'God Will If We Will - Sermon Outlines. Org
"GOD WILL, IF WE WILL!"
Joshua 10:1-14
TEXT: JOSHUA 10:7-14
INTRO: The whole land of Canaan was the gift of God to His people Israel, but they were slow to go in and possess it. God has abundant blessings for us today if we will just be willing to claim the promises of God! If you will recall Israel wandered for forty years in the wilderness because they rebelled and refused to claim the promises of God. Many times in our Christian life instead of growing and becoming more like Christ we remain at a standstill because we disobey and disbelief the promises of God.
In Joshua 10, we see a conflict that resulted because Israel came to the aid of one of their allies, the Gibeonites. Back in Joshua 9:3-21 we read how the Gibeonites became Israel's ally through a deception on their part. Israel’s victories over Jericho and Ai aroused the whole country to a concerted effort. The Gibeonites were convinced they could never defeat Israel in a war so they pursued peace. They sent emissaries to Joshua disguised as weary and worn travelers on a long journey seeking peace. They had old patched wineskins, torn and dirty clothes, and dry and moldy bread. They lied to Joshua telling him they had come from a distant country seeking a treaty with Israel. Joshua was very suspicious, but after long interrogation made a formal treaty with them.
Upon discovering their deception, Israel's first reaction was to disregard the treaty and destroy the Gibeonites. But Joshua advised that the enemies' deception did not nullify the treaty. Joshua had made a vow to the LORD. To break it would bring God's wrath on Israel. Because of their deception, the Gibeonites became Israel's slaves, something they wanted to avoid. But this curse upon them became a blessing because it was on the behalf of the Gibeonites that God would work a great miracle in Chapter 10. Later the Tabernacle was pitched in Gibeon; still later some Gibeonites helped Nehemiah rebuild the wall.
So it is with God's grace. He is still able to turn our curses into blessings. It is only God's grace that can not only forgive but also overrule mistakes and often bring blessings out of sins and failures. I want to title the message, "God Will If We Will!" Faced with certain slaughter, the Gibeonites sent a runner to Joshua in Gilgal with an insistent plea for help against the overwhelming forces that pressed on them. What would Joshua do? I want you to note four things in the message this evening:
(1) THE LORD HAS WORK FOR US TO DO
JOSHUA 10:1-7—“Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of
Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly
destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done
to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made
peace with Israel, and were among them; That they feared greatly,
because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and
because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.
Wherefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of
Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of
Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying, Come up unto me,
and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with
Joshua and with the children of Israel. Therefore the five kings of
the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of
Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves
together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped
before Gibeon, and made war against it. And the men of Gibeon
sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand
from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us:
for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are
gathered together against us. So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he,
and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.”
A. THE REQUEST. Five kings of the Amorites, with all their hosts, had encamped against Gibeonites. The Gibeonites sent an urgent message to Joshua: "Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly and save us" (v6). We should always be ready to help those in need! Galatians 6:10 says, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
B. THE REQUIREMENT. As soon as the Gibeonites became the allies of Israel they became the enemies of the Amorites. As soon as we became a child of God we became the enemy of the devil! We must not compromise! We read in Jude 3 that we “should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” The reason the work of God is not advancing as it should in our world today is that we are living in an age of compromisers (Jeremiah 6:16)! Joshua had given Israel’s word to the Gibeonites and he could not go back now and compromise the vow he had made (Joshua 9:15-20). Friends, let me say tonight as believers we must keep our vows to the Lord also! WE MUST NOT COMPROMISE:
← The Truth (Galatians 1:6-9). There has been much compromise that has taken place in recent years. Things are being taught and preached in many Churches which are a disgrace to Biblical Christianity! The LORD said it would be so the nearer the time came to His return! (2 Timothy 4:3-4). We that have the "true" Word must stand by that same word! There is no compromise to presenting the Truth of God! Romans 3:4—“Let God be true, but every man a liar" Joshua had given his word. He must stand by his words or else show himself untrustworthy!
← Our Testimony (Revelation 12:10). We overcome Satan by a righteous testimony to the life-changing power of God! (Psalm 107:2). We MUST NOT compromise our testimony by:
1) Our Words (Colossians 4:6).
