Special Study Outline

CAN YOU SEE CANAAN FROM WHERE YOU ARE?
Joshua 5:1-13 Verse 1 tells us that the ungodly nations in Canaan saw the mighty way in which the Lord carried His people across the Jordan and when that happened, they lost their confidence in their ability to capture them. It scared the devil away! They were completely demoralized. It seems that that would have been best time – indeed the perfect time –for Joshua to lead the people forward into the attack. However, instead of commanding His people to go forward into the battle, God commands them to remain at Gilgal and to do several things that, on the surface, appear very strange. It even appears that the things they are required to do puts them at risk before their enemies. While the ways of the Lord may appear strange to you and me, let me remind you that the ways of the Lord are not our ways (Isa. 55:8-9). You see, God never gets in a hurry! He has the liberty to take His time and do things on His schedule. While the things that happen in this chapter appear strange against the backdrop of impending battle, the truth of the matter is God is simply preparing His army to fight. He has them do some things that may appear odd when preparing for the battle, but may I remind you that God's people are engaged in battles that go far deeper than the physical realm? In fact, before the battle ever begins in the physical realm, it had already begun in the spiritual realm. God's battle are spiritual battles. If we expect to fight in these battles and do well, then we must make the right kind of spiritual preparations. Read 2 Cor. 10:3-5. That is what the Lord is doing right here in the life of His people Israel. It is also what He wants to do in your life and mine this morning. You see, we all have battle to fight, and if we expect to overcome and achieve the victory, then we must learn to make the right kind of spiritual preparations. Can you see Canaan from where you are? Can you see, not what this church is, but what IT CAN BE? CAN YOU SEE 2009 AS BEING THE BEST YEAR IN THE HISTORY OF THIS CHURCH. Can you see the dead weight being taken away and replaced with energy, vitality and spiritual life? Can you see yourself as the most successful Christian you have ever been? Learn some lessons with me today from the Israelites. I. REVIEWING THEIR AGREEMENT WITH GOD (v. 2-7) A. The first command the Lord gives to Israel is that all the man are to be circumcised. It would seem that all the men who came out of Egypt were circumcised according to the demands of the Abrahamic covenant. However, those men who were born during the 40 years of wilderness wandering had not been circumcised. The fact of the matter is this, during the 40 years of their wilderness wandering, the rebellious generation that was dying off were no longer a covenant people. Now, before these men can claim their Canaan, they must be circumcised. They must renew the covenant with the Lord if they wanted His blessings on them and if they wanted to be guaranteed the victory. B. The lesson for us is simply this, just as Israel was required to remove from their bodies a piece of flesh as a sign that they were a part of the covenant, so too, we must remove from our lives anything that stands between us and total surrender to the Lord. The Bible is clear that there are times when you and I must engage in spiritual surgery in our lives. (Col. 3:1-17; 2 Cor. 6:17.) Child of God, if you are saved, then you are supposed to live like you are saved! Anything that is displeasing to the Lord needs to be removed from your live. It needs to be cut off and put away from you forever. There are some in this room this morning who have failed to live out the covenant they made with the Lord when He saved them. You need to come this morning and renew that covenant. Get back in fellowship with the Father and serve Him like you know you should. Remember the vows you made in the beginning? Remember the promises you made to Him? Don't you think it is time that you lived like you are who you claim to be? Don't you think it's time you lived like that new creature that God said you were by His saving grace? And think about the matter of this church and its work and worship. It is time to review everything that we do, everything that are, everyone who is in place and has influence and carefully consider what is working and what is not. What must stay and what must go and be replaced with something new and better. Times change. And sometimes things must change. We are bigger and stronger than we were ten years ago. Five years ago. America cannot look and do things exactly like it did in the 1950’s. Betta-View cannot be led with small visions of the past. It is time to move forward. We need men of vision and faith leading us. Spiritual men and women who have the cause of Christ close to their heart. DEAD WEIGHT MUST GO….. II. RENEWING THEIR ASSURANCE IN GOD (v. 8) A. At this point, Israel is camped in the heart of enemy territory. After they have been circumcised, every male in the nation of Israel is temporarily disabled and is rendered unable to fight. It took great faith for them to submit to the rite of circumcision! They had to be willing to trust the Lord to protect them until they healed. They were literally sitting ducks for the enemy. However, their faith was the secret to their success. These men had learned the valuable lesson that their battles would not be won by military might and by superior battlefield tactics. They knew that if they ever saw victory, it would be because God gave it to them. Their's would be a victory based wholly in faith. B. As we move through this life, we face times of testing just like these men in Israel did. They had just come from a great victory and often, that is the time when pride will rise up in us and we will think that we are unstoppable. When those times come in your life and mine, you can be sure that the Lord will allow us to go through a time of testing. When we do, we must have faith in the Lord! It isn't enough to be clean spiritually, we must also be walking in faith before the Lord. We need to remember that our God can and will take care of His children. C. This spiritual truth is taught over and over again in the Word of God. When God's people aren't able to take care of themselves, their God is more than able. Note just a few instances where faith in a great God paid amazing dividends. 1. Noah was protected in the Ark while the rest of humanity perished - Gen. 6-9 2. The firstborn of Israel were spared while the Egyptian children died - Ex. 12. 3. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were spared from the fire - Dan. 3. 4. Daniel was spared from the hungry lion - Dan. 6. 5. Elijah was fed by the ravens and the by a poor widow - 1 Kings 17. 