S1: The more you depend upon God, the more dependable you
S1: find him to be. So what happens? No matter what
S1: comes our way, we follow God's plan and God's going
S1: to execute it and bring it to pass.
S2: This is Treasure Truth with pastor and author James Ford Jr.
S2: Senior pastor of Christ Bible Church in Chicago, I'm Steve Miller.
S2: Glad you've joined us today. We're continuing our series from
S2: Joshua chapter one entitled takers and a pastor. You just
S2: were talking about the fact that as we learn to
S2: trust God and His promises, as we learn to discern
S2: what promises truly belong to us, and as we step
S2: out in faith, our faith in God doesn't turn, grow.
S2: And so it sounds like you're saying that actually emboldens
S2: strengthens our faith for the next big challenge or promise
S2: he may have for us.
S3: Oh, most definitely. Faith is like a muscle. So if
S3: you ever worked out, you know.
S2: Long time ago.
S3: A long. along? Yeah, well, for me too. You know,
S3: I teach. I tell people that my chest that used
S3: to be where my chest is, is slid a little bit,
S3: and now it's down where my stomach is. So, you know,
S3: I've still got a big chest just lower.
S2: Yeah.
S3: Yeah. But we understand and know that God has indeed
S3: given us exceeding and precious promises. And as we learn
S3: to trust in him and what erodes from that time,
S3: testing thoughts, our feelings. And. But the more we depend
S3: upon him, the more will depend upon him. So that
S3: once I begin to realize I can trust God for anything,
S3: then when the time factor comes and it seems like, well,
S3: why isn't he doing something, I've learned to depend upon him.
S3: I had a special needs child. His name was Nathaniel,
S3: and my wife had gone to visit her mom in Pittsburgh.
S3: And so the next day she was coming home. We
S3: were going to pick her up from the airport, and
S3: I told Nate my other two boys were gone. I
S3: told Nate, I said, man, this house is a mess.
S3: We've got to clean this place up. And so around
S3: about 8:00 I went upstairs and said, I'll be right back.
S3: And I laid across the bed and fell asleep. 2:00
S3: in the morning I woke up, I went back downstairs
S3: and Nate was still sitting in that chair. I said,
S3: you've been sitting here for four hours. He said, waiting
S3: on you. I said, well, why didn't you come upstairs?
S3: And and you know, I mentioned his special needs job,
S3: and why don't you come upstairs and wake me up
S3: or something? And he said, well, no, you said, wait
S3: right here. And so I said, man, you waited and
S3: I didn't come back. He said, yes, you did.
S2: Huh?
S3: Yes you did.
S2: Yes you did. Yeah.
S3: Yes you did. And it was like, wow.
S2: Yeah. What a great illustration. And you know, that's a
S2: great picture for us to begin today's message with. So
S2: if you can't join us in Joshua chapter one as
S2: we continue this message entitled takers.
S1: The theme is Yahweh will give you the manifestation of
S1: his revelation when we meet his qualifications. There it is.
S1: There are six requirements six qualifications required by us to
S1: possess our God given possessions. Here they are. There are
S1: six of them. Let me give them to you. We
S1: must respond to God's plan. We must rest in God's promises.
S1: We must rely upon God's protection. We must readily obey
S1: God's precepts. We must realize God's presence, and we must
S1: recruit God's people. Now I have time for one just
S1: one point, because I'm here all the time. Uh, Lord willing,
S1: I ain't going anywhere. I said. I might as well
S1: take my time. And so I am. I got one
S1: point today and we can get up on out of here.
S1: Let me drop em. I'm not going to push them.
S1: Respond to God's plan. That's verses one and two. Let
S1: me read it now. After the death of Moses, the
S1: servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the
S1: Lord spake unto Joshua the son of nun. Moses minister, saying, Moses,
S1: my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan,
S1: thou and all this people, unto a land which I
S1: do give to them, even the children of Israel. The
S1: emphasis in the Hebrew is on the word. Now it's
S1: the first word in verse one. It's the first word
S1: in verse two. Now, now, now, now, now, now. My
S1: question is, why now, Lord, why are you using now, now, now?
