Transcription downloaded from https://sermons.northharris.freechurch.org/sermons/5062/the-defeat-of-ai-points-towards-our-relationship-with-god-and-jesus/.

Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions.
Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt.


[0:00] we're going to sing now to God's praise from Mission Praise 59 Mission Praise 59 Blessed Assurance Jesus is mine Amen Our Heavenly Father we thank you for this new day, your day the Lord's day will we remember the fact that our Saviour, your Son Jesus lives we thank you for all that we have sung of and the blessed assurance that we receive as we meditate upon who you are and all that you have done for us in Christ we thank you that we are able to say this morning Jesus is mine we thank you that you are a God who does not remain distant from us but you're a God who calls us to to know you and to trust you and to be able to say as we hear the gospel call going out and respond to it that the Lord Jesus is our Saviour and he's our Lord he is mine we thank you for the glory divine the foretaste of it that we receive as we take time to be still and to know that you are God and as we walk with you as our Lord and our Saviour we thank you for that salvation that we are given in Christ we are saved from sin we are saved from Satan we are saved from the clutches of death we are saved from hell and we are saved so that we will be with you set apart from this world and set apart as your children adopted into the family of God born of the Spirit washed and united in the blood of Christ and so Lord we pray that we may know your blessing we pray that we would know the rest and the peace the joy the satisfaction that there is from being able to say that this is our story this is our song this is our testimony that we are

[2:39] Christ's people coming together in his name washed and saved by his precious blood held by his hand and the Father's hand we thank you that that transforms not only eternity but it transforms each day that we are given in time because we have a focus we have the reason for our being here and Lord we pray that we would indeed each one of us be those who seek to live for your glory so Lord we thank you for who you are we confess that we are sinners we confess that we fall so far short of your standards we have grieved you we have offended you we have rebelled against you Lord that's our nature and that has been our practice and Lord we pray for your forgiveness and for your rescue even as your people when we trust you we're conscious of the sin the battle that happens in our hearts and we pray that as we confess to you the sin that is on our minds even over the past few days since we last met we thank you that as we confess you are faithful you are just and you will forgive us and purify us from all unrighteousness and we pray for your help that we would live lives which are holy live lives which are more like Christ we pray for your help in this service that we would worship you in spirit and in truth we pray Lord for your touch upon those who are not here today we're conscious of many who are away for the weekend on holiday and we pray that you would bless them and as they worship in different places that you would draw near to them as we pray that you would draw near to us we pray on for those who are ill for those who are hospitalized for those who are struggling for those who are housebound and we ask Lord that you would meet them at the point of your need that you would draw near to them as we bring them to you in prayer we do pray Lord for a nation which has wandered far from you we thank you for the opportunity that we have and the call that we have heard to pray this week in particular for the nation of Scotland once known as the land of the book once known as people who so fiercely trusted Christ and yet Lord we have wandered and we pray that you would forgive us and that you would call us back that you would restore us heal the land we pray may Jesus once more be lifted up may we know days of awakening and revival and Lord God we pray not only for this nation we pray for the community that we are part of may we be salt and light in this place and Lord we pray for the world that we see so broken so much filled with tension and war and inhumanity as our minds go from

[6:02] Malepo to Mosul to different parts of the world as we think about those who are caught in warfare as we think about your church under pressure in different places we bring each scenario to you and ask Lord that you would be at work we thank you that Jesus is our redeemer and he will redeem all of creation when he returns to hear our prayers accept Lord our thanks for all that you have done for us for our salvation for our provision day by day for this place for the manse that we have moved into in the last few days we pray that it would be a place where your presence is felt where your name is glorified and Lord where your people enjoy fellowship in Christ so hear our prayers help us we ask Lord in all that we would seek to do in your name and we ask all these things in Jesus name

[7:02] Amen boys and girls would you like to come forward please just downstairs today sitting here I'm used to having more men sitting very close to me near the front but I actually have it because the presenters are closer to me than I've ever seen them before how's everyone today fine fine you're all still that's good you're fine how's everyone else today fine good where is Odysseus now I've got some pictures to show you this morning so can you see the screen can you see it if you can't move in so you can see it and then tell me everybody

