Sun Stand Still.

Steve Gentry

[0:09] We’ll go ahead and have a seat. [0:10] Welcome to Village Church. [0:11] This is your first time here. [0:13] My name’s Steve, one of the pastors here at Village Church. [0:15] And as always, I’m thankful and grateful to see each and every one of you this morning. [0:20] If you have a Bible, go ahead and open it to Joshua, Chapter 10.

[0:23] We’re going to be starting in verse one there this morning. [0:26] We’re going to read most of the chapter and then I’ll talk about the whole chapter. [0:30] But if you’ve been with us throughout this series [0:33] or you haven’t been with us throughout this series, understand that what we’ve seen thus [0:37] far in the book of Joshua is God’s faithfulness contrasted with humanity’s unfaithfulness. [0:43] Specifically in the book of Joshua, we’ve seen so many times where Israel has received

[0:48] the blessing of God and then they’ve responded by being unfaithful, by disobeying the very [0:54] commands that would lead to the promises that God has offered them. [0:57] Last Sunday, specifically, we looked at the Gibeonites, how they successfully deceived [1:02] Israel because Israel trusted their own discernment more than they trusted the wisdom of God. [1:08] Yet in all of it, and specifically last week, we saw God’s grace to the nation of Israel, [1:13] that while they were unfaithful, God was still faithful to deliver on his promises.

[1:18] He allowed them to have the land of the Gibeonites. [1:21] But then in Joshua 10, we’re going to cover today, we’re going to cover what really is [1:25] one of my favorite narratives of scripture because it focuses on both the faithfulness, [1:30] but also the power of God to deliver on what he has promised and just how far reaching [1:37] that power that he has goes. [1:39] From the very beginning of Joshua, there is a continued focus on the people of Israel

[1:45] receiving the command from God that they needed to be strong, that they needed to be courageous. [1:49] The foundation of that command really is the power of God and the faithfulness of God to fulfill [1:56] every single one of the promises that he makes. [1:58] You can have all the strength you get, have all the courage in the world, [2:01] and without the power, without the faithfulness, without the promise of God, [2:05] none of it’s going to do you any good.

[2:08] And Joshua 10, we’re actually going to see how far reaching that power of God is. [2:12] We also see how committed he is to empower his people to be obedient to the commands [2:19] that he’s given us. [2:21] The larger the miracle, the more fascinating the text is to me. [2:24] I don’t know if you know this or not, but even in scripture, which is a miraculous book, [2:29] miracles are not that common.

[2:31] Many, many decades, sometimes hundreds of years will take place in between the miracles [2:36] that scripture teaches us about. [2:38] And so even in the Bible, the miraculous is uncommon, but what we’re going to look at today [2:42] is even more uncommon in the scope of the miracles of scripture. [2:47] It divides everything that we understand about the world, and that’s really the point. [2:53] Point is that God can do the miraculous because he created every ounce of this world.

[2:57] He created everything that exists. [2:59] And I want you to pay attention throughout this narrative to both the implications and [3:03] the applications that we’re going to be able to make to our very lives that we live in this world [3:08] because of God’s power over every aspect of creation. [3:14] I just want to start reading in Joshua 10. [3:16] One I’m going to read quite a few verses to begin.

[3:19] As soon as Adonai Zedek, the king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured A.I. [3:24] and had devoted it to destruction, doing to A.I. and its king as he had done to Jericho [3:29] and its king and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, [3:34] he feared greatly because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, [3:40] and because it was greater than A.I. and all its men were warriors. [3:44] So Adonai Zedek, king of Jerusalem, sent to Hosham, king of Hebron, to Perim, king of Jarmoth,

[3:50] to Japhia, king of Lachish, to Debir, king of Eglin, saying, Come up to me and help me, [3:56] and let us strike Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel. [4:01] Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, king of Hebron, king of Jarmoth, [4:06] king of Lachish, and king of Eglin, gathered their forces and went up with all their armies [4:11] and camped against Gibeon and made war against it. And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the [4:17] camp of Gilgal, saying, Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and

[4:23] save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered [4:28] against us. So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the mighty [4:33] men of Valor, and the Lord said to Joshua, Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands, [4:40] not a man of them shall stand before you. So Joshua came up on them suddenly, having marched [4:46] up all night from Gilgal, and the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with [4:53] a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Bethhoron, and struck them as far

