TV 1728 | Ready for War Part One

Well, earlier in the week I had some thoughts that are going to wind up just being more of an introduction, I think, because, you know, as Brother Steve mentioned, we certainly are living in an uncertain world and people want certainty, don't they? But if you're looking for certainty in this world, it ain't there. Everything we see is like the world is just like cracked in every direction. And it wouldn't take much for things to pretty well come down. So my hope is not here and I'm trusting yours isn't either. But, you know, as I got to thinking about this, one of the things that I believe we as believers need to reckon on, and I think we certainly are aware of this, but I want to focus on it this morning, and that is the certainty of war. I'm not talking about military war here. I'm talking about the fact that we live on a planet that is ruled by an evil kingdom. I mean, there's a whole lot of common ground here with things we've said lately, but I'm trusting it'll have a certain emphasis that will be helpful to us to be anyway. I need it. But anyway, one thing the Lord has absolutely promised that we're going to have war. We don't live here in a state of peace. We're going to be opposed. There's an evil government that is behind the scenes that rules over everything and hates Christ. And you know, it's interesting what Satan said to Jesus that I think we need to reckon on. You know, when he offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world, if you'd only bow down and worship Him, he said, for they are delivered to me. Who did that? Adam and Eve were created. The human race was created basically to rule over God's creation. They promptly turned it over to Satan. And Satan has been the God of this world ever since. There is a world order here that he rules over, and we got to live in the midst of that.

That's God's purpose is that we grow up as His sons and daughters, but we're going to, we got to fight on our hands. And that's the reality of it. If we're not living, if we imagine that there is a version of the Christian life that is free from that, you're living in a fantasy world. Jesus said very plainly to His disciples, in the world, you will have what? Trouble. Tribulation. Trouble. And then thank God for the butt that follows that, but be of good cheer. Cheer up. I have overcome the world. But the reality is there. There's no way we're going to escape having to fight the good fight, as Paul told Timothy. He realized, if you're going to serve me, you're going to have to go against opposition. You're going to be opposed at every point, in every way that Satan can imagine. You got to fight on your hands if you're going to serve God. You remember the parable Jesus told about the different types of soil? One of those types was rocky soil, where the seed came up pretty quick because there was a little bit of soil on the top, but there was no place for the roots to go. And what happened, what that illustrated was that there are some people who believe real quick, it sounds great, but they have no idea what they're getting into. And all of a sudden, tribulation and trouble comes against them. And what do they do? They say, uh-uh, I'm out of here. Didn't count on that. Folks, we're going to have to count on the reality that we have to serve God in a broken world and war is part of it. And so, I think where I wound up thinking, and my mind went to, was this, we need to be ready for war.

We need to be prepared. And I believe God wants every one of His children not to just go into this blindly and have a hard time, but He wants us to be ready for war. You know, when the military is getting ready for war, and I wasn't in the military, so some of you guys, you know, you know a whole lot more about this than I do, but they don't just say, hey, we've got a war going on, here's a gun, go for it. There's a whole lot of getting ready. We need to know how to fight. We need to know what we're up against. And only then can we begin to deal with the real thing. And I thought about one scripture as a starting point, and that's in Joshua. Because the children of Israel were getting ready to cross over Jordan and conquer the promised land. God had promised them the land, but, you know, there's a whole lot of things that He needed to do to begin to prepare them mentally. Because if we're not prepared mentally, we're not prepared. Because if you don't realize that you're up against a real enemy who's going to oppose you, then you're going to be dismayed, you're going to have all kinds of defeat. in your life. God help every one of us. And so the Lord in the beginning of Joshua, the book of Joshua, he says in verse 2, Moses my servant is dead. Now then you and all these people get ready. Interesting words right there, get ready. It wasn't just, hey, go for it, get ready. There's a certain amount of preparation you need to do and part of it was what he is going to tell Joshua because, you know, Joshua was going to face a whole lot of things. Get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them, to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot. Now this is one instance where this translation I don't believe gets it quite the way all