6. Paul was given grace for his race - 2 Cor. 12. What I am trying to tell you this morning is that the Lord will take care of you during the difficult times of life. He is still God and He is still able to all that you need. His one requirement is that you trust Him. Are you walking by faith this morning? III. RECLAIMING THEIR ACCEPTANCE BY GOD (v. 9) A. The term "reproach of Egypt" has reference to 2 events during Israel's wilderness wanderings. The first is found in Ex. 32:1-12 when the Children of Israel made a golden calf and worshiped it as God. The other happened at Kadesh-Barnea when the children of Israel displayed unbelief and refused to enter into the promised land in Num 14:11-14. On both occasions, the Lord threatened to destroy the nation of Israel and start fresh with Moses. And, both times Moses interceded with the Lord and reminded Him that He would give the Egyptians a reason to mock God. They would say that He brought them out of Egypt, but could not bring them to Canaan. However, now they are in the land and God has proven that He is well able to bring His people into their possession. Therefore, He tells them that He had rolled that reproach away! In other words, their past was no longer an issue. It was a new day! B. In a sense, many of God's children are still living under the "reproach of Egypt". You may be living with the shame of things you did before you came to faith in Christ. You may be ashamed of times when you have failed the Lord since you were saved. Either way, you live under the constant stab of self-condemnation. C. Let me remind you this morning that if you have place your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, you past is not an issue any longer, Psa. 103:12, Isa. 38:17; Isa. 43:25; Jer. 50:20; Micah 7:19; 1 John 1:7. The reproach of the old life has been removed forever! You must get past the guilt of those days before you can walk in victory in your Canaan! By the same token, many Christians have failed the Lord in a big manner. As a result, they are defeated and fell like they are second class citizens in the kingdom of God. My friend, if you have confessed your sin and repented of it, then it has been taken care of as far as God is concerned 1 John 1:9. NO ONE IS GOING TO HOLD ME PRISONER FOR SOMETHING I DID YESTERDAY, MUCH LESS IN MY CHILDHOOD OR MY TEENS OR TEN YEARS AGO OR FIVE YEARS AGO OR LAST MONTH. God is telling Israel that yesterday is forever gone and they are to walk looking to the victory of today rather than to the defeat of yesterday. If you have made your sin right with God, you might as well put it behind you, because the Lord has certainly put it behind Him! You will never be able to walk in victory until you come to realize that the Lord has forgiven your past. IV. REMEMBERING THE ASSISTANCE OF GOD (vv. 10-12) A. In these verses, we find Israel once again keeping the feast of the Passover. They first observed it when they were still in Egypt, according to Ex. 9-14. Num. 9:1-14 tells us they also celebrated it at Mount Sinai before they left for Kadesh-Barnea,. However, there is no evidence that they had celebrated the Passover in 40 years. The fact is they couldn't! The new generation had not been circumcised and this was a requirement for participating in the Passover. Now, it might help us to remember what the Passover is all about. When the Lord sent the 10th plague, the death of the firstborn, upon Egypt, He told His people to select a lamb, kill it, put its blood on the door posts and lintels of their houses and then cook and eat the lamb. When the Lord passed through Egypt that night, He would see the blood on their doors and would "pass over" those protected homes and the firstborn would live. Israel was commanded at that time, to make this a yearly feast. They were to remember that night when they were passed over by the Lord and spared from the plague of death. They were to remember that it was that night in which the Lord had delivered them from their bondage in Egypt. The Passover was a time for the Jews to remember the deliverance of the Lord! Now that they are in the promised land, they are to celebrate the feast of the Passover. They are to remember the things God did for them in bringing them out of Egypt and in providing for them along the way. B. What a lesson the for redeemed people of the Lord! When we face the battles of life, we must remember some of the great things the Lord has done for us in our pasts. We need to remember when: 1. He called us in love. 2. He saved us by grace. 3. He forgave our trespasses. 4. He kept us when we fell. 5. He conquered our enemies in the past. 6. He gave us victory when there seemed to be no hope. Take time to remember the way God has proven that He was strong in your life all along the way. It will give you courage to face the next battle. If He was God then, He is still God now! CONCLUSION The final step in getting ready to conquer your Canaan in learning Who is in control. One day, as Joshua was looking over the city of Jericho, he saw a man standing with a drawn sword. Joshua boldly asked the man to identify himself and to state which side he was on! When the man responded, He said that He was the Captain of the Lord's Host. He told Joshua that He did not come to take sides, but to take over! That is, He was in control of the Lord's armies in Heaven and in the earth. He told Joshua that He was in charge. General Joshua had just met the Commander in Chief! Joshua's response is to fall down before Him and to worship Him. This is an indication that Joshua is submitting to the will of the Lord and that he knows Who is in control. You see, before you can have the victory, you must be vanquished. Before you can conquer, you must first be conquered! We must do what Joshua did right here. That is, we must lay down our swords at the feet of the Captain of the Lord's host. Many many churches are being held back from being all that they can be because of small minded faithless men and women. THERE ARE MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN DEAD WEIGHT FOR YEARS, BUT BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN THERE SO LONG THEY THINK THEY CANNOT BE MOVED. 2009 NEEDS TO BE THE YEAR WHEN WE SAY, GET GOING OR GET OUT OF THE WAY. I’m tired of people with no faith trying to lead the people of God. People who are worried that God won’t provide what we need so they try to make the church horde it’s money like greedy misers. We aren’t doing the mission work or the benevolent work that we should be doing because we have some small minded, faithless people with too much influence here. This church can be one of the best churches in the world. But it is going to take VISION, ENERGY, OPTIMISM, LEADERSHIP, and most of all, FAITH. Can you see Canaan from where you are? Not if there is sin in your life! Not if there is rebellion in your heart! Not if there are uncontrolled appetites for the things of the world. Not if you are filled with doubt and fear. Not if you have forgotten where the Lord brought you from. Not if you, instead of Jesus is in control in your life. Child of God, do you want the victory? If so, why not deal with those things in your life that keep you from having it and leave this place today ready to conquer you Canaan.