[4:59] as Azekah and Makkada. And as they fled before Israel while they were going down the ascent of [5:05] Bethhoron, the Lord threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. [5:13] There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword. [5:21] And that’s only the second most spectacular miracle that we’re going to talk about today. [5:27] Number one this morning, I want you to glean from the text that faith demands aligning your life [5:31] with God’s purposes. Faith demands aligning your life with God’s purposes. Joshua 10 starts,

[5:38] much like Joshua 9 started, with a reminder of the level of resistance that was standing against [5:44] the nation of Israel. The rulers that were already in the promised land are now afraid of the nation [5:49] of Israel because of all that had taken place. Now they’re using a strategy to go against a small [5:55] portion of the land that Israel had already taken in order to take it back. They were not going to [6:01] face Israel head on, rather they were going to seek to take Gibeon back and all the land that [6:07] was provided because in their mind if they can take Gibeon they will be able to take Israel because

[6:12] of the might of the Gibeonites. This is a strategy that we need to understand takes place throughout [6:19] all of scripture when you’re going to face the enemy standing against you. It’s not always going [6:23] to be a frontal assault. Instead the enemy is going to be crafty. He will seek to find a foothold [6:30] in your life and it’s rarely going to be the very place that you thought it was going to come from. [6:37] It’s not usually a Harry Potter movie that gives Satan a foothold in your life regardless of what [6:42] the legalist will tell you. Rather oftentimes it’s going to be the place that you don’t expect it to

[6:48] be and in this sense Joshua’s probably expecting that the enemies are going to keep standing [6:53] against him and the way that they’ve been standing against him over and over as they make conquests [6:58] going to encounter the enemy they’re going to fight the enemy God is going to deliver them into [7:01] your hand but understand that the enemy is going to use strategy. The king of Jerusalem gathers [7:07] five other kings just as we saw kings unite together against Israel last week but now [7:12] instead of standing directly against Israel they’re going to try to get a foothold

[7:17] in Gibeon and they’re going to try to use that against the Israelites in order to take space [7:23] in their lives. They’re going to seek to be very underhanded. I’ll tell you the very place that you [7:30] don’t expect the enemy to seek strategy to discourage you in your life against taking [7:35] hold of the promises of God is exactly the place that he’s going to go after. What is it in life [7:40] that discourages you? What is discouraging you from taking hold of entering into a calling or [7:46] obeying a specific place in scripture or repenting of a specific sin in your life? What is it that is

[7:53] discouraging you from doing that? And I will tell you that is exactly the place that the enemy [7:57] is getting a foothold in the very life that you are living in this world. So this coalition of kings [8:03] seeks to take back the land that Israel has already taken. Word is sent to Joshua. Joshua mobilizes [8:09] the mighty men of Israel. They have to go down to face the enemy that are standing against them. [8:16] And God gives Joshua a faithful reminder. I love the way that God does that throughout scripture. [8:21] Joshua is already mobilizing himself, but it’s possible that Joshua is going to forget. And

[8:28] God puts a reminder in his life. He looks at Joshua and he says, Joshua, don’t be afraid of these people [8:32] go. You’re going to beat them. Not a single man is going to be able to stand against you. [8:39] It always amazes me. The spiritual amnesia that we often encounter when we’re seeking to take hold [8:45] of the promises of God in our lives. It’s really sinful amnesia that brings doubt into the playing [8:51] field of faith. You know, difficulty doesn’t nullify the promises of God. Oftentimes rather [8:57] difficulty reveals to us the need to strengthen our resolve against the resistance of the enemy

[9:03] because faith is always going to demand obedience to God. I often say it’s not complicated, but it’s [9:12] very, very difficult. So many times we treat faith as though it is some type of enigma that we can’t [9:18] quite define. We can’t quite wrap our minds around. If all that you understand is that faith is going [9:23] to demand obedience from you towards God, that is a simple enough definition. Faith always demands [9:30] you be obedient to God. And that is exactly the source you need to understand that the greatest [9:35] discouragement is going to come into your life. You’re going to be discouraged from obeying God