the other major translations do. They all say, I have given you every place you will set your foot. So I'm going with that. Either way, when God promises something, it's as good as done anyway. So that's a technical difference, but I'll say God has already given. What has God done for us? Is what he has promised us something out there that somehow he's going to do or is it something he's already done? He's called us to step into something he has done. So what the Lord is showing is you've got a part to play in this. It just doesn't happen automatically. You just don't come down to the altar and boom, everything is exactly right. We're going to have to live this out in the real world and lay hold of what God has given to us. So even though he had given them that, it involved their being willing to put their foot on it. I wonder if there's anybody here who's got things in your life where you need to put your foot on it and conquer it. See, that's what the Lord is after and it could be stuff in here, it could be situations, it could be a lot of things. But God has called us and he has given us so many things, but we have to put our foot on it and declare that it is ours. And that's what Paul ... Paul. That's what God was getting ready for Joshua here. All right? I have given you, I'll read it that way, every place where you set your foot as I promised Moses. And he describes the territory. Verse five, he says, no one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous. Boy, it's a word of a promise of encouragement. But he keeps on saying it, doesn't he? He just goes on and on about this, the need for courage. Why would he talk like that? Because they're going to need it. Because they were going ... he knew they were going to face situations where courage would be challenged. Strength would be challenged. They would feel weak and discouraged. That would be the temptation because they were going to see real things, real battle. It's awfully easy to sit in a place like this, for example, and just talk about all the wonderful things God has done for us. But what God is looking for is for us in real life to actually face the things that God has called us to face and be able to put our foot on it and to take hold of that courage and actually have the courage when we need it. What good is it to say, I'm going to lick the world, I'm going to lick the world, and then you see the enemy and you turn and run? So the Lord is trying to prepare them mentally and emotionally. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous. And I had this thought too. It's easy to read something like this and suppose, and I can see the enemy trying to do something like this, well, sure, this was a special guy. I mean, this wasn't just one of the average people. This was Joshua. You know, I remember reading something the other day because in my reading, I'm now in the Gospels, and it was something Jesus said about John the Baptist that was interesting.

He said that there's no prophet among all the people that have arisen before, there's no one greater than John the Baptist. That's amazing. Okay, Moses, Joshua, Elijah, David, Samuel, you go through the Old Testament, nobody is greater than John the Baptist. But then what he says is kind of interesting. He says, but he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater. than he. Think about that. You think you're one of the least of the kingdom of heaven? Far as God's concerned, you're greater than Elijah? That's not an ego kind of thing. I'll tell you, we have every reason to lay hold of the promises when God gave promises like this. They weren't meant just for the special ones. They were ultimately meant for you and for me. Praise God. All right, so when he's talking about, I will never leave you nor forsake you, that's not just Joshua, that's you. That's his promise to every single believer. Be strong and courageous because you will lead these people and so forth to inherit the land. In other words, I got something for you to do. This was his charge. This was his lot in life, his call in life. And God says, I'm going to be with you to carry it out, don't worry. And then he says, be strong and very courageous. Wait a minute, he just said that. You think there's a need? You think the Lord's trying to convey something?

Hey, this is not just a pep rally. You're getting ready for something that's real. You're going to face a real enemy and real challenges. And don't forget this. Get this so embedded in your brain that you'll remember it when you actually need it. I wonder how many of us have rejoiced in words like this and then we get in the middle of a battle and it just doesn't kind of ... we're not very strong, we're not very courageous. Praise God. Be strong and very courageous. Then he talks about the word, the revelation that they had, which was the law of Moses at that time. Remember the law of Moses was meant to prepare the people for what God was ultimately, for the kingdom God was ultimately going to establish and that was through Christ. All of that was a preparation, but that's what they had. So if you're going to serve God, you better pay attention to what he says. And so he says, 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. God's not looking for people who just want to live their own lives. We better pay attention to what he says and be in harmony with him, okay? Take him seriously when he says something. Keep this book of the law always on your lips and meditate on it day and night so that there's a result from that, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Don't think you can kind of live your own life and get through this battle, this war that the Lord has set before us. Then he says again, have not I commanded you, be strong and courageous. Again, over and over and over again, there's a need for God to warn us and get us prepared mentally. You better be ready for this.

There's something coming. You're going to need courage. You're going to need strength. Thank God we're told by Paul that we can be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might, but there's still a part we play. It doesn't happen automatically. We're going to have to say, wait a minute, I can be strong because I'm trusting in him. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Then they begin the preparation and there's a whole lot that they go through. They reenact the covenant. Joshua meets the commander of the Lord's host. There's a whole lot of preparation that they undergo to get there. God has to prepare his people and get us ready in a sense that we realize what we're up against and we're encouraged to lay hold of his courage and not to give in. The fact that he's going to be with us is pretty important, isn't it? One of the things that if we're going to be ready we better know something about the enemy. We've already talked about the fact that he does in fact rule over this world. A lot of times we'll say, Satan's big tactic is telling a lie, but you know I kind of looked at it from a slightly different point of view. From his point of view he is ruling over a planet and a people and a kind of a way of life and a way of thinking and acting. From his point of view, whatever he says is the truth. If he comes to me, and he does, and he says, you're weak, well is that a lie or is that the truth? It's the truth. isn't it? And the devil has a lot of ways of telling things that from his point of view, if we don't look beyond living here in our own way, in our own resources, they're the truth. You're afraid. You can't do this. You're a failure. Look how

