Joshua 1 - The Promise of Presence (Joshua 1:1-6)

1  Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, 2 “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. 3 “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. 4 “From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. 5 “No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 “Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.  [NASB]

So, it's been 40 yrs since the Exodus.  Joshua is in his 60s.  Moses is dead.  NOW, arise.  Get up.  NOW is your time to get up, to step up.  Joshua is God’s appointed person, for this place, for this time, for this specific purpose.  Cross this Jordan (2)… This is no small feat.  Ch 3 says the river is at [flood stage].  Lead these 2 million people with all these kids and all these animals through this flooded river.  Red Sea 2.0.

Here is the foundational Promise of God: Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, Joshua, I have given it to you [3]: All land of the Hittites (4) - ie all the Hittites.  The Promised Land [map] [Deut 11:24 “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours; your border will be from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the river, the river Euphrates, as far as the western sea.][Gen 15.18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.]

Remember Joshua (with Caleb) did not let appearances tempt him to doubt this promise of God.  But what did the rest say? [Num 13:28-29,31 “Nevertheless, the people in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan.”  The men who had gone up said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.”].  Not to mention, how do you think all these Hittites are going to feel about these foreigners coming in and taking their land?  No, c’mon in and help yourself.  Yeah, we were just leaving, it’s all yours.  Not a chance.

Walking in God’s land of Promise is not always easy.  Entering in can be scary.  There can be giant obstacles.  At least they can look like giants.  And those giants can make us feel small and weak [We became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight, Num 13.33].

But check out this next promise (5): NO MAN, no one, will be able to stand against you - BECAUSE I will be with you!  There is no giant or plan of man that will ever be able to KEEP us away from the promise of God.  There is actually only one being who could ever pull that off.  And that’s me.  Me (and you) - we are the only people who could somehow derail one of God’s precious powerful promises in our lives.  Those are guaranteed never to fail.  But God here give a promise that helps Joshua (and us!) move forward in the face of giants and other seeming insurmountable obstacles and enter into all His promises:

I will be with you = The Promise of Presence.  God has promised this previously.  First direct communication from the Lord to Joshua: Deut. 31:23 Then He commissioned Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the sons of Israel into the land which I swore to them, and I will be with you.”  But now, on the banks of this raging river, the massive fortified [walls of Jericho] on the horizon, where the rubber meets the road (and actually there is no road, definitely no bridge), the first thing God says (again) is, I will be with you.  He renews the promise.  I will be with you - just as I have been with Moses.  I will not fail you or forsake you.  And God repeats the promise, twice.  I will be with you (5).  I am with you wherever you go (9).  Even the people affirm this promise one more time in v. 17.

And so, Joshua - Be strong and courageous.  Be strong and courageous.  3 times in this chapter.  Strength and courage.  And why is Joshua going to need to be strong and courageous?  Do you think Joshua was weak?  Or was he normally timid?  [v9] “Do not tremble or be dismayed”.  Think about what he is about to undertake.  Filling huge shoes, and leading God’s chosen people - Joshua had a front row seat for 40 yrs, seeing what a pain in the donkey it was for Moses to try and lead these people.  How many times did they want to kill Moses?  And now the Jordan, Jericho, the Hittites.  Complete with the sons of Anak, the Nephilim.  Giants.  Fear is debilitating.  Fear can get any of us off track, holds us back from entering into what God has for us.  It makes us cautious, passive, tempts us to compromise.  Fear of failure.  Fear of rejection.  Fear of reprisal.  Fear of the Bites.  I’m afraid.  I can’t do this.  I can’t go there.  I can’t love that person.  I can’t forgive that person.  I can’t respect that person.

The promise of God’s presence is the fountainhead of strength and courage - these flow out of a heart and life that taps into the gracious, all-sufficient presence of almighty God.  Especially when things look hard.  And scary.  Anyone can keep going when the going is easy.  In fact when the going is easy, we can tend to be oblivious of God’s presence.  Unmindful of our need for Him, to depend on Him apart from Whom Jesus says we can do nothing.  But in our [toughest times], our deepest valleys, facing our biggest giants - God’s presence helps us say no to our fear, to the giants, helps us keep going.  You CAN’T do this, Joshua - but I can.  I will be with you - don’t be afraid.  The promise of presence.

