Absolute Goal for the Gospel Noble Family – Restoration of the Gospel (9)
The Miracle for the Fulfillment of God’s Covenant (Jos 10:6-14)
(Intro)
It’s good to see you. Greet those around you. Have you had a good week? Today’s title is “The Miracle for the Fulfillment of God’s Covenant”. This is an amazing miracle. I hope that you and I will receive these kind of blessings. What does it say in the introduction of the bulletin? You can do your best when you transcend your motives and situational calculations. When there is a hidden motive, there are men of few words. We all have problems. If you are faced with a problem, and a person can analyze it with all the angles, we call them intelligent. However, if you have a lot of problems, and you are too busy calculating all the things, you cannot do your best. Let us look at Joshua 10. The Gibeonites are facing a crisis. Joshua didn’t ignore them, but helped them. Joshua marched up from Gilgal with an army. The Lord told Joshua to not be afraid and that He has given the enemy into your hands. Not one of them will be able to withstand you. We looked at the Gibeonites last week. With a lie, they tried to make a peace treaty. They avoided God’s punishment. The Israelites realized this, so they cursed them. They became their slaves. If we express it in our ways, they were objects of hatred. The average people say that you need to work for one God. However, they were promised salvation. Joshua didn’t ignore them. He did his best to help them. Even though they were the servants of the Israelites, he took God’s promise to the heart. He didn’t see the motives nor calculations, but the promise of God as the most vital. God saw what Joshua was doing and was happy. We are sons of God. We need to take ahold of God’s will and plans. The will of God was to exterminate and judge everyone. You can ask whether it was ok to kill off other people just because they didn’t believe in God? Muslims say that they have a sword in one hand and a Quran in the other. You need to know the background. You need to know the reason for this. The land of Canaan sinned a lot, so they were bound to receive punishment. They were under the control of Satan. They could not avoid war with the Israelites. We need to find the answer through the Bible. It is in Deuteronomy 7:1-5. “When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations--the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you-and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons,for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods, and the LORD's anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you. This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire.” This was God’s order. They had to obey. It is in Leviticus 18:24-25 as well. “Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.”. What are the sins they committed? It is in Leviticus 18:1-23. We have young children here; we cannot read it. So read it at home. The crimes were sexual, like incest. They also talk about homosexuality and bestiality. They also worshipped idols. They would sacrifice their own children. Even the land was defiled. They were filled with their own sexual needs. So God punished them. God had no choice but to punish them. It is the same as Sodom & Gomora, Pompeii and the destruction of Rome. The common trait was that there was idol worship and sexual crimes. All these sins accumulated, so they had no choice but to be punished. At this time, God used Joshua and the Israelites to punish them. Remnants must prepare for answers greater than the adult generation. Think about this deeply. You will have a curiosity and fall into things when you date others. Whatever you do, pray before God. Receive your parent’s approval. You might like someone and love them. What must you do? Are you just going to live together for a while and quit? You want to receive God’s blessings when you have a relationship. However, you might not see what God wants when you’re in love. Introduce them to your spiritual authority. That is safe and useful. You might question whether you need approval or not. If you’re not receiving approval, you’re just falling in lust and hiding it. Your own self-motive is too much. I experienced this. You want God’s blessings. I bless that our Remnants will think about our future.
1. The war towards Canaan Conquest was God’s will and His order.
(1) It is the war that gives judgement on the evil that filed the land of Canaan. (Dt 7:1-5)
(2) The Gibeon tribe who had a strong desire for salvation was exempted from the judgement. (Jos 9:25-27)
(3) Protecting the Gibeon tribe who just entered inside God’s covenant is God’s will. (Jos 10:8)
The war towards Canaan conquest was God’s will and Order. Why? It is the war to punish the sins the land of Canaan. In the midst of this, the Gibeonites feared the Lord and desired salvation. They were able to avoid God’s punishment. They were saved. However, the neighboring tribes were the problems. There were 5 other tribes near the Gibeonites. They came together and attacked the Gibeonites. The people of Gibeon were surprised. They were saved from Joshua, but now they were about to be killed by the neighboring tribes. They sent someone to Joshua and cried for help. At this time, Joshua was led by God. God gave strength and the guarantee to win the battle. This was God’s plan. He gave Joshua power to protect them in Joshua 10. Also, the LORD hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky, and more of them died from the hailstones than were killed by the swords of the Israelites. And, God answered to Joshua’s prayer to stop the sun and moon. They were in the battle. It took a long time. It was dark. The place was unfamiliar to the Israelites. Joshua prayed for the sun and moon to still. Joshua wanted the sun to shine. God answered the prayer. It is an unprecedented answer. It is an amazing answer. Since it was daylight, they were able to attack. They defeated all other nations. They were going to fight with each tribe to take them over but destroyed them all in one instance. When Joshua went to help them, he saw the 5 other tribes there. He was supposed to have 5 separate battles, but he defeated them all at once. If you do everything according to the covenant, you will receive more fruits. You will see the sun and moon to stop. The Amorites worshipped the sun and moon. Joshua believed in God’s power so it stopped. He defeated the idol culture of that region. He changed the culture to the culture of God. We need to help our Remnants to receive this kind of answer. Many of our Remnants have talents, but are deceived by the atmosphere. They fall into secular culture. But when they have the power to change that, it is amazing. Parents who are sitting here need to pray for your children to receive this answer. Joshua didn’t follow the ways of mankind and received answers. Joshua put down his own motives and situational calculation and did everything according to God’s covenant. Please believe and confess that these kind of answers are prepared by God to us.