2) Our Walk (Ephesians 5:15-17)
These two areas of our life bear a striking testimony to this
world to the power of the God we serve! There is a war raging on
all sides for the souls of men, women, boys, and girls. (1 Timothy
6:12)! We must fight Satan through the power of God (James
4:7)! WE MUST:
← Realize God's Enablement (Ephesians 6:10-13).
← Rely On God's Resources (Ephesians 6:14-18).
The Church has never made an impact on this world by being
passive but by being active (Philippians 2:15-16a)! Being passive
was not an option for Joshua. For God had told Israel to go in
and possess the land. This meant fighting against those enemies
who stood in the way! Obedience is not forced on us by God, but
we will answer for our lack of obedience because God has
commanded us “to occupy till He comes!” Friends, each member
of this Church should vow to the Lord to be as faithful to the Lord
as they can be! That is the only way we are going to be successful
as a Church and pleasing to the Lord!
(2) THE LORD WILL ENCOURAGE US
JOSHUA 10:8—“And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I
have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them
stand before thee.”
A. THE PROMISE. The LORD promised Joshua as he prepared for battle, “Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thy hand." Those who have purposed in their heart to do the will of God can expect the help of God! The Lord has promised in Hebrews 13:5-6—“…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” Look at those word in Hebrews 13:6—“The Lord is my helper”, what a precious promise that is! The promise of God had been Joshua's strength and courage in every battle he had faced thus far for the LORD! We can rest in the same promise! Psalm 121:1-3 says, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.”
B. THE POTENTIAL. God had told Joshua after the death of Moses,
"There shall not be any man able to stand before thee all the days of thy
life: as I was with Moses, so shall I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor
forsake thee." (Joshua 1:5). God's promise "Lo, I am with you," can be
claimed by everyone who fights against the wiles of the devil! Psalm
29:11 promises—“The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD
will bless his people with peace.” If we will rest in the presence and
power of God nothing is impossible! (Philippians 4:13). A sign found
above an office read: "We, the unwilling, led by the unqualified, have
been doing the unbelievable for so long with so little, that we now
attempt the impossible with nothing.” (Bible Illustrator For Windows.
Version 3.0f. Copyright 1990-1998, by Parsons Technology, Inc. All
Rights Reserved). That sign could be placed over the door of many
Churches today! We feel so unqualified to do the work of the Lord that
many times we fail to do what we can do! But with God’s guidance,
wisdom, and strength there is no limits to what we can accomplish for
the Lord!
(3) THE LORD'S WILL AND WAY MUST BE EMPLOYED
JOSHUA 10:9—“Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and
went up from Gilgal all night.”
A. READINESS OF HEART. “Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly…”. Joshua lost no time. He had work to do and he had a readiness of heart to do it! Paul said in Colossians 3:23—“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” The word "heartily” is translated from a Greek word that means "from the heart". Our God wants "heart" service not "lip" service! Service must be borne out of love or else it is merely duty! God desires us to serve Him because we love and trust Him! Service is merely love made visible! (John 14:15).
B. READINESS OF SPIRIT. Notice the word “Joshua… went up from Gilgal all night.” Joshua was motivated by God's promise of victory (v8). Victory is promised to all who serve God by His purpose and plan! 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 tells us, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” It says, Joshua “went up from Gilgal all night.” “Going up all night" means some personal sacrifices must be made! Great victories in this life are seldom won without sacrifice! We must be willing to forsake all for the LORD! In Luke 14:33 Jesus said—“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” Whatever the Lord requires that we sacrifice to give our all to Him we must be willing to forsake!
ILLUS: The captain of a Coast Guard rescue crew ordered his craft out
to rescue a ship floundering on the reefs. The first mate
protested, "the gale is terrific and the reefs are terribly
treacherous. We could probably get out there, but we could
never get back." The captain replied, "Launch out the boat!
We don't have to get back. But we have to go out!" -- Alvin
Rogress (Albert M. Wells, Jr. Inspiring Quotations-
Contemporary & Classical. p. 179).
God's way of showing His love for us was the sacrifice of His son for our
sins! Our way of showing our love for Him is our sacrifice of self! It is
one of the hardest sacrifices we have to offer. (Romans 12:1-2). It is
when we forget ourselves that we do things that are most likely to be
remembered.
