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Be Strong and Courageous:

What Do these Stones Mean?

God told Joshua to Be Strong and Courageous. Both Joshua and Israel needed to trust in God completely to do the amazing things He planned for them to do. This series is intended to give us encouragement for those times when the circumstances of life leave us discouraged and weary.

Thus far in our study, Joshua has been empowered by God to lead the people, spies have brought back an encouraging report, and God has prepared the people to cross the Jordan. He told them to consecrate themselves and follow the Ark of the Covenant. As soon as the feet of the Priests carrying the Ark touched the water, the Jordan stopped flowing nineteen miles upriver and “stood up in a heap.” All of Israel crossed over on dry land! It was an amazing display of God’s power! Israel certainly had reason to Be Strong and Courageous!

Sunday’s teaching deals with the stones God commanded Joshua to remove from the middle of the Jordan.

Joshua 4:4-8

4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” 8 So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down.

This is certainly a curious story. Why did God have them gather these stones and what is the significance for us? I underlined the answer to both questions in the text above, “to serve as a sign among you.”

One purpose of this study is to remind us that we, like Israel, are the covenant people of God. We can be strong and courageous because God will never leave or forsake us. We can be strong and courageous because we have a salvation history that declares, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all– how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). We can be strong and courageous because God still does amazing things among us.

However, we still get discouraged and weary. What can we do to remind ourselves of the victory that we have in Jesus? We need to set up “memorial stones” or “mile markers” within our individual and church lives to encourage us we when “forget.” These need not be literal stones, but mental notes, journal entries, anniversary dates, or some other device that keeps Gods’ mighty works ever before us.

Sunday, I’ll share some of my personal “mile markers.” Maybe my experiences will jog our collective memories of God’s activity in our lives.

Be Strong and Courageous! Joey

Be Strong and Courageous:

The Lord Will Do Amazing Things Among You!

This sermon series is entitled Be Strong and Courageous. It is based on the book of Joshua. So far in our study we have learned that Joshua is now the Leader of God’s people and soon they will begin their conquest of the Promised Land. Yahweh encourages him to focus on the task ahead, prepare himself and Israel, trust God’s promises, and obey everything the Lord had said. Joshua sends two spies on a reconnaissance mission and their encouraging report reinforces Israel’s trust in God’s promises. They have reason to Be Strong and Courageous.

Sunday, we will consider another trust building event – the crossing of the Jordan River. God’s message to the Israelites is The Lord Will Do Amazing Things Among You!

Joshua 3:1-5 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. 2 After three days the officers went throughout the camp, 3 giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4 Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it.” 5 Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.“

Amazing things indeed! The Israelites cross the Jordan River at flood stage. The narrative is recorded in vivid Hebrew storytelling style. When the feet of the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant touch the water, the Jordan divides before them and the Israelites cross over on dry ground! The events of Joshua 3-4 occur solely for the purpose of building trust in Yahweh as Israel’s Leader and Joshua as His servant. Notice how the Scripture reveals these purposes.

Joshua 3:7 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.”

Joshua 3:9-10 Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God. 10 This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites.”

Joshua 4:14 That day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses.

Joshua 4:24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.

However, the Israelites had to obey certain commands before they could participate in God’s amazing activity. (1) They had to FOLLOW GOD’s LEAD. They were to keep their eyes on the Ark of the Covenant and move when it moved. (2) They had to RESPECT GOD’s DISTANCE. They were to keep 1,000 yards distance between them and the Ark. (3) They had to CONSECRATE THEMSELVES BEFORE GOD. To consecrate yourself means to set yourself apart from sinful activity and for service to God. God can only use consecrated people.

God still wants to do amazing things among his people today. However, I believe our failure to obey one or more of these commands is, at least, a partial explanation of the why we do not see his amazing work or get to participate with him in it. I’ll say more in my lesson this morning.

Be Strong and Courageous! Joey

Be Strong and Courageous:

The Lord Has Surely Given

Sunday, we will continue our sermon series entitled Be Strong and Courageous. Last week we discussed the leadership transition between Moses and his protégé, Joshua. Joshua had reason for anxiety because he was required to finish the task begun by Moses. However, Yahweh encouraged him to focus on the task ahead, prepare himself and Israel, trust God’s promises, and obey everything the Lord had said.

Sunday, we will consider two of these themes. Joshua’s preparation led him to send two spies into the city of Jericho. Their report reinforced Israel’s trust in the promises of God. All of this occurred by means of a very unlikely source – a Canaanite prostitute.