[9:42] and understand that every ounce of that discouragement is a temptation to unfaithfulness [9:47] and that is exactly what Satan wants to bring into your life. Faith is only ever found in aligning [9:53] your life with God’s purposes. It doesn’t matter the difficulty and it doesn’t matter the level [9:59] of effort necessary. James 2 17 notes that faith without works is dead. It is useless. [10:08] It’s not going to do you or anyone else in this world any good. Faith always propels you. [10:16] Into a life of actively obeying the call of God in your life. When God demands faith from Joshua,

[10:24] it is a call to align his life with God’s purposes. This is no different than God’s call [10:30] in Joshua chapter 1. So why does God bring this into his life? Because God loves to bring [10:36] reminders into the lives of his people. Because you’re forgetful. So often the spiritual warfare [10:42] takes place in your life is one by which you are so discouraged that you forget even the promises [10:48] that God has made. And because you forget his promises, you believe that the resistance that [10:53] you are going to encounter is insurmountable. You’ll never get beyond the barrier that’s in

[10:58] front of you in life. You’ll never get through the hardship that you’re dealing with in your life. [11:03] You’ll never endure the suffering to see the other side. You are never going to be able to live up to [11:09] that which God has commanded you to take hold of. Do you not understand the source of such discouragement? [11:17] It’s always the enemy bringing that into your life. And so God faithfully brings a reminder [11:24] into Joshua’s mind. Joshua, I am going to deliver the enemy into your hand. Does he do this because [11:33] it is a new promise? No, he does this because it is a reminder that Joshua needs to stay

[11:39] faithful. After your first step of obedience is over, do you know what the next step is? More obedience. [11:48] Obedience upon obedience upon obedience upon obedience is how you build a life of following [11:55] Jesus Christ. Therefore, what is going to be the way that you walk away from Jesus Christ? I need [12:02] you to understand it’s always going to be disobedience. God’s made clear his calling on every one of our [12:07] lives. He’s made it clear through scripture. And so what is the temptation going to be? Well, the [12:11] temptation is always going to be to disobey God. And we live as though we always remember that.

[12:18] Yet when a difficult moment comes in your life, what is the first thing that you do? You despair [12:23] of the faithfulness of God. And when you despair of the faithfulness of God, you will lose your [12:28] motivation to obey God. You’ll cease the forward movement that God has called you on. I love the way [12:35] that the text reads. It states that Joshua came upon the enemy suddenly. Sure, it might have been [12:42] sudden for the Amorites, but it wasn’t sudden for Joshua. What else does the text tell us? The text [12:46] tells us Joshua had to march all night to get there. Most of what you do in life where obedience

[12:53] to God is concerned is not going to be seen by anybody else. The moment of the fight looks [13:01] sudden to the enemy, but the preparation for what God has called you toward is sometimes going to [13:06] take weeks, months, years of preparation in the dark. One of my mentors used to tell me, Steve, [13:12] labor in absolute obscurity, because no one is going to applaud the effort that it takes to [13:22] build a life of faithfulness for you to be prepared in the moment that it is necessary, [13:28] in the moment of temptation, in the moment of resistance, in the moment of hardship,

[13:33] in the moment of suffering. No one is going to applaud the years of faith building that it took [13:40] to get you to that moment. So do you want to know where the discouragement usually comes? [13:45] The discouragement usually comes when you’re walking in the dark and nobody’s looking.

[13:51] The discouragement comes during the process of preparation so that you will not be ready when [13:57] the enemy strikes. Friends, if you live by the applause of man, you will not be prepared for [14:06] what it takes. If you live for people to look at you and say, thank you, you’re never going to [14:11] make it. If you live for people to look at you and say, you’re doing a great job, you’re never [14:17] going to make it. Labor in obscurity to build the type of faith that’s required for the unknowns [14:24] that are going to happen in your life. When God demands faith from Joshua, it’s a call to align

[14:30] his life with his purposes, which is going to put him in pursuit of a fight. That’s different than [14:34] the way most of us think about spiritual success. We don’t like to think about it as a fight. [14:40] We don’t like to think about it as God is preparing us because we’re going to face [14:43] resistance and we’re going to have to fight our way out of it. And we might think about that [14:48] allegorically, but that’s not the way it was Joshua. That’s not what Joshua was facing. [14:53] Joshua was literally going to have a physical fight in front of him and God is calling him