(4) THE LORD'S RESOURCES MUST BE USED
JOSHUA 10:10-14—“And the LORD discomfited them before Israel,
and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them
along the way that goeth up to Beth-horon, and smote them to
Azekah, and unto Makkedah. And it came to pass, as they fled from
before Israel, and were in the going down to Beth-horon, that the
LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah,
and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they
whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. Then spoke
Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the
Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of
Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the
valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until
the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this
written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of
heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there
was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened
unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.”
A. THE WEAPONS EMPLOYED. God's people have at their disposal all the resources needed to fight the advances of the Enemy! 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” What are some the weapons that Israel had at their disposal:
← Israel Had The Sword (vll). We also have the Sword of the Spirit-The Word of God (Hebrews 4:12). God's Word is one of the mightiest weapons we have in our arsenal! Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever.” Yet many of us spend little time in reading and studying its precious truths! (2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16-17). Someone has said, "Disregard the study of God (and His word) and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life, blindfolded, as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds you." -- J.I. Packer (Albert M. Wells, Jr. Inspiring Quotations-Contemporary & Classical. p. 15).
← Israel Had Another Weapon Called "Hailstones from Heaven." Those who war against God have more to reckon with than they dream of. God fights for His people! Isaiah 59:19b says, "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up. a standard against him". Deuteronomy 20:4 promises, “For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” Our concerns are His concerns! Our battles are His battles! Our warfare is His warfare!
← Israel’s Final Weapon Brought Into Action Was Daring Faith ((l John 5:4)! Joshua realizing the day of battle was wearing on and knowing that the pursuit of the enemy would be long and arduous; took to the LORD an unusual request: "O Sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the valley of Aijalon” (v12) (John F. Walvoord & Roy B. Zuck. The Bible Knowledge Commentary. Volume One. p. 350). In the work we have to do for the LORD and in the battles we face against Satan, we must realize that day is swiftly departing and night soon shall be upon us! Jesus said in John 9:4—“ I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” Those words are surely true of us also! Our time to serve the Lord and win others to Him surely are running out swiftly! When Joshua said to the LORD in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand still upon Gibeon,” it was not only an unprecedented, but also an unimaginable, venture of faith. (James Smith and Robert Lee. Handfuls on Purpose. Volume 4. Series 10. p. 244).
B. THE WONDERFUL EXHIBITED. Joshua clearly needed more time if he were to realize the fulfillment of God's promise (v8). At the most he had 12 hours of daylight ahead of Him. (John F. Walvoord & Roy B. Zuck. The Bible Knowledge Commentary. Volume One. p. 350). He believed God would answer his request and work a miracle! In Mark 9:23 we read—“If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” Joshua prayed in faith and God responded with a great miracle! (Matthew 21:22). The problem we have today is that we don't believe God! (Matthew 17:20). Here we see a wonderful exhibition of God’s great power! What was the miracle God performed? God caused the rotation of the earth to slow down so that it made one full rotation in 48 rather than in 24 hours (v13) (John F. Walvoord & Roy B. Zuck. The Bible Knowledge Commentary. Volume One. p. 351). This gave Joshua and his soldiers ample time to be victorious over their enemies! Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel (v14).
God's power was greatly evident to Joshua that day. God's power is still
at the disposal of those consecrated to His service (Matthew 28:18-20)!
It would be just as easy for God today to stop the solar system and start
it again, if need be, as He did in Joshua's day! We, as God's people,
should still expect miracles, and when we trust God, we will not be
disappointed! Jesus said in Matthew 9:29—“According to thy faith be it
unto you.” The reason we don't see great miracles today is that we don't
exercise the faith we have! (Hebrews 11:6). Our service to God for
many has become mere routine, our worship of God has become ritual,
and we see our love and loyalty to God as a responsibility instead of a
privilege!
CLOSING: Friend, do you have the faith to believe God tonight? The Faith to
believe that He can and still does great things? Psalm 72:18 says,
"Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth
wondrous things."
Let us all pray tonight, "LORD…help thou mine unbelief." Lord, help
us to believe that you can do a mighty work in our midst! Help us
to believe that you can use us so that your name might be glorified
and praised! Lord, help us make ourselves available for you
service!
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