Joshua 8: Snatching Victory from the Depths of Defeat
Theological Proposition/Focus:
Homiletical Proposition/Application:
Contents
- 1 Introduction:
- 2 Body
- 2.1 God is a God of Reassurance and Restoration (1-2)
- 2.2 God does not need us all but he wants us all (3-9)
- 2.3 God's works are at times obvious but at other times done through His people (10-19).
- 2.4 God is faithful to complete what he has started (20-29).
- 2.5 God's words are worth recounting (30-35).
Introduction:
Image:
Need:
Subject:
Preview:
Text:.
Setting the Stage:
Body
God is a God of Reassurance and Restoration (1-2)
God reassures his provision.
Failure is part of life. We have within us a sin nature and while sin has been defeated at the cross, that defeat has still to be fully realized in each of us. Coming off of Achen's sin and the first defeat at Ai, I imagine Israel felt defeated and dejected. However, God was still in control and God forgives. Two commands stand out to me in verse 1.
Do not be afraid.
Do not be discouraged.
It is striking that these are the same word that had been used in Joshua 1:9.
What we must realize if we are to live as Christ followers is that yes we do sin, but we serve a God who completely restores.
God completely restores.
The Gospel provides assurance and restoration.
There are times when we think of the God of the Old Testament as different than the God of the New Testament. This simply is not the case. The Good News of the Gospel is that God provides restoration. No matter who you are, no matter what you have done, God can forgive you.
But it is even better than that. You see, if you are alive and breathing then the question is not "if you will sin again?" the question is "when will you sin again?" You might sin and believe that what you have done is so bad that God wants nothing to do with you. I want to assure you today that the blood of Jesus cleanses, covers, sin. If you have accepted Jesus as your personal Savior then nothing you can do can separate you from the love of Christ.
Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for sin, Jesus rose on the grave to give assurance of his victory over sin. Following Christ is actually very simple to become a Christ follower you simply place your full trust in Christ's atoning death as payment for your sin.
Image: Restoring a wall, the Hidden Burger King in Delaware
Christ's cover for our sin is amazing. On June 28 a twitter photo was shared from a mall in Wilmington Delaware. The photo showed what looked like a vintage burger king from the 80s.