[14:56] to encounter it, to go towards it. So many of us spend our entire lives passive. [15:04] We spend our lives avoiding battles. We spend our lives avoiding conflict of any kind, and that is [15:10] going to cost you from seeing God work in amazing ways. Joshua was called by God to get into the [15:18] battle. You should not spend your life looking for a fight, but we live in a time when people [15:26] are convinced that the most effective game plan and the most successful game plan is going to be [15:32] one of passivity. It’s going to be one of avoidance. Friends, I need you to understand that that is

[15:38] what cowardice looks like. When God calls you to exhibit faith, it demands you always be prepared [15:45] to fight for what God has called you towards. Because I don’t know what you’re dealing with [15:52] right now, but understand that the fight is coming at some point. And for most of you, [15:57] if you’re going to have a faith worth living for, it’s going to demand a fight at many points. [16:03] When God calls you to exhibit faith, it demands you be prepared for battle because rather than [16:08] seeking for weakness, friends, you should always seek to strengthen yourselves because I’m certain

[16:13] that scripture reveals a faith worth having is one that is going to encounter the fight and your [16:19] avoidance won’t win you the acclaim of an unbelieving world the way that you think it will. [16:26] Rather, your avoidance is just going to lead to all of your neighbors and co-workers looking at [16:30] you and thinking, well, he’s just like me. He or she must not have anything that I need in my life. [16:36] It’s through the type of faith that demands a cost be paid that you’re going to reveal the [16:42] difference between yourself and other people. All that many people reveal in this life is a

[16:47] dead faith that isn’t worth having. Because when you march all night and then get into the fight [16:53] that God calls you towards, you just might see God throw down large stones from heaven to give you [16:58] an advantage. What a sight. Think about that, Joshua, and all of the mighty men, they march [17:04] all night long. They start fighting. They’re like, okay, I guess we got this. Oh, I guess God has [17:11] this. Must have been such a sight. Text describes them as hailstones. I prefer to think of them as [17:17] large boulders, rocks being thrown from heaven. However, the look of them, the text is very clear.

[17:24] This was no simple hailstorm. Rather, it says that God himself sent down stones to fall on the enemy. [17:33] Note the precision of the miracle as it didn’t fall on any of the Israelites, according to the [17:37] text. God gives the victory, but understand God in this instance defined the victory would come [17:45] through his hand being involved. The text is clear. It says that the stones that fell from the skies [17:52] killed more of the Amorites than the Israelites themselves killed by the sword. I can’t even [17:59] imagine what that must have been like in the moment of battle. And so when you start reading

[18:03] stories like this and the skeptics try to make you doubt the miraculous, understand that according [18:09] to John chapter one through one, three, all things were made through the hand of Jesus Christ. And [18:14] without Jesus, there was not anything made that was made. This is his world. And so the miraculous [18:20] is God choosing to either bend natural law or break his natural law completely to bring about [18:28] his purposes and a moment where he does not want there to be confusion over who is to get the glory [18:34] out of that situation. God wanted to shout loud and clear victory was from his hand, but note

[18:45] the process that Joshua and the mighty men had to go through in order to see the miracle. [18:51] Number two, this morning, I want you to understand that God responds to faithful obedience. [18:57] God responds to faithful obedience. In verse 12, we continue. The text says, [19:06] at that time, Joshua spoke to the Lord in the, in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to [19:12] the sons of Israel. I don’t know if you forgot to have his quiet time that morning, but Joshua’s [19:16] in the middle of a fight and he says, you know what, just a good time for prayer.

[19:21] And he said in the sight of Israel, sun, stand still at Gibeon and moon in the valley of [19:29] Eijalon. And the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance upon [19:34] their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven, [19:40] did not hurry to set for about a whole day. There has been no day like this before or since [19:45] when the Lord heated the voice of man for the Lord fought for Israel. So Joshua returned and all [19:53] Israel with him to the camp at Gilgal. These five Kings fled and hid themselves in the cave