S1: Because God wants them to understand. The time for procrastination
S1: is over. See, this is the second generation. The first generation,
S1: this first generation. They died in the wilderness. Over 2
S1: million of them. This is the second generation. And in
S1: Deuteronomy chapter one, somebody hollered out, what does Deuteronomy mean?
S1: Second law due to two Nomos law. Deuteronomy. Second law.
S1: What's he doing? He's giving the plan to the second
S1: generation that he gave to the first generation that the
S1: first generation did not implement because they were afraid of
S1: the giants in the land. So now he's coming. He's saying,
S1: don't make the same mistake your parents made. What do
S1: you think we're so hard on our kids about? You know,
S1: don't have sex before you get married. Not just because
S1: the Bible says so. Because we know the mistake that
S1: we made. And we say, don't do this. It cripples you.
S1: It does stuff. And so he's saying, look, look, you've
S1: got to understand. Here's what they did. Write it down.
S1: Deuteronomy chapter one. Here's what God told him. He said, listen,
S1: I want you to go now. Take the land. They
S1: went over there. The spies come back with a big report.
S1: Majority report. I don't even I don't even want to
S1: deal with that. And so they came back. Their giants
S1: and the grasshopper. The land is like God said. Two
S1: of us had to carry one cluster of grapes. But
S1: don't ever put a but where God has put a comma, man.
S1: Don't ever put a period where God has put a comma.
S1: So I said, but there are giants and we're grasshoppers. Well,
S1: we know there are giants, and we know your grasshoppers,
S1: but the battle is the Lord's. He never said you
S1: had to beat them. And so the whole generation died out.
S1: Now get this. I've got to get you to understand this.
S1: Let me let me show you something real quick. In
S1: the book of Romans chapter eight. Let me read to
S1: you what it says in verse 29. Romans 829. Let
S1: me read this. I'm going somewhere. I'm going to show you.
S1: 829 why he giving them this plan, why he wants
S1: you to do his plan when he says, do the plan. Why?
S1: Because he opens the door and no man can shut
S1: it and he shuts the door and no man can
S1: open it. So he opened the door and said, go
S1: into the land. They grabbed placards, start walking around the
S1: throne of Grace, talking about Hades. No, we won't go Hades. No,
S1: he said, you don't want to respond to my plan.
S1: They said no. He said, well, since you won't respond
S1: to my plan, I'm going to make it so you
S1: can't respond. So even if you go, I ain't going
S1: with you because I opened the door and you didn't
S1: walk through it. Now I'm closing it. You can't open it.
S1: And you know what they said. Read it. Deuteronomy one. Oh, okay,
S1: okay then we'll go. Alright. Alright then, Imma do it.
S1: I'm gonna. Okay. You want me.
S4: To do it? Okay, I'll do it.
S1: And God said, uh, it's too late now. It's too
S1: late now. But they went up anyway and got jacked.
S1: He said, I said you going to walk around the
S1: wilderness for 40 years because you didn't respond to my plan.
S1: And so what happens here? Here's what it says in
S1: Romans 829. He says, for whom he did foreknow he
S1: predestinate to be conformed to the image of the son,
S1: that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Listen
S1: to this. Moreover then he predestinated them. He also called them.
S1: He also called them. He also justified. And whom he justified,
S1: them he also glorified. Now get this, get this, get this.
S1: We're saying in essence, hey, wait a minute. What do
S1: you why did you bring that out? Because theologically, Pastor
S1: Betts teaches that glorified, which is the future aspect of
S1: our salvation. He's telling us like it's in the past. Why?