Joshua 2:1 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

As Moses’ aide, Joshua was a trained general. He knew that reconnaissance was the first step before planning any battle. However, the victory against Jericho was not to be a human victory brought about by human plans. Consequently, the report of the spies brought no helpful information for the battle itself. Rather, it served to further encourage and embolden the people of God that even the enemy knew Yahweh was fighting for Israel and the inhabitants of the land trembled in fear.

All of this occurred because of Rahab, who the Bible calls a harlot. The word, harlot, could refer to a cultic prostitute, who served in the ritual fertility rights of Canaanite religion. However, it appears that Rahab used her home in her business. One might even envision close proximity to a bar. In my imagination, I see her as a “Miss Kitty” type character as depicted in the old western, Gunsmoke.

The spies, when in Jericho, first go to her establishment. With men coming and going (especially if there was a bar involved), this would seem to be a good starting place to collect information. It would also be a great way to hide in plain sight.

While there, Rahab tells them how terrified the inhabitants are. She also makes a confession of faith in Yahweh. She is considered the first Canaanite “convert.”

Joshua 2:9-11 “I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

The narrative of Rahab and the spies is told in vivid Hebrew story-telling fashion. It makes for a very intriguing story. The king learns of their presence (no doubt by some of the men frequenting her establishment). He sends a message for her to produce the men, but she lies and sends the king’s men on a “wild goose chase.” Anticipating a search, she hides the men under stalks of flax on her roof. When the “coast is clear,” she lets them down the wall on a rope through a window in her home. Though some scholars think otherwise, it appears she even negotiates her and her family’s safety as the men are dangling on a rope outside her window!

The story of Rahab and the spies functions in the text of Joshua as an encouragement for Israel that they can trust God’s promises. It is an encouragement for us as well.

Joshua 2:24 They said to Joshua, “The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.”

Be Strong and Courageous! Joey

Be Strong and Courageous:

Moses, My Servant, is Dead

My next sermon series is taken from the book of Joshua; I’ve entitled it Be Strong and Courageous after the encouraging message God gave Joshua. We will be exploring leadership, God’s promises, God’s presence, God’s leadership, obedience, courage, and other related subjects. I encourage you to read through Joshua during the course of these lessons.

Joshua was a pupil and protégé of Moses. The Bible calls him his “aide.”

Exodus 24:13 Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide and Moses went up on the mountain of God. Exodus 33:11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. Numbers 11:28 Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!” Joshua 1:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide….

Theirs was a mentor/mentee relationship. It evidently began when Joshua was very young.

Have you ever had a relationship like that? I have had several. Alvie Tate, an elder at my home congregation, encouraged and equipped me to lead singing, give Wednesday night devotionals, and teach class. My Mom and Dad encouraged and supported me. My paternal grandmother, Nanny, was particularly encouraging. I have had several teachers throughout my educational years who greatly influenced me: Claudia Murphy, Dowell Flatt, Winford Claiborne, Clyde Woods, Carol Osburn, Tommy Garrison, Evertt Huffard, and Dave Bland. Various church leaders have directed and supported me through the years: Ray Cox, Everett Gray, Bill Stough, Calvin Crim, Joe Cooper, Dennis Barr, Mike Osborne and, of course, the elders here at the Boise church. Some of these relationships were more than just an influence to me; they were truly mentor/mentee in their scope.

Mentor relationships, however, are meant to be temporary. Eventually, the pupil becomes the master or a master of what is taught. This is evident in the relationship between Barnabas and Saul in the book of Acts. Sometimes the mentor is taken away from us by death or distance. It is also the case that some mentors, being human, sin and fall from their influential position.

We feel hurt, confused and directionless when a mentor suddenly is taken from us. Suddenly or not, flying solo for the first time can fill us with fear and anxiety. Joshua is in this lonely place as his story begins.

Joshua 1:2 Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them– to the Israelites.

Notice how many times God encourages him in the first few lines of this book.

Joshua 1:5 As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Joshua 1:6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people. Joshua 1:7 Be strong and very courageous. Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

What do you do when faced with a daunting task without your usual support system? I will discuss four strategies in my lesson Sunday. (1) FOCUS — Stay focused on what God has led you to do. (2) PREPARE – You have been trained; use your training to get ready. (3) TRUST – God has promised to be with you; trust his leading and provision. (4) OBEY – Do what God has commanded you to do.

Be Strong and Courageous! Joey

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel
I preached to you, which you received
and on which you have taken your stand.
2 By this gospel you are saved,
if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.
Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance:
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day
according to the Scriptures…
1 Corinthians 15:1-4

….

The beginning of the gospel
about Jesus Christ, the Son of God
Mark 1:1

….

