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JUST ONE LOT Finders in the Forest JOSHUA 17:14-15 TONY LLOYD LEWIS Josh 17:14-15 14 Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given us only one lot and one share to inherit, since we are a great people, inasmuch as the Lord has blessed us until now?" 15 So Joshua answered them, "If you are a great people, then go up to the forest and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you." NKJV � � This morning I want to preach on the madwort JUST ONE LOT. This is without a doubt one of the most crucial periods in the history of the people of God. The nation had been staggered and shocked by the death of Moses. � The people were confused and disillusioned because they had come to rely on Moses for many years. They had come to believe that he was in touch with God and that God was in touch with him. For most of them Moses was the only spiritual leader many of them had known. And now he was gone. His epitaph read, "Moses my servant is dead." When you read the 34th chapter of Deuteronomy, you will discover that the death of Moses came as a shock and a surprise. Although he was 120 years old, his eyes were not dim nor had he lost his strength and vigor. He was not some old feeble leader who the folk were expecting to pass of the scene at any moment. Therefore, his death was a shock to everybody. To everybody but, the Lord. To people the death of Moses was a tragedy but, to God it was precious. For the psalmist declares that precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints (Psalm 116.15) The people saw the death of Moses as a tragedy but, in the eyes of the Lord it was simply the next step in his plan of redemption. The mantel that had been borne by Moses for 40 years was now being transferred to the shoulders of Joshua. However, the nation was still in a panic over the death of Moses. They had come a long ways as a people but, they were still a wilderness people. And it takes a wilderness people a long time to make an adjustment to a new society. Wilderness people don't accept transition and change easily. Wilderness people need time to weep and mourn. Wilderness people need time rehash old hash. Wilderness people need time for reflection on things as they once were. Wilderness people need time to talk about what we use to do. Wilderness people just don't accept transitions smoothly. ? The Bible says that the children of Israel wept and mourn over Moses for thirty days in the plains of moa. And when the thirty days ended so did their weeping and mourning. And at the end of the thirty days they submitted themselves to the God picked successor of Moses, Joshua. Notice now the Lord chose Joshua as the successor Moses, not the people. God would not entrust that decision to them. He knew that the grasshopper people were in charge. And folk with grasshopper faith frighten people bound for the promised land. After a series of victories they were now ready to inhabit the promised land. The land flowing with milk and honey. The land of Canaan. �Here they were people of the wilderness bound for the promised land. POINT ONE And that brings us to our text. God had given them victory over the Canaanite and as always in the time of war to the victor goes the spoils. That is if there is anything of value to be had at the end of a war then quite naturally the winning side gets the prize. In this instance the prize was a land flowing with milk and honey. It was the promised land. Now here is where the problems begins. As leader it became Joshua's responsibility to divide the land between the twelve tribes of Israel. Parents you know the problems that can arise when it comes to dividing between the children. Mother had a way of minimizing all friction when it came to dividing she would let one of us do the dividing and the other would get the first choice. The dividing of the land of Canaan was going very good for Joshua until he came to the tribe of Joseph whom Manasseh and Ephraim were descendants. (As a matter of fact it was the tribe Joshua himself was part of) their greed would not let them be satisfied with their inherited portion. Joshua had divided the land between the twelve tribes and one of the twelve, the second largest was not satisfied. Every other group was content with their inheritance except the tribe of Ephraim and Manasseh. Those of you who are leaders in the church, and those of you who aspire for Christian leadership learn this lesson well . . . you can't please everybody. That is why you ought to make it your aim in life that of pleasing God and not man. For if you choose the latter if you choose to try and please folk instead of God then you will be forever frustrated. You end up with ulcers, heart problems, shot nerves and sleepless nights. Representative from the tribe of Joseph were sent to Joshua to lodge their complaint. (Let me say this parenthetically, you know that the way a lot of complainers are they never come to you with their complaints they never confront you but, what they will do send a representative.) Look we are not satisfied with this inheritance. We are the second largest tribe in the promised land. Surely we deserve more we are the sons of Joseph, we are Jacob's favorite son by his favorite wife Rachel. What a pity? Here they were willing to misuse the integrity of the memory of Joseph in order to manipulate Joshua into doing things their way. Some folk will misuse the name of the dead as well as the living. They will even lie on