So today is a special Sunday here at MRC. We are celebrating our 25^th Birthday this afternoon, and we are also finishing our big Summer Bible Study on the wilderness journey of the children of Israel from Egyptian slavery to the Promised Land. We have had a lot of fun watching these people wander the wilderness, and hopefully we have learned a lot as we realized that in the end, they were just like us; their story is really our story…and really, bringing this series to a close on such a big day for our Spiritual Family is absolutely perfect, as we find them just a few days away from entering, and God’s instructions and encouragement to their new leader, Joshua, to go and to be strong and courageous are so fitting because for us as we celebrate 25 years, which can feel like we have arrived at some level, but we aren’t at the finish line, yes we celebrate this incredible milestone, but we continue on, and to do that, we will need to be strong and courageous for sure.  So, let’s talk about 25 years of ministry, because it is incredible to think we have been doing this for that long.  That’s 1,300 Sundays, give or take some snow days and Global Pandemics.  That’s around 1,300 sermons.  That’s over 7,000 worship songs sung. We’ve done that in 8 different locations in three different counties over the years.  We opened just a month after the tragic 9/11 terrorist attack.  In that time, we have navigated blizzards; do you remember “Snowmageddon"?  We have navigated a global financial crisis…and a Global Pandemic.  We have watched the birth of the Smartphone, which is now glued to every human hand, and seen things like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram enter the scene…and most importantly for us, we have created a space for people to come and experience God’s grace, and watched so many stories of life change, so many marriages redeemed, so many families and hearts have come to know God over the years. It is just amazing, and we are so honored and humbled to celebrate what God has done through a group of ordinary people, living ordinary lives, who were willing to listen to God and help build a place for people far from God to find Him, and a place to empower and equip Christians to find their purpose and engage God’s purpose for their lives.  And we can’t wait to see where this goes in the future, because this is just the beginning, just like the children of Israel. All that time on the journey to get to their new home wasn’t the end; it was just the beginning for them too…so let’s jump back into our study today…and to do that, we are going to move from Deuteronomy to the book of Joshua.  Which, if you are tracking, is the fourth book of the Bible this story has spanned!  We have moved from Exodus to Numbers to Deuteronomy, and today we finish our series in Joshua 1, and while they do finally cross the Jordan and enter in chapter 3, we will focus today on the first 9 verses of chapter one.

So, after over forty years of wandering, of painful lessons, of fear and mistakes, and God teaching them to love Him most and trust Him fully…they are standing on the edge of the Jordan River, ready to enter their new home…it’s time…but it’s also very different, because they no longer have Moses leading them. Last week I told you how powerful Deuteronomy is because these are Moses’ final words to the people he led, so there's real urgency; he knows he isn’t going with them.  At the end of Deuteronomy, he finishes addressing them, climbs a mountain so God can show him the land he promised them, and Moses passes away at 120 years old.  All his effort, work, the blood, sweat, and tears, and he gets to look at the land, but not go in…which is a wow moment for sure!

Deuteronomy 34:1 Then Moses went up to Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab and climbed Pisgah Peak, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him the whole land… 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have now allowed you to see it with your own eyes, but you will not enter the land.” 5 So Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, just as the Lord had said. The Lord buried him in a valley near Beth-peor in Moab, but to this day no one knows the exact place. 7 Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever. 8 The people of Israel mourned for Moses on the plains of Moab for thirty days, until the customary period of mourning was over. NLT

So, this is a massive moment: they are finally ready to enter their new home after all this time, so it’s exciting but heavy too, as their leader has passed away and Joshua is now going to lead them…

V9 Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him, doing just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 10 There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. NLT

I think verse 10 tells us this is more than a transition in leadership; it is a massive moment, where they lost a spiritual leader like no other.  And God appoints Joshua to lead them home…can you imagine the weight that puts on Joshua?  These are beyond big shoes to fill; Scripture says these shoes are so big, no one could ever fill them!  Which leads us into Joshua 1, where, before God gives them their battle plan, or even instructions on how to cross the Jordan River, He gives Joshua something far more important.  He gives him encouragement and a promise. Let’s start with the first three verses…

Joshua 1:1 After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. 3 I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you. NLT

So, there it is, Joshua, the time has come for you to take my people home…and now we get into God not just encouraging Joshua but laying out a promise that we really want to focus on today. I love verse three there. God says, remember that wherever you set your foot, it will be on land I give you. Then look at verse 5, because this is the promise for Joshua to really hold on to.