Joshua 5:1-13

Verse 1 tells us that the ungodly nations in Canaan saw the mighty way in which the Lord carried His people across the Jordan and when that happened, they lost their confidence in their ability to capture them. It scared the devil away! They were completely demoralized.

It seems that that would have been best time – indeed the perfect time –for Joshua to lead the people forward into the attack. However, instead of commanding His people to go forward into the battle, God commands them to remain at Gilgal and to do several things that, on the surface, appear very strange. It even appears that the things they are required to do puts them at risk before their enemies.

While the ways of the Lord may appear strange to you and me, let me remind you that the ways of the Lord are not our ways (Isa. 55:8-9). You see, God never gets in a hurry! He has the liberty to take His time and do things on His schedule. While the things that happen in this chapter appear strange against the backdrop of impending battle, the truth of the matter is God is simply preparing His army to fight. He has them do some things that may appear odd when preparing for the battle, but may I remind you that God's people are engaged in battles that go far deeper than the physical realm? In fact, before the battle ever begins in the physical realm, it had already begun in the spiritual realm. God's battle are spiritual battles. If we expect to fight in these battles and do well, then we must make the right kind of spiritual preparations.

Read 2 Cor. 10:3-5. That is what the Lord is doing right here in the life of His people Israel. It is also what He wants to do in your life and mine this morning.

You see, we all have battle to fight, and if we expect to overcome and achieve the victory, then we must learn to make the right kind of spiritual preparations.

Can you see Canaan from where you are? Can you see, not what this church is, but what IT CAN BE? CAN YOU SEE 2009 AS BEING THE BEST YEAR IN THE HISTORY OF THIS CHURCH. Can you see the dead weight being taken away and replaced with energy, vitality and spiritual life? Can you see yourself as the most successful Christian you have ever been? Learn some lessons with me today from the Israelites.

I. REVIEWING THEIR AGREEMENT WITH GOD (v. 2-7)

A. The first command the Lord gives to Israel is that all the man are to be circumcised. It would seem that all the men who came out of Egypt were circumcised according to the demands of the Abrahamic covenant. However, those men who were born during the 40 years of wilderness wandering had not been circumcised. The fact of the matter is this, during the 40 years of their wilderness wandering, the rebellious generation that was dying off were no longer a covenant people. Now, before these men can claim their Canaan, they must be circumcised. They must renew the covenant with the Lord if they wanted His blessings on them and if they wanted to be guaranteed the victory.