[8:15] Lily Lily you look Lily you look on the screen especially and see if you can tell me who's going to be on the screen who's that who's that well you tell me who's that Calum John that's who that is how many else does he have in his name one or two can we pull this away tonight two L's for these cards two L's that's Calum John who's Calum John he's your wee brother he's your wee brother you'd think almost it's Stevie Price that's in there there's Calum John is there one picture of those two and there's another one maybe I'll put the lights off for a wee second so we can see them properly so there he is little

[9:28] Calum John that's picture number two let's see picture number one again is he cute who does he look like he looks like his mum and his dad doesn't he and what date was he born what date was he born the 22nd so what does that make the 22nd the 22nd of November 2016 is his it's his birthday isn't it that was the day that little Calum John was born you can put the lights back on now that was his birthday and he came and he's healthy and he's beautiful and Maria and Stevie and the whole family are sure they're all very proud and happy is he here he's here

[10:32] I didn't know he was here take him out let's have a wee look I didn't know he was here I'm going to anyone want to pray Lord God we thank you for a lot of Calum John here to be prayed for even when he was in the womb we thank you that he's come safely into the world and we pray your blessing to be upon him and upon Marianne and Stevie and Lily and the whole family. We thank you that he's here with us today and we pray that he would know your presence with him right through his life and that he would grow up to know you and to walk close with you. We pray your blessing, your protection to be upon him and we thank the Lord for being able to be with us today.

[11:46] We ask all these things and Jesus to me. Amen. And we bring him up. That was a good surprise, wasn't it?

[12:03] That was a good surprise. Where's me looking at pictures? He's there. So, let's get this in our heads. The 22nd of November 2016 is Callum John's birthday. That's the day he was born.

[12:22] Who else has got a birthday in this room? Put your hands up if you've got a birthday. Anybody over there got a birthday? Put your hand up if you've got a birthday.

[12:32] I've got a birthday. Okay. Every roomie's got a birthday. I'll tell you where you seat it. I'm getting in trouble all day.

[12:43] It's Mary's birthday today. Won't tell you the age though. But you know, boys and girls, one more thing I'll tell you before you go and sit down.

[12:55] Some people in the room have one birthday. And some people in this room here today, they've got two birthdays. Grace. Some people have two birthdays.

[13:07] What do you think that means? Do you remember? Yeah, Heather. You can be born when you come into this world to your mum.

[13:29] But you can be born again when you come to know Jesus. There was a man who came to see Jesus one day called Nicodemus.

[13:40] And he had it all. And he knew his Bible and everybody thought he's such a good man. But he knew in his own heart he didn't have everlasting life.

[13:51] So he came to Jesus and he says, how do I get everlasting life? And Jesus says, Nicodemus, you must be born again.

[14:06] How can we be born again? What do we have to do to be born again? I'll start. Trust in God. Trust in Jesus. Trust in Jesus.

[14:17] And so, to be born again, we come to Jesus, not like Nicodemus came, and we say, Lord Jesus, I want you you come into my life, take away my sin, and give me your everlasting life.

[14:33] and that, when we mean that in our hearts, that's the day that we're born again. and when we're born again, we're born again, for a second birthday.

[14:47] So I wonder, everybody's got one birthday, but I wonder, does everybody here have two birthdays? Can you think of the day when we say to Jesus, come into my heart?

[15:01] I hope we can. Let's pray. Lord God, we thank you that you are the God who takes us into this world, and you're the God who decided that you would take us into this world.

[15:17] We thank you that you made us, each one of us, different. You love us. You've made us all different, and you love us as we are. We thank you that you call us not just to be born, but to be born again as we trust in Jesus.

[15:33] And so we pray that each one of us, and if there's anybody here today that hasn't yet asked Jesus to come into their heart, we pray that today might be the day that they realise they have a second birthday.

[15:47] And we ask all these things in Jesus' name. Amen. We're going to sing now about that. We're going to sing from Mission Praise number 748.

[16:03] 748 in Mission Praise. Little Callum John so do. I thought it was World War III breaking out in the trench. The wee Callum John is doing perfectly.

[16:18] 748 in Mission Praise. What a wonderful change in my life has been brought since Jesus came into my heart. If you could turn your Bible's piece to Joshua chapter 8.

[16:53] It's Joshua chapter 8 and we read from verse 1 of the chapter.

[17:10] Joshua 8 verse 1. So we finished up last week with the account of Ai and the defeat, the thorough defeat that happened to Ai and then how the sin that caused that defeat was dealt with.

[17:37] and then we move into chapter 8 and verse 1. Then the Lord said to Joshua, Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you and go up and attack Ai for I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land.

