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AS I WAS WITH MOSES Joshua 1:5 TONY LLOYD LEWIS This morning I want to lift the subject of the sermon right from the text, and preach on the matter, AS I WAS WITH MOSES. Couched with the parameters of our text are some rather comforting words, "As I was with Moses, so shall I be with you." God said to Joshua that no one will be able to oppose you as long as your address is planet earth. As long as you are a citizen of this crusted sphere none shall be able to withstand against thee. How comforting those words must have been to the ears and heart of God’s new handpicked leader. The Lord furthers His assurance by declaring that, "I was with Moses; I will not abandon you or fail to help you. " For those of you who are taking notes I want to hang this message on these points: God’s Provision, God’s Presence, God’s Protection and God’s Prosperity. The setting of the text is on the Sinai peninsula, on the border of the Promised Land, the land flowing with milk and honey. Moses is now dead, they had mourned his passing for 30 days and now they were just doing nothing. So God speaks to Joshua, it time to rise up and go forward. Doing nothing time is over. You Know One of the Easiest Things in Life Is to Sit Around and Do Nothing. It does not take a lot of energy. It does not take a lot of thinking. It does not take a lot of will power. It does not take a lot of planning. To get up and do nothing. The Bible does not support sitting around and doing nothing. Yes, there are times in the Bible when God tells His people to stand still. But while they were standing still He wanted them to see His Salvation. Yes, the Bible tells us to sometimes to wait on the Lord, but while we are waiting on Him we are doing something. We are expecting something, hoping for something. Preparing ourselves for something. The Bible supports moving forward. Paul said on one occasion in Philippians 3:1314, "Brethren, I count not myself to be apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Many times in life after working hard all week our goal is to sit around and do nothing. A person may call you and ask you what are you doing and your response is "I am doing nothing." One may ask, do you have plans and your response is "I am doing nothing." It is okay to sit around and do nothing for a day or two but when one sits around and do nothing for a lifetime it can be dangerous. I remember as a boy hearing my grandmother say, if you aim for nothing, you will hit it every time. Paul challenges us to be Proactive in 1 Corinthians 15:58, he says "Always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." HERE IN THE TEXT Here in the text God is telling Joshua that he and the people of Israel need to be proactive. In other words we need to cause something to happen instead of wait for it to happen. (of a policy or person or action) controlling a situation by causing something to happen rather than waiting to respond to it after it happens So much of our Christianity is reacting instead of pro-acting. They need to go forward. God told Joshua that Moses my servant is dead. Moses is dead. MOSES THE . . . Leader of the nation of Israel. Prophet, commander and judge. One who stood in front of Pharaoh and said "Let God’s people go." One God used to bring ten plagues on Egypt. One who instituted the Passover. One who by the mighty hand of God who lifted up his arms and divided the red sea. One who hit rocks and water came from them. One who asked God to give the people manna from heaven and quell meat. One who went up to the mountain and received the Ten Commandments. One who wrote the First 5 books of the Old Testament. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Moses Is Dead. How Do We Know That He Is Dead? God Says "Moses, My Servant Is Dead." Moses was successful but he died. Moses accomplished a lot but he died. Moses was a wonderful leader but he Died. What Can We Learn from Death of Moses? In spite of all our: Success Achievements Accomplishments Good name We all have a destiny with death. James 4:14 says "What is life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away." Notice: Moses is now dead however, his voice is silent but the Voice of God is still speaking, (verse 1). THE POINT IS: Although the man of God dies, the plan and the purpose of God continue to go on. ( Give explanation). The plan and purpose of God are always bigger than the man of God When the man of God dies he does not kill the plan or the purpose of God. Whatever good I have accomplished here at Zion Hill, my prayer is that it will live on. Not necessarily the good name of T L Lewis, but the good works of T L Lewis. We as a people, we as a church need to not only have dreams, goals and visions that we can realize and accomplish in our own life times, but we need have some dreams, goals and visions that will out live us. If you are going to go forward, you have to realize that your purpose and your plans are greater than your past. ISRAEL PAST WAS: Egypt Wilderness Slavery Was depending on someone to provide for them. SOMEBODY LOOKING AT ME RIGHT NOW . . . You got a past of neglect and abuse drugs and alcohol. Lying and stealing. Slipping and sliding Running around IT IS TIME TO PUT THE PAST WHERE IT BELONGS, BEHIND US. This is why God tells Joshua to, "Now, therefore arise, go over this Jordan." (There is a blessing on the other side.) God wanted Joshua to know that the purpose and the plan He had for the Israelites were greater than Egypt and the wilderness. Your future is greater than your past. There is no sense in you longing over your past . . . you have to face the reality that your past is not coming back."\ I know you: Accomplished a lot in the past but your past is not coming back. Achieved a lot in the past but your past is not coming back. Your past is not coming back. Where Were the Children of Israel at this Time? They were in the desert. Why had they been in the desert so long? (TALK ABOUT THE SPIES REPORT) The people were between their bondage and blessing. They were between a breakthrough and a breakdown. They had their eyes on Canaan but their minds were still in Egypt. They had Promised Land desires with Egyptian conduct. Because of their unbelief God made the people stay in the desert a long time. Now God is ready to move them forward. God is ready for them to get up and go get their Blessing. God Tells Joshua, "Now Arise." Don’t wait until tomorrow, now arise. Get up now! Don’t wait until next week, now arise. Get up now! Don’t wait until next year, now arise. Get up now! God commissioned Joshua to arise. Get up now! The Best time of your life is Now. (TALK ABOUT ACHIEVING THINGS NOW) In our text this morning we see that God makes some promises to Joshua. God promised Joshua Provision . . . I will give the land to them, even unto the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. God promised Joshua His Protection . . . "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee . . . " God promised them Prosperity . . . " Only be thou strong and very courageous that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. For Joshua to receive those promises there were some things that he had to do . . . WHAT WERE THEY? He had to be strong and of good courage. God said "Be strong and of a good courage." God said "Only be thou strong and very courageous." This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. God said "Be strong and of a good courage." How could Joshua be strong and of good courage? He could be strong and of good courage because God was with him. In verse God said to Joshua "I am with you whithersoever thou goest." If you are going to go forward in life you must possess the promises of God. You can go forward in the Name of Jesus because God is with you. YOU CAN: Start your business Go back to school Face the future Face your enemies Hospital Face old age What Are Some of the Promises That God Have for You? Hebrew 13:5 "I will never leave you nor forsake you." 1 John 4:4 "Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." Matthew 28:20 "I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Psalms 23 "The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want." Psalms 27 "The Lord is my light and my salvation."