Pharaoh hot on your heels with an angry army of 600 chariots - God is with you, right there in a pillar of cloud and fire.  Rack Shack and Benny in Nebby K’s fiery furnace - God is with you, He shows up IN the fire, right there with them!  David: Psalm 23:4  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me. God with us [quashes] fear in us.  Daniel in the lion’s den, an angel shows up - God is with you.  Paul in Corinth, major opposition, the Lord is says to him, “Do NOT be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you…” [Acts 18.9].  And what is the last thing Jesus says to His disciples as He sends into all the nations?  Evil regimes, zealous jihadis, hungry headhunters, skeptical neighbors?  “I am with you always, even to the end of the age…” [Mt 28.20].  Rom. 8:31  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?  And He’s not only FOR us, He’s WITH us! [Heb. 13:5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU”].  I.e. when we know God is with us, we can be absolutely certain that we have everything we need [Psa. 23:1  The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.].  He’s a Good Shepherd - the BEST - and where DO we find the shepherd?  Where does He spend his days - and nights?  The promise of presence.  I will be with you.  I will not fail you or forsake you (8x to Joshua!).  You and I will NEVER be the first one to be forsaken by the Lord.  I will be with you.  The question is, are we with Him?  Is He our Shepherd?  He’s the Good Shepherd, but is He MY Shepherd?

[Psalm 91:1-9  Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.  For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.  He will cover you with his feathers.  He will shelter you with his wings.  His faithful promises are your armor and protection.  Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.  Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.  Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.  Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished.  Make the LORD your refuge, make the Most High your shelter.] The Lord so wants us to make Him our dwelling place.  It’s not a physical place, but a mindset of trust.  In other words, I am with Him - and He is with me.  Not saying the road ahead, the next step God has for you, isn’t scary.  But trust puts fear in the rearview mirror.  My refuge and My fortress, My God Who is with me, in Whom I trust… 

Joshua - The Promise of God (Ex 17.8-13)

Joshua (or Yeshua) comes from the Hebrew word, yeho-shua.  Jehovah yasha, literally meaning, God saves.  God saves.  Our Deliverer.  God delivers His people [altho definitely not like Dominos, FexEx].  A Rescuer, Savior.  Savior is Who He is.  It’s what He does.  Guaranteed.

In the Old Testament, Joshua the person shows up out of nowhere in the middle of Exodus, right after THE Exodus.  God thru Moses has delivered His people from their slavery in Egypt.  Pharoah, the plagues, the Red Sea, ~2 million of said people, who are now journeying through the [wilderness], with the Lord at their head, to the mountain of God, where they will receive His divine commands.  Along the way, we see how God's people are learning crucial lessons of trust - they run out of food, and water —> until now their very survival depends entirely on the gracious provision of God.  Just before they finally arrive to Mount Sinai, they’re attacked, totally unprovoked, by the people of Amalek.  If you recall, Amalek was Esau’s grandson, Gen 36.12 - so these are cousins...!  

Amalek.  The root in the Hebrew means,  toil, or anguish, or trouble.  And these sons of “trouble” earn the distinction of being the first of the Gentiles to trouble the delivered nation of Israel, out to destroy God’s people [Num. 24:20b “Amalek was the first of the nations, but his end shall be destruction.”][cf Deut. 25:18 …(Amalek) met you along the way and attacked among you all the stragglers at your rear when you were faint and weary; and he did not fear God.].  Trouble makers.  Making trouble, opposing God’s people and God's purposes.  And seemingly out of nowhere, comes a deliverer.  God’s deliverance [Ex. 17:13 - Deliverance comes from the Lord - which also gives us a perfect picture of prayer…].  