[19:59] at Maketa. And it was told to Joshua, the five Kings have been found hidden in the cave at Maketa. [20:07] And Joshua said, roll large stones against the mouth of the cave and set men by it to guard them, [20:11] but do not stay there yourselves. Pursue your enemies, attack their rear guard. Do not let [20:17] them enter their cities for the Lord your God has given them into your hand. When Joshua and the [20:23] sons of Israel had finished striking them with a great blow until they were wiped out. And when [20:29] the remnant that remained of them had entered into the fortified cities, then all the people returned

[20:35] safe to Joshua in the camp at Maketa. Not a man moved his tongue against any of the people [20:43] of Israel. Of course, I’d be afraid to speak against them too at that point. [20:48] As I said, the stones falling from heaven, that’s only the second most amazing miracle [20:52] of that day. But what I love is everything that took place around this great request and God [20:59] giving into the request that Joshua made of the sun standing still. Now I don’t know if that means [21:05] the earth stopped rotating. I don’t know if that means the earth stopped in axis. Trust me,

[21:09] I know I’ve heard from all of the skeptics that if any of that had taken place, every single person [21:14] at one time on earth would have died unless the very person that designed the earth decided that [21:19] not every person would die in this miracle. I don’t know how the miracle took place, but I [21:23] absolutely believe that God made the day as long as he wanted to make it on that day in response [21:32] to the prayer of Joshua. But what I love to consider is everything that took place before, [21:42] during, and after that miracle was defined by postures of obedience to God.

[21:50] Years ago, I heard someone respond to this miracle and make the statement that if you [21:54] want to see the sun stand still, sometimes you have to march all night. The miracles of [22:00] the scripture are of course fascinating. This is probably in my opinion, outside of the resurrection [22:05] of Jesus Christ, one of the most amazing miracles of all of scripture. But once you accept that God [22:12] has the ability to raise the dead, it’s not difficult to begin to accept all of the other [22:17] miraculous events that take place in scripture. Joshua makes the request of God, God make the sun

[22:24] stand still. And it’s fascinating because his prayer isn’t dressed up with all of the language. [22:29] I mean, he didn’t even begin with dear heavenly father. Kind of prayer doesn’t start with dear [22:33] heavenly father. I’ve often realized that the greatest prayers of our lives are rarely [22:42] the ones that are scripted. The moments that move your faith the most are rarely the ones [22:48] that take place in King James English. It’s rarely the ones that are adorned with all 33 [22:55] names of God that you’ve memorized in the original language.

[23:00] I used to pray with guys in my dorm at the college that I went to and there was just this one guy, [23:05] can I just be honest, I hated the way he prayed. I could not wait until he was done [23:11] because he wouldn’t stop saying most gracious heavenly father and he would insert it in places [23:16] where I was like, I don’t think God wanted it there. Doesn’t even make sense. That doesn’t [23:21] fit the sentence. I don’t even know what the subject is. I don’t know what the verb is. I [23:24] don’t even know what you’re doing at this point. Would you just get on with it, man?

[23:28] You’re not better than me. I know you’ve done that when other people have prayed at Thanksgiving. [23:32] You’re just hungry. You don’t want to hear the script. But the most powerful prayers of our [23:38] lives, I think I really am convinced are just going to come in moments of necessity.

[23:44] Moments where we’ve reached the end of our strength and we realize the foolishness of [23:48] our strength and we just say, God do something. It may not be exactly God do something. It might [23:55] be as simple as this. Joshua looks to the heavens and he says, son, stand still. Doesn’t even sound [24:00] like he’s talking to God. Sounds kind of like he’s trying to be God in that moment. But we know that [24:07] he isn’t because of his faithfulness to God. Joshua, before this miracle received the command [24:14] of God, go fight, win. Joshua marches all night. The Amorites look and they say, he is suddenly

[24:22] coming upon us. They are defeating us. And I think in that moment, Joshua, the commander of [24:29] the army, he realizes there’s not enough daylight left for me to obey the full command of God. [24:38] I need more sunlight so that I can make sure not a single one of them are standing against us. [24:45] And so Joshua’s prayer comes from a heart of obedience and he says, God move heaven and earth. [24:52] Why? So that I can obey you. So that I can fulfill your calling on my life. [25:00] So many of us, we spend all of our energy doing what we are capable of in our own wisdom

[25:09] by the rules of what we think we are capable of, our potential, what the world says is possible [25:17] from us. Friend, I will tell you prayer is an invitation into the realm of what may not be [25:24] possible by your hands, but that which is always possible through the hands of God. [25:31] I’m challenged by the faith of Joshua here. I’ve never been in a position like Joshua is in this [25:36] passage, obviously. I’ve also never asked God for anything quite as big as Joshua has in his moment [25:43] of need in this instance. But of course, friends, when you consider that Jesus Christ rose from the

[25:49] dead, there really isn’t anything outside of God’s capabilities, is there?