Joshua 1:5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. NLT

In the NIV, it says I will never leave you nor forsake you.  God says, I will be with you! Then God is going to tell Joshua something three times…and you know what I say about Scripture on repeat!

Joshua 1:6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” NIV

Three times. Be strong and courageous. Now, there is something here that I don't want us to miss, and it’s easy to miss, and I think it’s the most important part, which is why we can be strong and courageous.  It’s easy to miss that, and if we are not careful, we can hear these words and think God is telling Joshua: “Joshua, muscle up, be brave, and get this done.” But God isn't telling Joshua to manufacture courage. He is telling Joshua why he can have it! Let’s look closer at verse 9… 

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” NIV

We can be strong and courageous because God is with us…that can be overlooked, but it’s the big takeaway for us, and it’s the perfect way to end this series. All through this series, we have been asking the same question, story after story and lesson after lesson.  Who would do that?  And we have realized that whether it was rebellion, idol worship, fear, complaining, questioning God, or forgetting him when we don’t need him, the answer is the same.  We would. Their story is absolutely our story.  And now God says, “It’s time to go in, so be strong and courageous. Why? Because after everything you've been through, I am still with you, and no matter where you go, I will be with you, and every step you take is on land that I am giving you.”

So, last week we looked at God warning them not to forget all that God has done when they get comfortable and have more than enough.  We must remember God, and I wanted you to see that remembering God is the key to passion and life, to joy and peace, to staying the course and not falling flat or burning out on God.  So, it’s important to remember all that God has done, but there comes a time to go and live out our faith. And in Joshua 1, we see God saying that after forty-some years of preparation, it’s time to move!  Which is so big, and really a new opportunity to trust God fully and love Him most…because it is now time to live out God’s will and purpose!

That makes what we are studying today very meaningful as we celebrate 25 years of MRC.  It’s wild to think because in some ways it feels like it’s only been five minutes, but so much has happened in all that time.  So many stories and experiences, so many people and prayers, so many good times and challenges along the way.  You could say twenty-five years of our own wilderness journey, learning the ultimate lesson to love God most and trust Him fully!  But you know, if there is one thing I hope we do well today, it is to keep this celebration focused on God, and all that God has done in and through us ordinary people these last 25 years, because this isn’t our story; it’s His.

But I want us to understand that this is a wonderful time to remember. But remembering what God has done isn't the same thing as living in what God has done. Joshua is standing on the edge of something new. He can't spend the rest of his life in the rearview mirror with Moses and those years in the wilderness. Those things mattered and must be remembered, but God was telling Joshua that there is still something ahead of them to go and do, and it’s no small undertaking, remember they were afraid to try this before because of the giants and warriors in this land, and now they are going to go in with a lot fewer warriors than they had the first time. So, Joshua, this is your task, and to do it you will need to be strong and courageous…yes, there are fights ahead of you against really scary enemies, but you can be strong and courageous because God will be with you every step of the way.  And I think that is a message for us on this day. We should celebrate what God has done. We should tell the stories and remember. We should be grateful for all we have walked through, but we need to keep going! Why?  Because there are still people who don't know Jesus and need God’s love, grace, and healing!  There is still work to do. So, we celebrate 25 years, and then we get up and keep going.

So, if you have been walking with us through this series, every week we've pointed out things that can keep us from being strong and courageous and moving forward in life.  So, we won’t spend too much time on this today, but there are a few big ones that have kept coming up in this study.  The four that have come up repeatedly in the series are Adversity, Fear, Comfort, and Distraction.  All summer long we have been talking about those first three, but I want to lean into that last one for a moment because we see a clear word from God on distraction in verses 7 and 8. 