Let's do a quick survey of this deliverer Joshua: 

Ex 17.10 Joshua did as Moses told him… 

Ex 24.13 Moses arose with Joshua his servant… 

Ex 33.11 his servant Joshua son of Nun, a young man [lad], would not depart from the tent (of meeting).

Num 11.28 Joshua, the attendant [servant] of Moses from his youth

Num. 13:16 These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land; but Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua.

[So we see that Joshua is Faithful.  A Servant.  Responsible. Is it any wonder that Joshua is at the top of the list of the ones Moses trusts to go spy out the land?]

Num 14.6 Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes. 

Num 14.7-8 …”the land is an exceedingly good land…the Lord WILL bring us into this land…” 

Num 27.18 Take Joshua, a man in whom is the Spirit. 

Num 32.12 Joshua…followed the Lord fully.  

And now let's observe God’s promises TO Joshua:

Deut 1.38 Joshua…he will enter…he WILL cause Israel to inherit it.

Deut 3.21 “Joshua, your eyes have seen all that the Lord has done to these two kings; so the Lord WILL do to ALL the kingdoms into which you are about to cross.”  

Deut 3.28 Joshua will go across at the head of this people, and he WILL give them the land as an inheritance.

Deut 31.3 God WILL cross ahead of you; He will destroy the nations, and you will dispossess them…just as the Lord has spoken.  

31.7 Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to give to them, and you WILL give it to them as an inheritance.

31.23 Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the sons of Israel into the land which I swore to them, and I WILL BE WITH YOU.

This is HUGE - the God of wonders, the great I AM, of seas-parting and manna-providing and mountains-shaking and dead-raising and plague-sending, Who NOBODY could approach, Who had only been relating to Moses to this point, says, I will be with YOU, Joshua.  But what makes this last promise even more significant, is that it comes right on the heels of another promise: “For when I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and are satisfied and become prosperous, then they WILL turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn Me and break My covenant." (Deuteronomy 31.20)  God’s people WILL turn their hearts away from the Lord.  The people He chose and delivered were going to turn away - and God knew it far in advance.  Why?  People turn away.  That’s what WE do.

The Lord knows what the people were disposed to do, even before they did it, and He STILL brings them into the promised land!  That shows us not only their own utter weakness but more importantly the strength of His love for them.  Thanks be to God that HE is Yeshua, the God Who saves - the God Who promises to save us - from ourselves: Rom. 7:21-25  Here is the law I find working in me. When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  Deep inside me I find joy in God’s law.  But I see another law working in the parts of my body. It fights against the law of my mind. It makes me a prisoner of the law of sin. That law controls the parts of my body.  What a terrible failure I am!  Who will save me from this sin that brings death to my body?  I give thanks to God. He will do it through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Deliverance comes from Joshua.

Interestingly, Joshua is never mentioned in the [Faith HOF, Heb 11].  Not once.  Talk about being snubbed!  There IS a mention of Jericho - and the walls did what?  There's a mention of Rahab the prostitute who lived in Jericho, but NO mention of the one person who as much as anything personifies the promise of God.  Joshua’s life stands as a monument to the truth that God is a promise-Maker AND a promise-Keeper.  And of course that’s the most important part of a promise, keeping it.  That's the definition of promise: [prä-məs - word of guarantee about a future action or event].  And we’re wired for “kept promises”, aren't we?  Have you ever experienced the feel-good sensation of a backed-up lifetime guarantee? [LLBean, Osprey/Jansport, Eddie Bauer, Craftsman, Cutco].  Anyone can make a “promise” - but tragically, life is full of broken ones. 

And yet, God’s promises ARE guaranteed.  Take it to the bank!  [2Cor. 1:20 For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes.]  And as we will see, over and over and over again, God makes promises to Joshua - and He follows thru.  

Sometimes, God beckons us with a promise, an amazing promise.  Yet what we see on the horizon is a whole lotta nothing.  Uncertainty.  Even foolishness.  Y-you want me to do what?  Say what?  Go where? [Heb. 11:1  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.].