[25:56] Maybe the most amazing prayer in all of scripture is the one that you see [26:00] right here. And I think it is remarkable because in that moment, Joshua may have been tempted to be [26:06] discouraged because he may be thinking to himself, I’m going to lose the tactical advantage. I can’t [26:12] fight in the dark. I need a tactical advantage. And if he thinks he’s losing that, there’s probably [26:19] this temptation to be discouraged, this temptation to despair. I mean, all that we’ve seen out of [26:23] Israel is they have just enough faith to be unfaithful. They have just enough encouragement

[26:29] to be completely discouraged. And so often we get so discouraged so often by not just what we see [26:37] going on in the world, but what we see happen in our very lives, the setbacks, the heartaches, [26:43] the suffering, the hardships. And it drives us to despair when it ought to drive us to prayer.

[26:52] When instead of discouragement and despair, instead of unfaithfulness, instead of disobedience,

[27:00] I wish I had the faith of Joshua to have the type of faith where I would look at it and say, [27:05] God, nothing is going to stop me from obeying you, not even darkness. Son, stand still. [27:13] I will obey the call of God in my life. Jesus himself commands us in Luke 18.1. I like parables [27:20] where Jesus gives us what they mean before he confuses us. In Luke 18.1, he explains the [27:28] parable first. He told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

[27:35] Losing heart is what it means to be discouraged. It’s what it means to be [27:38] despair. And so I ask you, how often do you pray versus how often do you lose heart? [27:44] How often do you give into the temptation of discouragement and depression [27:47] instead of deciding to just pick up where he left off in the morning? Because that could have been [27:53] an option for Joshua. He had the audacious faith to ask God to make the day longer. I’ve never seen [28:00] that. But God did it. God responded. God said, yes, do I believe this is real? Absolutely. I believe it.

[28:15] But I want to know how Joshua did it. I need you to understand this morning that you have to obey [28:21] God to know what to ask from God. That’s what puts you in this type of posture. How do you know when [28:29] this kind of prayer is appropriate? Because I mean, there’s a temptation to read this and [28:33] walk out the door like so many who’ve been deceived by false teaching and they just start [28:38] shouting, son, stand still for the fun of it and say, oh, well, it didn’t work. I don’t have faith. [28:42] That’s just foolishness. So don’t do that this evening at sunset, friends.

[28:46] I don’t think the sun’s going to stand still because I don’t think you get what’s actually [28:50] going on in this passage. The more you align your life with the purposes of God, [28:58] the more you will know how to pray because your thoughts will begin to align with God’s thoughts. [29:06] And Psalm 37, it says that God will give you the desires of your heart. That passage isn’t about [29:14] him being a cosmic genie. It is about God realigning your life with his purposes so that the [29:21] things that God wants are the things that you desire. So where God is calling you is exactly

[29:28] where you want to go. The usual problem with prayer is not that you need to take a class on prayer. [29:35] It’s not that you need to read another book on prayer. The fact is that the strength of your [29:42] prayer life will never outgrow your level of obedience to God. I want to say that again, [29:48] the strength of your prayer life will never outgrow your level of obedience to God. [29:55] We struggle to know how to pray because we aren’t focused on aligning our lives with God’s [30:01] purposes. Friend, if you want to pray the kinds of prayers that God answers, start obeying the

[30:08] commands that God has given. The way that we think about prayer, I think so often is so wrong. [30:15] People ask me, they say, Steve, how do you begin prayers? And I always tell them I begin with the [30:20] word of God and they’ll say, well, that’s not what I meant. And I say, I know that’s not what you [30:24] meant, but that’s your problem. Prayer is not a monologue where I just take everything that I need, [30:30] everything that I want to God, and then I’m done. Prayer begins by receiving the conversation that [30:36] has started. God starts the conversation with his word. How will I know how to pray if I don’t know

