I also believe that
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in the other ways that we do
prosper that God also does help us financially.
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Okay, I'm going to step in
here on a couple of things.
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We again whenever we do these,
you know, week long studies, two
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weeks, a month long study.
Remember how I always approach this as I'm
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trying to get you up off the
couch to the table with a Bible and
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notebook and some reference tools and to
do your own work. We've already heard
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one pastor make acclaim in our review
sermons on Joshua one eight that the prosperity
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and success there. He said,
the Hebrew doesn't allow this, and it's
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and we looked it up and it
was just like that that that was just
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not a I don't even know how
to say. It was just flat out
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wrong what he was saying about the
Hebrew. It was just flat out a
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misrepresentation of the Hebrew. So I've
stated it again, So let me let
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me try to just I'll put forth
the question for you to continue to work
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on this week. I know,
I know, before we know what this
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week is going to be over,
we'll be moving on to something else.
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But as you're continuing to work on
Joshua one eight, I've already offered my
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my interpretation, my new interpretation of
Joshua one eight shouldn't even be a new
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interpretation. It should just be the
interpretation. But I'm willing to have my
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interpretation changed. Remember that we always
have to be willing to do that.
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So when as I listen to this, I have to set my interpretation aside.
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So I'm going to set my interpretation
aside now even though you've heard it,
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because we're going to have this perspective
put put forward, and maybe this
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one better than mine, and we
will go with it. Okay, we
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have to be willing to change our
perspective at any time. Anytime we study,
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our past understanding is of no value
for a present study. So I've
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given you my past understanding as of
this week, but I can change it
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on a Wednesday. Because what we
want is truth, not just to try
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to prove ourselves to be right.
So we're going to be open to do
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that. But we do have to
at least once again revisit this question and
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Joshua one to eight, the promise
being made to Israel, Like, I
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don't know how this can be overlooked. This is too Israel. Of course,
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it is directly connected to Deuteronomy twenty
eight and the Land Covenant. Everyone
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ignores that, but there's just no
way to get around it. So in
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that context, that's not even an
interpretation, that's just an observational fact.
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Joshua comes right after Deuteronomy and Deuteronomy
twenty eight and following gives them specific directions
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and instructions of what's going on.
If you go into the land, you
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gotta do this. You'll get success
and prosperity. If you don't do this,
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you're gonna get cursy. I mean, it's so clear. This is
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just restating what's in Deuteronomy twenty eight. I don't know how preachers constantly overlook
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this. I'm not saying he's going
to because I don't know what's about to
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happen, But so far that's what
we've of course, that's what has occurred.
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So here's what I want you to
consider. The prosperity and good success
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mentioned in Joshua one eight. What
is it referring to? Now you can
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look up the Hebrew the Hebrew words
for prosperity, prosperous, and good success
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there in Joshua one eight has a
wide range of meanings, Like there are
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so many different things, and so
you would have to go through all the
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different ways that those Hebrew words are
used to get an idea. Clearly,
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it can be our reference to lots
of different types of prosperity, clearly and
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good success. But here's the thing. Go to Deuteronomy twenty eight twenty nine
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and look at the prosperity that's being
mentioned there, the success that's being mentioned
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there. What is that a reference
to? I think that's the meaning you
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have to carry over to Joshua one
to eight. What stated in Deuteronomy twenty
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eight and twenty nine as being what
would be considered prosperous and good success,
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I think is clearly identified and would
be carried over to Joshua one eight That's
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what I think. I think you
have to import the meaning from Deuteronomy twenty
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eight. That's going to put forth
at least my hypothesis. Now I'm willing
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to have it challenged. Now,
he right here is he's like God does
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bless us with money. Now we
can get a whole discussion about that.
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But okay, but that's not primarily
where he's going to go. He's going
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to talk about a different kind of
prosperity or a different kind of success.
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Now he may take it in a
much more spiritual direction. Okay, But
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the issue is what is the prosperity
and success that is being spoken of in
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Joshua one eight I think is a
reference to what's being talked about in Deuteronomy
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twenty eight and following. I don't
know how that has overlooked. He may
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connect it, he may not,
But I just want to go ahead and
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throw that out there for you to
continue to be thinking about. All Right,
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here we go. Everything that we
have, God has given it to
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us. I'm speaking for me,
and I trust you feel the same way.
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I would not have anything if it
wasn't for the Lord. God's been
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good to me. I may not
have anything that someone else would count for
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much, wouldn't probably mean a lot
to anybody else, But it's ours.
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Okay. Just have to throw out
a question here, you know, That's
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what I love to do. I
love to challenge and question. Okay,
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So, if everything we have comes
from God, is that only true of
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believers or as true of all people? And if everything you have comes from
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God, then why are some Christians
richer than so? Does God wants some
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to be rich and some not to? I mean, these are questions but
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is this for God controls the wealth
every person has, or only what believers
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have. And so if a believer
is struggling or almost in poverty, do
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I say, well, that's what
God wants you to have, or do
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I help them? Like I mean
it could? I mean, once you
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get it gets all into that question
of so how do we understand this?
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All right? But that's okay,
all right, well our focus here is
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on Joshua one eight. But all
right, just I think it does raise
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that question. I think it's perfectly
okay to ask that question. If you
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don't ask that question, you're not
thinking it's what we have. And I'm
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sure you're like I am. I'm
thankful for what the Lord has given me
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and how that he has provided in
how that He's blessed me. But I
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want you to look at verse number
eight. This is always my live verse,
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has been this in Mark eleven twenty
four. Oh no, can Joshua
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one eight be our life verse?
Okay? I'm going to go back and
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read just a little bit of context
here, all right, okay, just
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so that we have an idea of
exactly what's going on here after the death
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of Moses. This is verse one
the servant of the Lord. After the
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death of Moses, the servant of
the Lord, it came to pass that
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the Lord spake to Joshua, the
son of Nune, moses assistant, saying,
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Moses, my servant is dead.
Now therefore, arise, go over
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the Jordan, you and all this
people. This people is not you,
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It is not me. It is
obviously the nation of Israel, this people.
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So you go over the Jordan,
you and all this people to the
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land which I am giving to them. Them is Israel, the children of
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Israel. It even identifies them by
name. The children of Israel are clearly
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identified. Every place that the sole
of your foot will tread upon. I
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have given you, as I said
to Moses, from the wilderness and this
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Lebanon, as far as the great
River, the River Euphrates, all the
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land of the Hittites to the great
Sea towards going down to the Sun,
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shall be your territory. No man
shall be able to stand before you all
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the days of your life, as
I was with Moses. So I will
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be with you. I will not
leave you, nor forsake you. Be
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strong and a good courage, for
to this people, For to this people,
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who is that people, the children
of Israel. They are clear,
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they are named, they are identified. There is no question who this is
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about. So for to this people
shall divide as an inheritance the land which
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I swore to their fathers. There
there there is Israel. All right to
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give them Israel. Only be strong
and very courageous, that you may have
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serve to do according to all the
law which Moses my servant commanded. You
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do not turn from it to the
right hand or to the left, that
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you may prosper wherever you go.
If they want prosperity, they have to
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obey perfectly. Well, here's the
issue they have. They never obeyed God
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of God's law perfectly, because no
one can. The law is there to
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show us our inability, which then
drives us to the one who kept the
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law perfectly, which is Christ,
and then faith in him. His obedience
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to the law is imputed to my
account, So then I stand before him
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perfect But Israel never did. Under
the old Covenant, they were going to
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have to obey the law perfectly or
there would be curses. I'm Deuteronomy twenty
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eight lays all of this up.
That's the context. So then immediately it
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goes into this Book of the Law
shall not depart from your mouth, your
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mouth being Israel. But you speaking
of Israel, shall meditate in it day
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and night, that you may observe
to according to all that is written in
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it. In it, for then
you will make your way prosperous, and
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then you will have good success.
This is just a restating of what was
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said in Deuteronomy twenty eight, which
is a part of the Land Covenant for
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Israel. I mean, but this
is our life verse. If this is
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your life verse, you know what, this life verse is going to demonstrate
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that your life has been in a
perpetual failure to these three commandments. Because
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the Word of God does depart from
your mouth, you don't meditate on it
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day and night, and I know
you don't obey everything that's in it.
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So then that drives you to Christ, who did obey all three of those
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things. So is this your life
first because it shows you how much you
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need Christ? Or is this your
life verse because you are convinsed that you
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can actually do it? That would
be again we're destroying the proper distinction between
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long gospel. A proper distinction between
long gospel understands one is law. It
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is a law passage. You know
you're reading a law passage when it says
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do this, do this, do
this, don't do this, do this.
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That's a law passage. A gospel
passage is where it says God has
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done it for you, and oftentimes. In fact, this church was the
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first church I was ever at,
if I'm remembering correctly, where when Brother
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Lawnie was the pastor and I was
here in revival. One time there was
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some young people that come to him
and ask me to sign their Bible.
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And I never dreamed preaching. You
just start signing autographs, but I thought
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that was a real honor. But
as I signed, I do not understand
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that. I've talked about this so
many times, someone asking you to sign
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the Bible, A sinful man signing
a copy of the inerrant inspired Word of
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God, a fallible man, a
sinful man putting their autograph on the inerrant
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inspired Word of God. I will
never understand it, and all of my
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life, the only time I've ever
come close to experiencing this is after I
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was returning from deployment from desert storm. I don't remember what country we were
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in. I think it would I
don't ever remember we ended up in somewhere
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like Iceland. I don't even remember
where we ended up. The plane landed
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right and they're like, hey,
there's some people here who want to meet
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you. And I'm like, okay, now, not just me. It
406
00:30:37.559 --> 00:30:38.839
was all of us on the plane, obviously, and so we're like,
407
00:30:38.880 --> 00:30:41.000
okay, we'll get off the plane. So we get off the like I
408
00:30:41.039 --> 00:30:44.279
was just gonna stay on the plane, like whatever we're doing, can we
409
00:30:44.359 --> 00:30:47.440
just get home again. We're ready
to go home. Okay. So I
410
00:30:47.440 --> 00:30:49.640
get off the plane and as we
come off the plane, we kind of
411
00:30:49.640 --> 00:30:53.480
around this corner. All of a
sudden, there's like it felt like a
412
00:30:53.640 --> 00:30:59.599
thousand people waving American flags and cheering
us, like yay. It was crazy.
413
00:30:59.599 --> 00:31:02.559
There was like a band playing,
there was like these World War Two
414
00:31:02.759 --> 00:31:06.480
vets that were there were all clapping
for us, and I'm like, this
415
00:31:06.680 --> 00:31:10.319
is crazy, Like I never experienced
anything like this, so it was awesome.
416
00:31:10.319 --> 00:31:12.880
People were shaking her hands and asking
us about everything that happened and okay,
417
00:31:14.279 --> 00:31:17.079
you know all the things that were
going on. But then there was
418
00:31:17.119 --> 00:31:19.759
a I believe I'm almost positive it
was a teenage girl. I don't think
419
00:31:19.759 --> 00:31:22.680
she was. I don't think she
was above being a teenager, and she
420
00:31:22.720 --> 00:31:26.440
came up to me and she said, can you sign my Bible? And
421
00:31:26.480 --> 00:31:30.160
I was like, what in the
world is happening? So what I did
422
00:31:30.599 --> 00:31:34.480
is I simply opened her Bible and
wrote something down. You know. PSOne
423
00:31:34.640 --> 00:31:38.920
nineteen tells you that God's word is
a treasure, so treasure it, read
424
00:31:38.960 --> 00:31:41.559
it, study it, love it, something along those side. And I
425
00:31:41.559 --> 00:31:45.799
didn't put my name right. So
when she probably got it looked at that,
426
00:31:45.799 --> 00:31:48.240
she probably what, that's not what
I wanted. Okay, but why
427
00:31:48.240 --> 00:31:51.759
would I write my name on a
Bible? Like I don't even understand people
428
00:31:51.759 --> 00:31:56.799
who have the Like there's got to
be something I don't I don't understand the
429
00:31:56.880 --> 00:32:00.000
mindset, Like, hey, we're
the Bible publishing company comes to you,
430
00:32:00.039 --> 00:32:02.160
go, hey, we want to
take God's word, but we want to
431
00:32:02.160 --> 00:32:07.319
make it your Bible, so we
want to have it the MacArthur MacArthur will
432
00:32:07.319 --> 00:32:09.880
be in the big letters, the
MacArthur Study Bible. Why would you want
433
00:32:09.920 --> 00:32:14.799
your name? Like that's insane.
I would be like if I was a
434
00:32:14.839 --> 00:32:15.480
famous pastor, and I'd be like, no, no, no, no,
435
00:32:15.480 --> 00:32:19.559
no, no, no no no, We'll have the MacArthur Study notes
436
00:32:20.160 --> 00:32:22.200
a companion to the Bible. But
we're not going to put it with the
437
00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:25.799
Bible. That's God's in errant,
perfect word. I'm not going to put
438
00:32:25.799 --> 00:32:29.440
my words in it, round it, the text, or connected to it.
439
00:32:29.480 --> 00:32:31.480
I'm not going to put my name
upon it. It's God's word.
440
00:32:31.759 --> 00:32:36.279
Why would I do that? Now, I'm not I would not listen.
441
00:32:36.480 --> 00:32:39.880
I would refuse. Not because I'm
humble. I would refuse because I'm an
442
00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:46.319
errotant. I'm an arrogant, narcissistic
jerk who probably would find great pride in
443
00:32:46.400 --> 00:32:50.160
the fact that my name was on
a Bible. Okay, I would not
444
00:32:50.240 --> 00:32:53.599
be refusing because I'm spiritual. I'd
be refusing because I know how prideful and
445
00:32:53.720 --> 00:33:00.680
narcissistic and arrogant I can be.
So I would not sign anyone's Bible.
446
00:33:01.279 --> 00:33:06.640
I don't get that. I've seen
that too many I am baffled by that.
447
00:33:06.720 --> 00:33:09.160
I don't understand it. I've seen
it too many times, and I'm
448
00:33:09.240 --> 00:33:14.880
like, what in the world is
happening, peeple. There were at some
449
00:33:15.200 --> 00:33:16.599
you know, some quote unquote.
Now you already know how I feel about
450
00:33:16.640 --> 00:33:22.200
the entire conference industrial complex that happens
within Christianity, But you know people pay
451
00:33:22.240 --> 00:33:24.240
fifty sixty one hundred, two hundred
dollars to get inside a church to hear
452
00:33:24.319 --> 00:33:28.440
someone preach God's word, but no, Christians aren't even bothered by that.
453
00:33:28.640 --> 00:33:32.079
And then after the message, people
grab God's word and run up there going
454
00:33:32.119 --> 00:33:36.000
hey, hey, hey, hey, co sign the front of my Bible.
455
00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:38.279
And I'm like, what is happening? Is that not the same kind
456
00:33:38.319 --> 00:33:44.319
of celebrity worship that we condemn in
the world, Like what is It?
457
00:33:44.319 --> 00:33:46.559
Would be one thing that you take
your notes and you're like, hey,
458
00:33:46.599 --> 00:33:51.839
can you sign my notes? You
could put your you know, the doctor
459
00:33:51.880 --> 00:33:54.039
whomever preach this sermon, and you've
got the notes, and at the bottom
460
00:33:54.039 --> 00:33:57.519
of the notes you could say,
sign my notes. I mean, I
461
00:33:57.519 --> 00:34:00.519
don't know. I guess then you
have the autograph of a preacher. I
462
00:34:00.519 --> 00:34:01.240
don't. I don't. I don't
get it. I don't get it.
463
00:34:01.279 --> 00:34:05.160
I don't get it. I don't
get it. I would not be honored
464
00:34:05.160 --> 00:34:07.360
if someone asked me to sign their
Bible. I would be horrified. I
465
00:34:07.480 --> 00:34:15.320
remember being in a Christian bookstore,
being in a Christian bookstore, and there
466
00:34:15.440 --> 00:34:17.760
was it was a Christian bookstore.
There was going to be a concert that
467
00:34:17.880 --> 00:34:22.000
night, and the band was going
to be in that Christian bookstore. The
468
00:34:22.039 --> 00:34:24.159
band was I think the name of
the band was Mortal. They're kind of
469
00:34:24.199 --> 00:34:29.800
an industrial rock kind of band.
And they were in there just looking at
470
00:34:29.800 --> 00:34:32.440
the books, and I remember talking
to them about their favorite authors and kind
471
00:34:32.440 --> 00:34:37.320
of having a little philosophical theological discussion. And I, you know, I
472
00:34:37.079 --> 00:34:40.719
never asked autographs from anyone in the
secular world, definitely not in the Christian
473
00:34:40.760 --> 00:34:45.679
world. And but some some some
teenagers came in to ask, and well,
474
00:34:45.800 --> 00:34:47.199
I was, well, I was
just a little older than a teenager
475
00:34:47.199 --> 00:34:51.360
at the time, but these teenagers
came in to ask them for some autographs,
476
00:34:51.440 --> 00:34:57.199
and there, I'll never forget we
don't sign autographs or a Christian band
477
00:34:57.199 --> 00:35:00.480
where our job is to elevate Christ, not ourselves. And I was always
478
00:35:00.519 --> 00:35:06.519
like I was convicted by that because
I was like, Wow, if I
479
00:35:06.599 --> 00:35:10.800
was in a band, I would
probably want to be signing autographs. Wow,
480
00:35:10.960 --> 00:35:15.480
that was pretty powerful. And I
never so a Christian rock band can
481
00:35:15.519 --> 00:35:19.440
say we're not going to sign autographs
because we're here to elevate Christ, not
482
00:35:19.519 --> 00:35:22.880
ourselves. But pastors will be like, sure, let me sign your Bible,
483
00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:27.440
Like I don't know maybe maybe that's
a personal that has nothing to do
484
00:35:27.519 --> 00:35:30.920
with Joshua one to eight. But
I don't know what what's your thoughts?
485
00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:37.599
Are you pro autograph pastors autographing your
Bible? Are you against? Are you
486
00:35:37.679 --> 00:35:40.239
team four? Are you team no? What? What team? Are you
487
00:35:40.280 --> 00:35:44.920
on? Which team? And look
like I'm not here to look. I
488
00:35:45.239 --> 00:35:50.159
don't understand it. I think it's
yeah, I think I have problems with
489
00:35:50.199 --> 00:35:52.840
it, but hey, you do
your own thing if you in your world
490
00:35:52.840 --> 00:35:54.679
you want to. But I would
just be curious if you think it's a
491
00:35:54.920 --> 00:35:59.119
if that's the thing. Can you
imagine someone running up to the apostle Paul,
492
00:35:59.239 --> 00:36:01.960
hey, sign my copy of Romans
like, I just don't get that.
493
00:36:02.039 --> 00:36:06.000
I don't I don't know. I
don't know about that. I don't
494
00:36:06.039 --> 00:36:10.880
know mind that. I thought,
what is the life verse? That?
495
00:36:12.360 --> 00:36:16.400
Because I realized that moment I needed
to have a live verse and Joshua one
496
00:36:16.480 --> 00:36:22.440
eight, the Holy Spirit spoke it
into my heart, and I've oh,
497
00:36:22.480 --> 00:36:28.800
boy, here we go. We
have God speaking directly to people outside of
498
00:36:28.840 --> 00:36:34.440
scripture. So now the Holy Spirit
gave him as a life first Joshua a
499
00:36:34.559 --> 00:36:38.039
verse that is about the nation of
Israel and promised directly connected to their land
500
00:36:38.079 --> 00:36:44.920
covenant. See now you do realize, though, what happens here the minute
501
00:36:44.920 --> 00:36:49.000
you make a claim that God gave
you a verse or God. When pastors
502
00:36:49.000 --> 00:36:51.920
say this is the sermon God gave
me, you can't question it. You
503
00:36:51.920 --> 00:36:55.599
can't challenge it. Their sermon came
directly from God. If God gave them
504
00:36:55.639 --> 00:37:01.639
a verse, you can't question it's
applicability to them because God gave it to
505
00:37:01.719 --> 00:37:07.360
them. See. Once you insert
God into the equation, then you've now
506
00:37:07.400 --> 00:37:20.360
elevated your sermon. Your interpretation is
now God ordained. What if God spokes
507
00:37:20.440 --> 00:37:22.719
into my heart that Joshua one to
eight has nothing to do with you.
508
00:37:24.159 --> 00:37:28.079
Am I hearing God? Or are
you hearing God? Who heard God?
509
00:37:28.840 --> 00:37:32.039
See that's why I believe scripture alone
and nobody's hearing from God other than if
510
00:37:32.079 --> 00:37:36.159
you read the word of God out
loud, then you're hearing from God.
511
00:37:36.239 --> 00:37:38.480
And even if you're hearing from God
out loud, reading the scripture doesn't mean
512
00:37:38.519 --> 00:37:44.039
that scripture is either one applicable to
you or two that scripture could just be
513
00:37:44.159 --> 00:37:52.800
descriptive and not prescribing anything for you. I have encouraged people all over this
514
00:37:52.880 --> 00:37:58.119
country with this verse Mark eleven twenty
four says, what thanks server you desire
515
00:37:58.159 --> 00:38:00.840
when you probably believe you received them, you'll have them. I believe in
516
00:38:00.920 --> 00:38:07.000
prayer. I know God answers prayer, and I don't ask God for vain
517
00:38:07.079 --> 00:38:10.920
or foolish things. I just want
enough to get by. If I have
518
00:38:12.079 --> 00:38:15.400
enough to eat, and I can
sleep, and I can be honest and
519
00:38:15.440 --> 00:38:17.639
pay my bills, and when I
leave here, I don't owe nothing.
520
00:38:19.719 --> 00:38:22.480
That's all I need. I don't
want to leave a bunch of stuff piled
521
00:38:22.559 --> 00:38:31.280
up for kids to fight over.
And that's not what life is now that
522
00:38:31.280 --> 00:38:35.440
that's a godly attitude, And I'll
just be honest with you, I don't
523
00:38:35.480 --> 00:38:38.440
necessarily have the same godly attitude.
I don't want a lot of stuff,
524
00:38:38.480 --> 00:38:42.800
but I got stuff I definitely want. I want my stereo equipment, and
525
00:38:42.880 --> 00:38:45.800
I want better stereo equipment, and
then I want better stereo equipment because I
526
00:38:45.840 --> 00:38:52.079
love music. I like having a
very nice television with the best picture quality
527
00:38:52.159 --> 00:38:57.679
possible. So yeah, I am
those are probably vain things. Now.
528
00:38:57.719 --> 00:39:01.519
I don't go praying for those,
but I definitely want them. I definitely
529
00:39:01.599 --> 00:39:07.079
desire them, and at times I
may even slide over into treasuring them more
530
00:39:07.119 --> 00:39:12.800
than I should. There's probably times
I could be honest, music would be
531
00:39:12.880 --> 00:39:15.360
more of an idol than I would
even care to admit if I'm going to
532
00:39:15.440 --> 00:39:20.519
be honest. So he's got a
very godly attitude. That's very convicting.
533
00:39:21.159 --> 00:39:28.559
I definitely need more of that attitude. But if I if I had it
534
00:39:29.000 --> 00:39:31.280
piled up, I'd go get a
lawyer in the morning and fix it where
535
00:39:31.320 --> 00:39:35.800
they couldn't fight over it. They'd
have to take how I fixed it,
536
00:39:36.760 --> 00:39:42.800
okay, Joshua, Chapter one,
verse number eight. This book of the
537
00:39:42.880 --> 00:39:49.199
Law shall not depart out of thy
mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day
538
00:39:49.239 --> 00:39:54.000
and night, that thou mayst observe
to do according to all that is written
539
00:39:54.159 --> 00:40:01.199
therein. For then shalt thou make
thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt
540
00:40:01.239 --> 00:40:07.960
have good success. Father, I
thank you this morning for this passage of
541
00:40:08.039 --> 00:40:14.840
scripture. It has been a live
verse for me, and it is when
542
00:40:15.239 --> 00:40:21.000
the verse that I have encouraged many
people with through the course of years that
543
00:40:21.119 --> 00:40:27.159
I've lived, because I am convinced
God that this is one of the essential
544
00:40:28.079 --> 00:40:34.920
truths that You've taught us about the
way of prosperity again. Those opening prayers,
545
00:40:34.960 --> 00:40:37.880
you know how I struggle with some
of them. To me, sometimes
546
00:40:37.920 --> 00:40:40.960
it feels like it's almost like you're
starting the sermon, you're actually saying it
547
00:40:40.960 --> 00:40:45.280
to the people. You're addressing God, but you're really talking to the people.