That’s how it is with the first promise we see in play with Joshua.  [The Land of Promise].  [Num 13.1-2 Then the LORD spoke to Moses saying, “Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers’ tribes, every one a leader among them.”]  Go, check it out.  Joshua, you and your 11 buddies.  Leaders of Israel.  “Spy out”, explore the land which I AM GOING TO GIVE TO THE SONS OF ISRAEL. God makes them a promise.  And they take a look.

Num 13.27 [read it] - The land is great - God’s promised blessings are real, and they are spectacular!  “Nevertheless…”  [13.28] Invariably, it seems we bust out a “nevertheless…”  A “why not”.  What’s your latest? The Hebrew word means “end”.  Like, “in the end”. This maybe looks GREAT, but in the end, that’s the end.  The end of our trust.  God’s promises never fail; in the end it’s our failure to trust.

Num 14.1 - the people despair of God’s promise, disregard God’s Word, and disbelieve.  They grumble [2] and want new leaders [4].  14:9 - Caleb/Joshua: “Do not fear, the Lord is with us, do not fear!”  And the nevertheless-ers want to kill them [14.10]!  The doubters.

Look at how their doubts anger the Lord [14.11-12].  Moses again intercedes for the people [14.17-19].  And the Lord spares in the short term, but this is where we get the wilderness wanderings.  40 years in the desert - it drops right here - 14.22-23, 30.  They were right there, on the cusp of the Promised Land, of entering in to all that God had for them, and they busted out a nevertheless.  All that God has for them gets sidetracked by doubt and fear.  And in the end every adult over the age of 20 will die in the wilderness.  In the end, missing out on God’s Promise.  Except for Caleb.  And Joshua.  The promise of God.

When it comes to promises, sadly some of us can feel like this person: "I DON’T BELIEVE in promises; I am doubly hurt by broken ones. I am hurt first by the trust betrayed. I am hurt again for being dumb enough to have believed a promise in the first place.  Right now, I’m living on the spike of a broken promise. I feel like faded duckcloth stretched over tent poles and jammed at all four corners into the ground, beaten by the wind, peed on by dogs that pass in the night."

But Joshua - he held to God’s promise.  And he not only entered in to the promised land, he delivered the people into God’s land of promise as well.  He literally helped to save them.  As we will see in this study, Joshua/Yeshua becomes the promise of God - Who saves. [Jn 3.16]  

PILLARS 18 - Heaven on Earth Pt 5: Future/Coming King (Mt 25.31-40)

Jesus Christ is coming back soon to rule as sovereign King and just Judge of all those who have ever lived.  This return will be sudden, personal, and visible.  All who have trusted in Christ as Savior will enter into the unending joy of eternal life in the presence of God, and for these the promise of His return inspires living hope and urges them to grateful devotion, holy living, and compassionate witness.  All those, however, who have not trusted in Christ as Savior will enter into the conscious anguish of eternal separation from God.  

Jesus liked to use [illeism] - which is referring to oneself in the 3rd person.  He talks about Himself in the 3rd person when He calls Himself “the Son of Man”.  31x!  But this passage in Matthew reminds us that Christ is King.  Not just a king, but THE King.  King OF kings.  And this King, the King of the universe, the King of heaven, He is coming back.  In all His breathtaking glory.  Our Coming King.

I don’t think we know what that word means, us Americans.  Mention “king” and what comes to mind?  Notable celebrities, places to eat, maybe?  But not an absolute ruler.  We kicked the king out, didn’t we, almost 250 years ago?  Us Americans.  Deep down, we are the progeny of rebels.  Freedom.  Free to choose: what I do, what I buy, what I watch, what I eat.  What I want is our “prime directive”.  King Me.  Absolute ruler of the kingdom of me.  And authority figures?  Presidents, parents, teachers, police officers: many of us give these begrudging respect, if at all (present company excluded, of course!).  

