WEBVTT - Takers, Part 5 0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:03.050 The more you depend upon God, the more dependable you 0:00:03.050 --> 0:00:05.809 find him to be. So what happens? No matter what 0:00:05.809 --> 0:00:09.590 comes our way, we follow God's plan and God's going 0:00:09.619 --> 0:00:12.470 to execute it and bring it to pass. 0:00:18.410 --> 0:00:21.710 This is Treasure Truth with pastor and author James Ford Jr. 0:00:21.739 --> 0:00:24.950 Senior pastor of Christ Bible Church in Chicago, I'm Steve Miller. 0:00:24.980 --> 0:00:27.950 Glad you've joined us today. We're continuing our series from 0:00:27.950 --> 0:00:33.080 Joshua chapter one entitled takers and a pastor. You just 0:00:33.110 --> 0:00:36.260 were talking about the fact that as we learn to 0:00:36.290 --> 0:00:40.250 trust God and His promises, as we learn to discern 0:00:40.250 --> 0:00:44.090 what promises truly belong to us, and as we step 0:00:44.090 --> 0:00:47.690 out in faith, our faith in God doesn't turn, grow. 0:00:47.690 --> 0:00:50.570 And so it sounds like you're saying that actually emboldens 0:00:50.570 --> 0:00:53.360 strengthens our faith for the next big challenge or promise 0:00:53.360 --> 0:00:54.110 he may have for us. 0:00:54.140 --> 0:00:57.410 Oh, most definitely. Faith is like a muscle. So if 0:00:57.410 --> 0:00:59.000 you ever worked out, you know. 0:00:59.030 --> 0:01:00.200 Long time ago. 0:01:00.230 --> 0:01:02.260 A long. along? Yeah, well, for me too. You know, 0:01:02.290 --> 0:01:05.530 I teach. I tell people that my chest that used 0:01:05.530 --> 0:01:09.100 to be where my chest is, is slid a little bit, 0:01:09.100 --> 0:01:13.059 and now it's down where my stomach is. So, you know, 0:01:13.060 --> 0:01:15.220 I've still got a big chest just lower. 0:01:15.250 --> 0:01:15.610 Yeah. 0:01:17.920 --> 0:01:22.870 Yeah. But we understand and know that God has indeed 0:01:22.870 --> 0:01:28.210 given us exceeding and precious promises. And as we learn 0:01:28.209 --> 0:01:34.360 to trust in him and what erodes from that time, 0:01:34.390 --> 0:01:40.360 testing thoughts, our feelings. And. But the more we depend 0:01:40.360 --> 0:01:44.530 upon him, the more will depend upon him. So that 0:01:44.530 --> 0:01:51.550 once I begin to realize I can trust God for anything, 0:01:51.550 --> 0:01:56.020 then when the time factor comes and it seems like, well, 0:01:56.020 --> 0:02:00.070 why isn't he doing something, I've learned to depend upon him. 0:02:00.190 --> 0:02:02.800 I had a special needs child. His name was Nathaniel, 0:02:02.800 --> 0:02:06.460 and my wife had gone to visit her mom in Pittsburgh. 0:02:06.460 --> 0:02:10.090 And so the next day she was coming home. We 0:02:10.090 --> 0:02:12.100 were going to pick her up from the airport, and 0:02:12.130 --> 0:02:14.380 I told Nate my other two boys were gone. I 0:02:14.380 --> 0:02:16.180 told Nate, I said, man, this house is a mess. 0:02:16.180 --> 0:02:19.180 We've got to clean this place up. And so around 0:02:19.180 --> 0:02:22.480 about 8:00 I went upstairs and said, I'll be right back. 0:02:22.480 --> 0:02:25.270 And I laid across the bed and fell asleep. 2:00 0:02:25.270 --> 0:02:27.489 in the morning I woke up, I went back downstairs 0:02:27.490 --> 0:02:30.640 and Nate was still sitting in that chair. I said, 0:02:30.639 --> 0:02:35.650 you've been sitting here for four hours. He said, waiting 0:02:35.650 --> 0:02:38.560 on you. I said, well, why didn't you come upstairs? 