B. The lesson for us is simply this, just as Israel was required to remove from their bodies a piece of flesh as a sign that they were a part of the covenant, so too, we must remove from our lives anything that stands between us and total surrender to the Lord. The Bible is clear that there are times when you and I must engage in spiritual surgery in our lives. (Col. 3:1-17; 2 Cor. 6:17.)

Child of God, if you are saved, then you are supposed to live like you are saved! Anything that is displeasing to the Lord needs to be removed from your live. It needs to be cut off and put away from you forever. There are some in this room this morning who have failed to live out the covenant they made with the Lord when He saved them. You need to come this morning and renew that covenant. Get back in fellowship with the Father and serve Him like you know you should. Remember the vows you made in the beginning? Remember the promises you made to Him? Don't you think it is time that you lived like you are who you claim to be? Don't you think it's time you lived like that new creature that God said you were by His saving grace?

And think about the matter of this church and its work and worship. It is time to review everything that we do, everything that are, everyone who is in place and has influence and carefully consider what is working and what is not. What must stay and what must go and be replaced with something new and better. Times change. And sometimes things must change.

We are bigger and stronger than we were ten years ago. Five years ago. America cannot look and do things exactly like it did in the 1950’s. Betta-View cannot be led with small visions of the past. It is time to move forward. We need men of vision and faith leading us. Spiritual men and women who have the cause of Christ close to their heart. DEAD WEIGHT MUST GO…..

II. RENEWING THEIR ASSURANCE IN GOD (v. 8)

A. At this point, Israel is camped in the heart of enemy territory. After they have been circumcised, every male in the nation of Israel is temporarily disabled and is rendered unable to fight. It took great faith for them to submit to the rite of circumcision! They had to be willing to trust the Lord to protect them until they healed. They were literally sitting ducks for the enemy. However, their faith was the secret to their success. These men had learned the valuable lesson that their battles would not be won by military might and by superior battlefield tactics. They knew that if they ever saw victory, it would be because God gave it to them. Their's would be a victory based wholly in faith.

B. As we move through this life, we face times of testing just like these men in Israel did. They had just come from a great victory and often, that is the time when pride will rise up in us and we will think that we are unstoppable. When those times come in your life and mine, you can be sure that the Lord will allow us to go through a time of testing. When we do, we must have faith in the Lord! It isn't enough to be clean spiritually, we must also be walking in faith before the Lord. We need to remember that our God can and will take care of His children.

C. This spiritual truth is taught over and over again in the Word of God. When God's people aren't able to take care of themselves, their God is more than able. Note just a few instances where faith in a great God paid amazing dividends.

1. Noah was protected in the Ark while the rest of humanity perished - Gen. 6-9

2. The firstborn of Israel were spared while the Egyptian children died - Ex. 12.

3. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were spared from the fire - Dan. 3.

4. Daniel was spared from the hungry lion - Dan. 6.

5. Elijah was fed by the ravens and the by a poor widow - 1 Kings 17.

6. Paul was given grace for his race - 2 Cor. 12.

What I am trying to tell you this morning is that the Lord will take care of you during the difficult times of life. He is still God and He is still able to all that you need. His one requirement is that you trust Him. Are you walking by faith this morning?

III. RECLAIMING THEIR ACCEPTANCE BY GOD (v. 9)

A. The term "reproach of Egypt" has reference to 2 events during Israel's wilderness wanderings. The first is found in Ex. 32:1-12 when the Children of Israel made a golden calf and worshiped it as God. The other happened at Kadesh-Barnea when the children of Israel displayed unbelief and refused to enter into the promised land in Num 14:11-14. On both occasions, the Lord threatened to destroy the nation of Israel and start fresh with Moses. And, both times Moses interceded with the Lord and reminded Him that He would give the Egyptians a reason to mock God. They would say that He brought them out of Egypt, but could not bring them to Canaan. However, now they are in the land and God has proven that He is well able to bring His people into their possession. Therefore, He tells them that He had rolled that reproach away! In other words, their past was no longer an issue. It was a new day!

B. In a sense, many of God's children are still living under the "reproach of Egypt". You may be living with the shame of things you did before you came to faith in Christ. You may be ashamed of times when you have failed the Lord since you were saved. Either way, you live under the constant stab of self-condemnation.