S1: Theologically eternal security. But it's deeper than that, practically. Let
S1: me tell you what it is. If I tell you
S1: that the end of your salvation is already yours in
S1: the middle of your salvation, no matter what comes your way,
S1: you will not worry about what happens to you in
S1: life because you already know the end is going to be.
S1: And so that's what's happening here. Respond to my plan.
S1: You looking at folk and you wondering what in the
S1: world is going on. But if you trust the plan,
S1: here's what I wrote you. Or did I say me? Yeah, yeah, yeah,
S1: this is what I wrote. Uh, I said God says so.
S1: Depend on me and follow my plan. And here's what
S1: a very handsome, intelligent pastor of Christ Bible Church wrote. Quote,
S1: the more you depend upon God, the more dependable you
S1: find him to be. So what happens? No matter what
S1: comes our way, we follow God's plan and God's going
S1: to execute it and bring it to pass. past c. C. Okay,
S1: I know, I know, you say, Pastor Ford. I ain't
S1: getting it. Okay, let's see if you can get it.
S1: Let me tell you a story about a man named Jed.
S1: Poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed. But then one
S1: day he was shooting at some food, and up from
S1: the ground came a bubbling crude oil. That is Texas tea.
S1: Black gold. Well, the first thing you know. Oh, Jed's
S1: a millionaire. Kinfolk said, Jed, move away from there. Said
S1: California is the place you ought to be. So they
S1: loaded up the truck and they moved to Beverly Hills.
S1: That is, movie stars, mansions, the Beverly Hillbillies. Don't don't don't, don't. Now,
S1: I mean, I mean, I can tell how many in
S1: Pittsburgh it was Tuesday, 7:00. I don't I don't know
S1: what it was here, but I could see by everybody
S1: that went along with me how many couldn't wait to
S1: see granny get down and and see Ellie Mae. Whoop somebody.
S1: Who's she gonna whoop today? You know, and to see
S1: Jed and and and dumb Jethro. Amen. Every woman looking
S1: for a Jethro. Rich and dumb. But here. But you
S1: missed it, didn't you? Here's the point. Why respond to
S1: my plan now? Because you need to know. I've got
S1: a plan. Listen, listen, listen, listen. I've come a long way.
S1: You know why? Because I understand. Uh, you know, it's
S1: like I don't throw out prosperity. Let me tell you why.
S1: Because the prosperity gospel is not incorrect. It's just incomplete.
S1: It's more than just giving to get. I mean, I mean,
S1: God is a big giver. Do you understand that? And
S1: so what happens? He said, I want you to go
S1: in the land, and there's something that's precluding you. Now, now,
S1: you missed the whole story of Jed Clampett. Let me
S1: say it slow. Now, listen to my story about a
S1: man named Jed. A poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed.
S1: But then one day he was shooting at some food,
S1: and up through the ground came a bubbling crude. He
S1: missed what he was shooting at, but in the providence
S1: of God, even though he missed what he was shooting at,
S1: God gave him what he didn't know was his. He's
S1: sitting on land that got all this oil and he
S1: doesn't know it. And the problem with us is we've
S1: been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in
S1: Christ Jesus. And we sitting on it and we shooting
S1: at something. But God says, I got a plan. You
S1: going to shoot at it and miss it? But in
S1: my providence, you going to hit the wealth that I
S1: have for you? Man, I tell you, it's there. It's there.
S2: This is treasure truth with a very fired up Pastor Ford.
S2: And we're going to get back to this teaching in
S2: just a moment. You really pick up on the passion,
S2: don't you? As he preaches, you know he's also passionate
S2: about marriage and relationships, and he's written a number of
S2: books about that. You can check those out when you
S2: come to Treasure Truth radio.org and click on the link
S2: that says Books by Pastor Ford. It's right there on
S2: the left side of the home page. Also, check out
S2: the Stay Connected bar. A lot of useful links there too.
S2: That's at Treasure Truth radio.org. Back to the message. Here's
S2: Pastor Ford.
