Dr. Ronald Powell

Reaching for Canaan Part 3

III. Joshua 1:16-18  

ISRAEL'S COMMITTMENT

A. Joshua 1:16  

They Commit To A Life Of Surrender - These people make their stand with the Lord. They promise absolute obedience and surrender to the will of God.  

Ill. This is the only way spiritual victory will come to any life. There must be total and absolute surrender of every area of life to the will of God and to His divine leadership. Anything less hinders the work of God in your life and mine.  

What are you holding back from the Lord today? Too often, we are like the men described in Luke 9:57-62.  

God's will is that we surrender our will and follow Him to victory. I challenge you to make a complete surrender to God. Run up the white flag today and get in line to go into Canaan!  

B. Joshua 1:17  

They Commit To A Life Of Submission -  

These men also promised to follow the leadership of God's man. Just as they had followed Moses, they committed themselves to following Joshua!  

Ill. While I believe that there is a certain amount of authority invested in the pastoral office, and that the people of God ought to follow the man of God as he follows God's will for the church, there is a higher authority that every person in this room must acknowledge. We are to submit to the leadership of God! Too often, we rebel against anything that seems like authority in our lives.   

None of us like to be told what to do!  

But, may I remind you that every single child of God in this room is a slave! When you got saved, you became the property of the Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. 6:19-20. Therefore, you have no right! You have no privileges!  

You have no claim to anything that allows you to make decisions for yourself.   

Your entire duty could be summed up in one word:

Submit! If you are ever going to get to Canaan, you will have to submit everything to God. Have you done that? Or, are you holding things back from the Lord? Canaan is only for those who are subject to the will of God!  

C. Joshua 1:18  

They Commit To A Life Of Separation -  

Finally, the people commit themselves to separating from those in their midst who refused to comply with the commandments of the Lord. And, their separation was so strong that they vowed to put to death anyone who rebelled against the leadership of Joshua. These people knew that allowing rebellion in their midst was a sure way to guarantee defeat.  

Ill. Again, the lesson for us is clear today. If we want to walk in victory, we must practice separation in our lives as well. We should separate ourselves from anything that would prevent us from achieving victory in our lives. It may be that certain people that have to go. It may be that certain activities have to be cut out of our lives. We may need to consider the way we dress, the way we talk, the things we watch and do, where we work, how we think or in any other area of life.  

If it is a hindrance to your entering into your Canaan, then it must go, Heb. 12:1.  

Ill. Paul - Phil. 3:7-11. Otherwise, you will always be defeated and in danger. Even as I speak, you already know what it is that is holding you back today. You need to get that things settled today!

Conc

We do not have to be defeated by sin, by life, by spiritual depression, or by the devices of the devil. We can walk in victory! We can do it today. If we are going to do that, we must make the necessary changes that will allow us to achieve that goal.  

If I were going to run in a marathon, many things in my life would have to change. I am not prepared to run that kind of race. If I am going to be victorious as a Christian, I must also examine my life and change everything that hinders me from walking in absolute victory as a child of God.  

Christian, what is it going to take to get you into Canaan today? Are you willing to pay the price, whatever it is? Or, would you rather stay on the other side of Jordan and be the first to fall in times of trials? It is entirely up to you!  

Some here have never been saved! If you were to die, you would go to Hell and you don't want that to happen. You do not need victory; you need salvation. I would like to invite you to come to the Lord Jesus today and be saved. He loves you, He died for you and He will save you if you will come to Him today.  

I don't know you heart, but I do know there are more Christians east of Jordan than there are in the Promised Land. Why not get in today? 

This could be the dawning of a new day if you will obey the Lord.