Comments Wanted

[joelkaki]

Thanks to all who participated in my thread entitled "Critique Wanted." I ask for your comments once again here, only on a different message. Let me explain somewhat why I am doing this. I am not a pastor, and will not be for some time. I am actually only in high school. But last year about this time I went to a High School Festival/Preaching Conference at Bob Jones University. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and plan on becoming a pastor. I am going back to this same event at BJU this year, and so I had to prepare another message. So I am wanting comments on this in order to know how better to deliver.
Bear in mind as you read this three things: 1) It is meant to be delivered in a ten to twelve minute time span. When you see the length you may think I'm nuts, and probably justifiably so. So if you see something that you think should just be cut out, please let me know. 2) This is just a manuscript. I don't use a manuscript when I actually preach it; I just use a fairly limited outline. So the exact wording may be different, and emphasis may be placed differently than it seems in the text. 3) There is no introduction at this point. I have not been able to come up with an attention-grabbing, truth-relating introduction to place at the beginning yet, so the actual start will not be so abrupt. Any suggestions on that would be appreciated.

OK, here goes:

Text: Joshua 1:6-9
Title: Be Strong and Courageous!

Turn with me if you would to the book of Joshua, chapter 1, verses 6 through 9. Joshua 1:6-9.

Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.

This text is an incredible text of Scripture. Notice the core command throughout the text: Be Strong and Courageous. Be Strong and Courageous in doing what is right. That simple statement is the cord, the rope, that binds this text together. But the rope has several strands. These strands are interwoven throughout these 4 verses into a tightly bound rope that says: Be strong and courageous in doing what is right. But in order to grasp the whole cord with all of our might, we must consider each strand individually. So first of all, notice the 1st strand, the first instruction of the Lord, which is to...

1. Meditate on God’s Word Constantly. Look at verse 8, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night...” Meditate on God’s Word constantly. OK, great, but what does reading a book have to do with being strong and courageous? EVERYTHING, because the Word of God is our guidebook for life. It gives us solid principles for how to live our lives. It tells what is right and what is wrong. And we can only do what is right if we first know what is right. And we cannot know what is right if we do not read the source of what is right. We have to meditate on God’s Word constantly. This meditation is much more than just looking at the text when the preacher on Sunday morning announces it, and then thinking about a million other things, and maybe even reading a chapter every week or two. Meditation is reading the word over and over again, reflecting on it, thinking about it long and hard, seeking to see what it says, understand what it means, and to apply it to our lives. And we must do this constantly, day and night, with the result that it won’t stop coming out of our mouths. We must constantly speak of the Word of God.
I’ve got something very important to tell you, though. If you want to ruin your life, if you want the fabric of your life to completely unravel, just take out one thread. It’s quite simple. One action will take care of it. Shut your Bible. Just keep the Word of God closed. Take out that strand, and the whole rope becomes frayed and worthless. You can mess up your life completely if you will just take the Word of God out. But if you want your life to be a success, if you want meaning, purpose, and joy in your life, then Meditate on God’s Word Constantly. Keep the Book open all the time.
But God gives us another instruction, another strand in the rope here in Joshua 1. Not only does He tell us to 1) Meditate on God’s Word Constantly, but he also says to...