God. They wanted more than their share. The peculiar thing about the sin of selfishness and greed is that more never satisfies. The selfish covetous soul is never content with more. POINT TWO. They were a large and prestigious tribe, as a matter fact in their complaint to Joshua they testified of their own greatness. We are a great people. This plot of land just wont do for us. Joshua you got to come up with something else. Here they were a powerful and prestigious tribe bickering over a local plot of land. You see power and prestige don't necessarily preclude pettiness. In other words don't ever suppose that pettiness is just the sin of poor and working class. I have served on the board of directors of several secular self help and community organizations. Some have proven themselves to be worthy and well-needed subsidiaries for human development. Others have proven to be a waste of time, talent, and treasure. I never shall forget this one board in particular there were medical doctors, a couple of attorneys, several wealthy independent business. But, there were times when nothing productive would ever take place in the meetings because of the pettiness of egos. Some folk spend a great deal of time boasting about who they are; what they have accomplished but, if you follow them around you will discover that most of their time and energy is spent struggling over local plots. When the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh demanded more land and boasted of their greatness Joshua responded with a thusly: "If thou be a great people then get up to the forest and cut down for yourself. If you are not satisfied with your share of the inheritance, the local plots then lift up your eyes and there is the forest. ? You want more power, then earn it, there is the forest. You want more prestige, then earn it, there is the forest You want more prominence, then earn it, there is the forest. You want more popularity, then earn, there is the forest. You want to be a big shot, then earn, there is the forest ? One of the things that stunt and stagnate the community of faith (and I am not just talking about numerical growth but, spiritual growth is that we spend most of our time and energy fighting over local plots, rather than becoming a finder in the forest. So many folk have never even taken a glance at the forest, they are so busy working and reworking the local plots, all the their money energy is spent investing in local plots. All their time is spent in dialogue and debates over the local plots. Well I stopped by this morning to tell you that the local plot of competitive church activities are overworked and overcrowded. If you want to develop Christian character then quit concentrating your efforts in struggling for local plots among the tribes. Set your sights for the forest. It's time for organized religion to set its sights for the forest. Instead of fussing and fighting over local plots set your sights on the forest. So often in our associations and conventions across the length and breadth of this we struggle over local plots when the other folk are making progress in the forest. Some times they will even use us to cut down their trees, clear their Forrest, harvest their crops, pick their cotton; then send us back home to fuss and fight among ourselves over a local plot. Now don't think that this business of fighting over local plots is the confined to the African American church in the 20th century. It even happened in the upper room. That last supper scene was not one of peace and tranquility but, rather it was one of bickering and backbiting. Their sights were centered around the roman empire, a local plot. They wanted to insure and assure titles for themselves in the local plot. They failed to realize that the master didn't have a local plot religion but a forest religion. In a local plot religion titles are important. In a local plot religion titles are impressive. But in a forest religion testimonies are more important. ? Pharaoh had title but, Moses had a testimony Nebuchadnezzar had a title but, Daniel had a testimony Ahab had a title but, Elijah had a testimony Agrippa had a title but, Paul had a testimony Pilate had title but, Jesus had a testimony ? POINT THREE If you are truly great don't bicker and backbite over local plots but, rather set your sights for the forest. You want more land then don't plot produce. Joshua responded to their complaint with a by saying. " You want more land, more power then earn it in the forest. You want more then you have to work and earn it. You have to conquer the forest." When I was growing up there were some tennis shoes called Keds. They were plain and ordinary, and cheap. You could buy them for $2.99 plus tax. �And then there were All Stars. They cost $9.99 plus tax. If you had a pair of All Stars it was a status symbol it meant that you had arrived. The teachers even treated you better if you had a pair all stars that cost $9.99 plus tax. I indicated to my mother my absolute and desperate need for a pair of all stars. My plea to her was that a pair of all stars was not something that I just wanted but, that I absolutely and positively needed a pair of all stars that cost $9.99 plus tax. Guest what . . . my mother did not run out and buy those all stars that I absolutely and positively needed. She bought U.S. Keds. for $2.99 plus tax. She said in essence that if you want all stars that cost $9.99 plus tax you need roll your sleeves up get up to forest and cut down for