548
00:40:45.360 --> 00:40:49.920
And I always struggle with that.
So you know, to me,
549
00:40:50.079 --> 00:40:52.559
I can pray for my sermon way
before I ever step behind the pulpit,
550
00:40:52.599 --> 00:40:55.119
so I don't need to pray for
it there, because what I have a
551
00:40:55.159 --> 00:41:00.400
tendency to do is start introducing my
sermon in the prayer, which I'm supposed
552
00:41:00.400 --> 00:41:02.159
to be talking to God, and
then at the closing prayer, which I
553
00:41:02.199 --> 00:41:06.360
still do the closing prayer out of
habit, And then I get mad at
554
00:41:06.360 --> 00:41:08.679
myself at the closing prayer because so
many times in my closing prayer, what
555
00:41:08.760 --> 00:41:15.199
am I doing? I'm summarizing what
I just preached, which is not I'm
556
00:41:15.239 --> 00:41:19.000
supposed to be talking to God.
Prayers you're talking to God, you're not
557
00:41:19.159 --> 00:41:22.800
talking to the people. It's such
a struggle. It's such a struggle.
558
00:41:22.840 --> 00:41:25.480
So you know, I know he's
addressing God, but it sounds like he's
559
00:41:25.559 --> 00:41:34.440
kind of he's kind of introducing the
sermon right, and prosperity is more than
560
00:41:34.599 --> 00:41:38.599
just in finance. I truly am
grateful God for how you have provided for
561
00:41:38.760 --> 00:41:45.519
us financially. But above all,
I'm thankful for the other areas of prosperity
562
00:41:45.119 --> 00:41:51.679
where you have caused us to abound. And I'm rich because of the many
563
00:41:51.760 --> 00:41:57.519
friendships that You've let me have over
the years. While I preach this morning,
564
00:41:57.559 --> 00:42:01.000
God, there's three things that I
believe you've laid on my heart concerning
565
00:42:01.039 --> 00:42:07.239
the way of prosperity. Three very
key things in scripture that are certain for
566
00:42:07.360 --> 00:42:15.960
prosperity if we will embrace them.
That sounds so much like an introduction and
567
00:42:15.079 --> 00:42:20.159
then, but it does once again
brings up the question how do we define
568
00:42:20.159 --> 00:42:24.800
the prosperity and success In Joshua eight
is it is prosperity and success mission and
569
00:42:24.880 --> 00:42:32.119
Joshua eight meaning friends, the friends
you've gotten over the years. Joshua eight
570
00:42:32.280 --> 00:42:37.440
is talking about what's in Deuteronomy twenty
eight, but he's almost He's giving God
571
00:42:37.480 --> 00:42:40.360
his outline to his message. Hey
God, I have three things. Why
572
00:42:40.360 --> 00:42:44.360
are you telling God you have three
things? Like? Oh? Does God?
573
00:42:44.480 --> 00:42:47.480
I like? I don't under so
opening prayers, I'm telling you it's
574
00:42:47.559 --> 00:42:52.480
I know, it's like a trap. Like like, I don't blame pastors
575
00:42:52.480 --> 00:42:54.159
because I would I fall into the
same trap with the closing prayer. I
576
00:42:54.559 --> 00:42:59.199
just I just eliminate the opening prayer. Now, I've been called out on
577
00:42:59.239 --> 00:43:02.519
that. Why don't you pray before
you preach? I pray before I preach.
578
00:43:02.519 --> 00:43:06.599
I don't have to do it in
front of you, right right,
579
00:43:06.800 --> 00:43:08.960
Okay, but I still do the
closing prayer. In many cases, I
580
00:43:08.960 --> 00:43:12.880
should just not do the clothing prayer. I should not do the closing prayer
581
00:43:12.920 --> 00:43:16.280
because what I typically do is summarize
my sermon. I've already preached a sermon.
582
00:43:16.320 --> 00:43:20.480
I don't need to offer a summary. God doesn't need a summary of
583
00:43:20.519 --> 00:43:24.159
my sermon. Okay, God doesn't
need it. God already knows. So
584
00:43:24.239 --> 00:43:29.000
what a lot of times what I
try to do is I just confess my
585
00:43:29.159 --> 00:43:31.880
failure of everything. I just preach. That's what I typically try to do.
586
00:43:32.000 --> 00:43:37.159
I don't always do that very well. I pray that everyone in this
587
00:43:37.320 --> 00:43:45.320
auditorium this morning and those listening online
will listen to these key verses that we
588
00:43:45.360 --> 00:43:51.840
will share today, and may they
search them out and pursue them. And
589
00:43:51.960 --> 00:43:53.880
Father, I believe that there will
come a time if you tear and let
590
00:43:53.920 --> 00:43:59.599
them live, if they look back
across life and say that truly is the
591
00:43:59.639 --> 00:44:02.639
way of prosperity. Again, I
will to thank you this morning for your
592
00:44:02.679 --> 00:44:07.960
people. I thank you Father for
the sweet Holy spirit that's been here in
593
00:44:07.039 --> 00:44:13.320
the song service, the special song. I thank you touch our heart and
594
00:44:14.199 --> 00:44:19.679
I recognize that God, You've been
so good to me. I don't deserve
595
00:44:20.800 --> 00:44:24.280
all that I have been privileged to
have, but I am praising you God
596
00:44:24.360 --> 00:44:29.480
for what you've done. I am
praising you the Lord that you allowed me
597
00:44:29.559 --> 00:44:34.239
to pass this way and to be
the pastor here for a little while.
598
00:44:35.000 --> 00:44:38.639
And I'm praying for the pastor that
will succeed me, Brother Ryan, that
599
00:44:39.079 --> 00:44:45.800
the greatest ministry this church has ever
seen or known will happen under his watch.
600
00:44:45.800 --> 00:44:51.960
God, please bless these people,
and thank you for their testimonies and
601
00:44:52.000 --> 00:44:55.480
for their faith and for their love
and their support. I give you all
602
00:44:55.480 --> 00:44:59.960
the praise and I give you all
the glory in the name of Jesus.
603
00:45:00.199 --> 00:45:05.000
I asked these favors and these blessings, and God's people said, Amen,
604
00:45:05.039 --> 00:45:08.920
you may be Now. I do
love that that's powerful. Praying for the
605
00:45:08.960 --> 00:45:14.079
person who will succeed him. That's
about you're reaching the end of your ministry.
606
00:45:14.559 --> 00:45:16.800
You know who's going to succeed succeed
you, and you're praying for their
607
00:45:16.840 --> 00:45:22.280
great success. That's awesome. That's
really that's really awesome. So that's awesome.
608
00:45:22.440 --> 00:45:24.800
I struggle with opening prayers, but
that part was awesome. Powerful.
609
00:45:25.880 --> 00:45:30.119
But what we want is Joshua one
eight. What we want is josh We're
610
00:45:30.119 --> 00:45:31.840
forty five minutes into this and we
so haven't gotten to Joshua one eight.
611
00:45:31.840 --> 00:45:36.039
Okay, but a lot of this
is very much related to what we've been
612
00:45:36.079 --> 00:45:38.039
discussing at Joshua one A. So
let's just see now. You know,
613
00:45:38.079 --> 00:45:40.280
I don't know how long we're gonna
go. We're not gonna get very far
614
00:45:40.320 --> 00:45:44.280
in this. But that's good because
then you can go listen to this one
615
00:45:44.280 --> 00:45:46.639
and be one of the sermons for
your sermon's two point zero app sermon challenge.
616
00:45:46.679 --> 00:45:49.639
Right, but here we go,
all right, here we go.
617
00:45:52.119 --> 00:45:58.000
Be seated. Now, if you
go back with me to verse number one,
618
00:45:58.039 --> 00:46:01.880
I'm going to refer start here this
morning at verse number one, and
619
00:46:01.920 --> 00:46:06.199
I will come to verse number eight
and talk about it as the way of
620
00:46:06.239 --> 00:46:10.000
prosperity. But what I want to
share with you first this morning is that
621
00:46:10.039 --> 00:46:16.519
God had before spoke unto Moses,
who was the actual leader of the children
622
00:46:16.599 --> 00:46:22.000
of Israel at the time that the
transition was now taking place, from Moses
623
00:46:22.079 --> 00:46:29.519
unto Joshua. And God has spoke
unto Moses about Joshua in Numbers chapter twenty
624
00:46:29.519 --> 00:46:34.199
seven and verse eighteen. Here's what
God said, Take Joshua, a man
625
00:46:34.360 --> 00:46:39.000
in whom is the spirit, and
lay thine hand upon him. Part of
626
00:46:39.039 --> 00:46:45.039
the reason that God wanted Moses to
do that was to separate him for the
627
00:46:45.320 --> 00:46:51.440
purpose of ministry, that God would
place Joshua in the responsibility of But if
628
00:46:51.440 --> 00:46:55.039
you look at verse number one now, then God is speaking unto Joshua.
629
00:46:55.639 --> 00:47:00.400
He had done this before in the
temple. In Deuteronomy thirty one and verse
630
00:47:00.440 --> 00:47:06.760
fourteen. Moses and Joshua had come
into the tabernacle as God had called him
631
00:47:06.800 --> 00:47:12.800
there, and God charged Joshua in
Deuteronomy chapter thirty one, verse fourteen.
632
00:47:13.400 --> 00:47:17.480
And it was in that particular scripture
that Joshua begin to understand that I'm going
633
00:47:17.599 --> 00:47:22.400
to be the successor of Moses,
who has been a great leader for the
634
00:47:22.519 --> 00:47:28.280
children of Israel. Moses was one
of the meekest men that has ever been
635
00:47:28.320 --> 00:47:31.519
recorded in the scriptures. And when
you go back and study his life and
636
00:47:31.599 --> 00:47:37.960
study the difficulty of him leading the
children of Israel from Egypt to Canaan's land,
637
00:47:38.360 --> 00:47:43.519
it was not an easy task,
but the grace of God sustained him.
638
00:47:43.559 --> 00:47:47.199
But Moses would not be the one
who actually led them into the land
639
00:47:47.239 --> 00:47:52.960
of Canaan. It would be Joshua. And so now in Joshua chapter one,
640
00:47:52.119 --> 00:47:59.079
Moses has died, he has left
the scene, and God speaks now
641
00:47:59.119 --> 00:48:06.039
directly the first time, to Joshua. All right, I'm getting my hopes,
642
00:48:06.360 --> 00:48:09.840
My hope has returned. I'm getting
exciting. I'm excited. This is
643
00:48:09.880 --> 00:48:15.800
exciting. He's providing historical context here. He even mentioned Deuteronomy twenty seven.
644
00:48:16.000 --> 00:48:21.719
That's so close to Deuteronomy twenty eight. I am excited. Here, hope
645
00:48:21.719 --> 00:48:25.679
has returned, the sun has come
out, this clouds have parted, the
646
00:48:25.719 --> 00:48:30.679
bright sun is shining. Oh,
we're gonna get a sermon that's going to
647
00:48:30.679 --> 00:48:35.360
connect Joshua one eight to Deuteronomy twenty
eight. We're gonna have this in its
648
00:48:35.400 --> 00:48:37.840
proper historical I am excited. You
think I'm being sarcastic, I'm not.
649
00:48:37.960 --> 00:48:43.039
I am I'm hopeful. I'm excited. This is Hey, this is better
650
00:48:43.079 --> 00:48:45.920
than what we've heard so far.
This is immediately providing the historical setting of
651
00:48:46.039 --> 00:48:52.280
context. This is good news.
Let's see where it goes. In verse
652
00:48:52.400 --> 00:48:57.760
number one and he hears the voice
of God. And what is it that
653
00:48:57.880 --> 00:49:02.039
God wants for Joshua. Well,
if you look down in verse number eight,
654
00:49:02.119 --> 00:49:07.639
he wants him to prosper and he
wants him to have good success.
655
00:49:07.400 --> 00:49:12.800
God is not in the business of
not wanting you to prosper or to have
656
00:49:12.840 --> 00:49:17.519
good success. He's not a god
that wants you to struggle or have hardships
657
00:49:17.880 --> 00:49:27.559
and have heartaches. Okay, wait, the clouds just came back. God
658
00:49:27.639 --> 00:49:34.559
does not want you to have hardships, our heartache. God doesn't want you
659
00:49:34.639 --> 00:49:37.960
to have then why do you have
it? Hey, God's going oh man,
660
00:49:37.000 --> 00:49:39.199
I don't want you to have heartache. I don't want you to have
661
00:49:39.239 --> 00:49:44.599
hardships. I'm sorry that your mother
died when you were just a teenager.
662
00:49:44.800 --> 00:49:47.719
I'm sorry that you were raised in
a home where you were molested and abused.
663
00:49:47.880 --> 00:49:52.519
I'm sorry that your father died of
cancer. I'm sorry that your child
664
00:49:52.639 --> 00:49:55.440
was killed by a drunk driver.
I didn't want any of those hardships.
665
00:49:55.519 --> 00:49:59.440
I didn't want any of that.
I didn't want any of that heartache.
666
00:49:59.599 --> 00:50:08.559
I don't want any of that for
you. God doesn't want that. I
667
00:50:08.599 --> 00:50:13.280
am perplexed. So God, God
doesn't want you to have any hardships a
668
00:50:13.360 --> 00:50:15.239
heartache, but you just end up
having having it. You know where this
669
00:50:15.360 --> 00:50:20.199
is gonna go? You're having it
because you failed? Is this gonna go
670
00:50:20.199 --> 00:50:32.960
where you get blamed for it?
I? Okay, right, right,
671
00:50:34.079 --> 00:50:37.920
Okay, Let's let's maybe maybe maybe
it's just one dark cloud that can Maybe
672
00:50:37.920 --> 00:50:42.320
that dark cloud is gonna it's gonna
dissipate really fast. Maybe maybe the sun's
673
00:50:42.360 --> 00:50:46.639
gonna come back almost immediately. Let's
hope. Even though I know that sometimes
674
00:50:46.679 --> 00:50:52.880
we do have hardships and we do
have heartaches, But can I say this
675
00:50:52.880 --> 00:50:57.320
this morning without you feeling offended by
it? I'm speaking of me. Most
676
00:50:57.360 --> 00:51:01.320
of the hardships and the heart aches
that I've had in life has been the
677
00:51:01.360 --> 00:51:07.880
result of my own choosing things that
maybe I did or didn't do right that
678
00:51:08.119 --> 00:51:16.000
caused me to experience heartache and struggles. And Okay, so in a Rundomu
679
00:51:16.039 --> 00:51:22.480
way, he is going that direction, But he said most a couple of
680
00:51:22.480 --> 00:51:25.000
things. So if God doesn't want
me to have heartache, if he doesn't
681
00:51:25.000 --> 00:51:30.199
want me to have hardship, why
then wouldn't God intervene to stop me from
682
00:51:30.199 --> 00:51:32.760
doing the very things that causes the
hardship and the heartache? I mean,
683
00:51:32.840 --> 00:51:38.119
cannot God intervene? He's God,
right, He intervenes over and over in
684
00:51:38.159 --> 00:51:44.199
the Bible, right, So why
can't he intervene and stop it? If
685
00:51:44.239 --> 00:51:45.920
God doesn't want it, why would
he allow it? And he said,
686
00:51:45.960 --> 00:51:49.920
well free will? Well he gain. Then we could get into a whole
687
00:51:49.960 --> 00:51:52.400
discussion about free will, and then
that becomes all problematic, okay, and
688
00:51:52.440 --> 00:51:55.079
then we have to become a Pelagian
or semi Pellagian. All right, we
689
00:51:55.119 --> 00:51:59.920
won't go into all of that.
But already I'm having difficulty with it.
690
00:52:00.119 --> 00:52:05.760
But I can give you plenty of
examples where no one has that fault,
691
00:52:06.440 --> 00:52:13.800
who is suffering that they are the
victim child molestation, rape, sexual abuse,
692
00:52:14.199 --> 00:52:24.920
sexual assault, murder, kidnapping,
cancer, being victimized by other people
693
00:52:24.960 --> 00:52:29.280
in all kinds of different would come
on. Now. Now, yes,
694
00:52:29.360 --> 00:52:31.719
a lot of our hardship and heartache
is a result of our own failure,
695
00:52:32.360 --> 00:52:36.079
but God knew before the foundations of
the world that we're going to fall in
696
00:52:36.079 --> 00:52:38.639
that way. So then I mean, well, we could get into all
697
00:52:38.719 --> 00:52:43.079
kinds of discussions about this. It's
not that simple and black and white.
698
00:52:43.079 --> 00:52:46.880
But I knew that once he said
God does not want you to have hardship
699
00:52:46.920 --> 00:52:52.880
and heartache, I almost knew inevitably
that God doesn't want it, but he
700
00:52:53.039 --> 00:52:57.880
has to let us get it,
because even though he doesn't want it,
701
00:52:58.000 --> 00:53:01.480
he has to remain eternally, to
remain frustrated as long as we're alive,
702
00:53:01.679 --> 00:53:07.159
because we're going to do what he
doesn't want. I don't know a sovereign
703
00:53:07.199 --> 00:53:15.159
omni a sovereign, omniscient, an
omnipresent, omnipotent God does not get what
704
00:53:15.199 --> 00:53:24.880
he wants. Is just a complicated
concept to consider trials. It was because
705
00:53:24.920 --> 00:53:30.880
I didn't fully surrender to the Lord. I didn't fully let God have his
706
00:53:30.039 --> 00:53:35.360
way in my life, and perhaps
the same is true in your life.
707
00:53:35.920 --> 00:53:39.360
If you listen, he wants the
same thing for us as he does Joshua.
708
00:53:39.719 --> 00:53:44.280
He wants us to prosper, and
he wants us to have good success.
709
00:53:44.840 --> 00:53:47.480
Listen to what the Bible says in
Psalm chapter eighty four and verse eleven,
710
00:53:49.239 --> 00:53:54.639
No good thing will the Lord withhold
from them that walk uprightly. If
711
00:53:54.679 --> 00:54:00.800
you will choose to live right and
walk right, God has problem that he
712
00:54:00.880 --> 00:54:05.960
will not withhold his blessings upon your
life. Look at verse number three in
713
00:54:06.079 --> 00:54:10.559
Joshua Chapter one and listen to the
promise that God gave to Joshua. He
714
00:54:10.599 --> 00:54:15.239
says, in verse number three,
every place that your soul of your foot
715
00:54:15.599 --> 00:54:19.599
sets down, that will be your
ground. Can you imagine if God said
716
00:54:19.599 --> 00:54:22.480
to you everywhere you walk and the
soul of your foot touches the ground,
717
00:54:22.800 --> 00:54:28.039
that you will be blessed and that
will be your territory. Look at verse
718
00:54:28.079 --> 00:54:30.280
five again, and he said,
there will not be any man that shall
719
00:54:30.320 --> 00:54:36.199
be able to stand before Thee all
of thy life. Joshua was a soldier
720
00:54:36.199 --> 00:54:39.079
and a warrior, and many times
he was going to have to face battles
721
00:54:39.360 --> 00:54:45.400
and fly to nations. But Joshua
knew that by God's promise here that he
722
00:54:45.440 --> 00:54:49.840
would be a victor, because God
has promised that no man would be able
723
00:54:49.880 --> 00:54:52.960
to stand against him. Then look
at verse five and notice he said that
724
00:54:53.039 --> 00:54:58.480
as I was with Moses, I
will be with THEE. Aren't you glad?
725
00:54:58.480 --> 00:55:01.079
Today, that as God has been
with our forefathers in the past,
726
00:55:01.400 --> 00:55:06.199
that he is still with us today. He is the same today as he
727
00:55:06.480 --> 00:55:09.760
was yesterday, and he will be
the same tomorrow. And did you notice
728
00:55:09.760 --> 00:55:14.480
in verse number five of Joshua chapter
one, he said that he will not
729
00:55:14.639 --> 00:55:19.440
fail nor will he forsake Joshua.
And I'm here to say this morning that
730
00:55:19.519 --> 00:55:24.599
God will not fail us and God
will not forsake us. All Right,
731
00:55:24.639 --> 00:55:30.119
So God doesn't want you to have
heartache or hardship, however you may get
732
00:55:30.159 --> 00:55:35.840
it because you fail. Hey,
but God's never gonna leave or forseek you.
733
00:55:35.920 --> 00:55:38.920
Well, if God can't intervene to
stop me from doing the very things
734
00:55:38.960 --> 00:55:44.039
that will cause me not to be
prosperous, then if God is there but
735
00:55:44.199 --> 00:55:51.320
not doing anything to help me out
and stop I that just becomes so convoluted.
736
00:55:52.039 --> 00:55:53.719
Hey, hey, I got good
news. God is right there with
737
00:55:53.800 --> 00:55:58.440
you, But I got bad news. I mean, He's not gonna help
738
00:55:58.440 --> 00:56:00.519
you. He's not gonna intervene to
stop you from doing those things which will
739
00:56:00.559 --> 00:56:04.559
cause you not to be prosperous.
Because the way to be prosperous is you
740
00:56:04.599 --> 00:56:07.840
just have to do right. Now, does that mean do right like if
741
00:56:07.840 --> 00:56:10.480
I do right fifty percent, then
does God just go ahead and make me
742
00:56:10.519 --> 00:56:14.719
prosperous if I do or do I
have to do right one hundred percent?
743
00:56:14.760 --> 00:56:19.960
Because typically when God says obey,
he means obedience internally and externally, meaning
744
00:56:19.960 --> 00:56:22.519
that's law, meaning you're never going
to achieve it, meaning you're going to
745
00:56:22.559 --> 00:56:27.239
fail. So then what's my only
hope to try harder? Now, my
746
00:56:27.280 --> 00:56:30.199
hope is to run to Christ,
who does obey it. So then this
747
00:56:30.480 --> 00:56:43.280
this is this is Oh all right, let's let's let's be positive. Stop
748
00:56:43.320 --> 00:56:47.719
being so negative. Let's be positive. Let's be positive. I'm not telling
749
00:56:47.760 --> 00:56:52.320
you something you don't know. I'm
reminding you of what you already know and
750
00:56:52.400 --> 00:56:58.280
the promise that God wants you to
embrace in life and as you go through
751
00:56:58.400 --> 00:57:01.760
life. If you want God prosperity
in your life, you need to take
752
00:57:01.800 --> 00:57:06.880
the promises of God. For all
of the promises of God in Jesus Christ
753
00:57:06.920 --> 00:57:14.880
are yes and they are amen.
All the promises in Christ are yes and
754
00:57:15.039 --> 00:57:21.800
amen, meaning the promises that have
a law requirement are fulfilled in Christ.
755
00:57:21.840 --> 00:57:25.840
So in Christ, I receive all
of those promises because of his imputed obedience
756
00:57:25.880 --> 00:57:30.599
to that law and those requirements in
Christ. Yes, I get those promises
757
00:57:30.719 --> 00:57:37.920
positionally. So are you going back
to an unders Is that what you meant
758
00:57:37.920 --> 00:57:43.719
by that? Yes? In Christ? I get all spiritual blessings in Christ
759
00:57:44.079 --> 00:57:49.840
because whatever the law demands Christ obeyed, and in his obedience is imputed to
760
00:57:49.840 --> 00:57:53.920
my account by faith alone. I
mean that's literally, I mean the imputed
761
00:57:54.039 --> 00:58:00.320
righteousness of Christ is what the entire
Protestant Reformation was about. Is that?