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached
in the whole world
Matthew 24:14

….

Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
Mark 16:15

….

I am not ashamed of the gospel,
because it is the power of God for the salvation
of everyone who believes…
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all
the godlessness and wickedness
Romans 1:16-18

….

This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven
in blazing fire with his powerful angels.
8 He will punish those who do not know God
and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-8

Important Business

On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.

24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.’ 27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.

29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

….

32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. 36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

Acts 4:23-37

Sunday we discuss how the early church took care of important business.

Please Join us! Joey

These Three Remain: Faith, Hope and Love

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels,
but have not love,
I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries
and all knowledge,
and if I have a faith that can move mountains,
but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,
but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy,
it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking
is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.

But where there are prophecies, they will cease;
where there are tongues, they will be stilled;
where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

When I was a child, I talked like a child,
I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.
When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror;
then we shall see face to face.
Now I know in part;
then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sunday we conclude our series on Faith, Hope and Love.

Please Join us! Joey

These Three Remain: Faith, Hope and Love

Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Hope is another one of those topics with so much information, that it could fill an “all day sermon.” However, we will restrict our time Sunday to Romans 5:1-5. Our series text is 1 Corinthians 13:13, Now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. We are looking at things that last. There are so many things we could choose to change about ourselves, most of them good, but Paul tells us that faith, hope and love are among the few things that will last. Why build our lives upon things that are transient and temporary when we can choose things that last.

Last week we spoke of faith – covenant faith (saving faith in Jesus), epistemological faith (perceptive faith – recognizing the biblical worldview in life), and eschatological faith (faith that trusts God to eventually answer all our questions and make all things right). This last type of faith is what creates hope for the child of God.

Romans 5:1-5 mentions all three dimensions of faith and introduces our Christian hope. We are justified by faith in the finished work of Christ. We are introduced to God’s perspective (world view) regarding human suffering and how that leads us to our eschatological faith/hope in the glory of God which will be ours on the last day.

We can rejoice in our sufferings because we know where they lead the child of God—perseverance, character, and finally hope.

Our hope is one that will not disappoint us because it is of di-vine origin. God floods our heart with love and hope through his indwelling Spirit.

No matter how hard life gets, how much we suffer and struggle, how difficult our pathway, or how dark the night becomes, we know that morning is coming and it will not disappoint!

I’ll say more in my lesson, Joey

These Three Remain:

Faith, Hope and Love

Friday, January 10, 2025, is Quitters Day. It is recognized on the second Friday of January to mark the date that most people give up on their New Years Resolutions. According to Statista, the six  most common New Years resolutions are:

1. Save more money (21%)
2. Eat healthier (19%)
3. Exercise more (17%)
4. Lose weight (15%)
5. Spend more time with family/friends (14%)
6. Quit smoking (9%)

These are all good resolutions and worthy of embracing. Christians often add to this list a number of spiritual ones like the following.

1. Spend more time with God (pray more, read Scripture).
2. Develop Christian Relationships (avoid negative influences).
3. Be more Mindful, Intentional, Reflective (journal, plan, set goals).
4. Repent of/Avoid Sinful Practices or Bad Habit.
5. Reach out More to Others (Serve, Evangelize, Teach).

However, most of these resolutions soon fall to the wayside. Many don’t even last past the second Friday in January – Quitters Day. It is for this reason I have always had a love/hate relationship with resolutions. I have not given up on self-improvement, but I realize that sometimes we “bite off more than we can chew” as we make our list of goals.

This year, I am doing something different. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul contrasts flashy, temporary things with things that will last.

1 Corinthians 13:8-13 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I  thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Beginning Sunday, I want to talk about three words that for the Christian promise stability and permanence. I want to orient my life around these three foundational concepts. Faith, Hope, and Love. For the next three weeks, we will discuss each one of these in succession. I hope you will join us for this series.

I’ll say more in my lesson, Joey

New Year, New Hope

This time of year it is easy to see the amazing beauty of God all around us. As the snow gracefully falls to ground with great intricacy, each uniquely formed flake accumulating all around us changes the scenery completely. A six-sided marvel, as individual as a fingerprint, screaming to the world how great our creator is. In Luke 19:38, as Jesus enters Jerusalem and the people are worshiping him for what he truly is, the Pharisees confront him. His response is “I tell you the truth, if my followers are silent the very stones will cry out”. God doesn’t need us; He doesn’t need you to show his greatness in the world but that is why we were created – to be his image bearers to the world. He wants us to be like Him in our love, action and deed. As we enter the new year let us choose to shine like stars in the universe (Philippians 2:12-16).

– Ryan Bier