2. World Evangelization is God’s will and His order
(1) It is the spiritual war that solves the sins and curses that fills this world (Eph 6:12)
(2) We, who are the gentiles that received salvation, are exempt from the judgment of Hell (Rom 8:1-12)
(3) Helping and guiding the new comers who just entered inside God’s covenant is God’s will (Jn 21:15-20)
If conquering Canaan is God’s will, then so is world evangelization. Canaan Conquest war was the judgment of God. The Messiah, Christ, will be born in the land of Canaan. What are we doing right now? We are preparing the Remnants for the future. We need to take spiritual battle for sake of world evangelization. Because of God’s unconditional love, we were saved like the Gibeonites. When you help and be with the newcomers, God will receive you and give you answers just like Joshua. If you pray for the newcomers, then God will be happy. If you help newcomers and pray for them, God will give you answers.
3. When you hold onto God’s covenant with your whole heart, and do you best in the field, you will receive…
(1) Special and unprecedented answers of miracle. (Jos. 10:11-13)
(2) The answers where it is the most effective while you invest the least. (Jos 10:42)
(3) The answers that you re-create the culture in the field. (Jos 10:13)
Why? World evangelism is the only way to solve the sins and disasters in the world. Mankind are spiritual beings. Only mankind can believe in religion. Depending on what we believe in, they’ll receive blessings from God or curses from Satan. Depending on which spirit you believe in, you’ll receive salvation or judgment. We know this. Depending on whether you believe in God or Satan, it can affect your afterlife. The Holy Spirit is with us. This Holy Spirit gives us the strength and faith to call you Father God. The Holy Spirit made us His temple. That Holy Spirit will react to your prayers. That Holy Spirit mobilizes an angel to cast away evil spirits. Also, the Holy Spirit guarantees our citizenship of heaven. The Holy Spirit helps us to become a witness and it will provide power. However, if you are possessed by the evil spirits, you will be under Satan’s control. You will have mental and physical problems. You will go to hell. Your future descendants will receive the problems. You will be bound by fate and destiny. If you know all these spiritual facts, you would want to be with God. How am I able to be with this Holy Spirit? John 14:16 promises the Holy Spirit to be with you. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth” This was Jesus Christ’s promise. Only Jesus Christ can ask His Father for the Holy Spirit to be with us. Only Jesus Christ can allow us to be with the Holy Spirit. Only Jesus Christ can give us this. Who is Jesus? He is the Christ who crushed the forces of darkness. We are made anew in Him, and we can call God, our Father. He has given us the eternal life. When you live on this earth, God called us as a His son and co-worker. This is an advantage. He will work for us. This is an invitation from God. God will be with us until the end. He will bless us as we spread the Gospel. Jesus is the main figure of the Bible and the head of the church. He is the king of all kings. He will rule the millennium kingdom with us. To those who want to enjoy the mystery of Jesus Christ, God will open the doors for us. He doesn’t want to give us problems. He doesn’t mean to give us the problems, but He wants you to find answers through the problems. In the past, I always had conflicts. I wondered why my life was unfair. Later I found out that those were just my excuses. Conflicts aren’t problems. It is a time for renewal. If you are in that situation, then He wants us to experience the power of God. Christ is amazing. Christ loves us. He knew us before creation. He gave His life for us and loved us. Female remnants must ask male remnants if they think there’s a future for us. Christ gave His life so He can be with us. This is the true mystery of God. He can give us the salvation through Christ. He is the only way to be saved. That’s why Joshua did his best to protect the Gibeonites who had the salvation of God. He knew that protecting the Gibeonites was the protection of God’s salvation. Joshua was connected with God. That is why God protected Joshua and gave blessings. God desires you to know His powers through problems and answers. He is working to answer your prayers. In order to have a deep relationship with you, He is here. If you believe in God’s presence, His glory will be upon you. All of the diseases will be healed! Your powerlessness will be cast away. You will be able to see the future! God will change the hearts of your enemies. This is God’s promise. This is inside of Christ. God’s covenant is the Christ. When you hold onto that, you will receive answers you can’t imagine. God will prepare the answer of best, largest and highest for those who do the best to fulfill God’s covenant. Family members who share this kind of mystery are the Gospel Noble Family. It is not being your will, but by the Gospel. You do not want it, but God wanted it, so He will fulfill. I hope that you will praise God who called you no matter how you are.
(Prayer)
God we give you glory, help us to do our best to fulfill your covenant. Help us to enjoy your blessings that Joshua had. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.