762
00:58:00.360 --> 00:58:07.199
What are you referencing here? Then
God comes down a little bit further in
763
00:58:07.320 --> 00:58:12.159
verse number six, and he tells
Joshua to be this, be strong and
764
00:58:12.280 --> 00:58:15.239
of good courage. Be strong and
of good courage. What does he want
765
00:58:15.320 --> 00:58:19.960
him to be strong in. He
wants him to be strong in his leadership
766
00:58:20.039 --> 00:58:23.400
role. He wants him to be
strong in the example that he leads in
767
00:58:23.559 --> 00:58:28.360
life. And he wants him to
be a man that doesn't act like he's
768
00:58:28.400 --> 00:58:31.760
afraid or don't know how to make
good choices or right decisions. But he
769
00:58:31.840 --> 00:58:37.480
wants him to take courage knowing that
God is with him and God will help
770
00:58:37.559 --> 00:58:40.880
him and he'll make the right,
successful choices. But if you look at
771
00:58:40.960 --> 00:58:47.760
verse number seven doubles down on the
word courage and uses the word very courageous.
772
00:58:49.039 --> 00:58:52.440
Be very courageous. In other words, don't be afraid to take exports
773
00:58:52.559 --> 00:58:58.519
or try things. Step out in
your faith and trust God that he will
774
00:58:58.880 --> 00:59:01.000
be there with you. If he
said I am with you and I will
775
00:59:01.000 --> 00:59:07.639
not fail you, then step out
courageously and believe that God will answer your
776
00:59:07.719 --> 00:59:12.360
prayers. How many of you today
believe that God means exactly what he says.
777
00:59:12.679 --> 00:59:15.480
And this isn't just for Joshua's time, This is for my time and
778
00:59:15.519 --> 00:59:30.320
for your time as well. Okay, there's so much here, Okay,
779
00:59:30.559 --> 00:59:34.639
So if you say it's for our
time, then we have to obey this
780
00:59:35.440 --> 00:59:38.480
absolutely the way it stated. Well, number one, the original recipients did
781
00:59:38.480 --> 00:59:43.400
not obey it, Okay, so
there's already a problem. Number two,
782
00:59:43.880 --> 00:59:47.280
we don't obey it because what is
demanded here we would never come close to
783
00:59:47.519 --> 00:59:51.920
obeying. So if you say it's
for me in this way, now you
784
00:59:52.000 --> 00:59:55.039
got to change the entire meaning of
the passage that the prosperity and the success
785
00:59:55.079 --> 01:00:00.000
here is spiritual prosperity and success,
which I don't think the context will necessarily
786
01:00:00.079 --> 01:00:04.679
imply. I think it's very very
materialistic and very tangible because you go look
787
01:00:04.719 --> 01:00:07.480
at Deuteronomy twenty eight. But for
some reason that context has been overlooked so
788
01:00:07.559 --> 01:00:12.559
far. But not only that,
Even if it's spiritual success, then the
789
01:00:12.599 --> 01:00:15.760
only hope here is I cannot do
this. Christ did it by putting my
790
01:00:15.800 --> 01:00:20.559
faith in him. Then I get
the spiritual blessings that are promised because of
791
01:00:20.599 --> 01:00:24.159
His imputed righteousness, because of my
positional standing before God, not my practical
792
01:00:24.199 --> 01:00:28.760
standing. My position. I'm a
new creature. Old is gone, everything
793
01:00:28.840 --> 01:00:32.360
is new. Practically, I am
still very much a sinner and still fall
794
01:00:32.400 --> 01:00:37.039
short, and still never obeyed God's
word anywhere close to perfectly. That's why
795
01:00:37.119 --> 01:00:42.000
we needed someone who could obey it
perfectly for us, because we cannot.
796
01:00:43.880 --> 01:00:46.519
Then, did you notice in verse
seven he says to him, observe to
797
01:00:46.599 --> 01:00:52.599
do according to all of the law, And he's not necessarily referring specifically to
798
01:00:52.840 --> 01:00:59.440
the law that God dave ntomoses,
but rather he is specifically referring to the
799
01:00:59.639 --> 01:01:02.360
word of God. Every word of
God is his law, it is his
800
01:01:02.519 --> 01:01:07.079
promises, it's his commandments. And
the more you and I obey these commandments,
801
01:01:07.159 --> 01:01:12.719
or seek to observe them and to
learn them, the better our success
802
01:01:12.800 --> 01:01:16.639
will be in life. He says
in here. All right, So his
803
01:01:16.760 --> 01:01:27.719
hypothesis is the level of prosperity or
the level of success one experiences is directly
804
01:01:27.840 --> 01:01:35.440
related to the amount of obedience you
engage in. So the level of your
805
01:01:35.559 --> 01:01:40.599
obedience determines the level of your prosperity
and success. Now the prosperity and success
806
01:01:40.599 --> 01:01:45.639
here has not been clearly articulated what
that is. But then this would be
807
01:01:45.679 --> 01:01:47.719
like, if someone's not being prosperous
or successful, well, you're not being
808
01:01:47.760 --> 01:01:53.440
obedient, so work harder. But
that means then God will bless it's somehow
809
01:01:53.599 --> 01:01:58.440
graded on a curve. Hey,
obey everything that's in it, but partial
810
01:01:58.519 --> 01:02:04.400
obedience will provide partial prosperity. But
then wait a minute, that's a problem
811
01:02:04.800 --> 01:02:10.920
because partial obedience to the law of
God is complete disobedience. Right, if
812
01:02:10.960 --> 01:02:15.280
you break one point of the law, you're guilty of all of it.
813
01:02:15.360 --> 01:02:19.119
See is this not in a sense
where we're modifying it, we're grading it
814
01:02:19.159 --> 01:02:22.000
on a curve. Well, you
can get forty percent success if you're forty
815
01:02:22.039 --> 01:02:27.519
percent obedient. No, God demands
perfection. In anything less than perfection is
816
01:02:27.760 --> 01:02:31.719
full blown disobedience. Meaning that's why
we have to go to Christ who kept
817
01:02:31.760 --> 01:02:37.000
it perfectly because our attempts, and
even if we obey it externally, we
818
01:02:37.119 --> 01:02:43.119
may be disobeying it internally. This
is this is such a reworking of the
819
01:02:43.239 --> 01:02:47.440
law of God and God's standard.
God demands perfection internally and externally, and
820
01:02:47.480 --> 01:02:55.519
he demands it perpetually. To Joshua, don't you turn from it, not
821
01:02:55.639 --> 01:02:59.880
to the right hand nor to the
lamb. In other words, make straight
822
01:03:00.119 --> 01:03:04.440
pass for your feet, and be
steadfast, and be unmovable, and just
823
01:03:04.559 --> 01:03:07.199
keep abounding in the work of the
Lord. You're gonna see things that are
824
01:03:07.199 --> 01:03:12.559
disappointing to you. You're gonna see
things that are discouraging to you. You're
825
01:03:12.599 --> 01:03:16.800
gonna watch people and see people won't
always like you, or won't always support
826
01:03:16.920 --> 01:03:22.400
you. They won't always stand by
you or stand for you. But Moses
827
01:03:22.519 --> 01:03:25.199
or Joshua, you need to understand, I am your God. I am
828
01:03:25.239 --> 01:03:30.280
the one who called you, I
am the one who appointed you your life.
829
01:03:30.480 --> 01:03:32.559
I am the one that's gonna make
you prosperous, and I am the
830
01:03:32.639 --> 01:03:37.639
one that's gonna make you successful.
There's not one of you here this morning
831
01:03:37.079 --> 01:03:42.599
that anybody else can make you successful
or make you prosperous. But God can
832
01:03:42.679 --> 01:03:46.280
make you prosperous, and God can
make you successful. And therefore you want
833
01:03:46.280 --> 01:03:51.760
to be sure that you do observe
His laws and don't turn from it,
834
01:03:51.840 --> 01:03:54.719
but make straight paths for your feet. And then he said, thou mayst
835
01:03:54.719 --> 01:03:58.639
prosper. And I want you to
look at the very last part of verse
836
01:03:58.719 --> 01:04:01.639
number seven. You say, well, I think it depends on where you
837
01:04:01.679 --> 01:04:06.920
are geographically. It doesn't matter to
God where you're at geographically. He owns
838
01:04:08.119 --> 01:04:12.920
every part of this universe. He
owns this entire world, beloved friends,
839
01:04:13.400 --> 01:04:17.760
And wherever you go, he said, I'll be with you whithersoever thou goest.
840
01:04:18.239 --> 01:04:21.079
You may not always get to be
in the place that you'd like to
841
01:04:21.079 --> 01:04:26.119
be, and you may not always
get to a compiler or have the choices
842
01:04:26.159 --> 01:04:30.199
that you want. But if you'll
be obedient unto God and go where God
843
01:04:30.280 --> 01:04:32.400
wants you to go, and do
what God would have you to do,
844
01:04:32.920 --> 01:04:36.800
and you'll do the things that I'm
about to show you this morning. God
845
01:04:36.880 --> 01:04:42.519
has promised that you'll prosper and you'll
have good success. But listen, just
846
01:04:42.679 --> 01:04:46.679
as surely as I give you these
promises. Okay, he keeps seeing these
847
01:04:46.719 --> 01:04:51.639
promises, He's gonna give you commands
he's giving you. This is a philologically,
848
01:04:53.039 --> 01:04:59.239
philological categorical error. God, there's
a promise connected, but he's going
849
01:04:59.280 --> 01:05:03.039
to give you three commands, meaning
he's gonna give you law. All right,
850
01:05:03.360 --> 01:05:08.679
Law, law condemns Law is not
the way to blessing. Law is
851
01:05:08.719 --> 01:05:12.519
the way to be broken, demonstrating
you need someone to obey the law so
852
01:05:12.599 --> 01:05:16.480
that you can be blessed. That
it's a categorical error where you're taking law
853
01:05:16.719 --> 01:05:20.480
and referring to it as a promise. It's a law, it's a law,
854
01:05:20.519 --> 01:05:27.559
it's a command, it's what you
must do. So all right,
855
01:05:27.639 --> 01:05:30.079
what I know, we're already over
an hour, but we've got to get
856
01:05:30.079 --> 01:05:31.119
a little bit. I want to
at least get to the first thing and
857
01:05:31.119 --> 01:05:34.800
see how he handles the first part
of this. Right, So all right,
858
01:05:34.840 --> 01:05:40.000
it's just there's a Oh. That's
why we spent over one hundred hours
859
01:05:40.039 --> 01:05:43.519
on law and gospel. That's why
we spent over one hundred hours on that
860
01:05:43.639 --> 01:05:48.320
subject. There are some things that
if we don't do them, we cannot
861
01:05:48.360 --> 01:05:53.440
expect to be prosperous, and we
cannot to be expect to be successful.
862
01:05:53.880 --> 01:05:57.320
That doesn't mean you can't be saved
and it doesn't mean you won't go to
863
01:05:57.360 --> 01:06:01.280
heaven. But why not go to
heaven have Why not go to heaven fulfilled
864
01:06:01.559 --> 01:06:05.800
in this life? Because Jesus said, I'm come that you might have life
865
01:06:06.079 --> 01:06:12.519
abundantly and then have eternal life after
this life. God has been good to
866
01:06:12.639 --> 01:06:15.440
me through this life, and I've
had an abundant life, and when this
867
01:06:15.559 --> 01:06:19.840
life is over, I have eternal
life awaiting me, and I thank the
868
01:06:19.920 --> 01:06:24.760
Lord for that. Today, first
of all, let me define what is
869
01:06:24.880 --> 01:06:29.599
prosperity. It's not you planning a
seed with me and I'll give you a
870
01:06:29.639 --> 01:06:32.760
claw to take back and you be
blessed with it. It's not if you
871
01:06:32.880 --> 01:06:38.320
come up here and throw money on
this altar and I will pronounce a blessing
872
01:06:38.360 --> 01:06:46.159
over you. But prosperity is defined
as a condition of being successful or thriving,
873
01:06:47.079 --> 01:06:56.079
flourishing, experiencing growth. And this
isn't just in finances. What about
874
01:06:56.159 --> 01:07:01.440
health. You can be prosperous in
your health. There's nothing more difficult than
875
01:07:01.480 --> 01:07:08.559
life. Oh now I'm getting really
nervous. Okay, So it's not just
876
01:07:08.639 --> 01:07:19.079
finances. So this is financial prosperity
and health prosperity. Okay, this is
877
01:07:19.119 --> 01:07:26.880
going to hit close to home.
So the reason I almost died in the
878
01:07:26.960 --> 01:07:34.440
United States military and now have neurological
issues and countless number of seizures per year
879
01:07:36.039 --> 01:07:57.760
is because I'm not obeying Joshua one
to eight. It's my fault. If
880
01:07:57.800 --> 01:08:05.559
you're having any financial difficulty, it's
your fault. Now I know that that's
881
01:08:05.719 --> 01:08:11.840
not what he's probably trying to say. That's the clear implication of what's being
882
01:08:11.920 --> 01:08:16.039
said. Prosperity is not just financial, but it's also health. So the
883
01:08:16.159 --> 01:08:23.560
financial part, lack of prosperity financially, it's your fault because you're not obeying
884
01:08:23.600 --> 01:08:28.279
Joshua one eight. If you're having
health issues, it's your fault because of
885
01:08:28.359 --> 01:08:39.479
Joshua one eight. Well, that
is good to know. That is life
886
01:08:40.000 --> 01:08:45.560
then for somebody who has to go
through life with poor health and sickness.
887
01:08:45.000 --> 01:08:49.239
And I want to just say this
in this sermon, I've heard these modern
888
01:08:49.319 --> 01:08:55.119
day preachers say that if you've got
sickness in your body, you're not a
889
01:08:55.239 --> 01:08:58.760
child of God or you're not right
with God. Don't you believe that for
890
01:08:58.800 --> 01:09:03.159
a second. Don't you listen to
that kind of nonsense. That doesn't mean
891
01:09:03.239 --> 01:09:08.960
that God is not your God,
just because there's sicknesses in your life.
892
01:09:09.600 --> 01:09:13.560
But sometimes we need to ask God, Lord, would you please touch me,
893
01:09:14.279 --> 01:09:18.960
and would you do the miraculous power
of healing and give me the prosperity
894
01:09:19.119 --> 01:09:27.960
of good health? But if okay, I'm so confused. If the prosperity
895
01:09:27.960 --> 01:09:32.199
of good health, if prosperity here
is good health, well then you're not
896
01:09:32.239 --> 01:09:36.439
going to get it unless you obey
Joshua one eight. So is it good
897
01:09:36.439 --> 01:09:40.640
health or is it not good health? Can I get good health without obeying
898
01:09:40.680 --> 01:09:44.079
Joshua one eight by just asking for
it? Hey, God, give me
899
01:09:44.159 --> 01:09:46.479
good health? What if God doesn't
heal me, is it? Because then
900
01:09:46.520 --> 01:09:53.079
I'm disobeying Joshua one A like,
I'm confused how you're connecting financial prosperity and
901
01:09:53.199 --> 01:09:57.119
health to Joshua one eight, But
almost at the same time trying to argue
902
01:09:57.159 --> 01:10:00.039
that somehow, well, that doesn't
mean you're not living right well? And
903
01:10:00.079 --> 01:10:02.760
if I'm not obeying Joshua one,
does that not mean that I'm not living
904
01:10:02.800 --> 01:10:12.039
right? There are things that I
have in my life or my health that
905
01:10:12.800 --> 01:10:16.880
could be very detrimental in dangers to
me, and I recognize that. And
906
01:10:17.399 --> 01:10:20.720
even though I recognize it, I
don't do a lot about it. I
907
01:10:20.760 --> 01:10:26.399
have diabetes and I keep eating sweets. I have diabetes and I keep drinking
908
01:10:26.479 --> 01:10:30.479
sodipop and the doctor says, you
know that that's not going to work.
909
01:10:31.560 --> 01:10:35.279
I said, what differences make I'm
seventy. He said, well, you
910
01:10:35.399 --> 01:10:40.520
might live to be ninety and suffer
more in the end than you have in
911
01:10:40.600 --> 01:10:46.760
the beginning. And that was eye
opening because I've seen that in people's lives.
912
01:10:47.640 --> 01:10:50.199
Why did I tell you that?
Because I need you to help me
913
01:10:50.199 --> 01:10:54.359
pray that I do what I need
to do? Will you do that?
914
01:10:55.039 --> 01:10:59.760
Will you pray for me? But
not only that? What about prosperity and
915
01:11:00.000 --> 01:11:03.520
happiness? Are you happy? I
mean, when you get up of a
916
01:11:03.560 --> 01:11:09.039
morning, do you feel happiness?
Are you happy with the mate God's given
917
01:11:09.079 --> 01:11:13.479
you in life? Are you happy
with the family God has given you?
918
01:11:14.680 --> 01:11:18.960
What about your career? Are you
happy in the career? Okay? If
919
01:11:19.000 --> 01:11:28.840
you're defining prosperity as financial, health
and happiness, and Joshua one eight tells
920
01:11:28.840 --> 01:11:31.319
you what you do to get it, well, then if I'm not prosperous
921
01:11:31.920 --> 01:11:39.279
or successful financially or in my health
or in my happiness, then the direct
922
01:11:39.319 --> 01:11:45.000
implication here is I fail to obey
Joshua one eight. But I'm arguing you
923
01:11:45.000 --> 01:11:49.319
can't even obey Joshua one eight if
you're even remotely honest with yourself. Oh,
924
01:11:49.359 --> 01:11:55.760
I am so confused here. I
am so confused. This is so
925
01:11:56.039 --> 01:12:00.159
problematic. Okay, I look,
I know where are this is gonna go
926
01:12:00.199 --> 01:12:02.159
along. So I apologize, But
I've got to get to this to a
927
01:12:02.199 --> 01:12:05.279
point where I at least understand,
because I think I don't want to misrepresent,
928
01:12:05.600 --> 01:12:11.279
right, because I'm fearful I'm misrepresenting, and I don't want to misrepresent.
929
01:12:11.359 --> 01:12:15.479
But I'm just saying the implication is
if this is the prosperity he's going
930
01:12:15.520 --> 01:12:16.960
to assign to Joshua one eight,
Now, maybe he's going to go through
931
01:12:16.960 --> 01:12:20.279
all of this and say that has
nothing to do with Joshua one eight.
932
01:12:20.560 --> 01:12:27.319
That's what I'm hoping for here that
you're in. Can you look at your
933
01:12:27.359 --> 01:12:30.800
marriage and say, I'm happy with
my marriage and I'm happy to how God
934
01:12:30.840 --> 01:12:35.239
has provided for our home and our
children. And then I want to ask
935
01:12:35.279 --> 01:12:41.560
you this this morning, what about
prosperity in friendships? How many friends do
936
01:12:41.640 --> 01:12:45.840
you have and in how many different
places throughout the course of life has God
937
01:12:45.880 --> 01:12:53.800
put friends in your life. I'm
thankful that some never leave the realm where
938
01:12:53.800 --> 01:12:57.520
they live and the locale where they're
at, and that's fine, but you
939
01:12:57.600 --> 01:13:00.159
can have a lot of friends there. But then there's others that span out
940
01:13:00.239 --> 01:13:03.239
and they reach out into the state, or they reach out in the United
941
01:13:03.279 --> 01:13:08.439
States, or some of them reach
out internationally, and God gives them many
942
01:13:08.479 --> 01:13:13.000
friends in many places. And I'm
thankful that I have many friends, and
943
01:13:13.439 --> 01:13:17.079
all the different localities where I've been, I'm thankful that I also have friends
944
01:13:17.079 --> 01:13:21.399
in different states and in the United
States. But I'm thankful one of these
945
01:13:21.479 --> 01:13:27.640
days that my friends will begethered together. All the saints of God that I've
946
01:13:27.760 --> 01:13:30.960
met and known in foreign countries will
meet together in heaven. And what a
947
01:13:31.079 --> 01:13:36.439
joy it's going to be for us
to rejoice as many friends around the eternal
948
01:13:36.520 --> 01:13:44.479
throne of God. That's prosperity,
and I'm thankful for prosperity. Proverbs,
949
01:13:44.560 --> 01:13:47.399
chapter ten, verse twenty two.
Listen to what the Bible says, the
950
01:13:47.399 --> 01:13:53.359
blessing of the Lord. It maketh
rich, and he addeth no sorrow with
951
01:13:53.439 --> 01:13:57.279
it. When God blesses you,
he don't cause it to be sorrowful.
952
01:13:57.960 --> 01:14:02.680
He doesn't make it sorrowful in your
life. Kay. Now, the implication
953
01:14:02.920 --> 01:14:10.199
is that you'll have no sorrow like
I don't understand God. So God doesn't
954
01:14:10.199 --> 01:14:13.720
want you to have heartache. He
doesn't want you to have hardship. And
955
01:14:13.800 --> 01:14:16.640
if you and if you get God's
blessing, you'll have no sorrow in life,
956
01:14:16.680 --> 01:14:19.840
and you're gonna be happy, and
you're gonna be healthy, and you're
957
01:14:19.840 --> 01:14:26.800
gonna be financially prosperous. Now I'm
just waiting for the But you won't get
958
01:14:26.840 --> 01:14:29.880
any of that unless you do Joshua
one to eight, and you gotta do
959
01:14:29.920 --> 01:14:32.239
these three things. But then if
you do these three things, then you
960
01:14:32.279 --> 01:14:36.479
get these things. Oh man,
this is this is this is I'm struggling
961
01:14:36.560 --> 01:14:39.920
with this. All right. We
gotta let this go a little bit further.
962
01:14:40.000 --> 01:14:43.000
I know we're over time. Just
just it's okay. Just think of
963
01:14:43.000 --> 01:14:45.279
this as you're getting free content.
Okay, I mean not that you have
964
01:14:45.319 --> 01:14:47.399
to pay for any of it,
but you're getting free content. All right.
965
01:14:47.439 --> 01:14:53.079
Here we go. In Second Corinthians, Paul wrote in chapter nine,
966
01:14:53.199 --> 01:14:58.399
verse eight, God is able to
make all grace abound towards you, and
967
01:14:58.479 --> 01:15:01.920
in that particular topaccity, what Paul
is referring to is the grace there is
968
01:15:01.960 --> 01:15:08.800
that if there is anything you're lacking
in yours necessities, God is able by
969
01:15:08.840 --> 01:15:13.880
his grace to provide whatever you need, to sustain you and to supply you,
970
01:15:14.159 --> 01:15:17.039
and to provide for you. Paul
went on to say that you might
971
01:15:17.119 --> 01:15:24.600
have all sufficiency and may abound unto
every good work. God doesn't expect me
972
01:15:24.760 --> 01:15:29.680
to try to do his kingdom work
and produce and provide the means for that.
973
01:15:29.920 --> 01:15:32.159
God does want me to be strong. God does want me to be
974
01:15:32.239 --> 01:15:36.479
courageous. God does want me to
take steps of faith and step out sometimes
975
01:15:36.920 --> 01:15:41.359
and just see what God will do. Because if he doesn't do it,
976
01:15:41.439 --> 01:15:43.920
I can't do it. And if
He doesn't do it for us as a
977
01:15:44.039 --> 01:15:45.760
church, we can't do it.
But how many of you believe that if
978
01:15:45.800 --> 01:15:50.720
we step out in faith, God
can make faith happen at any time.
979
01:15:51.840 --> 01:15:59.079
So God wants us to abound in
every good work. So it starts our
980
01:15:59.199 --> 01:16:01.960
prosperity stone here in verse eight,
I want you to listen to it.
981
01:16:02.039 --> 01:16:05.119
The first thing, if you want
to write down, there's three simple principles.
982
01:16:05.720 --> 01:16:10.239
The first principle is this this book
of the Law, the first five
983
01:16:10.359 --> 01:16:15.920
verses or first five words of Joshua
one to eight is a key element.