Joshua 1:7-8 Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. MSG

Distractions can keep us from being strong and courageous, and we face many distractions in life.  Sometimes distractions come from busyness.  We have seen Moses warn against that.  Sometimes it comes from getting tired of waiting on God. We watched them struggle with that at Mt. Sinai, where they eventually fell into idol worship.  Sometimes even good things we could be doing can pull us off track from the most important things we should be doing.  That has always been a challenge in churches because there are a lot of good things we could do.  Sometimes it’s just all the clutter and other things that crowd our hearts and minds and pull our attention away from God.  And we talk about it a lot, but our world today fills us with distractions.  This gives me a chance to turn back to that scripture I told you I was going to keep bringing up from Paul here…

Romans 13:11 But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. MSG

Our lives are so full that we can drift, doze off, and lose track of God.  We only have so much capacity to hold thoughts, and we only have so much energy and focus to give, and when it’s gone…well, it’s gone, and life has a way of consuming it all, doesn’t it?  Our families, phones, work, and busy schedules add to that: our problems, stress, insecurities, social media, entertainment, politics, and hobbies.  And none of those things are necessarily bad. But they can distract and crowd God out of our lives…

Joshua 1:7 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. NLT

God is saying, Joshua, it’s time to lock in: study the Scriptures.  And most importantly, follow them; let them shape you and guide your life. Don't let the noise and things like adversity, fear, comfort, or distractions pull you off track.  The way to do that is to spend time engaging God and His word.  So, Joshua was going to lead the nation forward, and there is a lot to navigate and a lot of unknowns.  God didn't give him every detail. He didn't know everything that was coming or how every battle would go. But he did know one thing: God was going with him! And that is everything!  This is why we can be strong and courageous: it’s God’s presence!  God didn't say: “Joshua, be strong because you're talented or skilled.  He didn’t say, “Be courageous because you're a great leader and have it all figured out.” God said: “Be strong and courageous because I am with you!”  And it’s the same for us; we are not alone - God is with us!  That is the key to strength and courage.  So as we close this series, let me give you four things from Joshua 1 to take with us into our next 25 years as a Spiritual Family.

First, Remember God!  Remember who He is and what He has done! Remember it’s all His: everything we have, everything we do, every victory and milestone is all Him!  Remember verse 3 from earlier?

Joshua 1:3 “I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you. NLT   

Just like we saw last week, don’t forget the Lord our God.  Don't forget the prayers God answered, the countless times He protected us, and all He has and continues to provide for us.  Don’t forget how far God has brought you and all that we have is from Him!  This is the key to it all.  Remember God. 

Second, we must spend time with God and stay in God’s Word. 

Joshua 1:8 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. NLT

Some of us hear that, and we think, great, more for me to do, that I will never get done.  More work to do, and I just don’t have the time or energy for it. If that is you, I’d say a couple of things. First, on the time issue, just take an honest look at how you spend your time, because you do have the time for the things you want time for.  Second, if you feel that way, you aren’t understanding the joy that comes from walking with God; you’re stuck thinking it’s an obligation, while it’s actually a gift, the very thing that sustains life.  Remember last week, Moses showed us how important God’s Word is…

Deuteronomy 8:3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna…to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

We have to keep filling our minds with God's Word, because your mind will be filled with something, and if you don't intentionally fill it with God's truth, the world will gladly fill it for you. So maybe one of the simplest things you can do tomorrow morning is this: Before you pick up your phone and start scrolling on social media and letting the world know what you are eating for breakfast; before you check the news and see what horrific thing we should be afraid of today.  Before you start working and answering texts and emails.  Give God the first few minutes of your day. Read His Word, think about what it says, ask yourself how it applies to your life. Use His Word to guide your day; line it up against challenging decisions or things you need to do.  Let God into your heart and mind before the rest of the world starts talking, and then set a few practical reminders to continue that conversation with Him throughout the day.  Take a picture of the verse you read and set it as your phone wallpaper; set a few calendar reminders to take one minute and pray a few times a day!  While we may feel ok without doing this, we need it; we humans cannot live on bread alone.