But when you have a real king, it’s all about what he wants.  What he says, goes.  What he says, you do.  Make it so.  No questions asked.  So let it be written, so let it be done.  He holds your life in the palm of his hands, wields the power to end said life with a word, and you enter his very presence at your extreme peril.  That’s what we see in Scripture - Pharaoh, Nebby-k (nezzar), Medes and Persians, Caesar.  Absolute power.  Not infinite power, but more than enough to grab your attention.  And compel your allegiance.  The king.  But for Americans - most of us have no clue what it means for someone to have the absolute power of life and death over us.  And we will fight Absolute Power to the death in order to keep from bending our knee.  Progeny of rebels.

But this series, we’ve looked at this One Who made and controls the universe.  And He made us.  To know Him, to enjoy Him, AND to serve Him alone as the true King of the universe and King of my life.  He is the One Who truly does possess infinite absolute power.  Holds our life in His hands.  Our next breath.  We’ve seen that He made the earth, then He came TO earth 2000 years ago to inaugurate a new spiritual kingdom where He reigns in our hearts.  Now someday soon, He is coming back to reign forever on a glorious throne.  Christ Our Coming King.  Philippians 2:10 at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth.

For some of us, this gives us hope!  Cuz we know, we trust that at the back of all the current chaos and brokenness and injustice is One Who reigns supreme over the affairs of men.  He sees.  Yes He HAS temporarily put in this season of time where He is giving all people everywhere the chance to turn back to Him [2Pet. 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.]. This means a lot of latitude and freedom - freedom to choose AND to reject Him, freedom to do our own thing, up to and including doing all kinds of unthinkable evil to our fellow man.  But our King is coming.  Could be tomorrow morning.  He’s coming to town to straighten things out.  He’s gonna set it all right.  Cuz see the LIE says, Because we see evil winning, God is not (good/almighty).  Not King.  Aslan bound tight with cords and shaved maneless, bleeding out on the table, could give one the impression that He is powerless after all, that evil wins.  No, no it doesn’t.  And no, no He isn’t (powerless).  Have you read the rest of the story?  Aslan is about to get busy!  This is the power of the word, YET [Heb 2.8]  Our Coming King.

When it comes to the Future - there are three basic-but-differing positions as to the specifics of how/when Christ is coming back.  Sadly these differing views have been the cause of some disagreement and division between sincere Christ-followers.  But in the end, there are two things that every true Christian agrees on: Jesus IS coming back, and He is going to be King.  AND Judge.  The LIE says, God is not just to judge the world.  Rom. 3:5-6  But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing His wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)  Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?  The question is, am I guilty?  A judge of course comes in to determine whether or not someone is guilty, and then sets the sentence.  IS IT just for a righteous Judge to judge the guilty?  In this case, the charge is insurrection.  Rebelling against the King.  Choosing what I want instead of what God wants.  [Rom 1.21-23 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.]  Have I done this?

The LIE says, I am [not guilty].  Really?  James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. Romans 1:19-20 That which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.  We only deceive ourselves when we deny our guilt before our Maker.  But there is good news!  Isaiah 53:6  All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; BUT the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.  God took our guilt and punished it in His Son, Jesus!  That’s the Good News!

And now, this Judge is coming back.  Soon.  That trial date is set.  When you and I and the whole world least expects it.  Revelation 22:7  “And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.”  3x in the last chapter of the last book of the Bible, Jesus says, “Behold (pay attention), I am coming quickly.”  Three times.  Blessed are those who heed My words, He says.  The reality of Christ’s imminent return ought to inform everything we do.  Realign our priorities.  And we ought not consider the delay to mean we can relax our guard… 2Pet. 3:10-13 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.  Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God…! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

Christ’s return informs how we live (today).  If Jesus is coming quickly, when we least expect, how should we live?  Holy conduct and godliness.  Live like/for Him.  Good news is: He provides full forgiveness (which is extra motivation!), AND Christ is our Sanctifier (meaning His Spirit empowers us for this!).  His return also informs our mission.  Peter says to hasten the coming of the day of God - how are we supposed to do that?  Matt. 24:13-14 “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come."  In the 19th c. AB Simpson and others understood this to mean that the mission of the Church was to get the message of the Good News into every country of the world - SO THAT the end, the Return could come.  Then in the 20th c. missiologists helped us understand that every nation really included every ethnic group [pan ta ethne].  Every language [still 2k out of 7k].  Making disciples of all peoples - who will one day be represented around the throne of heaven.  Rev. 7:9  After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands…