C. Let me remind you this morning that if you have place your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, you past is not an issue any longer, Psa. 103:12, Isa. 38:17; Isa. 43:25; Jer. 50:20; Micah 7:19; 1 John 1:7. The reproach of the old life has been removed forever! You must get past the guilt of those days before you can walk in victory in your Canaan! By the same token, many Christians have failed the Lord in a big manner. As a result, they are defeated and fell like they are second class citizens in the kingdom of God. My friend, if you have confessed your sin and repented of it, then it has been taken care of as far as God is concerned 1 John 1:9.

NO ONE IS GOING TO HOLD ME PRISONER FOR SOMETHING I DID YESTERDAY, MUCH LESS IN MY CHILDHOOD OR MY TEENS OR TEN YEARS AGO OR FIVE YEARS AGO OR LAST MONTH.

God is telling Israel that yesterday is forever gone and they are to walk looking to the victory of today rather than to the defeat of yesterday. If you have made your sin right with God, you might as well put it behind you, because the Lord has certainly put it behind Him! You will never be able to walk in victory until you come to realize that the Lord has forgiven your past.

IV. REMEMBERING THE ASSISTANCE OF GOD (vv. 10-12)

A. In these verses, we find Israel once again keeping the feast of the Passover. They first observed it when they were still in Egypt, according to Ex. 9-14. Num. 9:1-14 tells us they also celebrated it at Mount Sinai before they left for Kadesh-Barnea,. However, there is no evidence that they had celebrated the Passover in 40 years. The fact is they couldn't! The new generation had not been circumcised and this was a requirement for participating in the Passover.

Now, it might help us to remember what the Passover is all about. When the Lord sent the 10th plague, the death of the firstborn, upon Egypt, He told His people to select a lamb, kill it, put its blood on the door posts and lintels of their houses and then cook and eat the lamb. When the Lord passed through Egypt that night, He would see the blood on their doors and would "pass over" those protected homes and the firstborn would live. Israel was commanded at that time, to make this a yearly feast. They were to remember that night when they were passed over by the Lord and spared from the plague of death. They were to remember that it was that night in which the Lord had delivered them from their bondage in Egypt. The Passover was a time for the Jews to remember the deliverance of the Lord!

Now that they are in the promised land, they are to celebrate the feast of the Passover. They are to remember the things God did for them in bringing them out of Egypt and in providing for them along the way.

B. What a lesson the for redeemed people of the Lord! When we face the battles of life, we must remember some of the great things the Lord has done for us in our pasts. We need to remember when:

1. He called us in love.

2. He saved us by grace.

3. He forgave our trespasses.

4. He kept us when we fell.

5. He conquered our enemies in the past.

6. He gave us victory when there seemed to be no hope.

Take time to remember the way God has proven that He was strong in your life all along the way. It will give you courage to face the next battle. If He was God then, He is still God now!

CONCLUSION

The final step in getting ready to conquer your Canaan in learning Who is in control. One day, as Joshua was looking over the city of Jericho, he saw a man standing with a drawn sword. Joshua boldly asked the man to identify himself and to state which side he was on! When the man responded, He said that He was the Captain of the Lord's Host. He told Joshua that He did not come to take sides, but to take over! That is, He was in control of the Lord's armies in Heaven and in the earth. He told Joshua that He was in charge. General Joshua had just met the Commander in Chief! Joshua's response is to fall down before Him and to worship Him. This is an indication that Joshua is submitting to the will of the Lord and that he knows Who is in control. You see, before you can have the victory, you must be vanquished. Before you can conquer, you must first be conquered! We must do what Joshua did right here. That is, we must lay down our swords at the feet of the Captain of the Lord's host.

Many many churches are being held back from being all that they can be because of small minded faithless men and women. THERE ARE MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN DEAD WEIGHT FOR YEARS, BUT BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN THERE SO LONG THEY THINK THEY CANNOT BE MOVED. 2009 NEEDS TO BE THE YEAR WHEN WE SAY, GET GOING OR GET OUT OF THE WAY.

I’m tired of people with no faith trying to lead the people of God. People who are worried that God won’t provide what we need so they try to make the church horde it’s money like greedy misers. We aren’t doing the mission work or the benevolent work that we should be doing because we have some small minded, faithless people with too much influence here.

This church can be one of the best churches in the world. But it is going to take VISION, ENERGY, OPTIMISM, LEADERSHIP, and most of all, FAITH.

Can you see Canaan from where you are? Not if there is sin in your life! Not if there is rebellion in your heart! Not if there are uncontrolled appetites for the things of the world. Not if you are filled with doubt and fear. Not if you have forgotten where the Lord brought you from. Not if you, instead of Jesus is in control in your life. Child of God, do you want the victory? If so, why not deal with those things in your life that keep you from having it and leave this place today ready to conquer you Canaan.