yourself. ? I became a finder in the forest. I sold grit newspaper, I raked leaves, I cut grass, ? I sold greeting cards and got my All Stars that cost $9.99 plus tax. I found my All Stars in the forest. Young people, conquer the forest. Yes, its going to take work. ? It's going to take coming home from school on time It's going to take turning that t.v. off. It's going to take staying off the phone. It's going to take doing your homework. It's going to take turning it in on time. It's going to take doing more than what's required of you. ? And if you want a pair of air Jordan, Reebok, Nike, and all mamma and daddy can afford is those K-mart specials. Don't you fuss and fret with your parents, McDonald got some uniforms that will fit you. Get to the forest and cut down for yourself. ? Forest victories take work. Forest victories don't just roll in on the wheels of inevitability. Forest victories are the result of those who choose to become workers instead of shirkers. Forest victories are the result of those who choose to become winners instead of losers. Forest victories are the result of those who choose to roll up their sleeves and get to work rather than sit around on their butts waiting for somebody to give them something. ? You just can't sit around and wait for a forest victory to happen. Like the lazy farmer who said lighting struck his old broken down shed and saved him the trouble of having to tear it down. And when it rained it washed his car and saved him the trouble of having to do it. Somebody asked him what are you waiting on now. He said an earthquake to shake the potatoes out of the ground. The point is that if you accept the demands of the forest then you got to be prepared to work for it. The forest is demanding but there is something about a difficult task that makes us appreciate it more. You see what comes easily goes easily. When it comes to our children, we want them to have an easier life than we had but, the same time we don't want to hand them everything on a silver platter because in the process it would stunt their growth of character and dull their sense of appreciation. And so we seek to find a happy medium. The point is that we must allow our children to have forest experiences. CONCLUSION ? Well now as I hurry to a close, let me tell you what you can expect to find in the forest and what kind of tools you need to do the job. The forest in our text was a dense Forrest area with a lot of rich land. It was difficult to occupy because the Canaanite who dwelled there had chariots of iron, i.e., they had those sharp spears that would cut down anything and every thing that was in their path. And they were not about to give up their rich land without a fight. You see the richest territory is always the most difficult to occupy. So don't ever suppose that you are going to waltz in and occupy the forest without a fight. You want the best then be the best that you can be. oung people you want the best job at the office then prepare for it. The forest is not just going to knock on your door, fall into your lap. The tribe of Joseph initially wanted to back down but, Joshua would not let them. He knew that they were a great people and well able to accept the demands of the forest. The forest may be frightening but, you got to march on. In our contemporary time the forest is not inhabited by Canaanite with iron chariots. ? In the forest there are some jobs to be had In the forest there some degrees to be earned In the forest there are some skills to be learned In the forest there are trades to be learned. In the forest there are some dreams to be fulfilled In the forest there are goals to be reached. In the forest there are some aspirations to be achieved. In the forest there are some all stars to be worked for. ? Now not every forest experience is a channel to achieve personal goals. There is another element in the forest. There is a negative element in the forest waiting to be transformed. In our contemporary times the forest is inhabited . . . ? By dope addicts, dope pushers, Pimps, prostitutes, Gang members, and wanna bees Hungry and homeless humanity, The hopeless and the helpless, The dispossessed and the disinherited, The outcast and the downtrodden The lost and the misguided. ? They are out there in the forest. They are fields white unto harvest. In the forest you can transform lives with the power of the gospel. Now you can either stay in your little local plot and live lives of quite desperation or you can transform the kingdom of the forest in the kingdom of our Christ. But it takes the right tools. You need three things if you are going to be successful in making a Godly difference in the forest. First of all you need to be equipped with a faith that is vast and visionary. In other words you need to plan for both time and eternity. There are some seeds that you have plant that you don't even expect to see in your own life time. Secondly, you need a hankering and hunger for the high country. You must be so thoroughly dissatisfied with local plots, with status quo, with business as usual, with playing church that you are willing to roll up your sleeves and get to work making the forest a reality. Thirdly, you need to be unshackled by the tragic trap of tradition. Some wise sage once that the seven last words of a dead church are we've been doing it this way for years. You got to be willing to charter new territory; launch out into the deep. Anybody here this morning willing to accept the demands of the forest.