“Let Your kingdom come” - is that Kingdom now - in the world?  Is a “favorable” political climate necessary to advance God’s Kingdom (aka Great Commission)?  Was that the case in 1st century Rome, or in communist China…?  But isn’t the more immediate and pressing question the more important issue of Kingdom now - in our hearts?  Yes!  His return processes as we crown Him as King in our hearts.  Every day we live with and for our King, by His grace and power.  All that we have, all that we are.  Our lives and our mission show off how great He is.  We help others come to know Him (you will receive power!).  What do You want, King Jesus?  Come quickly, King Jesus.

Is. 66:1  Thus says the LORD, “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest?”

Is. 6:1  In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.

Matt. 25:31-34   “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.  All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…”

2Pet. 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 

Heb. 10:37  FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY.

Mark 8:17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart? 

Heb. 2:8  “YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.” For in subjecting all things to Him, He left nothing that is not subject to Him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.

Languages with Scripture 

3495 languages with some Scripture – 7.04 billion people

• 717 languages with a complete Bible – 5.75 billion people
• 1582 languages with a complete New Testament (some also have Old Testament portions) – 830 million people
• 1196 languages with some translated Bible portions – 457 million people

Languages with no Scripture

• 828 languages have work in progress – 67.6 million people
• 1892 languages need translation (or preparatory work) to begin – 145 million people

PILLARS 17 - Heaven on Earth Pt 4: The Church (Heb 10.19-25)

Today, Christ and His Church.  The Church.  Not church.  I know, we say we “go to church”.  But THE Church is not a meeting.  The Church is not a building.  [This structure] is not The Church.  The Church is a family, a spiritual forever family. God is our Father, Jesus is our bestest Big Brother, and we’re all brothers and sisters. A living, growing, messy community, Spirit-indwelt Spirit-gathered Spirit-transformed - blessed to be a blessing [B2BAB]!

[Ever feel alone in a group like this?]  Fear of being alone is historically one of our greatest fears - yet loneliness is epidemic in our world today.  Our society has become so advanced - we have shrunk the globe to the point where we can talk face-to-face with people on the other side of the world in an instant.  We can be by their side in 24hrs.  But at what cost?  Families and friends now scatter across multiple time zones (or soon will?).  The pace of life has accelerated, life is so busy, so many activities and to-dos filling our days, hurrying from one thing to the next until we finally retreat to our homes - and screens -with virtually no margin to interact with our family, much less our neighbor [i.e. landbanking - buying up the lots next to you][no longer es mi casa tu casa].  Even without all the virus-fueled isolation and virulent social intolerance and violent political polarization.  The rise of the [Screens] - they’re becoming our new best friends, sucking us in.  We increasingly retreat into our smart phones (& tvs) and digital devices (and earbuds) and [VR headsets].  So much social media has us settling into virtual relationships, virtual interaction.  Virtual worlds and metaverses, where we virtually connect (and cancel) from a virtual distance.  Where we learn to base our sense of self-worth on how many virtual friends we have, how many like what we post.  Virtual friends, virtual lives…

Virtual means, almost.  Almost - but not quite.  And we’re almosting ourselves into social desolation, running after/embracing so many things which seem good and beneficial - but we are lonelier than ever [Japan has a Minister of Loneliness].  

1Pet. 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  How does he do that?  He cuts his prey out of the herd.  Isolation.  It is NOT good for man to be alone, TRUTH as old as the Garden.  We are created by God in His image, with the capacity - and need - for personal relationship.  We’re wired for (human) companionship.  Friendship.  At the same time, you and I fall short in the things that forge and foster healthy relationships - enduring healing qualities like forgiveness, forbearance, patience, unconditional love.  Others-centeredness.  That was true even before this virtual revolution and that pandemic. 