984
01:16:15.560 --> 01:16:19.399
This book of the Law. What
does he mean by this book of the
985
01:16:19.439 --> 01:16:25.119
Law? Well, now, what's
this. Joshua is fixing to transition into
986
01:16:25.800 --> 01:16:31.720
from being the captain of the army
to being the president or the leader,
987
01:16:32.319 --> 01:16:38.319
the head leader of this nation.
God is going to put that responsibility upon
988
01:16:38.399 --> 01:16:43.600
him. And you can read through
the Bible that oftentimes when kings traded or
989
01:16:43.640 --> 01:16:46.880
transitioned, when they crowned him,
they gave him a book of the Testimony,
990
01:16:47.399 --> 01:16:53.000
and the king was to read therein
every day and listen to what he
991
01:16:53.079 --> 01:16:58.039
says. They're in verse number eight, this book of the Law shall not
992
01:16:58.359 --> 01:17:02.000
depart out of thy mouth. In
other words, here's what God wants Joshua
993
01:17:02.079 --> 01:17:05.640
to learn. There are a lot
of conversations you can have, and there
994
01:17:05.680 --> 01:17:10.840
are a lot of things you can
talk about, but don't forget to talk
995
01:17:10.880 --> 01:17:15.800
about the goodness of God and the
good things God is doing and the power
996
01:17:15.920 --> 01:17:20.399
of God that's present in your life. Don't ever be ashamed of God.
997
01:17:20.479 --> 01:17:24.560
Paul said, I'm not ashamed of
the Gospel of Christ. It is the
998
01:17:24.600 --> 01:17:28.840
power of God that brought me unto
salvation. And if you're thankful that God
999
01:17:28.960 --> 01:17:34.239
saved you, don't ever be ashamed
to tell your experience of salvation wherever you
1000
01:17:34.319 --> 01:17:39.960
go. And when you see something
that happens in life, why not give
1001
01:17:40.039 --> 01:17:45.279
God the glory for it instead of
some president or some performing artist or some
1002
01:17:45.479 --> 01:17:51.439
individual. God deserves all the praise
and the glory. Church, give God
1003
01:17:51.520 --> 01:17:56.439
the praise. I believe that if
a farmer has a good trophyo to say
1004
01:17:56.439 --> 01:18:00.039
God, bless you and thank you
for the good craud. I believe if
1005
01:18:00.039 --> 01:18:03.960
a businessman has a successful business,
he ought to say God, thank you
1006
01:18:04.000 --> 01:18:10.319
and bless you for giving me a
successful business. And I believe if you've
1007
01:18:10.359 --> 01:18:13.439
got an eight hour a day job, forty hours of a week, and
1008
01:18:13.479 --> 01:18:15.880
you've done your part, and you
get your paycheck on Friday, when you
1009
01:18:15.920 --> 01:18:18.880
get it or whatever day you get
it, you ought to say God,
1010
01:18:18.960 --> 01:18:24.840
bless you, and thank you God
for giving me this job and this check
1011
01:18:25.119 --> 01:18:30.880
for my prosperity, This helps my
family. Don't let this book depart out
1012
01:18:30.000 --> 01:18:34.239
of thy mouth. Look also what
he went on to tell Joshua, not
1013
01:18:34.279 --> 01:18:40.319
only should you speak about the things
here, but meditate therein day and night.
1014
01:18:40.800 --> 01:18:44.960
Meditate that means to think on it
and go deeper than you've ever gone
1015
01:18:45.000 --> 01:18:49.239
in your thoughts, think about what
God is saying, find you a place
1016
01:18:49.319 --> 01:18:55.600
to get alan where it's quiet,
and talk out loud. You don't have
1017
01:18:55.680 --> 01:18:58.800
to be a preacher, but you
know what you can do. Have you
1018
01:18:58.800 --> 01:19:03.000
ever just got along with versus scripture
out somewhere and just taught it to yourself
1019
01:19:03.039 --> 01:19:08.239
and talked it out and talked it
out with God. You'll try that sometime
1020
01:19:08.319 --> 01:19:11.760
and find out what it's like for
all of a sudden for the Holy Ghost
1021
01:19:12.000 --> 01:19:15.199
to show up and reveal to you
something you was not expecting. How that
1022
01:19:15.239 --> 01:19:23.560
passage is scripture? Oh my goodness. If the Holy Spirit shows up and
1023
01:19:23.720 --> 01:19:27.640
tells you what's in the scripture,
then there should only be one interpretation of
1024
01:19:27.680 --> 01:19:30.800
all scriptures, because the Holy Spirit
should show up and tell everyone what the
1025
01:19:30.840 --> 01:19:33.960
scriptures mean. But there's not one
interpretation of any scripture. There are thousands
1026
01:19:34.000 --> 01:19:39.600
ofbon thousands upon thousands, and nobody
can agree on anything. So who is
1027
01:19:39.640 --> 01:19:44.199
the Holy Spirit speaking to and telling
them what the verses mean or show showing
1028
01:19:44.239 --> 01:19:49.119
them what's in it? Since nobody
can agree on anything. But you wouldn't
1029
01:19:49.119 --> 01:19:51.800
have to go find a place to
do this. You're supposed to be doing
1030
01:19:51.840 --> 01:19:58.520
it day and night. So I
guess the way this works. Like he's
1031
01:19:58.560 --> 01:20:01.159
not explicitly stated, but if we
put it together, the way this works
1032
01:20:01.239 --> 01:20:06.000
is if you want to be prosperous
and have good success, which means being
1033
01:20:06.039 --> 01:20:14.239
prosperous financially, being prosperous health wise, being prosperous in your happiness, and
1034
01:20:14.319 --> 01:20:19.560
being prosperous and having friends. If
you want those things, then you must
1035
01:20:19.560 --> 01:20:25.520
obey Joshua one eight. And if
you don't have those things, it's because
1036
01:20:25.520 --> 01:20:29.279
you're not obeying Joshua one eight.
Even though he doesn't refer to them as
1037
01:20:29.319 --> 01:20:35.600
commands, clearly they are commands.
Now he is obliterated. He's not evil,
1038
01:20:36.119 --> 01:20:40.279
it's not so much obliterated. He
has ignored the connection of Joshua one
1039
01:20:40.319 --> 01:20:45.119
eight to Deuteronomy twenty eight. And
he clearly is convinced that we can do
1040
01:20:45.199 --> 01:20:49.079
this, that we can do this. Now. I'm going to stop there
1041
01:20:49.119 --> 01:20:51.960
because we're at eighty minutes. Now. The name of that sermon is the
1042
01:20:53.000 --> 01:20:57.199
Way of Prosperity. Go listen to
the rest of it. Go listen to
1043
01:20:57.239 --> 01:20:59.920
the rest of it. The Way
of Prosperity, on the sermons too,
1044
01:21:00.279 --> 01:21:02.560
oh app, please go listen to
it. You can type in Joshua one
1045
01:21:02.600 --> 01:21:05.199
eight the Way of Prosperity or the
Way of Prosperity Joshua one eight. You
1046
01:21:05.199 --> 01:21:09.039
should be able to find it.
If you cannot locate it, email me
1047
01:21:09.319 --> 01:21:13.720
news i F at yahoo dot com. That's news f at yahoo dot com.
1048
01:21:13.760 --> 01:21:16.399
I got no problem sending you a
link for those on the Church one
1049
01:21:16.840 --> 01:21:19.159
app. If you're using the Church
one app, I will send out the
1050
01:21:19.199 --> 01:21:23.239
link to the sermon so that you
can go listen to the rest because I
1051
01:21:23.279 --> 01:21:25.880
want them to get the downloads and
streams. Look, he put forth his
1052
01:21:26.039 --> 01:21:29.920
hypothesies. Great, if that's the
one you want to believe, you can
1053
01:21:29.960 --> 01:21:34.199
follow his perspective. I've offered my
interpretation. So guess what You've been able
1054
01:21:34.239 --> 01:21:41.000
to hear two different interpretations of Joshua
one eight. That's what we try to
1055
01:21:41.000 --> 01:21:43.880
do here, right, So I
want you to consider. But I want
1056
01:21:43.880 --> 01:21:46.800
you to go listen to everything he
had to say, everything everything, and
1057
01:21:47.000 --> 01:21:50.079
you may go that direction, and
that's perfectly. I'm not here to argue
1058
01:21:50.079 --> 01:21:53.800
with you or debate you. I'm
here to say, look, I have
1059
01:21:53.880 --> 01:21:58.319
a different perspective, a very different
interpretation. I've tried to make a case
1060
01:21:58.359 --> 01:22:03.000
for my interpretation, all trying to
engage his. He just assumes it's for
1061
01:22:03.159 --> 01:22:08.399
us. He doesn't prove it,
he doesn't demonstrate it, and he just
1062
01:22:08.479 --> 01:22:12.560
assumes that we can keep it,
even without acknowledging that the original recipients did
1063
01:22:12.560 --> 01:22:16.560
not even keep it. And I
think it's fair to say he clearly ignored
1064
01:22:16.800 --> 01:22:21.920
the context of Deuteronomy twenty eight.
Now you may don't care about any of
1065
01:22:21.920 --> 01:22:27.439
that, but those are my counter
arguments. He put forth his perspective.
1066
01:22:27.520 --> 01:22:31.960
I am grateful for his perspective because
my perspective has to be challenged now.
1067
01:22:32.520 --> 01:22:38.239
So I got to think through.
I haven't seen anything to completely convince me,
1068
01:22:38.560 --> 01:22:40.880
but you know, I all need
to go listen to the rest of
1069
01:22:40.880 --> 01:22:44.119
the sermon. I don't know if
I will review the rest. I may
1070
01:22:44.199 --> 01:22:45.720
listen to some and if I hear
something, I'm like, okay, we've
1071
01:22:45.720 --> 01:22:49.720
got to talk about that, then
maybe we will. Because I think I
1072
01:22:49.720 --> 01:22:51.840
think what he's going to do.
I mean, he's got like, I
1073
01:22:51.840 --> 01:22:56.399
don't know, forty three something minutes
left of the sermon. He's got like
1074
01:22:56.439 --> 01:22:59.439
forty three minutes left of the sermon. I think he's just going to spend
1075
01:22:59.439 --> 01:23:01.319
the time on you've got to obey, You've got to obey, You've got
1076
01:23:01.319 --> 01:23:05.039
to obey, You've got to obey. And he's already taken this Book of
1077
01:23:05.039 --> 01:23:11.720
the Law as applying to the entire
Bible right in their context, I don't
1078
01:23:11.760 --> 01:23:14.359
think it would have been the entire
Bible, right, Okay, but all
1079
01:23:14.439 --> 01:23:15.399
right, but even if you go
with the entire bibb it means you've got
1080
01:23:15.399 --> 01:23:18.640
to obey every single command in the
Bible, or at least all the commands
1081
01:23:18.640 --> 01:23:21.840
that you would say are applicable to
us. I mean, I'm telling you,
1082
01:23:23.000 --> 01:23:26.000
be holy as He is holy.
You're done. You're never going to
1083
01:23:26.000 --> 01:23:30.119
obey that only in Christ, like
only in Christ, in his imputed righteousness.
1084
01:23:30.319 --> 01:23:32.800
So yeah, I don't know,
I don't know. I mean,
1085
01:23:32.800 --> 01:23:35.800
that's forty three minutes. Really,
that's going to be all focused on that
1086
01:23:35.840 --> 01:23:38.880
third part, I think. I
mean, he's already made it to the
1087
01:23:38.920 --> 01:23:44.079
second part relatively quick, So that's
going to be like maybe forty minutes thirty
1088
01:23:44.159 --> 01:23:46.239
five minutes of to that. Just
obey, obey, obey, obey,
1089
01:23:46.319 --> 01:23:51.439
obey. That's a I don't know, but you maybe he doesn't do it
1090
01:23:51.439 --> 01:23:54.359
that way. Maybe he doesn't break
it down that way. You can go
1091
01:23:54.479 --> 01:23:57.680
listen, all right, you can
email me news I F at yahoo dot
1092
01:23:57.720 --> 01:24:03.319
com, News I F at Yahoo
dot I know it's Wednesday. The week
1093
01:24:03.319 --> 01:24:06.960
will be over before we know it. Hopefully your study of Joshua one eight
1094
01:24:08.079 --> 01:24:13.439
is proving to be somewhat advantageous,
beneficial, interesting. I hope it's something
1095
01:24:14.039 --> 01:24:17.600
I've stated here that I'm getting a
little. Oh, I'm getting just so
1096
01:24:17.680 --> 01:24:24.359
frustrated with this. I just don't
understand the complexities of why this passage seems
1097
01:24:24.399 --> 01:24:28.760
so difficult for people. But man, we do some weird things with Joshua
1098
01:24:28.840 --> 01:24:34.359
one eight, and the implication there
is somewhat frightening. It really is because
1099
01:24:35.119 --> 01:24:39.880
whatever negative thing you're experiencing, I
mean, the roundabout way, it's because
1100
01:24:39.920 --> 01:24:46.239
you're not obeying Joshua one eight.
That would be oh m, all right,
1101
01:24:46.720 --> 01:24:50.439
Thanks for listening again, News I
F at yahoo dot com. News
1102
01:24:50.600 --> 01:24:55.439
I F a yahoo at yahoo dot
com. For those using the Church one
1103
01:24:55.479 --> 01:24:59.880
app, you'll get a notification here
soon with a link to the sermon that
1104
01:25:00.079 --> 01:25:01.920
we are reviewing, so that you
can go finish the rest. All right,
1105
01:25:01.920 --> 01:25:04.359
Thanks for listening, everyone, have
a great day. God, bless,
1
00:00:02.480 --> 00:00:08.080
Looking at our world from a theological
perspective. This is the Theology Central podcast,
2
00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:15.720
making Theology Central. Just in the
nick of time. I mean it's
3
00:00:15.839 --> 00:00:18.920
close, ladies and gentlemen, it's
close, But just in the nick of
4
00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:23.399
time, I can still say good
morning. The afternoon is almost here,
5
00:00:23.440 --> 00:00:29.519
but good morning everyone. It is
Wednesday, June the twenty sixth, twenty
6
00:00:29.559 --> 00:00:34.119
twenty four. It is currently eleven
fifty three am Central Time, and I
7
00:00:34.159 --> 00:00:40.880
am coming to you live from the
Theology Central studio located right here in Abilene,
8
00:00:40.920 --> 00:00:43.880
Texas. So there's a part of
me that wants to say, hey,
9
00:00:44.039 --> 00:00:47.880
by the time this broadcast is over, I have provided to you.
10
00:00:48.119 --> 00:00:54.159
I have provided for you to you
about two hours of content, all before
11
00:00:54.280 --> 00:00:57.200
noon. But that would not really
be accurate, right, I mean,
12
00:00:57.240 --> 00:01:03.920
the first episode I did today was
obviously before I'm starting this one right before
13
00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:07.159
noon, but it'll be closer to
one pm by the time we are done,
14
00:01:07.319 --> 00:01:11.519
so I really can't say that.
But just in the neck of time,
15
00:01:11.560 --> 00:01:14.719
I at least started it before noon. Does that count for something?
16
00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:19.640
Does that? Like two two broadcasts
before twelve pm? Just do I get
17
00:01:19.680 --> 00:01:23.480
any extra credit for that? No? Nobody really cares. One way or
18
00:01:23.519 --> 00:01:26.400
the other. You probably don't even
care about the time when I give the
19
00:01:26.480 --> 00:01:32.599
time for the broadcast. But hey, at places a historical time stamp on
20
00:01:32.760 --> 00:01:37.079
the file so that whenever anyone listens
to it, they know exactly the date
21
00:01:37.319 --> 00:01:41.799
the time in which it was recorded. So then they if I mention anything,
22
00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:45.359
they know the context. So I
hopefully you find that to be beneficial.
23
00:01:45.359 --> 00:01:49.239
Probably no one does. Probably no
one does. All the things I
24
00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:53.079
may think are beneficial, no one
else probably thinks is beneficial. But you
25
00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:55.959
know what, we're not here to
talk about any of that, even though
26
00:01:56.000 --> 00:01:59.480
I've now spent one minute in fifty
seven seconds talking about it. We are
27
00:01:59.599 --> 00:02:05.319
done with that. But that's probably
more pleasant to probably discuss should you have
28
00:02:05.359 --> 00:02:07.719
a time stamp or not have a
time stamp on your podcast? I mean,
29
00:02:07.960 --> 00:02:10.800
should you tell everyone the date and
the time or shouldn't you? That
30
00:02:10.840 --> 00:02:15.759
would probably be a far more beneficial
discussion than what we're going to be discussing,
31
00:02:15.960 --> 00:02:20.520
because what we're going to be discussing
is Joshua one eight. What you
32
00:02:20.599 --> 00:02:24.439
would think would be very beneficial,
What you would think would be, hey,
33
00:02:24.439 --> 00:02:28.919
that's a great thing. Let's talk
about Joshua one eighth. That'll be
34
00:02:28.960 --> 00:02:32.240
wonderful, that will be awesome,
But in the reality of it is just
35
00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:37.800
becoming more and more frustrating. And
I know we've dedicated this entire week to
36
00:02:37.879 --> 00:02:40.000
Joshua one eight, and you're supposed
to be listening to random sermons, and
37
00:02:40.039 --> 00:02:45.800
I've already provided you a new interpretation
of Joshua one eight, but by it's
38
00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:49.039
I know it's only Wednesday. But
if I'm just, if I can just
39
00:02:49.080 --> 00:02:53.240
be honest with you, I'm already
just frustrated and irritated and kind of just
40
00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:57.439
already want to just give up and
move on. If I'm being honest with
41
00:02:57.520 --> 00:03:07.199
you, I'm just I just don't
understand sometimes how a passage in the Bible
42
00:03:07.120 --> 00:03:15.719
can just become so difficult for anyone
to provide a coherent interpretation, when the
43
00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:22.599
interpretations are so convoluted and just and
just deny reality, I just get very
44
00:03:22.639 --> 00:03:24.479
frustrated with that. Like you think
everyone should be able to look at Joshua
45
00:03:24.520 --> 00:03:29.159
one eight, if you had a
if you had a room of twenty Christians,
46
00:03:29.400 --> 00:03:31.759
you think everyone should read Joshua one
eight, and everyone should raise their
47
00:03:31.759 --> 00:03:38.400
hand and say something similar like this. Well, nobody does this. Nobody
48
00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:43.840
accomplishes this. Even the original recipients
did not obey this, so no one
49
00:03:43.960 --> 00:03:46.240
does it. So then how what
do we do with this? But no
50
00:03:46.240 --> 00:03:50.759
one? Everyone looks at Joshua one
a like, that's it. I can
51
00:03:50.840 --> 00:03:54.240
do it. I can accomplish it. Maybe maybe the original recipients couldn't accomplish
52
00:03:54.280 --> 00:03:58.199
it, but I can. And
then you convince I guess you convince yourself
53
00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:01.439
you're doing it, but no one
is even coming close to accomplishing it.
54
00:04:01.639 --> 00:04:08.080
You think everyone should be bothered by
that, So I've told you to start
55
00:04:08.120 --> 00:04:11.000
listening to random sermons. So far, all the sermons that we have listened
56
00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:16.000
to on Joshua one eight have been
maddening. I mean literally, I keep
57
00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:19.000
making the joke, but it's like, by the time the broadcast is over,
58
00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:23.720
well, the broadcast is still going
on. Well you're listening to whatever
59
00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:27.160
we're reviewing. I'm already in the
car driving to the liquor store. By
60
00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:30.439
the time the broadcast is over,
I'm here pouring me at myself a glass,
61
00:04:30.439 --> 00:04:32.720
and I'm getting ready to get drunk. No, not literally, but
62
00:04:32.759 --> 00:04:40.519
that's how figuratively, allegorically, that's
how frustrating it has all become. So
63
00:04:40.600 --> 00:04:45.199
let me just remind you of the
basics of my new interpretation of Joshua one
64
00:04:45.240 --> 00:04:47.000
eight. First, let me read
the verse. I probably don't need to,
65
00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:51.639
but let me read the verse.
Joshua Chapter one, verse eight reads
66
00:04:53.040 --> 00:05:00.439
like this, This book of the
Law shall not depart from your mouth,
67
00:05:00.639 --> 00:05:06.600
but you shall meditate in it day
and night, that you may observe to
68
00:05:06.759 --> 00:05:14.680
do according to all that is written
in it. For then you will make
69
00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:23.920
your way prosperous. Then you will
have good success. So this verse gives
70
00:05:23.959 --> 00:05:28.279
you a promise, almost a guarantee, that if you want to be prosperous,
71
00:05:28.319 --> 00:05:30.959
and if you want to have not
just success but good success, then
72
00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:36.560
you only need to accomplish three very
simple things. The first thing you need
73
00:05:36.600 --> 00:05:40.800
to accomplish is you cannot let the
Law of God depart from your mouth.
74
00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:46.040
Do not let the Law of God
depart from your mouth. Number two,
75
00:05:46.120 --> 00:05:49.079
you meditate on it day and night. And number three, you observe to
76
00:05:49.800 --> 00:05:54.720
keep as basically it reads, I'm
gonna I don't want to misquote it.
77
00:05:55.120 --> 00:05:58.959
That you may observe to do according
to all that is written in it.
78
00:05:59.319 --> 00:06:00.839
So you must keep it in your
mouth. Don't let it depart from your
79
00:06:00.839 --> 00:06:05.959
mouth, meditate on a day and
night, and observe, keep obey every
80
00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:10.800
single thing in it. That's all
you have to do. And if you
81
00:06:10.839 --> 00:06:15.920
will accomplish those very three simple things, that's the way it's typically presented,
82
00:06:15.160 --> 00:06:23.519
then you will have prosperity and good
success. Now my issue my new interpretation.
83
00:06:23.720 --> 00:06:27.600
First, the first part of my
new interpretation is this is law,
84
00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:32.959
and the law we cannot obey.
No one is going to be a person
85
00:06:33.000 --> 00:06:35.279
that's never going to let the word
of God depart from their mouth, meaning
86
00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:41.439
they're constantly talking about it. As
one commentary put it, and let me
87
00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:45.959
quote Joshua one Aide states, this
book of the Law shall not depart from
88
00:06:45.959 --> 00:06:47.240
your mouth, but you shall meditate
on it day and night, so that
89
00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:51.560
you may be. So you may
be, so you may do according to
90
00:06:51.600 --> 00:06:56.680
all that is written in it.
For then you will have. Then you
91
00:06:56.759 --> 00:07:00.600
will make way prosperous, and you
will have good success. Here is a
92
00:07:00.639 --> 00:07:02.279
summary and an outline of what this
verse teaches. All Right, here we
93
00:07:02.319 --> 00:07:08.079
go. You're ready. Number one
constant meditation and confession. The phrase shall
94
00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:13.920
not depart for your mouth emphasizes the
importance of continually meditating and speaking the word
95
00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:17.600
of God. It teaches that God's
words should be consistently on our lips,
96
00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:23.040
guiding our thoughts, words, and
actions. In other words, you should
97
00:07:23.079 --> 00:07:28.639
be constantly talking about it. You
should be constantly thinking about it. You
98
00:07:28.680 --> 00:07:30.399
should be constantly the word of God, the word of God, the Word
99
00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:33.839
of God, the Word of God. Well, just prior to this broadcast,
100
00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:39.199
just prior to this broadcast, I
spent the last hour. You know
101
00:07:39.279 --> 00:07:43.199
what I did? Are you ready
for this? First, I went downstairs
102
00:07:43.399 --> 00:07:49.519
and I got myself some white Castle
sliders and a bag of sun chips and
103
00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:54.720
a big Red. Now, if
you don't know what a big red is,
104
00:07:54.959 --> 00:07:59.120
well then I'm sorry. Your life
really is not complete. Okay.