[30:44] the mind of God, if I don’t know the heart of God, if I don’t know the desires of God, [30:48] if I don’t realize that the gospel realigns my heart and actually teaches me what I need to want, [30:54] what I need to know, what I need to chase after with my life. And so it is when I have received [30:59] the word that I respond to the word in prayer, that I go back to God in dialogue with him. That [31:08] is a conversation between me and God. And it always moves me to realizing there’s more and [31:20] more of my life to align with more and more of God’s purposes. And the more and more of his word

[31:26] I receive, the more and more of my life is turned towards him. That is how your thoughts [31:33] become God’s thoughts. That is how your heart becomes the very heart of God. And that is how [31:38] you begin to live a life where the world sees the work of God in your life. There was no mistaking [31:47] that day, the work of God in the life of Israel starts with stones. It ends with a full extra day, [31:55] almost of daylight. The text tells us our God is a God of action. He is a God of authority. [32:01] Can you imagine the enemies running from Israel? Can you imagine how confused they must have been

[32:06] that day? I said, we came for a fight. Now we’re getting killed by the weather and the sun won’t [32:12] go down. I can only imagine that the commanders of the Amorites are sitting there like, all right, [32:20] we’re taking it on the chin right now. But as soon as the sun goes down, we can regroup.

[32:27] Well, that’s not working. Can only imagine how confused they are. They’ve heard [32:34] that God is on the side of Israel. I tell you, there’s no doubt in the cave that held those [32:40] five kings that day. They knew who the God of Israel was and they knew that he was powerful. [32:49] Friend, the world needs to see faithful commitment to God from the people of God. [32:56] And that is how you see the move of God. How terrifying must it have been that day to be on [33:02] the other side? Because I tell you, the moves of God, they either work to your benefit or to your

[33:05] judgment. There’s no other option under the sun. That was the day that they realized that the God [33:14] of Israel was not only real, but they must have realized that he was sovereign over all of creation. [33:21] So often we lose sight of the greatest apologetic, the greatest defense of our faith in Jesus Christ [33:27] is a life given completely over to the reign of King Jesus in our lives [33:34] because of the truth of who he is. It isn’t necessarily going to be an academic argument.

[33:42] In Revelation 19, the timing of this text is debatable, but the message is the same. [33:50] John writes and he says, I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse. The one sitting on it is [33:56] called faithful and true. And in righteousness, he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame [34:03] of fire and on his head are many diadems. And he has a name written that no one knows but himself. [34:08] He’s clothed in a robe dipped in blood and the name by which he is called the word of God. [34:15] The armies of heaven arrayed and fine linen, white and pure, or following him on white horses.

[34:20] From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. And he will rule them with [34:25] a rod of iron. He will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God, the almighty on his [34:32] robe and on his thigh. He has a name written King of Kings, Lord of Lords. Friends, we do not serve [34:39] a God who is asking the world for permission to reign. We serve a God who is King over every ounce [34:50] of the creation that came from his mouth. If you want people to see the reality of God in your life, [34:59] take a posture in your life as though you believe that is who Jesus Christ is.

[35:07] Our God reigns and he demands submission. And that day the Amorites found that out to their detriment.

[35:17] Friends, submit to God through the gospel so that it can be to your benefit eternally.

[35:24] Through a life of faithful commitment to the call of God, the world will see the truth of who he is. [35:32] Because number three this morning, when you move with God, you will see God move. [35:37] When you move with God, you will see God move. Joshua chapter one, [35:42] when he says, don’t be afraid, be strong, be courageous, don’t be frightened. The Lord, [35:48] your God is going to go with you wherever you go. He is not talking about theoretical strength [35:53] and courage. The text continues to prove that over and over because strength and courage always

[36:01] require movement from God’s people. I don’t think this command can be isolated to just Israel the [36:08] some Old Testament passages can Jesus himself made multiple passages of encountering difficulty [36:14] and don’t be afraid of them. The New Testament is filled with reminders for strength and courage [36:20] as we seek to follow Jesus Christ in this world. But when you put yourself into a position, [36:27] friends, to flex both strength and courage, it is amazing to see how God will move in your life.