[17:56] You shall do to Ai as its king. You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves.

[18:08] Set an ambush behind the city. So Joshua and the whole army moved out to attack Ai. He chose 30,000 of his best fighting men and sent them out at night with his orders.

[18:22] Listen carefully, you are to set an ambush behind the city. Don't go very far from it. All of you be on your alert and all those with me will advance in the city and when the men come out against us as we did before we will flee from them.

[18:39] They will pursue us until we have lured them away from the city for they will say they are running away from us as they did before. So when we flee from them you are to rise up from ambush and take the city.

[18:53] The Lord your God will give it into your hand then you will then you have taken the city when you have taken the city set it on fire do what the Lord has commanded see to it you have my orders.

[19:08] Then Joshua sent them off and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai to the west of Ai. But Joshua spent that night with the people.

[19:22] Early the next morning Joshua mustered his men and he and the leaders of Israel marched before them to Ai. The entire force that was with them marched up and approached the city and arrived in front of them.

[19:35] They set up camp north of Ai with the valley between them and the city. Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai to the west of the city.

[19:47] They had the soldiers take up their positions all those in the camp to the north of the city and the ambush to the west of it. That night Joshua went into the valley.

[19:59] When the king of Ai saw this he and all the men of the city hurried out early in the morning to meet Israel in battle at a certain place overlooking the Arabah.

[20:11] But he did not know that an ambush had been set against them behind the city. Joshua and all Israel let themselves be driven back before them and they fled towards the desert.

[20:22] All the men of Ai were called to pursue them and they pursued Joshua and were lured away from the city. Not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who did not go after Israel.

[20:33] They left the city open and went in pursuit of Israel. Then the Lord said to Joshua hold out towards Ai the javelin that is in your hand for into your hand I will deliver the city.

[20:46] So Joshua held out his javelin towards Ai. As soon as he did this the men in the ambush rose quickly from their position and rushed forward. They entered the city and captured it and quickly set it on fire.

[21:01] The men of Ai looked back and saw the smoke of the city rising against the sky. But they had no chance to escape in any direction. But the Israelites who had been fleeing towards the desert had turned back against their pursuers.

[21:14] for when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that smoke was going up from the city they turned round and attacked the men of Ai. The men of the ambush also came out of the city against them so that they were caught in the middle with Israelites on both sides.

[21:33] Israel cut them down leaving neither survivors nor fugitives. but they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua. When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai in the fields in the desert where they had chased them and when every one of them had been put to the sword all the Israelites returned to Ai and killed those who were in it.

[21:55] Twelve thousand men and women fell that day all the people of Ai. For Joshua did not draw back the hand that held out his javelin until he had destroyed all who lived in Ai.

[22:08] But Israel did carry off for themselves the livestock and plunder of the city as the Lord had instructed Joshua. So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolate place to this day.

[22:23] He hung the king of Ai on a tree and left him there until evening. At sunset Joshua ordered him to take his body down from the tree and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate.

[22:36] And they raised a large pile of rocks over it which remains to this day. Amen. And may God give us understanding as we meditate upon this gruesome passage.

[22:52] Neil Cameron is now going to lead us in forgiveness. Enter thepsy or Yes, I believe.

[23:29] Those feel free to truly extra concern. I have a definition for you. He says, I am okay the hurts to Put the handle down further.

[24:02] All that boca will stick well. Then put the peninsula there with the grass.

[24:13] 패라 Titan means, that no one can notice, or by the side why the lagi go upon us.

[24:32] Then what the other person means to us dwelling in the land for people dwelling in the land for more prata.

[24:48] We must sleep in a Richard ghost After our own a dream He became merciful and Every week it never occurred otherwise that he would never happen for me.

[25:22] But he was alone I felt like he did everything in different worlds. I thought I knew. A tree is not new and great but I understood now. That time I put on it and I read, I see someone who did, but I who know that you really had me800.

[25:41] No everything I didn't get away from you. Mazrou пры winds here like 5 millions of fun things, a fee bar winery on my wedding.

[25:52] Stryk bro indu что нравится, Lephei has always taken care a lands grab gather my quad new夫.

[26:06] H beispiel angler парi Entscheid. My Little M mug cay together and havingiter that's why my little son was very September and purposeful to be sung.