S1: So he's got a plan and we need to understand
S1: he's telling them respond to my plan. Now let me
S1: ask you a question. Why are you leaving God's plan?
S1: Why are you leaving God's plan? How can you be
S1: hooked up with Jesus and hooked up with somebody that
S1: isn't hooked up with Jesus? Don't you realize that he
S1: or she who marries the devil's kids are going to
S1: have a problem with their father in law? Why aren't
S1: you following God's plan? It's still his plan for a
S1: man to marry a woman and not a man to
S1: marry a man. It's still his plan for a man
S1: to marry a woman and not a woman to marry
S1: a woman. It still is. Plan for a man to
S1: marry a woman and not a man to marry a dog.
S1: It still is. Plan for a man to marry a
S1: woman and not a woman to marry a cat. Why
S1: aren't you following God's plan? Because you're trying to get
S1: out of debt and you're saying, well, I'll just keep
S1: all my money. And God says, that's not how you
S1: get out of debt. Read second Kings four. How did
S1: she get out of debt? How did how did the
S1: widow get all the oil? She said, make me a
S1: little cake first. You don't get out of debt by
S1: taking God's money. You get out of debt by giving
S1: him his first. Now I'm going to show you something.
S1: I'm going to show you something. We're just going to
S1: stand now. I ain't putting nobody on Front Street. But
S1: I want to show you how many people will say
S1: that's true. My wife and I were in $35,000 worth
S1: of credit card debt. We were making $100 a week
S1: as pastor of this church and being charged charge $100
S1: a month for rent with a family of five. In
S1: two years, we were out of debt. Is that true?
S1: If it's true, stand up. Now, how many of you
S1: know at one time and you went through something like
S1: that and God showed you. You can't outgive him. You
S1: spoon it in, he'll shove it, and I'm gonna see
S1: you stand. Stand. Show them. Show them individuals who who
S1: believe God. Look at all these people who said there
S1: was a time that I would rock, but I. Now
S1: I saw that God look up in the balcony. Look
S1: at all these people. Look at all these people who
S1: are standing who say, I have trusted God. Look at
S1: all these people. You can maybe sit down. I just
S1: want everybody to know I ain't the only one, that
S1: it works for anybody and everybody that will trust the Lord.
S1: I'm telling you. So God says, listen, what's stopping you
S1: from going into that business? What's stopping you from getting
S1: that degree? What's stopping you from doing what you need
S1: to be doing? I've given you everything. I've given you
S1: a promise. Take it, take it, take it, take it,
S1: take it, take it, take it. Wow! I tell you
S1: now get this, get this. Hang in there with me.
S1: Hang in there with me. I'm gonna get you out
S1: of here pretty soon. Listen, now, this plan is not new.
S1: This plan was given to them 470 years prior to
S1: Joshua chapter one. It's in Genesis 1513. He gave it
S1: to Abraham. Abraham passed the passed it down to his
S1: son was his son's name Isaac. And Isaac passes down
S1: to his son. What's his name? Jacob. And then Jacob
S1: passes it down to his 12 boys, and one of
S1: his boys passes down to Moses. Moses passes down to Joshua.
S1: Joshua's passing it down to the children of Israel. It's
S1: passed down. Guess what? From Genesis 15 to Joshua one,
S1: it's over 600 times the land that they were supposed
S1: to possess. Why did God keep telling them Lang lang
S1: lang 600 times? Because sometimes you got to have it ingrained.
S1: Because there are so many things that try to stop
S1: you from what God has given you. And so guess what?
S1: In the book of Deuteronomy, it's 200 times over and
S1: over and over and over and over again. Why? Why?
S1: Because we've got to know that whenever the devil comes
S1: against us, I mean, it's like, what are our possessions?
S1: I'm blessed with every blessing in spiritual places in Christ Jesus.
S1: Then why am I living so impoverished? I tell you,
S1: I do know I no longer have a poverty mentality.