[36:36] I will not read it, but the rest of Joshua 10 covers the Southern conquest through the promised [36:42] land. Those five kings that they hid in the cave, they roll that stone back, they kill them. [36:48] Then the conquest continues. They take the entire Southern province of the promised land. [36:56] Looking at the context, it may feel as though it is a strange thing to state, and Joshua’s going [37:04] to state yet again, Israel’s need to have strength and Israel’s need to have courage. [37:09] That is how he celebrated the victory because it is in the moment of victory that you always

[37:16] need to be reminded of the next conflict. One victory can lead to many unless you just stand [37:27] there and don’t move. God is calling you to continue to move throughout his world. He’s [37:34] calling you to continue to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ in this world. And when you do that, [37:40] that victory is going to be preceded by yet another form of resistance. And in the moment [37:47] of victory, that is why you always need to be reminded of the strength and the courage that’s [37:52] going to be continually needed and available for you tomorrow with its battles. Never forget the

[38:01] victories God has brought into your life in the next moment of difficulty. Don’t do it. God promises [38:08] the victory but demands obedience. You cannot obey God’s call to strength and courage while [38:15] you are standing still. It’s going to require forward momentum. And so I ask you, where are you? [38:22] Are you moving forward? Are you standing in the same spot that you’ve been stagnating in [38:29] for weeks, maybe months, maybe years? So I ask you, why are you still? Why won’t you move? [38:39] It’s not that you can’t move. The scripture is clear. God calls us towards it. And if he calls

[38:45] you towards it, you can do it. It’s that you won’t move. But if you won’t move, you will not see God. [38:52] Move. You must form a vision of faithfulness over the long haul of your life. If you look again back [39:02] to the book of Revelation and Revelation 2, 26 through 27, you see the promise of life moving [39:07] with God. It says the one who conquers, who keeps my works until the end to him, I will give authority [39:16] over the nations and he will rule them with a rod of iron as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, [39:22] even as I myself have received authority from my father. Jesus is speaking to us and he’s telling us,

[39:28] do you want to see me move? See, Jesus has already conquered in this passage. Jesus has already kept [39:37] the works in this passage. And he looks to you and he says, through my strength, you do the same. [39:43] Keep moving. Till when, Lord? Until the end. When is that? He knows. He knows.

[39:54] I have only the command to be faithful until the moment of his choosing. It’s a conquering life [40:02] under the rule of God. We’re called to endure in the calling of God because the gospel of Jesus [40:10] Christ has promised the people of God victory over the entire world. It’s not just the promised [40:19] land. It’s all of it. And it’s all God’s through the reign of Jesus Christ because he is the risen [40:25] savior and king. And so I ask you, what territory are you taking right now?

[40:33] What territory are you taking? For some of you, it’s a territory that needs to be taken in your own [40:37] life. Some of you are letting sin reign where Jesus Christ is king. What treason?

[40:47] What sin do you need to repent of to show that Jesus is king over your life? For some of you, [40:53] the gospel is yet still only theoretical mastery for you. You can say all the right things. You [40:59] can speak all the right terms. You can talk the talk, but you’re not walking the walk.

[41:06] It’s all theoretical to you. You’re not being made into a disciple and you certainly aren’t [41:12] making disciples. What’s holding you back? Friend, you need to move with God. It’s not [41:20] that you need the sun to stand still. It’s that you need to obey God to even know when to ask [41:27] to move. So I tell you, follow Jesus Christ. Get going somewhere with the gospel. [41:39] A few application points this morning. First, move your life to the purposes of God. [41:44] It’s not complicated, but it’s difficult. Some of you might respond to such a statement and say,

[41:49] oh, well, I don’t feel like it. I need to wait until I feel like it. No. [41:54] Move your heart and then God will make you feel like it. That’s the way that it always works. [41:59] Where you want your heart is where you need to put your treasure. Secondly, build a life of [42:04] obedient faith. Build a life of obedient faith. Thirdly, ask God to work in your life. And so I [42:12] don’t know what to ask him for exactly. Receive before you respond. God has made it clear in his [42:19] word. Fourthly, do things that show your faith. You say what things? Something.

[42:26] Some of you just need to start with something. Do something to show that you believe Jesus [42:32] Christ is the King of the world. And then finally, live to show the reign of God in your life. [42:39] Make that your pursuit because God has already made it your calling.