105
00:07:59.240 --> 00:08:03.120
So I got myself of a glass
of big Red, a bag of Sonships,
106
00:08:03.160 --> 00:08:07.639
and some white Castle sliders, the
Breakfast of Champions. Okay, Right
107
00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:13.839
then I went and I turned on
my television and I turned on an episode
108
00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:20.959
of Survival Race New Zealand. And
I watched the episode of Survival Survival Race
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New Zealand. As a group of
a number of teams competing in this survival
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race in New Zealand, and it's
crazy and all the things they go,
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it's it's it's pretty fun to watch. I mean, it's it's kind of
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mindless television in one sense. But
you know what, while you're sitting there
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eating white Castle sliders, eating a
bag of Sonships, and drinking a big
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red it's perfect for just you know, just having something on while you're eating.
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Okay, great, but guess what
I was not doing during that hour.
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I was not meditating on God's word. I was not talking about God's
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word. I was not thinking about
God's word. I wasn't doing anything at
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anywhere close to that. Don't let
it depart from your mouth. Do you
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consistently talk about it? Do you
consistently think about it? You are you
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constantly meditating on God's day and night? Just right there? Everyone should be
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like, we're in trouble. We're
in trouble. So my argument is,
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this is law and law. What
law always demonstrates is our lack of obedience.
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It demonstrates our inability to keep it. It breaks us, it humbles
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us, and it shows us that
we can never do this. So in
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yourself, you will never obey Joshua
one to eight. You'll have to water
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it down, you'll have to modify
it. You have to grade it on
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a curve. But I just look, even if you think you can pull
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off, it never departs from your
mouth. Even if you think you can
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pull off, meditate on a day
and night, even if you convince yourself
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you're even coming close to that,
you're not obeying everything that is in it.
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I can give you three scriptures.
Love the Lord that God with all
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your heart, mind, body and
soul. If you think you do that,
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you're out of your mind. Love
your neighbor as yourself. Come on
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now. And then number three,
this one, you're just in the discussion.
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Be ye holy as he is holy. You don't accomplish that. If
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you don't accomplish those three things,
then you're not obeying everything that's in it.
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Therefore you cannot be prosperous or have
good success. Meaning this is a
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law passage which condemns you. So
then what's your hope? You put your
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faith in Jesus Christ, and guess
what he did. The Law of God
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never departed from his mouth. He
meditated on it day and night, and
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he observed everything that's in it.
And by putting your faith in him,
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his obedience to Joshua one aid is
imputed to your account. And because of
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your position in Christ. Now,
spiritually you are prosperous, and spiritually you
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will have good success. Now you're
more than a conqueror. Nothing can separate
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you from the love of God.
In Christ. You're perfect, holy,
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and you have been blessed with all
spiritual blessings, and you're seated in the
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heavens at the right hand of the
Father in Christ, Jesus, you're perfect,
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you're holy, and everything is perfect. That is the only way to
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understand Joshua one to eight. If
you say, oh no, we can
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do this, you are literally out
of your ever living mind. So that's
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my first part of my new interpretation, and the second part of my new
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interpretation is Joshua one eight. The
first part of my interpretation is if you
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so desperately want to apply this to
you, well, then that's how it
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would be applicable. But primarily my
second part of my interpretation, Joshua one
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eight is specifically directed towards Israel,
and it's connected to Deuteronomy twenty eight and
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the Land covenant that God made with
Israel. When you go into the land,
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you must do this, do this, do this, do this.
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If you do this, it's gonna
be blessing, you're gonna have success,
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You're gonna be prosperous. If you
don't do this, you get curses.
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And guess what that is specifically for
Israel? And guess what they did not
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do all of the things they were
supposed to do, They get the curses
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and then everything falls apart. We
know everything that happens to Israel. So
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any sermons that we're listening to should
be one acknowledging our inability to obey Joshua
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one eight and number two, it
should be acknowledging Joshua one A cannot be
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interpreted or understood apart from Deuteronomy twenty
eight. Any attempt to offer an interpretation
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that ignores Deuteronomy twenty eight, that's
not an exegetical teaching. That's not Bible
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study. I don't know what that
is. It's not even I don't it's
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it's well, it should be sued
for malpractice. So that's what we've been
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talking about. And I'm just frustrated
because everything that we've looked at has just
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has not even bothered to deal with
the reality here. Look, I know
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that I don't meditate on God's word
day and night. I know the word
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of God departs from my mouth frequently, it's not constantly on my lips.
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I know I do not obey everything
in it. I don't even come close.
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I don't even get within one thousand
miles of obeying even probably half that's
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in it. Oh, you may
convince yourself you're better than me. Well,
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congratulations, that's great, But you
don't compare yourself to me. You
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compare yourself to God, which demands
an obedience that's not just external, but
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it's internal. I'm telling you you
don't do so. So then what do
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you do with Joshua one eight.
Well, I see it as law shows
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me. My inability drives me to
the one who obeyed Joshua one eight,
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which is Jesus Christ. By putting
my faith in him, his obedience to
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Joshua one eight is imputed to my
account. Therefore, I become spiritually prosperous
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and have good success spiritually because of
what I am in Christ, in my
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position, not in my practice.
Secondly, I know Joshua one eight primarily
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to the nation of Israel based off
the land covenant that's made in Deuteronomy twenty
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eight, and I cannot understand this
apart from that I'm going to just stress
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that over and over and over.
I'm going to be painfully repetitive on that.
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Now you can go listen into my
teaching on my new interpretation. But
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I just summarized it for you very
well. Now. I say all of
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that because we I tipic a lot
of times, we listen to all the
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other sermons and then kind of let
them present their hypotheses and then at the
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end I come in and give you
mine. In this case, I started
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with mine. So that just that
just kind of lets you know that as
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soon as we start listening to these
sermons and they depart wildly for my interpretation,
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you're going to start hearing my frustration. Now I'm willing to have my
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interpretations dramatically challenged. So far,
all the all the messages that have completely
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gone the opposite direction to my interpretation
have done very little. I mean,
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well, they didn't even that.
There's nothing there to even convince me of
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their interpretation, because their interpretations basically
is you can do it. Basically that.
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I think that's a good way of
summarizing it. So are you're ready?
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Are you ready to listen to a
third one? So I was looking
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on the Sermon's two point oh app. Remember this is all part of the
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Sermon's two point oh app sermon challenge. You're supposed to be grabbing random sermons
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from the Sermon's two point oh app
this week. All of those random sermons
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are on Joshua one pint eight.
So I just grabbed the app, started
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looking and guess what I found?
A sermon titled The Way of Prosperity.
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The Way of Prosperity. I again, as always, I don't listen to
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these in advance, So it's not
like I'm picking a sermon just so that
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I can be critical. You can
hear me being very critical, probably in
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my tone, just because my expectation
at this point is this is going to
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be another sermon that completely ignores our
inability to do this and not going to
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connect it to Deuteronomy twenty eight?
Am I hoping to be pleasantly surprised?
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Yes, If I'm being honest with
you, I'm extremely jaded and very I'm
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gonna I just I don't think I'm
going to be very cynical. I'm very
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jaded, and I don't think that's
what's going to happen. This thing is
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over the sermon in front of me
is over an hour long, so I
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doubt where I know We're not going
to finish it in this episode. I
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don't know if we'll do two episodes
to finish this. It really depends on
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the direction of the sermon. What
I'm going to be looking for. I'm
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just going to be honest with you. I'm just going to go until I
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kind of get an idea of where
they're going. If it's obvious they've abandoned
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my interpretation, unless I immediately start
hearing arguments that's like, whoa that I
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need to change my interpretation. If
it's just I don't know there's going to
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be I will make a determination,
and if you feel that I need to
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continue to review it, you'll be
able to email me. Of course,
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you can go look for it.
Just open up the sermon's two point oh
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app right now and just look up
the sermon The Way of Prosperity, and
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then you can listen to the rest. I have no direction. I have
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no idea which direction this is going
to go. Yes, I'm cynical,
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Yes I'm jaded. Yes I'm a
little frustrated because I just don't understand how
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Joshua went ache and become this verse
that everyone knows, but that interpretation and
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handling of it is so convoluted that
I just am perplexed and baffled. I
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shouldn't be, but I am.
Are you ready? Here we go?
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Turn with me this morning and your
bibles. Please to the Book of Joshua,
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chapter one, Joshua chapter one.
When you find chapter one, if
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you would please stand in reverence to
God's word as we read this morning from
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Joshua chapter one. I'm gonna just
read one verse, but the first part
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of my message encompasses verses one through
verse number eight, and the one verse
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that I will read this morning is
verse number eight. And I want to
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speak to you today on the way
of prosperity. The way of prosperity,
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I realize and I recognize that there
is a lot of tele evangelists that preach
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a lot on prosperity, and I'm
not doing that. I believe God does
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bless us financially, but I'm not
speaking about prosperity from financial standpoint, because
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I believe there are other ways that
we can prosper But I also believe that
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in the other ways that we do
prosper that God also does help us financially.
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Okay, I'm going to step in
here on a couple of things.
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We again whenever we do these,
you know, week long studies, two
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weeks, a month long study.
Remember how I always approach this as I'm
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trying to get you up off the
couch to the table with a Bible and
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notebook and some reference tools and to
do your own work. We've already heard
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one pastor make acclaim in our review
sermons on Joshua one eight that the prosperity
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and success there. He said,
the Hebrew doesn't allow this, and it's
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and we looked it up and it
was just like that that that was just
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not a I don't even know how
to say. It was just flat out
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wrong what he was saying about the
Hebrew. It was just flat out a
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misrepresentation of the Hebrew. So I've
stated it again, So let me let
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me try to just I'll put forth
the question for you to continue to work
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on this week. I know,
I know, before we know what this
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week is going to be over,
we'll be moving on to something else.
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But as you're continuing to work on
Joshua one eight, I've already offered my
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my interpretation, my new interpretation of
Joshua one eight shouldn't even be a new
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interpretation. It should just be the
interpretation. But I'm willing to have my
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interpretation changed. Remember that we always
have to be willing to do that.
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So when as I listen to this, I have to set my interpretation aside.
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So I'm going to set my interpretation
aside now even though you've heard it,
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because we're going to have this perspective
put put forward, and maybe this
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one better than mine, and we
will go with it. Okay, we
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have to be willing to change our
perspective at any time. Anytime we study,
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our past understanding is of no value
for a present study. So I've
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given you my past understanding as of
this week, but I can change it
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on a Wednesday. Because what we
want is truth, not just to try
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to prove ourselves to be right.
So we're going to be open to do
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that. But we do have to
at least once again revisit this question and
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Joshua one to eight, the promise
being made to Israel, Like, I
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don't know how this can be overlooked. This is too Israel. Of course,
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it is directly connected to Deuteronomy twenty
eight and the Land Covenant. Everyone
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ignores that, but there's just no
way to get around it. So in
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that context, that's not even an
interpretation, that's just an observational fact.
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Joshua comes right after Deuteronomy and Deuteronomy
twenty eight and following gives them specific directions
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and instructions of what's going on.
If you go into the land, you
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gotta do this. You'll get success
and prosperity. If you don't do this,
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you're gonna get cursy. I mean, it's so clear. This is
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just restating what's in Deuteronomy twenty eight. I don't know how preachers constantly overlook
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this. I'm not saying he's going
to because I don't know what's about to
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happen, But so far that's what
we've of course, that's what has occurred.
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So here's what I want you to
consider. The prosperity and good success
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mentioned in Joshua one eight. What
is it referring to? Now you can
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look up the Hebrew the Hebrew words
for prosperity, prosperous, and good success
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there in Joshua one eight has a
wide range of meanings, Like there are
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so many different things, and so
you would have to go through all the
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different ways that those Hebrew words are
used to get an idea. Clearly,
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it can be our reference to lots
of different types of prosperity, clearly and
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good success. But here's the thing. Go to Deuteronomy twenty eight twenty nine
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and look at the prosperity that's being
mentioned there, the success that's being mentioned
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there. What is that a reference
to? I think that's the meaning you
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have to carry over to Joshua one
to eight. What stated in Deuteronomy twenty
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eight and twenty nine as being what
would be considered prosperous and good success,
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I think is clearly identified and would
be carried over to Joshua one eight That's
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what I think. I think you
have to import the meaning from Deuteronomy twenty
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eight. That's going to put forth
at least my hypothesis. Now I'm willing
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to have it challenged. Now,
he right here is he's like God does
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bless us with money. Now we
can get a whole discussion about that.
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But okay, but that's not primarily
where he's going to go. He's going
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to talk about a different kind of
prosperity or a different kind of success.
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Now he may take it in a
much more spiritual direction. Okay, But
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the issue is what is the prosperity
and success that is being spoken of in
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Joshua one eight I think is a
reference to what's being talked about in Deuteronomy
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twenty eight and following. I don't
know how that has overlooked. He may
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connect it, he may not,
But I just want to go ahead and
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throw that out there for you to
continue to be thinking about. All Right,
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here we go. Everything that we
have, God has given it to
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us. I'm speaking for me,
and I trust you feel the same way.
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I would not have anything if it
wasn't for the Lord. God's been
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good to me. I may not
have anything that someone else would count for
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much, wouldn't probably mean a lot
to anybody else, But it's ours.
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Okay. Just have to throw out
a question here, you know, That's
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what I love to do. I
love to challenge and question. Okay,
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So, if everything we have comes
from God, is that only true of
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believers or as true of all people? And if everything you have comes from
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God, then why are some Christians
richer than so? Does God wants some
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to be rich and some not to? I mean, these are questions but
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is this for God controls the wealth
every person has, or only what believers
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have. And so if a believer
is struggling or almost in poverty, do
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I say, well, that's what
God wants you to have, or do
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I help them? Like I mean
it could? I mean, once you
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get it gets all into that question
of so how do we understand this?
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All right? But that's okay,
all right, well our focus here is
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on Joshua one eight. But all
right, just I think it does raise
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that question. I think it's perfectly
okay to ask that question. If you
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don't ask that question, you're not
thinking it's what we have. And I'm
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sure you're like I am. I'm
thankful for what the Lord has given me
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and how that he has provided in
how that He's blessed me. But I
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want you to look at verse number
eight. This is always my live verse,
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has been this in Mark eleven twenty
four. Oh no, can Joshua
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one eight be our life verse?
Okay? I'm going to go back and
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read just a little bit of context
here, all right, okay, just
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so that we have an idea of
exactly what's going on here after the death
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of Moses. This is verse one
the servant of the Lord. After the
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death of Moses, the servant of
the Lord, it came to pass that
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the Lord spake to Joshua, the
son of Nune, moses assistant, saying,
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Moses, my servant is dead.
Now therefore, arise, go over
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the Jordan, you and all this
people. This people is not you,
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It is not me. It is
obviously the nation of Israel, this people.
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So you go over the Jordan,
you and all this people to the
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land which I am giving to them. Them is Israel, the children of
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Israel. It even identifies them by
name. The children of Israel are clearly
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identified. Every place that the sole
of your foot will tread upon. I
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have given you, as I said
to Moses, from the wilderness and this
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Lebanon, as far as the great
River, the River Euphrates, all the
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land of the Hittites to the great
Sea towards going down to the Sun,
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shall be your territory. No man
shall be able to stand before you all
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the days of your life, as
I was with Moses. So I will
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be with you. I will not
leave you, nor forsake you. Be
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00:26:26.440 --> 00:26:33.119
strong and a good courage, for
to this people, For to this people,
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00:26:33.200 --> 00:26:36.480
who is that people, the children
of Israel. They are clear,
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they are named, they are identified. There is no question who this is
357
00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:47.880
about. So for to this people
shall divide as an inheritance the land which
358
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I swore to their fathers. There
there there is Israel. All right to
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give them Israel. Only be strong
and very courageous, that you may have
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00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:03.440
serve to do according to all the
law which Moses my servant commanded. You
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do not turn from it to the
right hand or to the left, that
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you may prosper wherever you go.
If they want prosperity, they have to
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obey perfectly. Well, here's the
issue they have. They never obeyed God
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of God's law perfectly, because no
one can. The law is there to
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00:27:22.920 --> 00:27:26.880
show us our inability, which then
drives us to the one who kept the
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00:27:26.920 --> 00:27:30.039
law perfectly, which is Christ,
and then faith in him. His obedience
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to the law is imputed to my
account, So then I stand before him
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00:27:33.799 --> 00:27:38.279
perfect But Israel never did. Under
the old Covenant, they were going to
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00:27:38.400 --> 00:27:44.680
have to obey the law perfectly or
there would be curses. I'm Deuteronomy twenty
370
00:27:44.720 --> 00:27:48.200
eight lays all of this up.
That's the context. So then immediately it
371
00:27:48.240 --> 00:27:52.440
goes into this Book of the Law
shall not depart from your mouth, your
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mouth being Israel. But you speaking
of Israel, shall meditate in it day
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and night, that you may observe
to according to all that is written in
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00:28:00.839 --> 00:28:03.720
it. In it, for then
you will make your way prosperous, and
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00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:07.400
then you will have good success.
This is just a restating of what was
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said in Deuteronomy twenty eight, which
is a part of the Land Covenant for
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00:28:11.599 --> 00:28:15.839
Israel. I mean, but this
is our life verse. If this is
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your life verse, you know what, this life verse is going to demonstrate
379
00:28:19.039 --> 00:28:26.920
that your life has been in a
perpetual failure to these three commandments. Because
380
00:28:26.920 --> 00:28:30.960
the Word of God does depart from
your mouth, you don't meditate on it
381
00:28:30.039 --> 00:28:34.759
day and night, and I know
you don't obey everything that's in it.
382
00:28:37.759 --> 00:28:41.319
So then that drives you to Christ, who did obey all three of those
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00:28:41.319 --> 00:28:47.119
things. So is this your life
first because it shows you how much you
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00:28:47.160 --> 00:28:49.880
need Christ? Or is this your
life verse because you are convinsed that you
385
00:28:49.920 --> 00:28:55.799
can actually do it? That would
be again we're destroying the proper distinction between
386
00:28:55.880 --> 00:29:02.359
long gospel. A proper distinction between
long gospel understands one is law. It
387
00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:07.039
is a law passage. You know
you're reading a law passage when it says
388
00:29:07.160 --> 00:29:10.039
do this, do this, do
this, don't do this, do this.
389
00:29:10.279 --> 00:29:12.680
That's a law passage. A gospel
passage is where it says God has
390
00:29:12.759 --> 00:29:21.279
done it for you, and oftentimes. In fact, this church was the
391
00:29:21.279 --> 00:29:26.559
first church I was ever at,
if I'm remembering correctly, where when Brother
392
00:29:26.640 --> 00:29:30.079
Lawnie was the pastor and I was
here in revival. One time there was
393
00:29:30.160 --> 00:29:32.839
some young people that come to him
and ask me to sign their Bible.
394
00:29:33.559 --> 00:29:38.559
And I never dreamed preaching. You
just start signing autographs, but I thought
395
00:29:38.599 --> 00:29:45.440
that was a real honor. But
as I signed, I do not understand
396
00:29:45.480 --> 00:29:51.759
that. I've talked about this so
many times, someone asking you to sign
397
00:29:52.160 --> 00:30:00.440
the Bible, A sinful man signing
a copy of the inerrant inspired Word of
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00:30:00.480 --> 00:30:07.680
God, a fallible man, a
sinful man putting their autograph on the inerrant
399
00:30:07.839 --> 00:30:12.400
inspired Word of God. I will
never understand it, and all of my
400
00:30:12.480 --> 00:30:18.240
life, the only time I've ever
come close to experiencing this is after I
401
00:30:18.359 --> 00:30:23.559
was returning from deployment from desert storm. I don't remember what country we were
402
00:30:23.559 --> 00:30:26.519
in. I think it would I
don't ever remember we ended up in somewhere
403
00:30:26.519 --> 00:30:30.480
like Iceland. I don't even remember
where we ended up. The plane landed
404
00:30:30.920 --> 00:30:33.799
right and they're like, hey,
there's some people here who want to meet
405
00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:37.519
you. And I'm like, okay, now, not just me. It
406
00:30:37.559 --> 00:30:38.839
was all of us on the plane, obviously, and so we're like,
407
00:30:38.880 --> 00:30:41.000
okay, we'll get off the plane. So we get off the like I
408
00:30:41.039 --> 00:30:44.279
was just gonna stay on the plane, like whatever we're doing, can we
409
00:30:44.359 --> 00:30:47.440
just get home again. We're ready
to go home. Okay. So I
410
00:30:47.440 --> 00:30:49.640
get off the plane and as we
come off the plane, we kind of
411
00:30:49.640 --> 00:30:53.480
around this corner. All of a
sudden, there's like it felt like a
412
00:30:53.640 --> 00:30:59.599
thousand people waving American flags and cheering
us, like yay. It was crazy.
413
00:30:59.599 --> 00:31:02.559
There was like a band playing,
there was like these World War Two
414
00:31:02.759 --> 00:31:06.480
vets that were there were all clapping
for us, and I'm like, this
415
00:31:06.680 --> 00:31:10.319
is crazy, Like I never experienced
anything like this, so it was awesome.
416
00:31:10.319 --> 00:31:12.880
People were shaking her hands and asking
us about everything that happened and okay,
417
00:31:14.279 --> 00:31:17.079
you know all the things that were
going on. But then there was
418
00:31:17.119 --> 00:31:19.759
a I believe I'm almost positive it
was a teenage girl. I don't think
419
00:31:19.759 --> 00:31:22.680
she was. I don't think she
was above being a teenager, and she
420
00:31:22.720 --> 00:31:26.440
came up to me and she said, can you sign my Bible? And
421
00:31:26.480 --> 00:31:30.160
I was like, what in the
world is happening? So what I did
422
00:31:30.599 --> 00:31:34.480
is I simply opened her Bible and
wrote something down. You know. PSOne
423
00:31:34.640 --> 00:31:38.920
nineteen tells you that God's word is
a treasure, so treasure it, read
424
00:31:38.960 --> 00:31:41.559
it, study it, love it, something along those side. And I
425
00:31:41.559 --> 00:31:45.799
didn't put my name right. So
when she probably got it looked at that,
426
00:31:45.799 --> 00:31:48.240
she probably what, that's not what
I wanted. Okay, but why
427
00:31:48.240 --> 00:31:51.759
would I write my name on a
Bible? Like I don't even understand people
428
00:31:51.759 --> 00:31:56.799
who have the Like there's got to
be something I don't I don't understand the
429
00:31:56.880 --> 00:32:00.000
mindset, Like, hey, we're
the Bible publishing company comes to you,
430
00:32:00.039 --> 00:32:02.160
go, hey, we want to
take God's word, but we want to
431
00:32:02.160 --> 00:32:07.319
make it your Bible, so we
want to have it the MacArthur MacArthur will
432
00:32:07.319 --> 00:32:09.880
be in the big letters, the
MacArthur Study Bible. Why would you want
433
00:32:09.920 --> 00:32:14.799
your name? Like that's insane.
I would be like if I was a
434
00:32:14.839 --> 00:32:15.480
famous pastor, and I'd be like, no, no, no, no,
435
00:32:15.480 --> 00:32:19.559
no, no, no no no, We'll have the MacArthur Study notes
436
00:32:20.160 --> 00:32:22.200
a companion to the Bible. But
we're not going to put it with the
437
00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:25.799
Bible. That's God's in errant,
perfect word. I'm not going to put
438
00:32:25.799 --> 00:32:29.440
my words in it, round it, the text, or connected to it.
439
00:32:29.480 --> 00:32:31.480
I'm not going to put my name
upon it. It's God's word.
440
00:32:31.759 --> 00:32:36.279
Why would I do that? Now, I'm not I would not listen.
441
00:32:36.480 --> 00:32:39.880
I would refuse. Not because I'm
humble. I would refuse because I'm an
442
00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:46.319
errotant. I'm an arrogant, narcissistic
jerk who probably would find great pride in
443
00:32:46.400 --> 00:32:50.160
the fact that my name was on
a Bible. Okay, I would not
444
00:32:50.240 --> 00:32:53.599
be refusing because I'm spiritual. I'd
be refusing because I know how prideful and
445
00:32:53.720 --> 00:33:00.680
narcissistic and arrogant I can be.
