The World's Most Priceless Gift Ephesians 2: 8-

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(For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God:)

            1.            It is available to all but not all desire it.

            2.            It is affordable by all but not all choose it.

            3.            It is a gift for every person, no man excluded except by his own decision.

            4.            It is a gift fully paid for.

            5.            It is a gift that will endure forever.

            6.            It is a gift that has no other comparable measure.

            7.            It is a gift no man can live without. It is the gift of salvation through 
                           Jesus Christ.

The Assurance of Faith Numbers 13: 30

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(And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once,

and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.)

1. All God said heard.

2. All God said considered infallibly true and complete.

3. All God said desired.

4. No reason found to question God.

5. No reason found to tarry before God.

6. No reason to consider any alternatives.

7. Having a prompting of the Spirit to proceed.

Unforeseen Opportunity Joshua 1: 1-8

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Deut. 31:7          1.           There comes a time when God will put his hand upon you.

                        (And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be

                        strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land 

                        which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause  

                        them to inherit it.)

                           2.            Prior to that time, pay close attention to the lessons God is teaching
                                          you, to the things God is exposing you to.

                        Realize you are not just performing tasks, but preparing for the future.

                        i.e. Moses life- Egyptian training;  Midian training, then 40 years in Midian later

                        with Israel

Deut. 31:            3.            In God’s work, God is always the successor. You are not alone.

     3-6                               His promises accompany you.

                        (The Lord thy God, He will go over before thee, and He will destroy these
                         nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall
                         go over before thee, as the Lord hath said.)

                        (And the Lord shall do unto them as He did to Sihon and to Og, kings of the  

                         Amorites, and unto the land of them, whom He destroyed.)

                        (And the Lord shall give them up before your face, that ye may do unto them 

                        according unto all the commandments which I have commanded you.)
                        (Be strong and of good courage, fear not, not be afraid of them: for the Lord thy
                        God, He it is that doth go with thee: He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.)

Deut. 1: 8            4.            You shall not fail because God cannot/will not fail.

Josh 1: 5            (And the Lord, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He 
                          will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.)
                          (There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life;
                          as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake
                          thee.)

Josh 1: 6            5.            God’s purposes extend beyond you- your life, your needs.

                          (Be strong and of good courage for unto this people shalt thou divide for an

                          inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.)

                           6.          Learn from those gone before you, but realize your life and message 

                                        will not necessarily duplicate theirs.

                                        Only one Moses. Only one …

Josh 1: 8          7.            Focus on your part, God will perform His; success comes from your

                                       loyalty to, love for, and obedience to God’s word.
                           (This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thous 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.)

                           

At Thy Word Luke 5: 5

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(Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.)

1. The counsel of truth that is to precede the action of the believer is the word

of God.

2. The sufficient authority required to support the believer’s action is the word

of God.

3. The most important measure for the obedience of the believer- has God

said?; what has God said?

4. The life given for the believer’s faith and trusting is the word of God.

5. Freedom to respond is given; the believer is free to obey the word.

Christ is giving hope to the believer as well.

The reward of the word follows and awaits often obedience to the word.

6. The evidence of a believer’s trust is not first the manifestation but first the believing.

(I will let down the net.)

7. All of a believer’s life on earth is to be tied precisely to the direction and

counsel of the word of God.

Even the ministry of the Holy Spirit is tied to the word of God.  

John 16: 13, 14.  This is a test of the work of the Holy Spirit.

This is the protection from the fear of subjectivism. The work of the Holy

Spirit is objective because of the word of God.

He (Jesus) is our All 1 Chronicles 29: 14

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(For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.)

Jesus!

1) All we have is given of Jesus.

2) All our increase is His testimony.

3) All our graces are of His love.

4) All of our life belongs to Him.

5) All we can do is give out of love in return.

All we give can never repay.

6) All we desire is Him.

7) All our hope is met in Jesus.

What Every Day Needs Psalms 143: 8

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        (Cause me to hear thy loving-kindness in the morning: for in thee do I trust:

cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto

                thee.)