[26:29] SNOE NASHN virtually A SME ASY PSH AL không thể nhớ phải ngay như có cái đầy vậy những nhỏ từ하신 ά chứa Ừ anh vì coarseまぁ đều luôn sự nó có去 củaт SANTIAGO It's from god to medicine and his wife's business.

[27:33] It's been wonderful for us. It's been wonderful. around the years Amen.

[28:34] I sing again to God's praise this time from Psalm 91 Psalm 91 and we sing in Galat two stanzas, the first two verses of the psalm he that doth in the secret place of the most high beside under the shade of him that is the almighty shall abide I of the Lord my God will say he is my refuge still he is my fortress and my God and in him trust I will these two stanzas, the God's praise Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen

[29:54] Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen 那來髮型的魔女 THERE 看不見 Good morning, Nick, a free and good morning.

[30:41] Good morning, Nick.

[31:11] Good morning, Nick.

[31:41] Good morning, Nick.

[32:11] Good morning, Nick.

[32:41] Good morning, Nick. Good morning, Nick. Good morning, Nick. Good morning, Nick. Good morning, Nick. Good morning, Nick.

[32:53] Good morning, Nick.

[33:25] Good morning, Nick. Good morning, Nick. Good morning, Nick. Good morning, Nick. Good morning, Nick. Good morning, Nick.

[33:37] Good morning, Nick. Good morning, Nick. Good morning, Nick. And so we pray that the Spirit would be active in the preaching, in the listening, in the application of the truth of your word to our lives.

[33:51] So help us, we pray, as we study this passage. We pray also, in particular, for Cammie today as he leads the Sunday School for the first time. We pray that you would help him in teaching and that you would be with each of the teachers and each of the young ones, that they would understand the gospel message and that they would know that you are close and that you are at work in their young lives.

[34:16] We pray all these things in Jesus' name. Amen. I wonder how many who are here today have ever taught a child how to ride a bike.

[34:35] Some of us are still in the process of teaching children how to ride a bike. But if you've ever taught a child to ride a bike, you'll know that it's not a desktop exercise.

[34:50] You don't teach a child how to ride a bike by sitting down with some graphs and paper and physics and calculations and give them the theory and prove to them the science behind the balance of riding a bike and the momentum and all that kind of thing and then say, off you go.

[35:11] It's not how you teach a child how to ride a bike. You teach a child how to ride a bike by putting the child on the saddle and holding the saddle and holding the child and running alongside the child as you're hanging on to them and all the time you're doing that and the bike's wobbling and they're wobbling, you're having to give constant reassurance.

[35:36] Don't worry. Don't worry. I'm still here. I'm still holding you. Don't look at your feet. Look forward. Don't worry. I'm still here. Don't worry. And it takes time.

[35:47] It doesn't happen in five minutes. And there are usually falls. There are usually crashes. And the child needs constant reassurance. And that's our first point today as we look at this passage.

[36:02] It's reassurance. Today we are actually going to come to the end of our studies in Joshua we're going to take the first eight chapters as our first block and we'll break off and we'll come back to it in the future.

[36:21] But in eight chapters, Israel have come a long way. But it's interesting to note, if you flick back a few pages and look at chapter one, it seems like the beginning of chapter one looks a whole lot like the beginning of chapter eight.

[36:40] because at both times, in both places, Israel, the Lord's people, and Joshua, who was seeking to lead them, they were in need of reassurance.

[36:56] Just have a wee look at these two chapters. Joshua, chapter one, we see the people and they're struggling. and they're struggling because of the death of Moses and Joshua is struggling.

[37:08] He's struggling to come to terms with what God is calling him to do and lead this cantankerous people to a place that looks impossible to actually reach. And so Joshua is fearful and the Lord comes to Joshua and he gives him the reassurance that he needs.

[37:27] Chapter one, verses six and seven, God says to Joshua, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you, nor forsake you.

[37:39] Chapter one, verse five, sorry. Be strong and courageous because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them.

[37:50] Be strong and very courageous. It's chapter one. And then in chapter eight, the people are struggling to come to terms with the death of the 36 people in Ai and the death of Achan and Joshua and the elders are struggling with the weight of leadership and knowing how to lead the people in such a difficult situation.

[38:16] And so God comes to Joshua with a word of reassurance. Verse one of chapter eight, and the Lord says to Joshua, do not be afraid and do not be discouraged.

[38:29] So that's the first point. It's just a note. In these two places, and we could go many, many places where we see that there's a need for and there is a giving of reassurance.