So I would not sign anyone's Bible.
446
00:33:01.279 --> 00:33:06.640
I don't get that. I've seen
that too many I am baffled by that.
447
00:33:06.720 --> 00:33:09.160
I don't understand it. I've seen
it too many times, and I'm
448
00:33:09.240 --> 00:33:14.880
like, what in the world is
happening, peeple. There were at some
449
00:33:15.200 --> 00:33:16.599
you know, some quote unquote.
Now you already know how I feel about
450
00:33:16.640 --> 00:33:22.200
the entire conference industrial complex that happens
within Christianity, But you know people pay
451
00:33:22.240 --> 00:33:24.240
fifty sixty one hundred, two hundred
dollars to get inside a church to hear
452
00:33:24.319 --> 00:33:28.440
someone preach God's word, but no, Christians aren't even bothered by that.
453
00:33:28.640 --> 00:33:32.079
And then after the message, people
grab God's word and run up there going
454
00:33:32.119 --> 00:33:36.000
hey, hey, hey, hey, co sign the front of my Bible.
455
00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:38.279
And I'm like, what is happening? Is that not the same kind
456
00:33:38.319 --> 00:33:44.319
of celebrity worship that we condemn in
the world, Like what is It?
457
00:33:44.319 --> 00:33:46.559
Would be one thing that you take
your notes and you're like, hey,
458
00:33:46.599 --> 00:33:51.839
can you sign my notes? You
could put your you know, the doctor
459
00:33:51.880 --> 00:33:54.039
whomever preach this sermon, and you've
got the notes, and at the bottom
460
00:33:54.039 --> 00:33:57.519
of the notes you could say,
sign my notes. I mean, I
461
00:33:57.519 --> 00:34:00.519
don't know. I guess then you
have the autograph of a preacher. I
462
00:34:00.519 --> 00:34:01.240
don't. I don't. I don't
get it. I don't get it.
463
00:34:01.279 --> 00:34:05.160
I don't get it. I don't
get it. I would not be honored
464
00:34:05.160 --> 00:34:07.360
if someone asked me to sign their
Bible. I would be horrified. I
465
00:34:07.480 --> 00:34:15.320
remember being in a Christian bookstore,
being in a Christian bookstore, and there
466
00:34:15.440 --> 00:34:17.760
was it was a Christian bookstore.
There was going to be a concert that
467
00:34:17.880 --> 00:34:22.000
night, and the band was going
to be in that Christian bookstore. The
468
00:34:22.039 --> 00:34:24.159
band was I think the name of
the band was Mortal. They're kind of
469
00:34:24.199 --> 00:34:29.800
an industrial rock kind of band.
And they were in there just looking at
470
00:34:29.800 --> 00:34:32.440
the books, and I remember talking
to them about their favorite authors and kind
471
00:34:32.440 --> 00:34:37.320
of having a little philosophical theological discussion. And I, you know, I
472
00:34:37.079 --> 00:34:40.719
never asked autographs from anyone in the
secular world, definitely not in the Christian
473
00:34:40.760 --> 00:34:45.679
world. And but some some some
teenagers came in to ask, and well,
474
00:34:45.800 --> 00:34:47.199
I was, well, I was
just a little older than a teenager
475
00:34:47.199 --> 00:34:51.360
at the time, but these teenagers
came in to ask them for some autographs,
476
00:34:51.440 --> 00:34:57.199
and there, I'll never forget we
don't sign autographs or a Christian band
477
00:34:57.199 --> 00:35:00.480
where our job is to elevate Christ, not ourselves. And I was always
478
00:35:00.519 --> 00:35:06.519
like I was convicted by that because
I was like, Wow, if I
479
00:35:06.599 --> 00:35:10.800
was in a band, I would
probably want to be signing autographs. Wow,
480
00:35:10.960 --> 00:35:15.480
that was pretty powerful. And I
never so a Christian rock band can
481
00:35:15.519 --> 00:35:19.440
say we're not going to sign autographs
because we're here to elevate Christ, not
482
00:35:19.519 --> 00:35:22.880
ourselves. But pastors will be like, sure, let me sign your Bible,
483
00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:27.440
Like I don't know maybe maybe that's
a personal that has nothing to do
484
00:35:27.519 --> 00:35:30.920
with Joshua one to eight. But
I don't know what what's your thoughts?
485
00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:37.599
Are you pro autograph pastors autographing your
Bible? Are you against? Are you
486
00:35:37.679 --> 00:35:40.239
team four? Are you team no? What? What team? Are you
487
00:35:40.280 --> 00:35:44.920
on? Which team? And look
like I'm not here to look. I
488
00:35:45.239 --> 00:35:50.159
don't understand it. I think it's
yeah, I think I have problems with
489
00:35:50.199 --> 00:35:52.840
it, but hey, you do
your own thing if you in your world
490
00:35:52.840 --> 00:35:54.679
you want to. But I would
just be curious if you think it's a
491
00:35:54.920 --> 00:35:59.119
if that's the thing. Can you
imagine someone running up to the apostle Paul,
492
00:35:59.239 --> 00:36:01.960
hey, sign my copy of Romans
like, I just don't get that.
493
00:36:02.039 --> 00:36:06.000
I don't I don't know. I
don't know about that. I don't
494
00:36:06.039 --> 00:36:10.880
know mind that. I thought,
what is the life verse? That?
495
00:36:12.360 --> 00:36:16.400
Because I realized that moment I needed
to have a live verse and Joshua one
496
00:36:16.480 --> 00:36:22.440
eight, the Holy Spirit spoke it
into my heart, and I've oh,
497
00:36:22.480 --> 00:36:28.800
boy, here we go. We
have God speaking directly to people outside of
498
00:36:28.840 --> 00:36:34.440
scripture. So now the Holy Spirit
gave him as a life first Joshua a
499
00:36:34.559 --> 00:36:38.039
verse that is about the nation of
Israel and promised directly connected to their land
500
00:36:38.079 --> 00:36:44.920
covenant. See now you do realize, though, what happens here the minute
501
00:36:44.920 --> 00:36:49.000
you make a claim that God gave
you a verse or God. When pastors
502
00:36:49.000 --> 00:36:51.920
say this is the sermon God gave
me, you can't question it. You
503
00:36:51.920 --> 00:36:55.599
can't challenge it. Their sermon came
directly from God. If God gave them
504
00:36:55.639 --> 00:37:01.639
a verse, you can't question it's
applicability to them because God gave it to
505
00:37:01.719 --> 00:37:07.360
them. See. Once you insert
God into the equation, then you've now
506
00:37:07.400 --> 00:37:20.360
elevated your sermon. Your interpretation is
now God ordained. What if God spokes
507
00:37:20.440 --> 00:37:22.719
into my heart that Joshua one to
eight has nothing to do with you.
508
00:37:24.159 --> 00:37:28.079
Am I hearing God? Or are
you hearing God? Who heard God?
509
00:37:28.840 --> 00:37:32.039
See that's why I believe scripture alone
and nobody's hearing from God other than if
510
00:37:32.079 --> 00:37:36.159
you read the word of God out
loud, then you're hearing from God.
511
00:37:36.239 --> 00:37:38.480
And even if you're hearing from God
out loud, reading the scripture doesn't mean
512
00:37:38.519 --> 00:37:44.039
that scripture is either one applicable to
you or two that scripture could just be
513
00:37:44.159 --> 00:37:52.800
descriptive and not prescribing anything for you. I have encouraged people all over this
514
00:37:52.880 --> 00:37:58.119
country with this verse Mark eleven twenty
four says, what thanks server you desire
515
00:37:58.159 --> 00:38:00.840
when you probably believe you received them, you'll have them. I believe in
516
00:38:00.920 --> 00:38:07.000
prayer. I know God answers prayer, and I don't ask God for vain
517
00:38:07.079 --> 00:38:10.920
or foolish things. I just want
enough to get by. If I have
518
00:38:12.079 --> 00:38:15.400
enough to eat, and I can
sleep, and I can be honest and
519
00:38:15.440 --> 00:38:17.639
pay my bills, and when I
leave here, I don't owe nothing.
520
00:38:19.719 --> 00:38:22.480
That's all I need. I don't
want to leave a bunch of stuff piled
521
00:38:22.559 --> 00:38:31.280
up for kids to fight over.
And that's not what life is now that
522
00:38:31.280 --> 00:38:35.440
that's a godly attitude, And I'll
just be honest with you, I don't
523
00:38:35.480 --> 00:38:38.440
necessarily have the same godly attitude.
I don't want a lot of stuff,
524
00:38:38.480 --> 00:38:42.800
but I got stuff I definitely want. I want my stereo equipment, and
525
00:38:42.880 --> 00:38:45.800
I want better stereo equipment, and
then I want better stereo equipment because I
526
00:38:45.840 --> 00:38:52.079
love music. I like having a
very nice television with the best picture quality
527
00:38:52.159 --> 00:38:57.679
possible. So yeah, I am
those are probably vain things. Now.
528
00:38:57.719 --> 00:39:01.519
I don't go praying for those,
but I definitely want them. I definitely
529
00:39:01.599 --> 00:39:07.079
desire them, and at times I
may even slide over into treasuring them more
530
00:39:07.119 --> 00:39:12.800
than I should. There's probably times
I could be honest, music would be
531
00:39:12.880 --> 00:39:15.360
more of an idol than I would
even care to admit if I'm going to
532
00:39:15.440 --> 00:39:20.519
be honest. So he's got a
very godly attitude. That's very convicting.
533
00:39:21.159 --> 00:39:28.559
I definitely need more of that attitude. But if I if I had it
534
00:39:29.000 --> 00:39:31.280
piled up, I'd go get a
lawyer in the morning and fix it where
535
00:39:31.320 --> 00:39:35.800
they couldn't fight over it. They'd
have to take how I fixed it,
536
00:39:36.760 --> 00:39:42.800
okay, Joshua, Chapter one,
verse number eight. This book of the
537
00:39:42.880 --> 00:39:49.199
Law shall not depart out of thy
mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day
538
00:39:49.239 --> 00:39:54.000
and night, that thou mayst observe
to do according to all that is written
539
00:39:54.159 --> 00:40:01.199
therein. For then shalt thou make
thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt
540
00:40:01.239 --> 00:40:07.960
have good success. Father, I
thank you this morning for this passage of
541
00:40:08.039 --> 00:40:14.840
scripture. It has been a live
verse for me, and it is when
542
00:40:15.239 --> 00:40:21.000
the verse that I have encouraged many
people with through the course of years that
543
00:40:21.119 --> 00:40:27.159
I've lived, because I am convinced
God that this is one of the essential
544
00:40:28.079 --> 00:40:34.920
truths that You've taught us about the
way of prosperity again. Those opening prayers,
545
00:40:34.960 --> 00:40:37.880
you know how I struggle with some
of them. To me, sometimes
546
00:40:37.920 --> 00:40:40.960
it feels like it's almost like you're
starting the sermon, you're actually saying it
547
00:40:40.960 --> 00:40:45.280
to the people. You're addressing God, but you're really talking to the people.
548
00:40:45.360 --> 00:40:49.920
And I always struggle with that.
So you know, to me,
549
00:40:50.079 --> 00:40:52.559
I can pray for my sermon way
before I ever step behind the pulpit,
550
00:40:52.599 --> 00:40:55.119
so I don't need to pray for
it there, because what I have a
551
00:40:55.159 --> 00:41:00.400
tendency to do is start introducing my
sermon in the prayer, which I'm supposed
552
00:41:00.400 --> 00:41:02.159
to be talking to God, and
then at the closing prayer, which I
553
00:41:02.199 --> 00:41:06.360
still do the closing prayer out of
habit, And then I get mad at
554
00:41:06.360 --> 00:41:08.679
myself at the closing prayer because so
many times in my closing prayer, what
555
00:41:08.760 --> 00:41:15.199
am I doing? I'm summarizing what
I just preached, which is not I'm
556
00:41:15.239 --> 00:41:19.000
supposed to be talking to God.
Prayers you're talking to God, you're not
557
00:41:19.159 --> 00:41:22.800
talking to the people. It's such
a struggle. It's such a struggle.
558
00:41:22.840 --> 00:41:25.480
So you know, I know he's
addressing God, but it sounds like he's
559
00:41:25.559 --> 00:41:34.440
kind of he's kind of introducing the
sermon right, and prosperity is more than
560
00:41:34.599 --> 00:41:38.599
just in finance. I truly am
grateful God for how you have provided for
561
00:41:38.760 --> 00:41:45.519
us financially. But above all,
I'm thankful for the other areas of prosperity
562
00:41:45.119 --> 00:41:51.679
where you have caused us to abound. And I'm rich because of the many
563
00:41:51.760 --> 00:41:57.519
friendships that You've let me have over
the years. While I preach this morning,
564
00:41:57.559 --> 00:42:01.000
God, there's three things that I
believe you've laid on my heart concerning
565
00:42:01.039 --> 00:42:07.239
the way of prosperity. Three very
key things in scripture that are certain for
566
00:42:07.360 --> 00:42:15.960
prosperity if we will embrace them.
That sounds so much like an introduction and
567
00:42:15.079 --> 00:42:20.159
then, but it does once again
brings up the question how do we define
568
00:42:20.159 --> 00:42:24.800
the prosperity and success In Joshua eight
is it is prosperity and success mission and
569
00:42:24.880 --> 00:42:32.119
Joshua eight meaning friends, the friends
you've gotten over the years. Joshua eight
570
00:42:32.280 --> 00:42:37.440
is talking about what's in Deuteronomy twenty
eight, but he's almost He's giving God
571
00:42:37.480 --> 00:42:40.360
his outline to his message. Hey
God, I have three things. Why
572
00:42:40.360 --> 00:42:44.360
are you telling God you have three
things? Like? Oh? Does God?
573
00:42:44.480 --> 00:42:47.480
I like? I don't under so
opening prayers, I'm telling you it's
574
00:42:47.559 --> 00:42:52.480
I know, it's like a trap. Like like, I don't blame pastors
575
00:42:52.480 --> 00:42:54.159
because I would I fall into the
same trap with the closing prayer. I
576
00:42:54.559 --> 00:42:59.199
just I just eliminate the opening prayer. Now, I've been called out on
577
00:42:59.239 --> 00:43:02.519
that. Why don't you pray before
you preach? I pray before I preach.
578
00:43:02.519 --> 00:43:06.599
I don't have to do it in
front of you, right right,
579
00:43:06.800 --> 00:43:08.960
Okay, but I still do the
closing prayer. In many cases, I
580
00:43:08.960 --> 00:43:12.880
should just not do the clothing prayer. I should not do the closing prayer
581
00:43:12.920 --> 00:43:16.280
because what I typically do is summarize
my sermon. I've already preached a sermon.
582
00:43:16.320 --> 00:43:20.480
I don't need to offer a summary. God doesn't need a summary of
583
00:43:20.519 --> 00:43:24.159
my sermon. Okay, God doesn't
need it. God already knows. So
584
00:43:24.239 --> 00:43:29.000
what a lot of times what I
try to do is I just confess my
585
00:43:29.159 --> 00:43:31.880
failure of everything. I just preach. That's what I typically try to do.
586
00:43:32.000 --> 00:43:37.159
I don't always do that very well. I pray that everyone in this
587
00:43:37.320 --> 00:43:45.320
auditorium this morning and those listening online
will listen to these key verses that we
588
00:43:45.360 --> 00:43:51.840
will share today, and may they
search them out and pursue them. And
589
00:43:51.960 --> 00:43:53.880
Father, I believe that there will
come a time if you tear and let
590
00:43:53.920 --> 00:43:59.599
them live, if they look back
across life and say that truly is the
591
00:43:59.639 --> 00:44:02.639
way of prosperity. Again, I
will to thank you this morning for your
592
00:44:02.679 --> 00:44:07.960
people. I thank you Father for
the sweet Holy spirit that's been here in
593
00:44:07.039 --> 00:44:13.320
the song service, the special song. I thank you touch our heart and
594
00:44:14.199 --> 00:44:19.679
I recognize that God, You've been
so good to me. I don't deserve
595
00:44:20.800 --> 00:44:24.280
all that I have been privileged to
have, but I am praising you God
596
00:44:24.360 --> 00:44:29.480
for what you've done. I am
praising you the Lord that you allowed me
597
00:44:29.559 --> 00:44:34.239
to pass this way and to be
the pastor here for a little while.
598
00:44:35.000 --> 00:44:38.639
And I'm praying for the pastor that
will succeed me, Brother Ryan, that
599
00:44:39.079 --> 00:44:45.800
the greatest ministry this church has ever
seen or known will happen under his watch.
600
00:44:45.800 --> 00:44:51.960
God, please bless these people,
and thank you for their testimonies and
601
00:44:52.000 --> 00:44:55.480
for their faith and for their love
and their support. I give you all
602
00:44:55.480 --> 00:44:59.960
the praise and I give you all
the glory in the name of Jesus.
603
00:45:00.199 --> 00:45:05.000
I asked these favors and these blessings, and God's people said, Amen,
604
00:45:05.039 --> 00:45:08.920
you may be Now. I do
love that that's powerful. Praying for the
605
00:45:08.960 --> 00:45:14.079
person who will succeed him. That's
about you're reaching the end of your ministry.
606
00:45:14.559 --> 00:45:16.800
You know who's going to succeed succeed
you, and you're praying for their
607
00:45:16.840 --> 00:45:22.280
great success. That's awesome. That's
really that's really awesome. So that's awesome.
608
00:45:22.440 --> 00:45:24.800
I struggle with opening prayers, but
that part was awesome. Powerful.
609
00:45:25.880 --> 00:45:30.119
But what we want is Joshua one
eight. What we want is josh We're
610
00:45:30.119 --> 00:45:31.840
forty five minutes into this and we
so haven't gotten to Joshua one eight.
611
00:45:31.840 --> 00:45:36.039
Okay, but a lot of this
is very much related to what we've been
612
00:45:36.079 --> 00:45:38.039
discussing at Joshua one A. So
let's just see now. You know,
613
00:45:38.079 --> 00:45:40.280
I don't know how long we're gonna
go. We're not gonna get very far
614
00:45:40.320 --> 00:45:44.280
in this. But that's good because
then you can go listen to this one
615
00:45:44.280 --> 00:45:46.639
and be one of the sermons for
your sermon's two point zero app sermon challenge.
616
00:45:46.679 --> 00:45:49.639
Right, but here we go,
all right, here we go.
617
00:45:52.119 --> 00:45:58.000
Be seated. Now, if you
go back with me to verse number one,
618
00:45:58.039 --> 00:46:01.880
I'm going to refer start here this
morning at verse number one, and
619
00:46:01.920 --> 00:46:06.199
I will come to verse number eight
and talk about it as the way of
620
00:46:06.239 --> 00:46:10.000
prosperity. But what I want to
share with you first this morning is that
621
00:46:10.039 --> 00:46:16.519
God had before spoke unto Moses,
who was the actual leader of the children
622
00:46:16.599 --> 00:46:22.000
of Israel at the time that the
transition was now taking place, from Moses
623
00:46:22.079 --> 00:46:29.519
unto Joshua. And God has spoke
unto Moses about Joshua in Numbers chapter twenty
624
00:46:29.519 --> 00:46:34.199
seven and verse eighteen. Here's what
God said, Take Joshua, a man
625
00:46:34.360 --> 00:46:39.000
in whom is the spirit, and
lay thine hand upon him. Part of
626
00:46:39.039 --> 00:46:45.039
the reason that God wanted Moses to
do that was to separate him for the
627
00:46:45.320 --> 00:46:51.440
purpose of ministry, that God would
place Joshua in the responsibility of But if
628
00:46:51.440 --> 00:46:55.039
you look at verse number one now, then God is speaking unto Joshua.
629
00:46:55.639 --> 00:47:00.400
He had done this before in the
temple. In Deuteronomy thirty one and verse
630
00:47:00.440 --> 00:47:06.760
fourteen. Moses and Joshua had come
into the tabernacle as God had called him
631
00:47:06.800 --> 00:47:12.800
there, and God charged Joshua in
Deuteronomy chapter thirty one, verse fourteen.
632
00:47:13.400 --> 00:47:17.480
And it was in that particular scripture
that Joshua begin to understand that I'm going
633
00:47:17.599 --> 00:47:22.400
to be the successor of Moses,
who has been a great leader for the
634
00:47:22.519 --> 00:47:28.280
children of Israel. Moses was one
of the meekest men that has ever been
635
00:47:28.320 --> 00:47:31.519
recorded in the scriptures. And when
you go back and study his life and
636
00:47:31.599 --> 00:47:37.960
study the difficulty of him leading the
children of Israel from Egypt to Canaan's land,
637
00:47:38.360 --> 00:47:43.519
it was not an easy task,
but the grace of God sustained him.
638
00:47:43.559 --> 00:47:47.199
But Moses would not be the one
who actually led them into the land
639
00:47:47.239 --> 00:47:52.960
of Canaan. It would be Joshua. And so now in Joshua chapter one,
640
00:47:52.119 --> 00:47:59.079
Moses has died, he has left
the scene, and God speaks now
641
00:47:59.119 --> 00:48:06.039
directly the first time, to Joshua. All right, I'm getting my hopes,
642
00:48:06.360 --> 00:48:09.840
My hope has returned. I'm getting
exciting. I'm excited. This is
643
00:48:09.880 --> 00:48:15.800
exciting. He's providing historical context here. He even mentioned Deuteronomy twenty seven.
644
00:48:16.000 --> 00:48:21.719
That's so close to Deuteronomy twenty eight. I am excited. Here, hope
645
00:48:21.719 --> 00:48:25.679
has returned, the sun has come
out, this clouds have parted, the
646
00:48:25.719 --> 00:48:30.679
bright sun is shining. Oh,
we're gonna get a sermon that's going to
647
00:48:30.679 --> 00:48:35.360
connect Joshua one eight to Deuteronomy twenty
eight. We're gonna have this in its
648
00:48:35.400 --> 00:48:37.840
proper historical I am excited. You
think I'm being sarcastic, I'm not.
649
00:48:37.960 --> 00:48:43.039
I am I'm hopeful. I'm excited. This is Hey, this is better
650
00:48:43.079 --> 00:48:45.920
than what we've heard so far.
This is immediately providing the historical setting of
651
00:48:46.039 --> 00:48:52.280
context. This is good news.
Let's see where it goes. In verse
652
00:48:52.400 --> 00:48:57.760
number one and he hears the voice
of God. And what is it that
653
00:48:57.880 --> 00:49:02.039
God wants for Joshua. Well,
if you look down in verse number eight,
654
00:49:02.119 --> 00:49:07.639
he wants him to prosper and he
wants him to have good success.
655
00:49:07.400 --> 00:49:12.800
God is not in the business of
not wanting you to prosper or to have
656
00:49:12.840 --> 00:49:17.519
good success. He's not a god
that wants you to struggle or have hardships
657
00:49:17.880 --> 00:49:27.559
and have heartaches. Okay, wait, the clouds just came back. God
658
00:49:27.639 --> 00:49:34.559
does not want you to have hardships, our heartache. God doesn't want you
659
00:49:34.639 --> 00:49:37.960
to have then why do you have
it? Hey, God's going oh man,
660
00:49:37.000 --> 00:49:39.199
I don't want you to have heartache. I don't want you to have
661
00:49:39.239 --> 00:49:44.599
hardships. I'm sorry that your mother
died when you were just a teenager.
662
00:49:44.800 --> 00:49:47.719
I'm sorry that you were raised in
a home where you were molested and abused.
663
00:49:47.880 --> 00:49:52.519
I'm sorry that your father died of
cancer. I'm sorry that your child
664
00:49:52.639 --> 00:49:55.440
was killed by a drunk driver.
I didn't want any of those hardships.
665
00:49:55.519 --> 00:49:59.440
I didn't want any of that.
I didn't want any of that heartache.