2. Stand on God’s Law Unashamedly. Stand on God’s law unashamedly. Verses 7 and 8 tell us to do this: “that thou mayest observe to according to all that is written therein...” When we know what is right by studying God’s Word, we have to decide that no matter what comes, we will stand on those convictions.
One of my favorite movies is Chariots of Fire. I don’t particularly like movies in general anymore because they can be so degenerate, but this movie tells the story of Eric Liddell, an incredible Scottish runner who won a gold medal in the Olympics in the 1920's. But even greater than his athletic ability shines his godly Christian character. When he found out that the heats for his race were on Sunday, he refused to run. He believed Sunday was a day for the worship of God, and he would not be stopped from doing so, even by the Olympics. Friends, dukes, olympic committees, and even the Prince of Wales tried to convince him to go against his convictions, but he would not. He stood on God’s law, on what he believed to be right, unashamedly. He ended up getting to run in a different race, and he won. Perhaps even greater than this is how he ended his life. Here he was, an incredibly gifted athlete, yet he died as a missionary in China. His Christian convictions were with him to the end.
We face similar choices every day. The world pulls us from every side, from the right and from the left, as verse 7 says. And perhaps we feel this the most in the pressure put on us to be “cool.” We are constantly confronted with the idea that we have to be “cool.” When we’re little, we must have the cool toys, then as teenagers and up we have to have the cool cars, sound systems, clothes, shoes, houses, and on and on and on. I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t start selling T-shirts that say, “Keep cool or contents will spoil.” The reality is, we don’t have to be cool, because often do be so would be to go against God’s law. It can be a major distraction to our walk with the Lord. Stand on God’s law unashamedly, because God will bless you and honor you for it.
Now I have said that we need to be strong and courageous, but I haven’t really said what courage is. Some might say that courage is a great virtue, even the greatest of the virtues, but C.S. Lewis said this: “Courage itself is not a virtue. Courage is the point at which all the other virtues are tested.” Courage is the point at which all the other virtues are tested. The question is then, will we pass the test? Is it even possible to stand?
To answer those questions, turn quickly to Joshua chapter 24, verse 15. This is Joshua speaking to the children of Israel. Joshua 24:15--“And if it seem evil to you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” There is burning conviction dripping from every word here. Joshua passed the test with flying colors. His words should jump out at each of us, because that is the choice that we have to make. Choose you this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord! Will we serve the Lord or not?
You might be thinking at this point, “Sure, Joshua did it, but how do you know that I can? I mean, I’m not courageous by nature...I don’t like to be noticed as being different...I...I...I don’t like confrontations! Do you really think I can do it?” No, not really, I don’t. But I know that I can’t either. And I also know that Joshua couldn’t have either....in his own strength. The last thread binds the other two up into a strong, unbreakable cord. First, we are to Meditate on God’s Word Constantly, and secondly, we are to Stand on God’s Law Unashamedly, and lastly, we are to...

III. Rest on God’s Promise Steadfastly. Rest on God’s promise steadfastly. Look at verse 9, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.”
Can we do what Joshua did? Can we really stand up and say to those around us, “Choose you this day whom you will serve...but as for me, and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Are we willing and able to say, “I don’t care what anyone does to me, I don’t care who threatens me, and I don’t care who pressures me or anything else. I WILL SERVE THE LORD!” Yes, we can. How? Because God promises to be with us wherever we go. The Lord God Almighty will always be there with us, helping us, guiding us, protecting us, strengthening us, and enabling us. “Where?” I don’t see Him.” No, but He is most certainly there, and two thousand years ago, God did take on visible form, bringing “God with us” to its fullest expression in the person and work of Jesus Christ, Immanuel, which means “God with us.” He lived with men, and He died for me, and He lives forever right now, interceding for those who have called on His name. And we can rest on His promise steadfastly, because He really be with us wherever we go. The One who endured the cross, despising the shame for us will certainly never leave us nor forsake us. He will be with us wherever we go.
Now you may be thinking, “OK, sure, I get it. I know what I am supposed to do. But it’s too late. I’ve already messed up. I haven’t stood strong. I’ve been weak. It’s just too late.” That’s wrong. We will inevitably mess up and make mistakes. Even the giants of the Christian faith have done so. Look at the Apostle Peter: At the most intense moment of Jesus’ trial, he was a coward--he had NO courage--and he cursed the very thought of knowing Christ. But be encouraged, because just as God restored Peter, so will He restore you, and enable you to be strong and courageous. Call out to Him in your weakness, for He will always be with you, and will strengthen you to carry on. Rest on His promise steadfastly.

This text has given us a strong rope that we can hold on to and be secured by in the midst of a changing, degenerating society. God tells us to be strong and courageous in doing what is right. But He also tells us how, giving us each indivdual strand on the rope. 1) Meditate on God’s Word Constantly. 2)Stand on God’s Law Unashamedly. 3) Rest on God’s Promise Steadfastly.
Christian young men and men need to take this to heart, because we have to be godly leaders in the home, in the church, and in the workplace. But that doesn’t mean the ladies mustn’t hold the same convictions just as strongly. They must. It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman, but the heart of that is that behind every great man is a supportive woman. Women must stand alongside their husbands and fathers with just as much courage and conviction. We must all be strong and courageous in doing what is right.
And Martin Luther, the great reformer who sparked the Reformation in the 16th century, he knew what courage was. He demonstrated it for us in vibrant colors clearly when he was called before a Roman Catholic council in a city called Worms. There he was called upon to recant what he had written and taught. His historic words ring down through the centuries, and they need to spring up from the depths of our beings, and burst through our lips: Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.