[38:47] Now what do we learn here in application? Three things. First of all, we learn about the neediness of God's people.

[39:00] Sometimes we put on a facade as if we need nothing, we're fine. We're always fine. Except we're never really fine. We are constantly in need.

[39:12] We could have sung the hymn today, I need thee every hour most gracious Lord. No tender voice like thine can peace afford. Joshua could sing that. Because before Joshua hears from the Lord with a word of reassurance, he's a wreck.

[39:32] But after he receives that word of reassurance, it's like he's reset. His composure is regained. So we learn here about the neediness of God's people.

[39:46] We learn secondly here in application about how God's people are so prone to fail. Because the failures in the Bible are never edited out.

[39:58] We have software now and we can go to our photographs and our family albums and we see all kinds of blemishes and marks that we wish weren't there. We can go now with our software and we can airbrush out all the bits we don't want to see.

[40:10] In the Bible, the failures, the blemishes, the scars, the scars are never left out. They are included, they are highlighted even.

[40:23] Why? Because this is real life. And because it's encouraging to see the failures in some strange way.

[40:36] Think about the disciples. Jesus shows them. Were they perfect? They were far from it. They failed, they fell, they wandered and yet God loved them.

[40:52] They let Jesus down so often and yet he held on to them. And as we look in the mirror, that's a lot like us. And there's reassurance in that.

[41:04] So we learn about the neediness of God's people. We learn about the real life fact that as God's people we will still fail.

[41:18] And we learn thirdly here about the readiness of God to give that word of reassurance. Go back to the bike.

[41:30] Think about back on the bike. You look at the situation and the parent is with the child. The child is on the bike and they're trying but they're wobbling and they're struggling and they're starting to they're starting to worry.

[41:47] They need to hear not once not twice but a thousand times don't worry I'm with you. I'm here. I'm holding you. And the parent doesn't grudge the reassurance.

[42:04] And our heavenly father when we are struggling and when we are wobbling when we are straying he doesn't grudge us this word of reassurance.

[42:20] And so he says to Israel and he says to us as his people this day don't fear don't be discouraged I'm with you.

[42:34] So if you've had a bad week and if you are discouraged and if you look back over the last few days and you're conscious of how you've failed and how you've let the Lord down what do you have to do?

[42:49] well don't run from God but do what Joshua did and come to him and wait for him and take these words of reassurance.

[43:07] Do not be afraid do not be discouraged I will never leave you nor forsake you says the Lord. Maybe you've had an excellent few days maybe you feel strong maybe you feel steady take these words and banter because you're going to need them at some point.

[43:29] I'm getting a whistle maybe we'll fix that we don't want to wake up the wee baby still whistling I think how's that can you cope with that or will I switch off this one to see what does that seems to have stopped no it's still going that's it that's it fixed okay I think that's it fixed do you just stay there if we turn that one up

[44:43] I'd have to turn this one right down can you cope if I just blast it out is that okay now okay first point reassurance let's move on to the first point and come to the second point which we see here as we follow this passage through there's reassurance but secondly there's a rebuke sometimes people come to us and they give us a word of reassurance when they see that we're struggling they say to us you're struggling don't worry they put their arm around your shoulder they say it's all fine it's okay don't worry you're going to be okay we appreciate that in a moment but what we actually need from them is to say it's okay I'm with you but you need to change your direction sometimes we need not only a word of reassurance but we need a word of instruction or correction or rebuke and that's what we hear in this passage last chapter in chapter 7 after the spies returned from

[46:02] Ai before they went to attack Ai they said in verse 3 not all the people will have to go up against Ai send 2 or 3 thousand men to take it don't weary all the people only a few men are there don't worry we can do it look at how we took Jericho we can do Ai it's no problem they went there and they crashed spectacularly this time at the beginning of chapter 8 the Lord God says to Joshua never never mind never mind the two or three thousand take the whole army with you and go up and attack Ai for I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai his people his city and his land so what we have here there's reassurance but there's a gentle fatherly rebuke last time it seemed like they went forward without truly acknowledging the Lord and depending upon the