666
00:49:59.599 --> 00:50:08.559
I don't want any of that for
you. God doesn't want that. I
667
00:50:08.599 --> 00:50:13.280
am perplexed. So God, God
doesn't want you to have any hardships a
668
00:50:13.360 --> 00:50:15.239
heartache, but you just end up
having having it. You know where this
669
00:50:15.360 --> 00:50:20.199
is gonna go? You're having it
because you failed? Is this gonna go
670
00:50:20.199 --> 00:50:32.960
where you get blamed for it?
I? Okay, right, right,
671
00:50:34.079 --> 00:50:37.920
Okay, Let's let's maybe maybe maybe
it's just one dark cloud that can Maybe
672
00:50:37.920 --> 00:50:42.320
that dark cloud is gonna it's gonna
dissipate really fast. Maybe maybe the sun's
673
00:50:42.360 --> 00:50:46.639
gonna come back almost immediately. Let's
hope. Even though I know that sometimes
674
00:50:46.679 --> 00:50:52.880
we do have hardships and we do
have heartaches, But can I say this
675
00:50:52.880 --> 00:50:57.320
this morning without you feeling offended by
it? I'm speaking of me. Most
676
00:50:57.360 --> 00:51:01.320
of the hardships and the heart aches
that I've had in life has been the
677
00:51:01.360 --> 00:51:07.880
result of my own choosing things that
maybe I did or didn't do right that
678
00:51:08.119 --> 00:51:16.000
caused me to experience heartache and struggles. And Okay, so in a Rundomu
679
00:51:16.039 --> 00:51:22.480
way, he is going that direction, But he said most a couple of
680
00:51:22.480 --> 00:51:25.000
things. So if God doesn't want
me to have heartache, if he doesn't
681
00:51:25.000 --> 00:51:30.199
want me to have hardship, why
then wouldn't God intervene to stop me from
682
00:51:30.199 --> 00:51:32.760
doing the very things that causes the
hardship and the heartache? I mean,
683
00:51:32.840 --> 00:51:38.119
cannot God intervene? He's God,
right, He intervenes over and over in
684
00:51:38.159 --> 00:51:44.199
the Bible, right, So why
can't he intervene and stop it? If
685
00:51:44.239 --> 00:51:45.920
God doesn't want it, why would
he allow it? And he said,
686
00:51:45.960 --> 00:51:49.920
well free will? Well he gain. Then we could get into a whole
687
00:51:49.960 --> 00:51:52.400
discussion about free will, and then
that becomes all problematic, okay, and
688
00:51:52.440 --> 00:51:55.079
then we have to become a Pelagian
or semi Pellagian. All right, we
689
00:51:55.119 --> 00:51:59.920
won't go into all of that.
But already I'm having difficulty with it.
690
00:52:00.119 --> 00:52:05.760
But I can give you plenty of
examples where no one has that fault,
691
00:52:06.440 --> 00:52:13.800
who is suffering that they are the
victim child molestation, rape, sexual abuse,
692
00:52:14.199 --> 00:52:24.920
sexual assault, murder, kidnapping,
cancer, being victimized by other people
693
00:52:24.960 --> 00:52:29.280
in all kinds of different would come
on. Now. Now, yes,
694
00:52:29.360 --> 00:52:31.719
a lot of our hardship and heartache
is a result of our own failure,
695
00:52:32.360 --> 00:52:36.079
but God knew before the foundations of
the world that we're going to fall in
696
00:52:36.079 --> 00:52:38.639
that way. So then I mean, well, we could get into all
697
00:52:38.719 --> 00:52:43.079
kinds of discussions about this. It's
not that simple and black and white.
698
00:52:43.079 --> 00:52:46.880
But I knew that once he said
God does not want you to have hardship
699
00:52:46.920 --> 00:52:52.880
and heartache, I almost knew inevitably
that God doesn't want it, but he
700
00:52:53.039 --> 00:52:57.880
has to let us get it,
because even though he doesn't want it,
701
00:52:58.000 --> 00:53:01.480
he has to remain eternally, to
remain frustrated as long as we're alive,
702
00:53:01.679 --> 00:53:07.159
because we're going to do what he
doesn't want. I don't know a sovereign
703
00:53:07.199 --> 00:53:15.159
omni a sovereign, omniscient, an
omnipresent, omnipotent God does not get what
704
00:53:15.199 --> 00:53:24.880
he wants. Is just a complicated
concept to consider trials. It was because
705
00:53:24.920 --> 00:53:30.880
I didn't fully surrender to the Lord. I didn't fully let God have his
706
00:53:30.039 --> 00:53:35.360
way in my life, and perhaps
the same is true in your life.
707
00:53:35.920 --> 00:53:39.360
If you listen, he wants the
same thing for us as he does Joshua.
708
00:53:39.719 --> 00:53:44.280
He wants us to prosper, and
he wants us to have good success.
709
00:53:44.840 --> 00:53:47.480
Listen to what the Bible says in
Psalm chapter eighty four and verse eleven,
710
00:53:49.239 --> 00:53:54.639
No good thing will the Lord withhold
from them that walk uprightly. If
711
00:53:54.679 --> 00:54:00.800
you will choose to live right and
walk right, God has problem that he
712
00:54:00.880 --> 00:54:05.960
will not withhold his blessings upon your
life. Look at verse number three in
713
00:54:06.079 --> 00:54:10.559
Joshua Chapter one and listen to the
promise that God gave to Joshua. He
714
00:54:10.599 --> 00:54:15.239
says, in verse number three,
every place that your soul of your foot
715
00:54:15.599 --> 00:54:19.599
sets down, that will be your
ground. Can you imagine if God said
716
00:54:19.599 --> 00:54:22.480
to you everywhere you walk and the
soul of your foot touches the ground,
717
00:54:22.800 --> 00:54:28.039
that you will be blessed and that
will be your territory. Look at verse
718
00:54:28.079 --> 00:54:30.280
five again, and he said,
there will not be any man that shall
719
00:54:30.320 --> 00:54:36.199
be able to stand before Thee all
of thy life. Joshua was a soldier
720
00:54:36.199 --> 00:54:39.079
and a warrior, and many times
he was going to have to face battles
721
00:54:39.360 --> 00:54:45.400
and fly to nations. But Joshua
knew that by God's promise here that he
722
00:54:45.440 --> 00:54:49.840
would be a victor, because God
has promised that no man would be able
723
00:54:49.880 --> 00:54:52.960
to stand against him. Then look
at verse five and notice he said that
724
00:54:53.039 --> 00:54:58.480
as I was with Moses, I
will be with THEE. Aren't you glad?
725
00:54:58.480 --> 00:55:01.079
Today, that as God has been
with our forefathers in the past,
726
00:55:01.400 --> 00:55:06.199
that he is still with us today. He is the same today as he
727
00:55:06.480 --> 00:55:09.760
was yesterday, and he will be
the same tomorrow. And did you notice
728
00:55:09.760 --> 00:55:14.480
in verse number five of Joshua chapter
one, he said that he will not
729
00:55:14.639 --> 00:55:19.440
fail nor will he forsake Joshua.
And I'm here to say this morning that
730
00:55:19.519 --> 00:55:24.599
God will not fail us and God
will not forsake us. All Right,
731
00:55:24.639 --> 00:55:30.119
So God doesn't want you to have
heartache or hardship, however you may get
732
00:55:30.159 --> 00:55:35.840
it because you fail. Hey,
but God's never gonna leave or forseek you.
733
00:55:35.920 --> 00:55:38.920
Well, if God can't intervene to
stop me from doing the very things
734
00:55:38.960 --> 00:55:44.039
that will cause me not to be
prosperous, then if God is there but
735
00:55:44.199 --> 00:55:51.320
not doing anything to help me out
and stop I that just becomes so convoluted.
736
00:55:52.039 --> 00:55:53.719
Hey, hey, I got good
news. God is right there with
737
00:55:53.800 --> 00:55:58.440
you, But I got bad news. I mean, He's not gonna help
738
00:55:58.440 --> 00:56:00.519
you. He's not gonna intervene to
stop you from doing those things which will
739
00:56:00.559 --> 00:56:04.559
cause you not to be prosperous.
Because the way to be prosperous is you
740
00:56:04.599 --> 00:56:07.840
just have to do right. Now, does that mean do right like if
741
00:56:07.840 --> 00:56:10.480
I do right fifty percent, then
does God just go ahead and make me
742
00:56:10.519 --> 00:56:14.719
prosperous if I do or do I
have to do right one hundred percent?
743
00:56:14.760 --> 00:56:19.960
Because typically when God says obey,
he means obedience internally and externally, meaning
744
00:56:19.960 --> 00:56:22.519
that's law, meaning you're never going
to achieve it, meaning you're going to
745
00:56:22.559 --> 00:56:27.239
fail. So then what's my only
hope to try harder? Now, my
746
00:56:27.280 --> 00:56:30.199
hope is to run to Christ,
who does obey it. So then this
747
00:56:30.480 --> 00:56:43.280
this is this is Oh all right, let's let's let's be positive. Stop
748
00:56:43.320 --> 00:56:47.719
being so negative. Let's be positive. Let's be positive. I'm not telling
749
00:56:47.760 --> 00:56:52.320
you something you don't know. I'm
reminding you of what you already know and
750
00:56:52.400 --> 00:56:58.280
the promise that God wants you to
embrace in life and as you go through
751
00:56:58.400 --> 00:57:01.760
life. If you want God prosperity
in your life, you need to take
752
00:57:01.800 --> 00:57:06.880
the promises of God. For all
of the promises of God in Jesus Christ
753
00:57:06.920 --> 00:57:14.880
are yes and they are amen.
All the promises in Christ are yes and
754
00:57:15.039 --> 00:57:21.800
amen, meaning the promises that have
a law requirement are fulfilled in Christ.
755
00:57:21.840 --> 00:57:25.840
So in Christ, I receive all
of those promises because of his imputed obedience
756
00:57:25.880 --> 00:57:30.599
to that law and those requirements in
Christ. Yes, I get those promises
757
00:57:30.719 --> 00:57:37.920
positionally. So are you going back
to an unders Is that what you meant
758
00:57:37.920 --> 00:57:43.719
by that? Yes? In Christ? I get all spiritual blessings in Christ
759
00:57:44.079 --> 00:57:49.840
because whatever the law demands Christ obeyed, and in his obedience is imputed to
760
00:57:49.840 --> 00:57:53.920
my account by faith alone. I
mean that's literally, I mean the imputed
761
00:57:54.039 --> 00:58:00.320
righteousness of Christ is what the entire
Protestant Reformation was about. Is that?
762
00:58:00.360 --> 00:58:07.199
What are you referencing here? Then
God comes down a little bit further in
763
00:58:07.320 --> 00:58:12.159
verse number six, and he tells
Joshua to be this, be strong and
764
00:58:12.280 --> 00:58:15.239
of good courage. Be strong and
of good courage. What does he want
765
00:58:15.320 --> 00:58:19.960
him to be strong in. He
wants him to be strong in his leadership
766
00:58:20.039 --> 00:58:23.400
role. He wants him to be
strong in the example that he leads in
767
00:58:23.559 --> 00:58:28.360
life. And he wants him to
be a man that doesn't act like he's
768
00:58:28.400 --> 00:58:31.760
afraid or don't know how to make
good choices or right decisions. But he
769
00:58:31.840 --> 00:58:37.480
wants him to take courage knowing that
God is with him and God will help
770
00:58:37.559 --> 00:58:40.880
him and he'll make the right,
successful choices. But if you look at
771
00:58:40.960 --> 00:58:47.760
verse number seven doubles down on the
word courage and uses the word very courageous.
772
00:58:49.039 --> 00:58:52.440
Be very courageous. In other words, don't be afraid to take exports
773
00:58:52.559 --> 00:58:58.519
or try things. Step out in
your faith and trust God that he will
774
00:58:58.880 --> 00:59:01.000
be there with you. If he
said I am with you and I will
775
00:59:01.000 --> 00:59:07.639
not fail you, then step out
courageously and believe that God will answer your
776
00:59:07.719 --> 00:59:12.360
prayers. How many of you today
believe that God means exactly what he says.
777
00:59:12.679 --> 00:59:15.480
And this isn't just for Joshua's time, This is for my time and
778
00:59:15.519 --> 00:59:30.320
for your time as well. Okay, there's so much here, Okay,
779
00:59:30.559 --> 00:59:34.639
So if you say it's for our
time, then we have to obey this
780
00:59:35.440 --> 00:59:38.480
absolutely the way it stated. Well, number one, the original recipients did
781
00:59:38.480 --> 00:59:43.400
not obey it, Okay, so
there's already a problem. Number two,
782
00:59:43.880 --> 00:59:47.280
we don't obey it because what is
demanded here we would never come close to
783
00:59:47.519 --> 00:59:51.920
obeying. So if you say it's
for me in this way, now you
784
00:59:52.000 --> 00:59:55.039
got to change the entire meaning of
the passage that the prosperity and the success
785
00:59:55.079 --> 01:00:00.000
here is spiritual prosperity and success,
which I don't think the context will necessarily
786
01:00:00.079 --> 01:00:04.679
imply. I think it's very very
materialistic and very tangible because you go look
787
01:00:04.719 --> 01:00:07.480
at Deuteronomy twenty eight. But for
some reason that context has been overlooked so
788
01:00:07.559 --> 01:00:12.559
far. But not only that,
Even if it's spiritual success, then the
789
01:00:12.599 --> 01:00:15.760
only hope here is I cannot do
this. Christ did it by putting my
790
01:00:15.800 --> 01:00:20.559
faith in him. Then I get
the spiritual blessings that are promised because of
791
01:00:20.599 --> 01:00:24.159
His imputed righteousness, because of my
positional standing before God, not my practical
792
01:00:24.199 --> 01:00:28.760
standing. My position. I'm a
new creature. Old is gone, everything
793
01:00:28.840 --> 01:00:32.360
is new. Practically, I am
still very much a sinner and still fall
794
01:00:32.400 --> 01:00:37.039
short, and still never obeyed God's
word anywhere close to perfectly. That's why
795
01:00:37.119 --> 01:00:42.000
we needed someone who could obey it
perfectly for us, because we cannot.
796
01:00:43.880 --> 01:00:46.519
Then, did you notice in verse
seven he says to him, observe to
797
01:00:46.599 --> 01:00:52.599
do according to all of the law, And he's not necessarily referring specifically to
798
01:00:52.840 --> 01:00:59.440
the law that God dave ntomoses,
but rather he is specifically referring to the
799
01:00:59.639 --> 01:01:02.360
word of God. Every word of
God is his law, it is his
800
01:01:02.519 --> 01:01:07.079
promises, it's his commandments. And
the more you and I obey these commandments,
801
01:01:07.159 --> 01:01:12.719
or seek to observe them and to
learn them, the better our success
802
01:01:12.800 --> 01:01:16.639
will be in life. He says
in here. All right, So his
803
01:01:16.760 --> 01:01:27.719
hypothesis is the level of prosperity or
the level of success one experiences is directly
804
01:01:27.840 --> 01:01:35.440
related to the amount of obedience you
engage in. So the level of your
805
01:01:35.559 --> 01:01:40.599
obedience determines the level of your prosperity
and success. Now the prosperity and success
806
01:01:40.599 --> 01:01:45.639
here has not been clearly articulated what
that is. But then this would be
807
01:01:45.679 --> 01:01:47.719
like, if someone's not being prosperous
or successful, well, you're not being
808
01:01:47.760 --> 01:01:53.440
obedient, so work harder. But
that means then God will bless it's somehow
809
01:01:53.599 --> 01:01:58.440
graded on a curve. Hey,
obey everything that's in it, but partial
810
01:01:58.519 --> 01:02:04.400
obedience will provide partial prosperity. But
then wait a minute, that's a problem
811
01:02:04.800 --> 01:02:10.920
because partial obedience to the law of
God is complete disobedience. Right, if
812
01:02:10.960 --> 01:02:15.280
you break one point of the law, you're guilty of all of it.
813
01:02:15.360 --> 01:02:19.119
See is this not in a sense
where we're modifying it, we're grading it
814
01:02:19.159 --> 01:02:22.000
on a curve. Well, you
can get forty percent success if you're forty
815
01:02:22.039 --> 01:02:27.519
percent obedient. No, God demands
perfection. In anything less than perfection is
816
01:02:27.760 --> 01:02:31.719
full blown disobedience. Meaning that's why
we have to go to Christ who kept
817
01:02:31.760 --> 01:02:37.000
it perfectly because our attempts, and
even if we obey it externally, we
818
01:02:37.119 --> 01:02:43.119
may be disobeying it internally. This
is this is such a reworking of the
819
01:02:43.239 --> 01:02:47.440
law of God and God's standard.
God demands perfection internally and externally, and
820
01:02:47.480 --> 01:02:55.519
he demands it perpetually. To Joshua, don't you turn from it, not
821
01:02:55.639 --> 01:02:59.880
to the right hand nor to the
lamb. In other words, make straight
822
01:03:00.119 --> 01:03:04.440
pass for your feet, and be
steadfast, and be unmovable, and just
823
01:03:04.559 --> 01:03:07.199
keep abounding in the work of the
Lord. You're gonna see things that are
824
01:03:07.199 --> 01:03:12.559
disappointing to you. You're gonna see
things that are discouraging to you. You're
825
01:03:12.599 --> 01:03:16.800
gonna watch people and see people won't
always like you, or won't always support
826
01:03:16.920 --> 01:03:22.400
you. They won't always stand by
you or stand for you. But Moses
827
01:03:22.519 --> 01:03:25.199
or Joshua, you need to understand, I am your God. I am
828
01:03:25.239 --> 01:03:30.280
the one who called you, I
am the one who appointed you your life.
829
01:03:30.480 --> 01:03:32.559
I am the one that's gonna make
you prosperous, and I am the
830
01:03:32.639 --> 01:03:37.639
one that's gonna make you successful.
There's not one of you here this morning
831
01:03:37.079 --> 01:03:42.599
that anybody else can make you successful
or make you prosperous. But God can
832
01:03:42.679 --> 01:03:46.280
make you prosperous, and God can
make you successful. And therefore you want
833
01:03:46.280 --> 01:03:51.760
to be sure that you do observe
His laws and don't turn from it,
834
01:03:51.840 --> 01:03:54.719
but make straight paths for your feet. And then he said, thou mayst
835
01:03:54.719 --> 01:03:58.639
prosper. And I want you to
look at the very last part of verse
836
01:03:58.719 --> 01:04:01.639
number seven. You say, well, I think it depends on where you
837
01:04:01.679 --> 01:04:06.920
are geographically. It doesn't matter to
God where you're at geographically. He owns
838
01:04:08.119 --> 01:04:12.920
every part of this universe. He
owns this entire world, beloved friends,
839
01:04:13.400 --> 01:04:17.760
And wherever you go, he said, I'll be with you whithersoever thou goest.
840
01:04:18.239 --> 01:04:21.079
You may not always get to be
in the place that you'd like to
841
01:04:21.079 --> 01:04:26.119
be, and you may not always
get to a compiler or have the choices
842
01:04:26.159 --> 01:04:30.199
that you want. But if you'll
be obedient unto God and go where God
843
01:04:30.280 --> 01:04:32.400
wants you to go, and do
what God would have you to do,
844
01:04:32.920 --> 01:04:36.800
and you'll do the things that I'm
about to show you this morning. God
845
01:04:36.880 --> 01:04:42.519
has promised that you'll prosper and you'll
have good success. But listen, just
846
01:04:42.679 --> 01:04:46.679
as surely as I give you these
promises. Okay, he keeps seeing these
847
01:04:46.719 --> 01:04:51.639
promises, He's gonna give you commands
he's giving you. This is a philologically,
848
01:04:53.039 --> 01:04:59.239
philological categorical error. God, there's
a promise connected, but he's going
849
01:04:59.280 --> 01:05:03.039
to give you three commands, meaning
he's gonna give you law. All right,
850
01:05:03.360 --> 01:05:08.679
Law, law condemns Law is not
the way to blessing. Law is
851
01:05:08.719 --> 01:05:12.519
the way to be broken, demonstrating
you need someone to obey the law so
852
01:05:12.599 --> 01:05:16.480
that you can be blessed. That
it's a categorical error where you're taking law
853
01:05:16.719 --> 01:05:20.480
and referring to it as a promise. It's a law, it's a law,
854
01:05:20.519 --> 01:05:27.559
it's a command, it's what you
must do. So all right,
855
01:05:27.639 --> 01:05:30.079
what I know, we're already over
an hour, but we've got to get
856
01:05:30.079 --> 01:05:31.119
a little bit. I want to
at least get to the first thing and
857
01:05:31.119 --> 01:05:34.800
see how he handles the first part
of this. Right, So all right,
858
01:05:34.840 --> 01:05:40.000
it's just there's a Oh. That's
why we spent over one hundred hours
859
01:05:40.039 --> 01:05:43.519
on law and gospel. That's why
we spent over one hundred hours on that
860
01:05:43.639 --> 01:05:48.320
subject. There are some things that
if we don't do them, we cannot
861
01:05:48.360 --> 01:05:53.440
expect to be prosperous, and we
cannot to be expect to be successful.
862
01:05:53.880 --> 01:05:57.320
That doesn't mean you can't be saved
and it doesn't mean you won't go to
863
01:05:57.360 --> 01:06:01.280
heaven. But why not go to
heaven have Why not go to heaven fulfilled
864
01:06:01.559 --> 01:06:05.800
in this life? Because Jesus said, I'm come that you might have life
865
01:06:06.079 --> 01:06:12.519
abundantly and then have eternal life after
this life. God has been good to
866
01:06:12.639 --> 01:06:15.440
me through this life, and I've
had an abundant life, and when this
867
01:06:15.559 --> 01:06:19.840
life is over, I have eternal
life awaiting me, and I thank the
868
01:06:19.920 --> 01:06:24.760
Lord for that. Today, first
of all, let me define what is
869
01:06:24.880 --> 01:06:29.599
prosperity. It's not you planning a
seed with me and I'll give you a
870
01:06:29.639 --> 01:06:32.760
claw to take back and you be
blessed with it. It's not if you
871
01:06:32.880 --> 01:06:38.320
come up here and throw money on
this altar and I will pronounce a blessing
872
01:06:38.360 --> 01:06:46.159
over you. But prosperity is defined
as a condition of being successful or thriving,
873
01:06:47.079 --> 01:06:56.079
flourishing, experiencing growth. And this
isn't just in finances. What about
874
01:06:56.159 --> 01:07:01.440
health. You can be prosperous in
your health. There's nothing more difficult than
875
01:07:01.480 --> 01:07:08.559
life. Oh now I'm getting really
nervous. Okay, So it's not just
876
01:07:08.639 --> 01:07:19.079
finances. So this is financial prosperity
and health prosperity. Okay, this is
877
01:07:19.119 --> 01:07:26.880
going to hit close to home.
So the reason I almost died in the
878
01:07:26.960 --> 01:07:34.440
United States military and now have neurological
issues and countless number of seizures per year
879
01:07:36.039 --> 01:07:57.760
is because I'm not obeying Joshua one
to eight. It's my fault. If
880
01:07:57.800 --> 01:08:05.559
you're having any financial difficulty, it's
your fault. Now I know that that's
881
01:08:05.719 --> 01:08:11.840
not what he's probably trying to say. That's the clear implication of what's being
882
01:08:11.920 --> 01:08:16.039
said. Prosperity is not just financial, but it's also health. So the
883
01:08:16.159 --> 01:08:23.560
financial part, lack of prosperity financially, it's your fault because you're not obeying
884
01:08:23.600 --> 01:08:28.279
Joshua one eight. If you're having
health issues, it's your fault because of
885
01:08:28.359 --> 01:08:39.479
Joshua one eight. Well, that
is good to know. That is life
886
01:08:40.000 --> 01:08:45.560
then for somebody who has to go
through life with poor health and sickness.