[GrayPilgrim]

I will make comments as I read through it so if they seem disjointed, just think GP (the old foggy one as I have been called) was jotting things down.

1) As you look for your intro, while it is true that you need to tell people why they should pay attention to you, remember this little test that my homiletics professor uses in preparing his sermons:
Does it pay the freight?
By this he means does it actually have the effect that I want it to have, or are they still going to be thinking about the story while I am proceeding on to that which is more important.

2) On you proposition...I am assuming at this point that your prop is
Be Strong and Courageous in doing what is right.
Three things stand out on this A) this may be the exegetical point, but is it the theological point? By this I mean, this is the language the text uses in its admonition to Joshua, however, theologically the point is that God can be trusted and is faithful. Which leads me to my next point B) More from my homiletics prof, "A prop should contain the word 'God."" He does not mean this cynically or for effect, he means that theologically either we are delivering a word from God to His people, or we are just flapping our gums, thus we need to make sure that God is supreme in the preached word. C) Could a Rabbi teach this at a synagogue? This is a serious question. This a sensitive point for me, what does it look like to rightly preach the OT in a Christian context? Too many times when I hear sermons from the OT preached in churches it is just moralizing. That is, the preacher will take a passage from the OT and teach a moral or a series of does and don'ts. However, if Christ could say that the whole OT is about himself, then do we not do a disservice to the church by not showing the church how it preaches him...Sorry this is more just a multipurpose rant than directed at you, though I would say you might want to think on this one as you prepare to deliver the Word of God to His people.

3. I think you have three good applications, and unless a sermon contains application it is not a sermon. However, where is the meat? Where is the theology which extols Gods unsurpassed goodness? Where is Gods splendor and glory? That is what gives us the ability to trust God and to know that trusting him is "worth a squirt of goats milk" (to quote Bruce Winter out of context).

One more general admonition from my homiletics professor, not related to this particular message:
People are dieing from bread, are you going to give them stones?
So much preaching, especially that which is on pet subjects, which is on political subjects is a load of stones! People need the words of Life, Christ and Christ Crucified, so remember that when you stand before God and His people to proclaim His Word that you are discharging a holy charge that you will be accountable, so above all, DO NOT DO IT IN YOU OWN STRENGTH, if you do, you may have a lot of numbers, but the One before whom it all matters will find the flapping of gums lacking.

Joel, like I said, some of this is just my musings after sitting under many bad sermons. I like what you have, but as I said it is more the application, flesh out the doctrinal section where you tell of God's goodness and faithfulness, in this passage in particular to Moses in the past, but more particularly prolepticly to the coming of Christ to be killed, resurrected and raised again. That is God's goodness. Moreover, as we know that God has been faithful in the past and is all together lovely, we know that he will always be faithful and that we can trust him in all that we do. Thus knowing this we can trust him and be strong and courageous.


Take this with a grain of salt, I couldn't preach my way out of a paper bag.

[joelkaki]

Thanks for all your comments, GP. I understand many of your concerns, and actually, many were things I had thought about, and wished to include, but with a 10-12 minute time frame, there's not a whole lot that you can put in there. I agree with you, though, that in a sermon delivered by a pastor to his congregation in a normal setting, all the ideas you have said need to be put in there. I just can't do that in the time I have, especially considering what is there is already a little too long.

Your point about my main idea is one I will have to think about seriously. I tried to bring out some of what you mean there by the third point, which, as I believe I said, "binds the other two strands into a strong, unbreakable cord." But definitely something I should consider.

As to whether it could be preached in a Jewish synagogue I believe this section would answer that question:

"No, but He is most certainly there, and two thousand years ago, God did take on visible form, bringing “God with us” to its fullest expression in the person and work of Jesus Christ, Immanuel, which means “God with us.” He lived with men, and He died for me, and He lives forever right now, interceding for those who have called on His name. And we can rest on His promise steadfastly, because He really be with us wherever we go. The One who endured the cross, despising the shame for us will certainly never leave us nor forsake us. He will be with us wherever we go."