[47:03] Lord and they fell flat this time the Lord says take the whole army with you why was that was that because he needed the whole army no it wasn't because he wanted the whole army to see that on this occasion God would do it he would deliver and the lesson that they were learning and they were learning it the hard way was that their progress was not by might nor by power but by my spirit says the Lord God almighty it's a lesson from Zechariah 4 6 they had to learn it I have to learn it over and over again and I expect you do as well we learn that we make progress by God's spirit we learn in our own failures and we learn it as we sometimes stand back and observe the amazing successes that God does when we trust in him so there's reassurance and there's certainly rebuke and I want you just to notice that both the reassurance and the rebuke came to the people when likely they were in prayer in verse 1 in the

[48:26] King James version it reads like this and the Lord said unto Joshua fear not neither be thou dismayed take all the people of war with thee and arise go up to air arise Colin Peckham the commentator says this the fact that God says to Joshua arise may well indicate that Joshua was on his knees or on his face before God chastened after the fall it's a simple observation but it's an important one there's no better place that we can be than on our knees on our face in prayer before God William Cowper says Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint on their knees and the

[49:30] Lord speaks to his people when he sees his people on their knees when he hears their prayers rise let's take that as a word of encouragement and exhortation as we see Wednesday the approach it's no coincidence that as a nation there is that burden to pray as we come to this passage and see the need of prayer in this biblical context so there's the reassurance and there's the rebuke and thirdly there's a responsibility and we see that in verse 1 still the Lord says to Joshua for I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai his people his city and his land now note that the Lord says not you this is not about you this time this is not about what you're going to do or what you think you can do

[50:34] I have delivered you go forward on the promise that I have delivered now where did that leave Joshua and the people could they just sit down put their feet up and spectate could they just relax and rest in their laurels and say well it's not anything to do with me well absolutely not the Lord promised deliverance the Lord promised victory but the Lord expected them to act on the promise that he gave and so in verse 2 the Lord goes on and says to Joshua you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king so God is the one who delivers but he expects and he calls his people to be involved in the deliverance that he would affect

[51:40] God would save them God would give them the victory but there was a responsibility on the people to stick their boots on and march in the direction of Ai there was a responsibility on the people and not some of the people but the whole army all the people to engage in battle to get their swords out to have their weapons ready they weren't to be idle spectators they were all to put the work in knowing that God would be with them and knowing that God would work through them and that in itself is a picture of the Christian life that's an Old Testament picture of what we read in Philippians 2 verses 12 and 13 where the Apostle Paul says continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is

[52:41] God who works in you see it's God who has delivered us he is the one who has saved us we could not we cannot we will not ever be able to save ourselves Psalm 22 he has done it the work of salvation is complete the work of salvation is finished Christ has delivered us from sin and Satan and death and hell but we are not to be Christian spectators we are not to be idle none of us not one of us but rather the whole army are called to engage in battle we are all called not just the minister not just the elders not just the deacons we are all all of God's people called to serve the Lord and to proclaim

[54:02] Christ and to seek to live holy lives we think back to Ephesians chapter 4 I think it is we are reminded that every one of God's people has a special gift you can do things for God's glory and his service that no one else in this world can do and so every one of us is to be mobilized that's our responsibility living by faith is believing and acting on the promises that God has given us again listen to Colin Peckham here he says here despite the fact that they had the promise of God that he would give them the city and its land they had actively to be engaged in the conflict God's promises he says are not given for us to conclude that the results are secure and there is nothing more to do faith is no substitute for hard work hope does not absolve us of our obligations but inspires us to perform better our labour is not in vain in the

[55:21] Lord 1 Corinthians 15 take up the whole armour of God Ephesians 6 and stand don't stay sitting down no passengers no spectators in the Christian world we are to stand we are to be active we are to be mobilised are we standing are we taking our responsibility seriously are we drafting for God's glory so there's the reassurance there's the rebuke there's the responsibility fourthly there are some rules here that we see as God's promise trickles down into the detail of the chapter we see it from verses 3 to 23 and I'm not going to take time to go through this but in summary God promised that he would deliver them God promised that he would give them AI but notice that they as an army as a people they don't get to design their own salvation they don't get to design how it was going to be and how they were going to be saved it was the Lord's rules it was the Lord who said to them in verse 2 set an ambush this is how it's going to work it was the Lord who said in verse 8 do what

[56:45] I have commanded Joshua says to them in verse 8 do what the Lord has commanded it was the Lord's rules it was the Lord's timing verse 18 the Lord said to Joshua hold out towards air the javelin that's in your hand for into your hand I will deliver the city there are rules of salvation here if they were to receive the salvation that God promised they had to go his way they had to follow the map the course that he set that would ensure that salvation and as they obeyed God delivered just as he promised so what has that got to do with us many years removed from AI in terms of geography and many years removed from this in terms of history what has this got to do with us well let's ask the question do we need salvation do we need deliverance from an enemy and the answer to that question is yes we do we need salvation from the sin that we are born into the sin that the