887
01:08:45.000 --> 01:08:49.239
And I want to just say this
in this sermon, I've heard these modern
888
01:08:49.319 --> 01:08:55.119
day preachers say that if you've got
sickness in your body, you're not a
889
01:08:55.239 --> 01:08:58.760
child of God or you're not right
with God. Don't you believe that for
890
01:08:58.800 --> 01:09:03.159
a second. Don't you listen to
that kind of nonsense. That doesn't mean
891
01:09:03.239 --> 01:09:08.960
that God is not your God,
just because there's sicknesses in your life.
892
01:09:09.600 --> 01:09:13.560
But sometimes we need to ask God, Lord, would you please touch me,
893
01:09:14.279 --> 01:09:18.960
and would you do the miraculous power
of healing and give me the prosperity
894
01:09:19.119 --> 01:09:27.960
of good health? But if okay, I'm so confused. If the prosperity
895
01:09:27.960 --> 01:09:32.199
of good health, if prosperity here
is good health, well then you're not
896
01:09:32.239 --> 01:09:36.439
going to get it unless you obey
Joshua one eight. So is it good
897
01:09:36.439 --> 01:09:40.640
health or is it not good health? Can I get good health without obeying
898
01:09:40.680 --> 01:09:44.079
Joshua one eight by just asking for
it? Hey, God, give me
899
01:09:44.159 --> 01:09:46.479
good health? What if God doesn't
heal me, is it? Because then
900
01:09:46.520 --> 01:09:53.079
I'm disobeying Joshua one A like,
I'm confused how you're connecting financial prosperity and
901
01:09:53.199 --> 01:09:57.119
health to Joshua one eight, But
almost at the same time trying to argue
902
01:09:57.159 --> 01:10:00.039
that somehow, well, that doesn't
mean you're not living right well? And
903
01:10:00.079 --> 01:10:02.760
if I'm not obeying Joshua one,
does that not mean that I'm not living
904
01:10:02.800 --> 01:10:12.039
right? There are things that I
have in my life or my health that
905
01:10:12.800 --> 01:10:16.880
could be very detrimental in dangers to
me, and I recognize that. And
906
01:10:17.399 --> 01:10:20.720
even though I recognize it, I
don't do a lot about it. I
907
01:10:20.760 --> 01:10:26.399
have diabetes and I keep eating sweets. I have diabetes and I keep drinking
908
01:10:26.479 --> 01:10:30.479
sodipop and the doctor says, you
know that that's not going to work.
909
01:10:31.560 --> 01:10:35.279
I said, what differences make I'm
seventy. He said, well, you
910
01:10:35.399 --> 01:10:40.520
might live to be ninety and suffer
more in the end than you have in
911
01:10:40.600 --> 01:10:46.760
the beginning. And that was eye
opening because I've seen that in people's lives.
912
01:10:47.640 --> 01:10:50.199
Why did I tell you that?
Because I need you to help me
913
01:10:50.199 --> 01:10:54.359
pray that I do what I need
to do? Will you do that?
914
01:10:55.039 --> 01:10:59.760
Will you pray for me? But
not only that? What about prosperity and
915
01:11:00.000 --> 01:11:03.520
happiness? Are you happy? I
mean, when you get up of a
916
01:11:03.560 --> 01:11:09.039
morning, do you feel happiness?
Are you happy with the mate God's given
917
01:11:09.079 --> 01:11:13.479
you in life? Are you happy
with the family God has given you?
918
01:11:14.680 --> 01:11:18.960
What about your career? Are you
happy in the career? Okay? If
919
01:11:19.000 --> 01:11:28.840
you're defining prosperity as financial, health
and happiness, and Joshua one eight tells
920
01:11:28.840 --> 01:11:31.319
you what you do to get it, well, then if I'm not prosperous
921
01:11:31.920 --> 01:11:39.279
or successful financially or in my health
or in my happiness, then the direct
922
01:11:39.319 --> 01:11:45.000
implication here is I fail to obey
Joshua one eight. But I'm arguing you
923
01:11:45.000 --> 01:11:49.319
can't even obey Joshua one eight if
you're even remotely honest with yourself. Oh,
924
01:11:49.359 --> 01:11:55.760
I am so confused here. I
am so confused. This is so
925
01:11:56.039 --> 01:12:00.159
problematic. Okay, I look,
I know where are this is gonna go
926
01:12:00.199 --> 01:12:02.159
along. So I apologize, But
I've got to get to this to a
927
01:12:02.199 --> 01:12:05.279
point where I at least understand,
because I think I don't want to misrepresent,
928
01:12:05.600 --> 01:12:11.279
right, because I'm fearful I'm misrepresenting, and I don't want to misrepresent.
929
01:12:11.359 --> 01:12:15.479
But I'm just saying the implication is
if this is the prosperity he's going
930
01:12:15.520 --> 01:12:16.960
to assign to Joshua one eight,
Now, maybe he's going to go through
931
01:12:16.960 --> 01:12:20.279
all of this and say that has
nothing to do with Joshua one eight.
932
01:12:20.560 --> 01:12:27.319
That's what I'm hoping for here that
you're in. Can you look at your
933
01:12:27.359 --> 01:12:30.800
marriage and say, I'm happy with
my marriage and I'm happy to how God
934
01:12:30.840 --> 01:12:35.239
has provided for our home and our
children. And then I want to ask
935
01:12:35.279 --> 01:12:41.560
you this this morning, what about
prosperity in friendships? How many friends do
936
01:12:41.640 --> 01:12:45.840
you have and in how many different
places throughout the course of life has God
937
01:12:45.880 --> 01:12:53.800
put friends in your life. I'm
thankful that some never leave the realm where
938
01:12:53.800 --> 01:12:57.520
they live and the locale where they're
at, and that's fine, but you
939
01:12:57.600 --> 01:13:00.159
can have a lot of friends there. But then there's others that span out
940
01:13:00.239 --> 01:13:03.239
and they reach out into the state, or they reach out in the United
941
01:13:03.279 --> 01:13:08.439
States, or some of them reach
out internationally, and God gives them many
942
01:13:08.479 --> 01:13:13.000
friends in many places. And I'm
thankful that I have many friends, and
943
01:13:13.439 --> 01:13:17.079
all the different localities where I've been, I'm thankful that I also have friends
944
01:13:17.079 --> 01:13:21.399
in different states and in the United
States. But I'm thankful one of these
945
01:13:21.479 --> 01:13:27.640
days that my friends will begethered together. All the saints of God that I've
946
01:13:27.760 --> 01:13:30.960
met and known in foreign countries will
meet together in heaven. And what a
947
01:13:31.079 --> 01:13:36.439
joy it's going to be for us
to rejoice as many friends around the eternal
948
01:13:36.520 --> 01:13:44.479
throne of God. That's prosperity,
and I'm thankful for prosperity. Proverbs,
949
01:13:44.560 --> 01:13:47.399
chapter ten, verse twenty two.
Listen to what the Bible says, the
950
01:13:47.399 --> 01:13:53.359
blessing of the Lord. It maketh
rich, and he addeth no sorrow with
951
01:13:53.439 --> 01:13:57.279
it. When God blesses you,
he don't cause it to be sorrowful.
952
01:13:57.960 --> 01:14:02.680
He doesn't make it sorrowful in your
life. Kay. Now, the implication
953
01:14:02.920 --> 01:14:10.199
is that you'll have no sorrow like
I don't understand God. So God doesn't
954
01:14:10.199 --> 01:14:13.720
want you to have heartache. He
doesn't want you to have hardship. And
955
01:14:13.800 --> 01:14:16.640
if you and if you get God's
blessing, you'll have no sorrow in life,
956
01:14:16.680 --> 01:14:19.840
and you're gonna be happy, and
you're gonna be healthy, and you're
957
01:14:19.840 --> 01:14:26.800
gonna be financially prosperous. Now I'm
just waiting for the But you won't get
958
01:14:26.840 --> 01:14:29.880
any of that unless you do Joshua
one to eight, and you gotta do
959
01:14:29.920 --> 01:14:32.239
these three things. But then if
you do these three things, then you
960
01:14:32.279 --> 01:14:36.479
get these things. Oh man,
this is this is this is I'm struggling
961
01:14:36.560 --> 01:14:39.920
with this. All right. We
gotta let this go a little bit further.
962
01:14:40.000 --> 01:14:43.000
I know we're over time. Just
just it's okay. Just think of
963
01:14:43.000 --> 01:14:45.279
this as you're getting free content.
Okay, I mean not that you have
964
01:14:45.319 --> 01:14:47.399
to pay for any of it,
but you're getting free content. All right.
965
01:14:47.439 --> 01:14:53.079
Here we go. In Second Corinthians, Paul wrote in chapter nine,
966
01:14:53.199 --> 01:14:58.399
verse eight, God is able to
make all grace abound towards you, and
967
01:14:58.479 --> 01:15:01.920
in that particular topaccity, what Paul
is referring to is the grace there is
968
01:15:01.960 --> 01:15:08.800
that if there is anything you're lacking
in yours necessities, God is able by
969
01:15:08.840 --> 01:15:13.880
his grace to provide whatever you need, to sustain you and to supply you,
970
01:15:14.159 --> 01:15:17.039
and to provide for you. Paul
went on to say that you might
971
01:15:17.119 --> 01:15:24.600
have all sufficiency and may abound unto
every good work. God doesn't expect me
972
01:15:24.760 --> 01:15:29.680
to try to do his kingdom work
and produce and provide the means for that.
973
01:15:29.920 --> 01:15:32.159
God does want me to be strong. God does want me to be
974
01:15:32.239 --> 01:15:36.479
courageous. God does want me to
take steps of faith and step out sometimes
975
01:15:36.920 --> 01:15:41.359
and just see what God will do. Because if he doesn't do it,
976
01:15:41.439 --> 01:15:43.920
I can't do it. And if
He doesn't do it for us as a
977
01:15:44.039 --> 01:15:45.760
church, we can't do it.
But how many of you believe that if
978
01:15:45.800 --> 01:15:50.720
we step out in faith, God
can make faith happen at any time.
979
01:15:51.840 --> 01:15:59.079
So God wants us to abound in
every good work. So it starts our
980
01:15:59.199 --> 01:16:01.960
prosperity stone here in verse eight,
I want you to listen to it.
981
01:16:02.039 --> 01:16:05.119
The first thing, if you want
to write down, there's three simple principles.
982
01:16:05.720 --> 01:16:10.239
The first principle is this this book
of the Law, the first five
983
01:16:10.359 --> 01:16:15.920
verses or first five words of Joshua
one to eight is a key element.
984
01:16:15.560 --> 01:16:19.399
This book of the Law. What
does he mean by this book of the
985
01:16:19.439 --> 01:16:25.119
Law? Well, now, what's
this. Joshua is fixing to transition into
986
01:16:25.800 --> 01:16:31.720
from being the captain of the army
to being the president or the leader,
987
01:16:32.319 --> 01:16:38.319
the head leader of this nation.
God is going to put that responsibility upon
988
01:16:38.399 --> 01:16:43.600
him. And you can read through
the Bible that oftentimes when kings traded or
989
01:16:43.640 --> 01:16:46.880
transitioned, when they crowned him,
they gave him a book of the Testimony,
990
01:16:47.399 --> 01:16:53.000
and the king was to read therein
every day and listen to what he
991
01:16:53.079 --> 01:16:58.039
says. They're in verse number eight, this book of the Law shall not
992
01:16:58.359 --> 01:17:02.000
depart out of thy mouth. In
other words, here's what God wants Joshua
993
01:17:02.079 --> 01:17:05.640
to learn. There are a lot
of conversations you can have, and there
994
01:17:05.680 --> 01:17:10.840
are a lot of things you can
talk about, but don't forget to talk
995
01:17:10.880 --> 01:17:15.800
about the goodness of God and the
good things God is doing and the power
996
01:17:15.920 --> 01:17:20.399
of God that's present in your life. Don't ever be ashamed of God.
997
01:17:20.479 --> 01:17:24.560
Paul said, I'm not ashamed of
the Gospel of Christ. It is the
998
01:17:24.600 --> 01:17:28.840
power of God that brought me unto
salvation. And if you're thankful that God
999
01:17:28.960 --> 01:17:34.239
saved you, don't ever be ashamed
to tell your experience of salvation wherever you
1000
01:17:34.319 --> 01:17:39.960
go. And when you see something
that happens in life, why not give
1001
01:17:40.039 --> 01:17:45.279
God the glory for it instead of
some president or some performing artist or some
1002
01:17:45.479 --> 01:17:51.439
individual. God deserves all the praise
and the glory. Church, give God
1003
01:17:51.520 --> 01:17:56.439
the praise. I believe that if
a farmer has a good trophyo to say
1004
01:17:56.439 --> 01:18:00.039
God, bless you and thank you
for the good craud. I believe if
1005
01:18:00.039 --> 01:18:03.960
a businessman has a successful business,
he ought to say God, thank you
1006
01:18:04.000 --> 01:18:10.319
and bless you for giving me a
successful business. And I believe if you've
1007
01:18:10.359 --> 01:18:13.439
got an eight hour a day job, forty hours of a week, and
1008
01:18:13.479 --> 01:18:15.880
you've done your part, and you
get your paycheck on Friday, when you
1009
01:18:15.920 --> 01:18:18.880
get it or whatever day you get
it, you ought to say God,
1010
01:18:18.960 --> 01:18:24.840
bless you, and thank you God
for giving me this job and this check
1011
01:18:25.119 --> 01:18:30.880
for my prosperity, This helps my
family. Don't let this book depart out
1012
01:18:30.000 --> 01:18:34.239
of thy mouth. Look also what
he went on to tell Joshua, not
1013
01:18:34.279 --> 01:18:40.319
only should you speak about the things
here, but meditate therein day and night.
1014
01:18:40.800 --> 01:18:44.960
Meditate that means to think on it
and go deeper than you've ever gone
1015
01:18:45.000 --> 01:18:49.239
in your thoughts, think about what
God is saying, find you a place
1016
01:18:49.319 --> 01:18:55.600
to get alan where it's quiet,
and talk out loud. You don't have
1017
01:18:55.680 --> 01:18:58.800
to be a preacher, but you
know what you can do. Have you
1018
01:18:58.800 --> 01:19:03.000
ever just got along with versus scripture
out somewhere and just taught it to yourself
1019
01:19:03.039 --> 01:19:08.239
and talked it out and talked it
out with God. You'll try that sometime
1020
01:19:08.319 --> 01:19:11.760
and find out what it's like for
all of a sudden for the Holy Ghost
1021
01:19:12.000 --> 01:19:15.199
to show up and reveal to you
something you was not expecting. How that
1022
01:19:15.239 --> 01:19:23.560
passage is scripture? Oh my goodness. If the Holy Spirit shows up and
1023
01:19:23.720 --> 01:19:27.640
tells you what's in the scripture,
then there should only be one interpretation of
1024
01:19:27.680 --> 01:19:30.800
all scriptures, because the Holy Spirit
should show up and tell everyone what the
1025
01:19:30.840 --> 01:19:33.960
scriptures mean. But there's not one
interpretation of any scripture. There are thousands
1026
01:19:34.000 --> 01:19:39.600
ofbon thousands upon thousands, and nobody
can agree on anything. So who is
1027
01:19:39.640 --> 01:19:44.199
the Holy Spirit speaking to and telling
them what the verses mean or show showing
1028
01:19:44.239 --> 01:19:49.119
them what's in it? Since nobody
can agree on anything. But you wouldn't
1029
01:19:49.119 --> 01:19:51.800
have to go find a place to
do this. You're supposed to be doing
1030
01:19:51.840 --> 01:19:58.520
it day and night. So I
guess the way this works. Like he's
1031
01:19:58.560 --> 01:20:01.159
not explicitly stated, but if we
put it together, the way this works
1032
01:20:01.239 --> 01:20:06.000
is if you want to be prosperous
and have good success, which means being
1033
01:20:06.039 --> 01:20:14.239
prosperous financially, being prosperous health wise, being prosperous in your happiness, and
1034
01:20:14.319 --> 01:20:19.560
being prosperous and having friends. If
you want those things, then you must
1035
01:20:19.560 --> 01:20:25.520
obey Joshua one eight. And if
you don't have those things, it's because
1036
01:20:25.520 --> 01:20:29.279
you're not obeying Joshua one eight.
Even though he doesn't refer to them as
1037
01:20:29.319 --> 01:20:35.600
commands, clearly they are commands.
Now he is obliterated. He's not evil,
1038
01:20:36.119 --> 01:20:40.279
it's not so much obliterated. He
has ignored the connection of Joshua one
1039
01:20:40.319 --> 01:20:45.119
eight to Deuteronomy twenty eight. And
he clearly is convinced that we can do
1040
01:20:45.199 --> 01:20:49.079
this, that we can do this. Now. I'm going to stop there
1041
01:20:49.119 --> 01:20:51.960
because we're at eighty minutes. Now. The name of that sermon is the
1042
01:20:53.000 --> 01:20:57.199
Way of Prosperity. Go listen to
the rest of it. Go listen to
1043
01:20:57.239 --> 01:20:59.920
the rest of it. The Way
of Prosperity, on the sermons too,
1044
01:21:00.279 --> 01:21:02.560
oh app, please go listen to
it. You can type in Joshua one
1045
01:21:02.600 --> 01:21:05.199
eight the Way of Prosperity or the
Way of Prosperity Joshua one eight. You
1046
01:21:05.199 --> 01:21:09.039
should be able to find it.
If you cannot locate it, email me
1047
01:21:09.319 --> 01:21:13.720
news i F at yahoo dot com. That's news f at yahoo dot com.
1048
01:21:13.760 --> 01:21:16.399
I got no problem sending you a
link for those on the Church one
1049
01:21:16.840 --> 01:21:19.159
app. If you're using the Church
one app, I will send out the
1050
01:21:19.199 --> 01:21:23.239
link to the sermon so that you
can go listen to the rest because I
1051
01:21:23.279 --> 01:21:25.880
want them to get the downloads and
streams. Look, he put forth his
1052
01:21:26.039 --> 01:21:29.920
hypothesies. Great, if that's the
one you want to believe, you can
1053
01:21:29.960 --> 01:21:34.199
follow his perspective. I've offered my
interpretation. So guess what You've been able
1054
01:21:34.239 --> 01:21:41.000
to hear two different interpretations of Joshua
one eight. That's what we try to
1055
01:21:41.000 --> 01:21:43.880
do here, right, So I
want you to consider. But I want
1056
01:21:43.880 --> 01:21:46.800
you to go listen to everything he
had to say, everything everything, and
1057
01:21:47.000 --> 01:21:50.079
you may go that direction, and
that's perfectly. I'm not here to argue
1058
01:21:50.079 --> 01:21:53.800
with you or debate you. I'm
here to say, look, I have
1059
01:21:53.880 --> 01:21:58.319
a different perspective, a very different
interpretation. I've tried to make a case
1060
01:21:58.359 --> 01:22:03.000
for my interpretation, all trying to
engage his. He just assumes it's for
1061
01:22:03.159 --> 01:22:08.399
us. He doesn't prove it,
he doesn't demonstrate it, and he just
1062
01:22:08.479 --> 01:22:12.560
assumes that we can keep it,
even without acknowledging that the original recipients did
1063
01:22:12.560 --> 01:22:16.560
not even keep it. And I
think it's fair to say he clearly ignored
1064
01:22:16.800 --> 01:22:21.920
the context of Deuteronomy twenty eight.
Now you may don't care about any of
1065
01:22:21.920 --> 01:22:27.439
that, but those are my counter
arguments. He put forth his perspective.
1066
01:22:27.520 --> 01:22:31.960
I am grateful for his perspective because
my perspective has to be challenged now.
1067
01:22:32.520 --> 01:22:38.239
So I got to think through.
I haven't seen anything to completely convince me,
1068
01:22:38.560 --> 01:22:40.880
but you know, I all need
to go listen to the rest of
1069
01:22:40.880 --> 01:22:44.119
the sermon. I don't know if
I will review the rest. I may
1070
01:22:44.199 --> 01:22:45.720
listen to some and if I hear
something, I'm like, okay, we've
1071
01:22:45.720 --> 01:22:49.720
got to talk about that, then
maybe we will. Because I think I
1072
01:22:49.720 --> 01:22:51.840
think what he's going to do.
I mean, he's got like, I
1073
01:22:51.840 --> 01:22:56.399
don't know, forty three something minutes
left of the sermon. He's got like
1074
01:22:56.439 --> 01:22:59.439
forty three minutes left of the sermon. I think he's just going to spend
1075
01:22:59.439 --> 01:23:01.319
the time on you've got to obey, You've got to obey, You've got
1076
01:23:01.319 --> 01:23:05.039
to obey, You've got to obey. And he's already taken this Book of
1077
01:23:05.039 --> 01:23:11.720
the Law as applying to the entire
Bible right in their context, I don't
1078
01:23:11.760 --> 01:23:14.359
think it would have been the entire
Bible, right, Okay, but all
1079
01:23:14.439 --> 01:23:15.399
right, but even if you go
with the entire bibb it means you've got
1080
01:23:15.399 --> 01:23:18.640
to obey every single command in the
Bible, or at least all the commands
1081
01:23:18.640 --> 01:23:21.840
that you would say are applicable to
us. I mean, I'm telling you,
1082
01:23:23.000 --> 01:23:26.000
be holy as He is holy.
You're done. You're never going to
1083
01:23:26.000 --> 01:23:30.119
obey that only in Christ, like
only in Christ, in his imputed righteousness.
1084
01:23:30.319 --> 01:23:32.800
So yeah, I don't know,
I don't know. I mean,
1085
01:23:32.800 --> 01:23:35.800
that's forty three minutes. Really,
that's going to be all focused on that
1086
01:23:35.840 --> 01:23:38.880
third part, I think. I
mean, he's already made it to the
1087
01:23:38.920 --> 01:23:44.079
second part relatively quick, So that's
going to be like maybe forty minutes thirty
1088
01:23:44.159 --> 01:23:46.239
five minutes of to that. Just
obey, obey, obey, obey,
1089
01:23:46.319 --> 01:23:51.439
obey. That's a I don't know, but you maybe he doesn't do it
1090
01:23:51.439 --> 01:23:54.359
that way. Maybe he doesn't break
it down that way. You can go
1091
01:23:54.479 --> 01:23:57.680
listen, all right, you can
email me news I F at yahoo dot
1092
01:23:57.720 --> 01:24:03.319
com, News I F at Yahoo
dot I know it's Wednesday. The week
1093
01:24:03.319 --> 01:24:06.960
will be over before we know it. Hopefully your study of Joshua one eight
1094
01:24:08.079 --> 01:24:13.439
is proving to be somewhat advantageous,
beneficial, interesting. I hope it's something
1095
01:24:14.039 --> 01:24:17.600
I've stated here that I'm getting a
little. Oh, I'm getting just so
1096
01:24:17.680 --> 01:24:24.359
frustrated with this. I just don't
understand the complexities of why this passage seems
1097
01:24:24.399 --> 01:24:28.760
so difficult for people. But man, we do some weird things with Joshua
1098
01:24:28.840 --> 01:24:34.359
one eight, and the implication there
is somewhat frightening. It really is because
1099
01:24:35.119 --> 01:24:39.880
whatever negative thing you're experiencing, I
mean, the roundabout way, it's because
1100
01:24:39.920 --> 01:24:46.239
you're not obeying Joshua one eight.
That would be oh m, all right,
1101
01:24:46.720 --> 01:24:50.439
Thanks for listening again, News I
F at yahoo dot com. News
1102
01:24:50.600 --> 01:24:55.439
I F a yahoo at yahoo dot
com. For those using the Church one
1103
01:24:55.479 --> 01:24:59.880
app, you'll get a notification here
soon with a link to the sermon that
1104
01:25:00.079 --> 01:25:01.920
we are reviewing, so that you
can go finish the rest. All right,
1105
01:25:01.920 --> 01:25:04.359
Thanks for listening, everyone, have
a great day. God, bless,