S1: God said, the poor you will have with you always.
S1: But he never said I had to be one of
S1: them until he tell me I got to be one
S1: of them. I don't want to be poor. No, no, no,
S1: I'm blessed now why don't I have it? Because I
S1: gotta take it. I am more than conquerors through him
S1: that love me. And so I have the victory. How
S1: come I don't have it? Because I didn't take it.
S1: I didn't put on the whole armor of God. That
S1: I might be able to stand against the wiles of
S1: the devil. And so then greater is he that is
S1: in me than he is in the world. Well, why
S1: is the devil whooping my tail and making me run?
S1: Because I won't take it. Come on, help me out.
S1: Let's get pumped up. Come on. Say take it. Look
S1: at somebody say take it. It's your God given destiny.
S1: Take it. God wants you to have it. Take it,
S1: take it, take it. Take it, take it. Yeah. That's it. See,
S1: we just want to talk about it. It'd be okay
S1: if all it took was talk. But it takes walk,
S1: not talk. Hey, you know, I was thinking about it.
S1: I said, what if. What if, uh, the songs we
S1: where we used to sing, we don't sing them anymore.
S1: But but but what if the truth would be known? We.
S1: There's a song called Sweet Hour of Prayer. We don't pray.
S1: Five minutes. There's a song. Onward, Christian soldier. We gotta
S1: be drafted. And then we go AWOL. Uh, they will
S1: be showers of blessing. That's the title of a song.
S1: And we don't come to church when it rains. Blessed
S1: be the tie that binds. And we take that tie
S1: and try to hang each other with it. Yeah. Serve
S1: the Lord with gladness. Yeah. And we gripe about what
S1: we do for him. We are marching to Zion. But
S1: we don't march to Sunday school and the Wednesday night
S1: Bible study. I love to tell the story, but never
S1: witness or invite anybody to come to church. When the
S1: roll is called up yonder, I'll be there. We're not
S1: there when the roll is called down here. Wow. Now
S1: here's my point. Get this. If God gave you a promise,
S1: his plan didn't change. It's not a roller coaster. He
S1: doesn't capitulate that. We gotta get in there. Hang in
S1: there and hold on to what God has promised. He said,
S1: I want you to go in there. Don't listen to him. Don't. Why?
S1: 470 years, it hasn't changed. It's the same. Write down
S1: Jonah one and Jonah three. If you're taking notes, here's
S1: what happened. Go to Nineveh, chapter one. So he goes
S1: to Tarshish, which is 2000 miles. If he would have
S1: went to Nineveh, it's 500 miles. So he went four
S1: times as far to get out of the will of
S1: God as he would have done to stay in the
S1: will of God. Then he had a fish experience, and
S1: that's what many of us need. That's a problem because
S1: some people listen. Some people are motivated by a pat
S1: on the back, some are only motivated by a foot
S1: in their behind. And so that's what it took for Jonah.
S1: And come on now, that's what it takes for a
S1: whole lot of us. And so God said chapter two
S1: foot in the behind in chapter three. Here's what it says.
S1: And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah again. Arise,
S1: go to Nineveh and preach. Same words. Plan didn't change,
S1: but it took the fish because God's not trying to
S1: change the circumstance. He's trying to change our mind and
S1: the way we look at it. That's what he's trying
S1: to do. So let me finish this up. So why
S1: did God have to urge Joshua to respond to his plan?
S1: Here it is. Here it is. People past and problems.
S1: Let me drop them. I'm not going to push them.
S1: You've been here long enough, number one people. Moses name
S1: is prominent and I got some information on that. But
S1: I'm going to let that go. I was going to
S1: tell you that his name is in this chapter more
S1: than three times in the book of Joshua, more than
S1: 60 times Moses, Moses, Moses, Moses. Here's what it says.