Third, we obey God no matter what.  It’s amazing how often obeying God’s commands has come up in our study. It’s also amazing how much tension we can feel when we are told to obey God’s commands.  It’s a big deal because obedience points to something beyond what we say or think; it points to how we live.  It points to our priorities, choices, and how we spend our time.  It points not just to what we look like out in public and when everyone is looking, but also what we do when no one is watching and we are all alone.  It’s about how we live.  Look at verse 7 again…

Joshua 1:7 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. NLT

God told Joshua Don’t get off track; keep doing what I command. That isn't just about staying away from the big sins or doing what we need to do in the obvious times when we need God.  It can be, but obeying God’s commands shows up in our normal everyday lives and relationships: it is seen when we are willing to tell the truth and keep our word. When we forgive or refuse to gossip, when we choose holy living rather than the more popular way.  It’s seen in our willingness to serve and be generous with our time, money, and energy.  It can mean living with discipline and self-control while our desires and appetites scream at us to do what we know we should not.  It can be as simple as loving someone who isn’t easy to love or doing the right thing when the wrong thing would be easier.  And sometimes it means doing what God asks you to do, even when it doesn’t make much sense to you. 

Lastly, just take the next step!  God told Joshua to move forward. You know, sometimes we make following God more complicated than it needs to be.  And I think sometimes we like it complicated because it gives us an excuse not to do anything and to live how we want to live.  But other times we make it so complicated that we feel overwhelmed to a point where we can’t even move forward.  But Jesus said that, yeah, it’s a large work we are called into, but we shouldn’t be overwhelmed by it…

Matthew 10:42 This is a large work I’ve called you into, but don’t be overwhelmed by it. It’s best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won’t lose out on a thing.” MSG

We can want God to show us the whole plan; we may want details, or think the job is too big. I’m sure Joshua felt that way, but Jesus is saying here… if you don’t start small, you may not start at all!  Because it is a large work I’ve called you into!  So, just take the first step, the one right in front of you.  That may be why God only shows us the first step…if you saw it all, whew, it would probably be too much.  Can you imagine 26 years ago, as we planned MRC, if God had tried to explain all the twists and turns, and decisions and challenges, painful moments and celebrations that we would see unfold, just for us to be here today, in this building and celebrating 25 years?  LOL, we would have been so overwhelmed that we may not have even tried!  God often just shows us the next step, and our act of faith is taking that step, the one right in front of us. Maybe your next step is forgiving someone, or obeying something that God is asking you to do that you have been wrestling with lately.  Maybe it's getting involved and stepping into ministry. Maybe it's trusting God with somebody you love or letting go of something you've been trying to control. Maybe it's getting back into God's Word or getting healthy.  I don’t know what it may be for you, but I do know those things can feel daunting when you try to figure it all out.  But you don’t have to do that; you can be strong and courageous because God has you. He is with you every step of the way.  So you don’t need to know the result; you simply need to take the next step.

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” NIV

If you're facing something you don't know how to handle, you can be strong and courageous not because of your own skills or strength, but because God is with you!  And as we move toward this awesome celebration of all that God has done these last 25 years, we can be strong and courageous because God is with us every step of the way.  That means that we don’t have to be afraid of what God tells us to do next.  So on this special day, I'll leave you all with this: today we celebrate 25 years of ministry, but we aren’t done; there is still work to do, and while a lot has happened over the years, the mission has not changed. There are still so many people around us who need Jesus in their lives.  So we keep going, drawing strength and courage from the fact that God is with us wherever we go.    

So, let’s not become so comfortable and settle down and miss what God wants to do through us.  Let’s keep going.  Let’s not become so focused on ourselves that we forget the people around us who need God.  Let’s keep going.  Let's keep loving people and sharing the Good News. Let's keep serving, praying, following God. There are still so many who need help, and when we look at ourselves, we can think there is no way we can do this, and that is true.  But we aren’t alone.  So the question isn’t can we do this or not.  The better question is: will we trust God enough to take the next step and keep going?  And the answer to that is we should and can trust Him because the same God who was with Israel is the same God who has carried us all these years, and who will continue to go with us. Twenty-five years behind us, and whatever God has ahead of us, we find strength and courage because He is with us. So, let's keep going and see what God can continue to do with a group of ordinary people living ordinary lives.