Enter [the church]: what do you think of when you hear that word?  1Tim. 3:14-15  I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.  In other words, the Church is the Pillar of the Pillars!  Both these words for “church” here are not talking about a building.  The first word is oikos - here it’s people who live in a house together, they live together, do life together.  God’s oikos: not the building - the people.  A family.  The second word is ekklesia - this is a group of people who are called out of something into this other something.  Out of the world, out of death and darkness, out of loneliness - and into the light.  Into community.  Into this family, this body.   We’re all a part of the body, and we all have a part to play in it.  [What’s your part?] Not just 75 minutes of weekly pew.  We’re a forever family called together for eternal kingdom impact - and who’s in charge?  Jesus.  Col. 1:18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.  Eph. 4:15-16 Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. You and I each do have a part, and for every one of us, part of our part is a speaking part.  [Eph 5:19 Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.]  Made in His image, the God Who did what?  The God Who speaks… Yes, YOU have a speaking part.  I know, for all the introverts in here, that scares you to death.  You’d be just fine to remain invisible, hide in the crowd.  You’d rather stay quiet in the group.  Unfortunately, that's also the realm of loneliness…!

We need to get out of the pew - and there are at least three ways to do that: 

1) Greet (not only) one another - 1Th. 5:26 Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.][Matt. 5:47 “If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?] 

2) Gather in a group.  Not just for another Bible lesson.  Share/do life with other believers.  A group small enough to give you the chance to speak [group leaders: our job is NOT to do all the speaking; help others speak up].  The growth of the body depends on each part doing its part.  And you have a speaking part.  You know things.  God is teaching you things.  God gives you thoughts/ideas about things - and those will build people up.  They will build up the body - and all this building up is part of the blessing.  As we grow this community - not more people per se but stronger relationships - as we grow in our love for one another, that helps accomplish the mission.  We’re blessed to be a blessing, to our neighbors and all the nations!  [All will know we are His disciples if we do what…?]  So, we get out of the pew: greet, gather, and...

3) Get to serving.  You have a part.  We all have a part.  A healthy family is one where everyone pitches in, there are chores to be done.  Get to serving.  If you don’t know what to do, ask the Lord.  Or ask someone what needs to be done.  If you ask me, how can I serve, I’ll ask you, what do you like to do?  What are you good at?  Serve the family, AND serve your neighbor.  Pray for them, find out what needs they have, and see what you can do to bless them.  Blessed to be a blessing.

The LIE says, faith is a personal thing.  "Just keep it to yourself."  AND "I don’t need any help.  I don’t need a community."  No, no, no, no.  That’s a lie on so many levels.  Faith is founded on relationships.  Faith is about a Person, informed by the truths about this One Who made the universe.  The God of Truth Who is supremely trustworthy.  Faith begins with a trust relationship with the God Who made us in His image, wired for relationship.  His Words, the truths we believe, are the outworking of Who He is.  The greatest commands are what?  Not, love yourself.  THAT would be keeping it personal.  No, it’s love the Lord, AND the second is like it [Matt. 22:39 “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’].  And we love God and others because He IS love.  And yes, we love the truths of God’s Word - but they are secondary.  God is primary.  Faith is about a Person - and it’s lived out in relationship, IN community.  Phil. 1:27  …standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. Phil. 2:1-3  Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.  Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves. Phil 2:20-21 For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.  For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. [It's the old story of how logs burn more brightly together, but put one by itself?  The fire goes out]

The Church is not an it - or even a they.  It is also not a you [all].  As if it's something/someones that doesn't include me.  Church becomes The Church (Christ’s Church) when they/you/me becomes we.  When it becomes not just the meeting I attend, but my people.  They are we, WE are journeying together, with one another.  Doing life with one another.  Getting dirty together.  Me and you and he and she need to become we.  I become one of you.  "They" become "us."  

May we excel still more and be great at greeting, at gathering/speaking, & at serving.  This is what/who God has called us to be.  His love in action.  Blessed to be a blessing.  For His glory.