S1: Moses my servant is dead. And so Deuteronomy 31, uh,
S1: they're mourning the the death of Moses. It said, they
S1: mourn for 30 days. Here's what God is saying. He
S1: is dead, I am alive. Get going. John Wesley's gravestone
S1: says this. He's one of the ones that started the
S1: Great Awakening. It says God buries his workers, but his
S1: work goes on. That's on his tombstone. That's right. And
S1: that's what God is telling him. Hey, listen. He's dead.
S1: They've been mourning for 30 days. Tell them to get
S1: up and get over there and claim that promise. One
S1: monkey don't stop my show. Now get this. Let me
S1: give one illustration about three of them just to give
S1: you one. Can I give one? Say give one. Okay.
S1: Thank you for the permission. Chapter one of Isaiah. Was
S1: he a believer? Yes. Was he preaching? Yes. What's he
S1: say in chapter six? In the year that King Uzziah died,
S1: I also saw the Lord. Now get this. He didn't
S1: see the Lord in all of his glory until Uzziah died.
S1: Which means then for five chapters of preaching he's preaching,
S1: but not in the fullness of knowing who God is.
S1: So what happens? Uzziah had the there's something about Uzziah.
S1: I don't have time to tell you about him. You
S1: ought to read about him. He was a great king
S1: that usurped his vision of God. Now he didn't need
S1: to use the word also that preposition. But here's what
S1: it means. Here's what it means. He died. And at
S1: the same time I saw God. Here's my point I'm
S1: going to make it and move on. What? Uzziah is
S1: keeping you from fullness of God. What? Uzziah? You know
S1: why I asked you that? Because Uzziah has to die
S1: before you see God in his fullness. Well, ask somebody
S1: who's your Uzziah Lord? Ask somebody, what's your Uzziah don't
S1: have to be a person. And so what happens, man?
S1: God says, listen, get people out of the way. You
S1: heard about two lines in heaven. You got to tell
S1: you about it. Two lines in heaven, you know. And
S1: there was one line, and it was like hundreds of
S1: millions of men in that line. The sign said men
S1: who were dominated by their wives on earth. Then there
S1: was another line with a sign that said men who
S1: were never dominated by their wives on earth, and that
S1: line where men were dominated by their wives on earth.
S1: Pastor Betts was there. I was there. Brother Yarborough was there.
S1: The newlywed minister of swims was there. We were all
S1: in that line. Well, then all the men in this
S1: church that were married were in there, and there was
S1: only one person in the other line. It was Pastor Green.
S1: So they said, Pastor Ford, go over there and ask
S1: Pastor Green. We all in this line that said everybody
S1: was dominated by their wives on earth, and he's the
S1: only one over there that that was never dominated by
S1: his wife. Go over here and see how it is.
S1: He got to be over in that line by himself.
S1: I said, Elder Green, the guys want me to ask you,
S1: why are you over here? Elder green said, I don't know,
S1: I'm just standing where my wife told me to stand.
S1: All I got to say is who has to die
S1: before you believe God?
S2: You're listening to Treasure Truth with Pastor Ford. While you
S2: know that's a humorous story, there really is a practical
S2: point that Pastor Ford is helping us think about as
S2: we wrap up today's broadcast. Who has to die, right? Well,
S2: we're going to continue taking a look at this passage
S2: of Joshua chapter one next time on the broadcast. Do
S2: you hope you make it a point to tune in?
S2: You can always podcast the program as well so you
S2: don't miss a program. Come to Treasure Truth radio.org to
S2: sign up for the podcast. And really quickly, before we go,
S2: I just want to ask you to consider giving a
S2: gift so we can continue to bring you Pastor Ford's
S2: teaching each day. Give online at Treasure Truth radio.org and
S2: click on donate. Well, thanks to our producer, Amy Rios
S2: for Pastor Ford, I'm Steve Hiller. Treasure truth is a
S2: production of Moody Radio, a ministry of the Moody Bible Institute.