Now granted, I have not gotten into how this whole passage is related to Christ, giving its Christological purpose or such. But again, time would not allow a deep look into that.

So thank you so much for your comments; I appreciate them very much, and will keep them in mind both now and in the future.

Joel

[Whipartist]

<<<Take this with a grain of salt, I couldn't preach my way out of a paper bag.>>>

But you could write yourself out of one! Amen GrayPilgrim! Everyone who's sat under as many bad sermons as most of us have, needs to hear stuff like that, just to ease our soul's burdens. Amen!

joelkaki,

I honor your humility in asking us for advice here. I hope we guide you according to God's Will.

I largely agree with GrayPilgrim. Christ is the truth, and the whole Bible is about Him. I have several points of advice for you further, and they are not of the nature of what you're asking for. I wish to put them out here just the same. Take them with a grain of salt and go to God Himself about them. I just want to put a few things down here I've learned about preaching and what it means to be a Pastor.

Humbly ask many people to pray for you, for those who will hear you, and for the messages of others at the event. See this as an opportunity to do God's work, and put His work first, not your own sermon.

In preaching, preach in fear and trembling, like Paul did. 1 Cor. 2. By this I mean, with an ardent heart, and with a life that backs it up. That is what being a Pastor is all about.

I sense the event you are going to is of a different sort of nature than most contexts for a sermon. This can be an especially difficult context for a young man wanting to someday become a Pastor. Question to yourself, is the event about preaching or about glorifying God Himself? The context can throw everything off, and in the end there may be no comparison between what it's like to preach at a festival, and what it's like to preach to hungry sheep God's calling you to feed. You need to look into the complexities of that issue in your own heart. Sometimes such contexts call us to formalism instead of messages from the heart. I believe God always calls us to preach His truth from our hearts.

Preaching doesn't stand on it's own feet. God is our support in delivering His Word. God is either with you or not with you. And humility and a willingness to say what He wants you to say, will be key to your following Him and speaking what He gives you to speak. It doesn't matter what others want you to say, it matters what He wants you to say. I believe when all's said and done, people's hearts are what need changing, and God's Word needs to be preached from a bold, humble hearted person, who believes it's contents with every bone in his body. If you preach with faith in your heart, and a life that is open towards Him, you'll be heard by those whom God wants to hear you. The others won't understand a word you say.

Seek God in prayer and faith, for wisdom about what to preach and where to go? How to change things? Or whether to leave things the same? In this way, rely not on your own strength, but on His.

MAKE SURE, that as you do continue to plan this or any other message that you ever preach, that you look not just to what Scripture says, but what Scripture emphasizes. God's heart is in both. This is simple common sense, but though it is, it's something we need to focus on. These are spiritual realities and a Pastor is a warrior who does battle constantly, often at great expense to himself.

You want to be a Pastor/Elder. This is a high calling my friend. I encourage you to slowly pursue this direction if it's God's will for you. Take your life pursuing it if He calls you to. But please be very cautious as a young man. For many who become Pastors too young, don't understand what they are doing, and they do it outside God's will. They take things too lightly and thus become voices of the Christian subculture rather than voices for God. I know too many like this, and their churches are trapped in Satan's net. Yet they don't know it.

Guard your heart. Being a Pastor is the highest calling a man can have, and it just may take everything from you, you ever held dear. It may not at all, but Jesus' admonition is to not really care whether it does! (Jn. 12:23-28) And Paul's testimony was that he didn't. (Phil. 2:8-14) Fear and trembling were the norms for Him, he cared not for dignity beyond that. This is what's necessary to follow in the path of Christ and to do His work. The Good Shepherd's sheep need feeding and if we love Him we will feed His sheep. But first we must have food to give them. Please never allow the views of any of the Christians around you to alter you from ever doubting one Word of God that He Himself is speaking in your heart. Shepherding the flock is a big task, never enter it lightly. Pastors/Elders, are judged with a greater strictness. To whom much is given, much is required.

I said a lot there. I passionately believe it's true. But I have no clue if it applies to you personally or not. Whatever the case, I'll pray for you that God will really bless you in your future and with your sermon at this festival. Christ's peace to you.