1. A meeting with God in the morning.

2. An open ear to God.

3. The freshness and reassurance of God’s loving kindness.

4. Bountiful trust in God’s sufficiency.

5. Every part of my being lifted up to and dedicated before God.

6. The revealed knowledge of God’s way.

7. A walk with God throughout the day, based on the way He has revealed.

The Simplicity of Obedience Numbers 9: 18-22

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God desires His people understand the completeness of His counsel.

1) When God says go, go.  V. 18

(at the commandment of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed)

The counsel to be a doer of the word (James 1: 22) means going.

God’s directive to move is a companion to the fruit of right timing.

Opportunities come but may not tarry. When God says go, a believer should go.

Self control, a fruit of the  Spirit, is instant obedience to the promptings of God’s Spirit. 
Obedience is a protection to a believer, guarding his heart from foolishness and temptation.

Believers should not allow slackness in obedience nor complacency.

2) Where God leads, follow.

(journeyed)

song- Follow Jesus, I will follow Jesus.

Follow wherever God leads. Only go where God leads.

Wait on God’s leadership.

Ponder the path of your feet. Prov. 4: 26, 27

God is a leader.

The history of the Bible is of God’s accurate leadership. Psalms 22: 8

3) Where God stops, tarry.v.18

(and at the commandment of the Lord they encamped;)

Our walk with  the Lord is not always a push on walk.

There are reasons for tarrying.

It may be that danger is ahead.

It may be that God knows we are approaching our limits.

It may be God’s timing.

It may be God giving an opportunity to another to repent or to respond to God in some way.

Tarrying where God stops is profitable.

Luke 24:49  tarry in Jerusalem- power from on high. Mark 14: 34  Jesus in the garden.  
Habakkuk 2: 3

Tarrying when God says go is not profitable. 1 Kings 13: 14

4) Where God gives rest, rest.  V. 18, 23

(as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents.)

Where a believer has been engaged in the trials of faith and spiritual warfare, there is
need of rest. (Mark 6: 31)

Rest was God’s provision for a laboring heart. Heb. 4: 9-11

Too many of God’s people labor in the flesh.

Too many of God’s people do not take physical rest from their activities. 
There is the equivalent of Sabbath defilement today.

Resting in the Lord is an ordained way of lightening burdens.

5) When God tarries, keep trusting.  V. 19, 22

(and when the cloud tarried long, … the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord,)

God has a reason for tarrying. Don’t become impatient.

Remember the children of Israel and the golden calf. Exodus 32: 1

Remember King Saul and Samuel   1 Samuel 13: 8-14

When there are not exciting things going on some want to stir something up.

Keep trusting when the observable signs wane. God has not forgotten or

passed by.

6) When God is silent, be silent.  V. 19, 20

Be still…  in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength. Isaiah 30:15

We have a message when God gives a message.

We are a messenger when God needs a messenger.

When God is silent, believers must be especially attentive to the Lord.

Silence can be very virtuous. Silence can be very reverent.

Silence may provide exposure to and an entrance to wisdom.

Silence may be protective. Prov. 10: 19;  Prov.  17: 28. 
If we don’t have something to say, don’t.

Silence may allow the majesty of God’s presence to ring out.  Rev. 8: 1

7) When God initiates, respond.   V. 21, 22, 23

(and so it was …then they journeyed, whether it was by day or by night …or whether it 
were two days, or a month…; but when it was taken up, they journeyed)

When God is releasing His authority, respond with full advantage.

Where God’s presence is, that is the place to be. Ex. 33: 13-15

When God encourages our obedience, He will direct our pathway.

When God encourages our faith, he provides substance.

When God encourages our steadfastness, He is the victory.

When God is placing us in circumstances for his glory, yield.

When  God is burdening our hearts, submit and pray, seek Gods’ face.

When God is convicting our hearts, yield and repent.

When God is proclaiming truth, agree with and obey.

When God is giving special counsel, be attentive.

Respond to God’s initiation.