We’re going to look at a leader today who had big shoes to fill. Maybe you can relate to that. Joshua was stepping in for Moses. The man who led Israel out of Egypt and was the mediator between the people and Almighty God. I can only imagine the pressure he must have felt as he stepped into that role. Maybe you have a father-in-law that is a spiritual giant and you feel like you’ll never live up as you try to lead your family. Maybe in the corporate world, you’ve just stepped into a new position and you have big shoes to fill. Whatever it is, I think there are some lessons we can learn today that will help you and encourage you.
In the Face of Adversity
Joshua focused on the character and power of God not the circumstances around him. He knew God would deliver on his promises. Godly leaders stand on God’s truth in the face of adversity.
Numbers 14:5-12 Then Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground before the whole community of Israel. 6 Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. 7 They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! 8 And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. 9 Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle.[a] 11 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them? 12 I will disown them and destroy them with a plague. Then I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are!”
- Moses had sent out twelve spies to scout out the promised land.
- Only Joshua and Caleb want to move forward and take the promised land. Talk about harsh criticism – the rest of the people wanted to stone them. Stone them! Now that’s a high pressure situation.
- Joshua and Caleb knew God was on their side. They weren’t the underdogs. The other nations didn’t stand a chance. Always bugs me when people call the story of David and Goliath an underdog story. David wasn’t the underdog. The Lord God Almighty was fighting with him. Goliath was the underdog and he got smoked.
- Do you know God’s promises? The only reason Joshua and Caleb weren’t suicidal maniacs is they knew God had promised they would inherit the land.
- His promise to never leave you or forsake you.
- His promise to forgive our sins when we confess them.
- His promise to work all things out for our good.
- Side note: We can’t hold God to promises he never made – prosperity gospel
- We need to stand when everyone around us is critical. I’ve come to grips with the fact that there could be a time in my life when I go to prison for speaking God’s truth. I hope that’s not the case. I don’t know what God has in store for our nation. But if something doesn’t change, I can see myself being accused of hate speech when I teach what God’s Word says about marriage, the sanctity of life, transgenderism, etc.
- Not allowing sleepovers for our kids, canceling cable – not saying God has put that conviction on everyone and not judging, but for us, we knew it was something God had called us to do and we took quite a bit of teasing and flak from family
When It Goes Against the World
Joshua was careful to obey the Lord’s commands. Leading well sometimes means going against the world’s wisdom.
Joshua 6:1-5 Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. 2 But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. 3 You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. 4 Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. 5 When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.”
- Can you imagine the reaction to the military leaders when Joshua shared the battle plan the Lord had given them? We’re going to march around the city in broad daylight. We’re not going to talk. We’re not going to charge the city. We’re going to walk around, we’re going to do that for six days. Then on the 7th day, we’re going to walk around 7 times and then we’re going to shout and the city will be ours. What? What kind of battle plan is that?
- Finances – the world’s wisdom vs. God’s wisdom
- Chik-Fil-A not open on Sundays – goes against world’s wisdom
The Playbook
God’s Word instructs us on how to lead well. God told Joshua he would be successful if he didn’t deviate from the instructions God had given. God wants us to be strong and courageous, and he will equip us to lead.
Joshua 1:6-9“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
- Joshua is told three times by God to be strong and courageous and one time by the people. He is also told three times that God is with him. Why is this so important? This was going to be a daunting task. He’s filling in for the greatest leader Israel had ever known. He’s leading upwards of 1 million people into a land inhabited by people much stronger and more powerful. He’s leading a group of people that are stubborn and hard to lead. They’re quick to rebel.
- We’re not leading the sheer magnitude of numbers that Joshua led, but I feel like our task is just as daunting. We’re trying to raise kids who love and honor God in a culture that is increasingly hostile to God and his truth. We’re trying to love our wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Some of us are leading employees. We’re trying to balance profitability with compassion and care for those we employ. If we lead in ministry, we’re trying to balance truth and love as we shepherd a broken flock. – So be strong and courageous! God is with you!
- Spend time in his Word. Meditate on it. 2 Timothy 3:16 – All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. –It’s useful. How encouraging that is for me as a leader. We all know what it’s like to have resources that are useful.
- Psalm 1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. 3They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season.Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
- What an encouragement to us as men as we seek to lead. When we meditate on God’s Word, we’ll bear fruit. We’ll be able to withstand the storms of life. Bearing fruit benefits those around us. They can seek refuge in our shade. There is protection.
Set the Tone
Joshua knew he couldn’t control the decisions of others and he couldn’t lead people where he wasn’t willing to go. He set the tone by modeling obedience to God and challenged the people to follow.
Joshua 4:14 That day the Lord made Joshua a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites, and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they had revered Moses.
- God made Joshua a great leader. When we have leadership skills, they are a gift from God. He can work through us to develop skills and become better leaders.
- Joshua had already been very careful to obey the Lord’s commands about setting up the 12 stone memorial in the river as they crossed. He honored the permission Moses had given to the two and half tribes that wanted to stay on the east side of the Jordan.
Joshua 24:14-16 Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
- Joshua had been in all the battles. He’d walked the walk, not just talked the talk. You can’t lead people to a place you’re not willing to go.
- I love Joshua’s challenge to the Israelites. Here you go: you’ve got to make a decision. You’ve seen God’s faithfulness. You’ve driven out all these nations you wouldn’t have been able to drive out without God, but you’ve got to make a choice. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.
- My son just left for college a week ago. I had to come to grips with the fact that he has to make that decision for himself as to whether or not he’s going to follow the Lord. I can model it. I can talk about God’s faithfulness. I can remind him of God’s love and I can declare that I’m going to follow God, but I can’t make him do that.
- It’s the same challenge I would give to our listeners today. You can listen to great sermons, you can listen to podcasts like this one, but no one else can make that decision for you. You have to decide if you’re going to serve the Lord.