0:02:38.560 --> 0:02:41.140 And and you know, I mentioned his special needs job, 0:02:41.139 --> 0:02:43.240 and why don't you come upstairs and wake me up 0:02:43.240 --> 0:02:46.510 or something? And he said, well, no, you said, wait 0:02:46.510 --> 0:02:50.740 right here. And so I said, man, you waited and 0:02:50.740 --> 0:02:52.810 I didn't come back. He said, yes, you did. 0:02:52.840 --> 0:02:53.230 Huh? 0:02:53.620 --> 0:02:54.070 Yes you did. 0:02:54.100 --> 0:02:54.820 Yes you did. Yeah. 0:02:54.850 --> 0:02:57.790 Yes you did. And it was like, wow. 0:02:57.820 --> 0:03:01.420 Yeah. What a great illustration. And you know, that's a 0:03:01.419 --> 0:03:04.690 great picture for us to begin today's message with. So 0:03:04.690 --> 0:03:08.079 if you can't join us in Joshua chapter one as 0:03:08.080 --> 0:03:11.050 we continue this message entitled takers. 0:03:11.139 --> 0:03:15.340 The theme is Yahweh will give you the manifestation of 0:03:15.340 --> 0:03:19.240 his revelation when we meet his qualifications. There it is. 0:03:19.240 --> 0:03:24.850 There are six requirements six qualifications required by us to 0:03:24.880 --> 0:03:27.310 possess our God given possessions. Here they are. There are 0:03:27.310 --> 0:03:29.170 six of them. Let me give them to you. We 0:03:29.169 --> 0:03:34.600 must respond to God's plan. We must rest in God's promises. 0:03:34.600 --> 0:03:39.250 We must rely upon God's protection. We must readily obey 0:03:39.280 --> 0:03:43.360 God's precepts. We must realize God's presence, and we must 0:03:43.360 --> 0:03:47.110 recruit God's people. Now I have time for one just 0:03:47.110 --> 0:03:50.560 one point, because I'm here all the time. Uh, Lord willing, 0:03:50.560 --> 0:03:52.030 I ain't going anywhere. I said. I might as well 0:03:52.030 --> 0:03:54.640 take my time. And so I am. I got one 0:03:54.670 --> 0:03:57.640 point today and we can get up on out of here. 0:03:57.670 --> 0:03:59.320 Let me drop em. I'm not going to push them. 0:03:59.320 --> 0:04:03.050 Respond to God's plan. That's verses one and two. Let 0:04:03.050 --> 0:04:05.660 me read it now. After the death of Moses, the 0:04:05.660 --> 0:04:08.480 servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the 0:04:08.480 --> 0:04:12.860 Lord spake unto Joshua the son of nun. Moses minister, saying, Moses, 0:04:12.860 --> 0:04:16.610 my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, 0:04:16.610 --> 0:04:19.520 thou and all this people, unto a land which I 0:04:19.520 --> 0:04:23.180 do give to them, even the children of Israel. The 0:04:23.180 --> 0:04:25.850 emphasis in the Hebrew is on the word. Now it's 0:04:25.850 --> 0:04:28.280 the first word in verse one. It's the first word 0:04:28.279 --> 0:04:32.210 in verse two. Now, now, now, now, now, now. My 0:04:32.210 --> 0:04:36.440 question is, why now, Lord, why are you using now, now, now? 0:04:36.470 --> 0:04:42.559 Because God wants them to understand. The time for procrastination 0:04:42.560 --> 0:04:47.930 is over. See, this is the second generation. The first generation, 0:04:48.260 --> 0:04:52.040 this first generation. They died in the wilderness. Over 2 0:04:52.040 --> 0:04:55.220 million of them. This is the second generation. And in 0:04:55.220 --> 0:04:58.670 Deuteronomy chapter one, somebody hollered out, what does Deuteronomy mean? 0:04:58.700 --> 0:05:04.860 Second law due to two Nomos law. Deuteronomy. Second law. 0:05:04.890 --> 0:05:08.969 What's he doing? He's giving the plan to the second 0:05:08.970 --> 0:05:12.510 generation that he gave to the first generation that the 0:05:12.510 --> 0:05:18.060 first generation did not implement because they were afraid of 0:05:18.060 --> 0:05:21.240 the giants in the land. So now he's coming. He's saying, 0:05:21.240 --> 0:05:25.860 don't make the same mistake your parents made. What do 0:05:25.860 --> 0:05:28.080 you think we're so hard on our kids about? You know, 0:05:28.110 --> 0:05:30.870 don't have sex before you get married. Not just because 0:05:30.870 --> 0:05:34.440 the Bible says so. Because we know the mistake that 0:05:34.440 --> 0:05:38.039 we made. And we say, don't do this. It cripples you. 0:05:38.070 --> 0:05:41.970 It does stuff. And so he's saying, look, look, you've 0:05:41.970 --> 0:05:44.400 got to understand. Here's what they did. Write it down. 0:05:44.430 --> 0:05:47.339 Deuteronomy chapter one. Here's what God told him. He said, listen, 0:05:47.339 --> 0:05:49.680 I want you to go now. Take the land. They 0:05:49.680 --> 0:05:51.690 went over there. The spies come back with a big report. 