many times you've tried. It's not worth it. On and on and on he'll talk about, and of course, now I'm dealing with just the personal stuff, trying to live for the Lord and all of that. But what about circumstances? You know, he's a great one to say, you know, you need to face the facts. Well, how did that work out with Abraham? There were a whole lot of facts that were standing in the way of anything that God had said and promised him. And they were facts. He was an old man. His wife was 90 years old and certainly way too old to bear a child. And God's promised you she's going to have a child, ha ha. You better face the facts, Abraham. That ain't happening. That's impossible. And of course, you know, when Moses was standing on the shore of the Red Sea, armed with a promise and a stick, and an army was way bigger than they could possibly have contended with, had them backed up there, the facts on the ground looked pretty bleak, didn't they? That's how Satan works. He will apply his version of truth and facts to us. And the truth is they are facts. There are many facts, many things that are very, very real. And he knows how to use them to his advantage if we just accept, oh, I mean, the Scripture is full of that, of the facts on the ground. I mean, you know, what hope did so many people in the Scriptures have of possibly accomplishing anything? How do you get thrown in a lion's den and survive? Face the facts. You know you're going to die. You're going in there. What about being thrown into the fire? And the guys who threw you into the fire, they died putting you in there. What hope is there? Every natural consideration is, you're dead. You're a fool. You wouldn't go through the ... you wouldn't even pretend to worship this image that the emperor told you to bow down to. You know, over and over again you see the reality of what this warfare involves. We're not just facing what lies in the traditional sense. We are facing Satan's facts because he is in charge. When he approached Jesus, Jesus was hungry. And he had the power to do what Satan wanted him to do, make bread. He said, that's not God's purpose right now. I'm obeying Him. But Satan was working with facts. Folks, real circumstances can be against us and be impossible. What did Jesus say about ... what did God say about things that are

impossible? Is there anything? What about people being saved? Jesus was talking about the difficulty of people who are rich. And the disciples said, who then can be saved? And Jesus said, with men this is impossible. But with God nothing is impossible. So I'll tell you, with men, when Satan talks about things that are impossible and he declares his truth as a way of trying to overcome us, it is true. If that's all we're operating in, if we're operating on human energy and human strength and human wisdom, forget it. He is going to ... he's going to win the battle every single time. And if we're not winning battles, that's why. We're fighting on his turf, trying to somehow make something happen in ourselves. And it certainly could have involved circumstances that for every natural ... every way you look at it, it's just there's no hope, no possibility. God help us to recognize Satan knows how to declare the things that are facts. Does he ever kind of come to you and you think about it, that's really what he was saying, you got to face the facts. Look at what you did today. Look at how you failed. You got up this morning, you were going to live for God. Look what you did. That's a fact. Deal with it. Now you think you can overcome me? Ha! It's a fact, accept it. So all the courage in the world is not going to help us right there if all we're doing is operating in us trying to face His facts because we don't have what it takes and it's the reality. Thank God there are some facts out there that totally trump what He has said. Thank the Lord. Praise God. Praise the Lord and that's where we have to get to. That's what God wants us to get to because you think about what Joshua actually had to face. Now the Lord was telling him what to do when he went against Jericho. What a crazy plan, march around the city for seven days and then seven times on the seventh day and shout.

And the Lord fought the battle, didn't He? They had instances when the Lord won the battle, they had instances when they moved in themselves and didn't win it. But over and over again, they had to actually look to God and face real enemies. It's one thing to sit out there in the wilderness and say, yes, I'm going to be strong and I'm going to be courageous. I get it, Lord. Yes, let's go. And then you're standing there looking at somebody who's nine feet tall with a sword in his hand or you're looking at a walled city. Now they weren't all giants there, but there were giants among them. And walled cities, and okay, now what? And we're supposed to conquer that? How are we going to do that? And Satan is just sitting there filling their heads with earthly facts, earthly limitations, all that would stand in the way of us actually laying hold of what God has given to us. You think God actually means it when He wants to give us things? Do you think the things that He's promised us are real? Then why don't we have them? Because we're listening to Satan's facts instead of God's facts. And that's really what it comes down to. It comes down to what ... We all know these scriptures. We all know about faith. Faith comes down to not just sort of a mental belief in something. Faith is absolutely taking God at His Word and taking action based upon His Word. And that means I'm making a choice between God's facts and Satan's facts. This has been the Midnight Cry broadcast. If you would like a DVD or CD of today's message in its entirety, please request it by program number. While it is not required, a donation of $10 for DVDs and $5 for CDs is suggested to help

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