[58:11] Lord reveals to us in ourselves we need deliverance from the enemy of our soul Satan who seeks to destroy us who seeks to take us down to that place of eternal damnation hell so how can we be delivered from sin how can we be saved from the clutches of our enemy are there many ways to be saved are there many routes to eternal deliverance can we design and build our own salvation plan are we given a blank sheet of paper by the Lord and said just work it out for yourselves well the world would tell us yes you can pick and mix all your religions just you get something you're happy with some even in the church might say there are many paths many ways but the crucial question is what does the

[59:15] Bible say what does God the Son say about how we can be saved and how we can be delivered well listen to his words John 14 6 Jesus said I am the way and the truth and the life no one comes to the Father except through me no other paths no other ways no other people no DIY salvation Jesus says you want salvation you want deliverance I am the way that's the rules then think about the apostles who continue to bring Jesus' teaching to us Acts chapter 4 verse 12 what did they say what did they pass on to us well the apostles said salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved and that is crucial that we underline that that we understand that that we believe that and that we share that in a world that's totally pluralistic and says you can please yourself everybody's headed to heaven pick your own path that's what the world says

[60:39] Christ says no these are the rules I am the way I am the truth I am the life no one comes to the father except through him we don't get to design and build our own salvation we don't get to make the rules up there's one way one name one savior and his name is Jesus will come to the father through Jesus the son and give him the glory great things he has done the temptation is to finish here but I want to go on to the dark part of this passage for the next five minutes the next point we see here doesn't begin with I'm afraid begins with J and it's judgment and what we read in verse 24 to 27 hard reading as it is is in essence judgment being worked out

[61:51] Israel were the instrument in this situation of God's judgment they were administering God's judgment to a people who had for hundreds of years determined that they would not trust God that they would not submit to him but rather they would persist in ignoring and rebelling against him we thought about that in past weeks this was no snap decision that God had enough the Lord had intimated hundreds of years prior if they did not change direction judgment would come and they did not change direction and so here we read about judgment coming to what's the application for us well it's simply this

[62:54] Hebrews 9 27 says it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgment and if we determine that we will live our lives our way if we determine day after day after day and week after week after week that we will trust ourselves and not God if we persist in refusing to ask for the forgiveness of sin that is offered in Christ if we persist in refusing to accept and continue to neglect the salvation that is offered to us in Jesus then when we die there will be judgment and it's important that we know that and that we know that and that we are clear on that so we see the dark shadow of judgment falling over

[64:07] Ai but in the darkness of judgment I believe we see the light of the world shining through because I believe here as we close we have a pointer to Jesus you know the most that's the last point judgment and then we finish looking to Jesus the most gruesome picture I think in this whole chapter is that of the king of Ai in verse 29 because there we see the king of Ai the one who is the representative of his people and he is under the curse of judgment and we see him hanging on a tree and it's gruesome to read and it's gruesome to imagine but that gruesome scene on that day sends us forward in time as we see in the gospels not the king of

[65:23] Ai but we see another king the king of the Jews the king of kings who hung on a tree and who became the curse for us who took the judgment for our sin so that we could be redeemed so who do we see foreshadowed in Joshua 8 we see Christ Galatians 3 13 says Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us for it is written cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree so that's where we leave our study in

[66:29] Joshua looking to and fixing our eyes upon Jesus surveying that wondrous cross that tree on Calvary where he died so that we might live where he was judged so that we might be redeemed where he was cursed so that we might be saved heavenly father we pray that as we close our Bibles and as we depart from the book of Joshua we pray that you would help us to see and to understand and to respond to the offer of the gospel we see the gruesomeness of judgment and yet we thank you that as we close we see the amazing costly offer of salvation as we fix our eyes upon

[67:52]  Christ enable us we pray to trust him enable us not to neglect such great salvation but to look to him and be saved amen we sing to conclude for mission praise 988 in mission praise how deep the father's love for us how vast beyond all measure that he should give his only son to make a rich his treasure and now we pray that the grace of our lord jesus christ and the love of god the father and the fellowship of god the holy spirit would be with us all both now and forever more amen to