0:05:51.690 --> 0:05:53.490 Majority report. I don't even I don't even want to 0:05:53.490 --> 0:05:56.550 deal with that. And so they came back. Their giants 0:05:56.550 --> 0:05:59.310 and the grasshopper. The land is like God said. Two 0:05:59.310 --> 0:06:01.839 of us had to carry one cluster of grapes. But 0:06:01.870 --> 0:06:04.990 don't ever put a but where God has put a comma, man. 0:06:05.020 --> 0:06:06.910 Don't ever put a period where God has put a comma. 0:06:06.940 --> 0:06:10.210 So I said, but there are giants and we're grasshoppers. Well, 0:06:10.210 --> 0:06:12.040 we know there are giants, and we know your grasshoppers, 0:06:12.040 --> 0:06:14.169 but the battle is the Lord's. He never said you 0:06:14.170 --> 0:06:18.520 had to beat them. And so the whole generation died out. 0:06:18.550 --> 0:06:21.790 Now get this. I've got to get you to understand this. 0:06:21.820 --> 0:06:24.099 Let me let me show you something real quick. In 0:06:24.100 --> 0:06:28.960 the book of Romans chapter eight. Let me read to 0:06:28.990 --> 0:06:32.739 you what it says in verse 29. Romans 829. Let 0:06:32.770 --> 0:06:35.140 me read this. I'm going somewhere. I'm going to show you. 0:06:35.170 --> 0:06:37.870 829 why he giving them this plan, why he wants 0:06:37.870 --> 0:06:40.240 you to do his plan when he says, do the plan. Why? 0:06:40.270 --> 0:06:42.610 Because he opens the door and no man can shut 0:06:42.610 --> 0:06:44.589 it and he shuts the door and no man can 0:06:44.589 --> 0:06:46.930 open it. So he opened the door and said, go 0:06:46.930 --> 0:06:50.290 into the land. They grabbed placards, start walking around the 0:06:50.290 --> 0:06:53.710 throne of Grace, talking about Hades. No, we won't go Hades. No, 0:06:53.710 --> 0:06:55.360 he said, you don't want to respond to my plan. 0:06:55.360 --> 0:06:57.610 They said no. He said, well, since you won't respond 0:06:57.610 --> 0:06:59.109 to my plan, I'm going to make it so you 0:06:59.110 --> 0:07:01.820 can't respond. So even if you go, I ain't going 0:07:01.820 --> 0:07:03.650 with you because I opened the door and you didn't 0:07:03.650 --> 0:07:05.840 walk through it. Now I'm closing it. You can't open it. 0:07:05.839 --> 0:07:08.300 And you know what they said. Read it. Deuteronomy one. Oh, okay, 0:07:08.330 --> 0:07:10.700 okay then we'll go. Alright. Alright then, Imma do it. 0:07:10.700 --> 0:07:11.869 I'm gonna. Okay. You want me. 0:07:11.870 --> 0:07:13.430 To do it? Okay, I'll do it. 0:07:13.460 --> 0:07:16.460 And God said, uh, it's too late now. It's too 0:07:16.460 --> 0:07:20.090 late now. But they went up anyway and got jacked. 0:07:20.210 --> 0:07:22.040 He said, I said you going to walk around the 0:07:22.040 --> 0:07:25.220 wilderness for 40 years because you didn't respond to my plan. 0:07:25.370 --> 0:07:27.860 And so what happens here? Here's what it says in 0:07:27.860 --> 0:07:31.100 Romans 829. He says, for whom he did foreknow he 0:07:31.130 --> 0:07:33.230 predestinate to be conformed to the image of the son, 0:07:33.230 --> 0:07:35.360 that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Listen 0:07:35.360 --> 0:07:40.100 to this. Moreover then he predestinated them. He also called them. 0:07:40.100 --> 0:07:44.870 He also called them. He also justified. And whom he justified, 0:07:44.870 --> 0:07:50.750 them he also glorified. Now get this, get this, get this. 0:07:50.780 --> 0:07:53.660 We're saying in essence, hey, wait a minute. What do 0:07:53.660 --> 0:07:56.450 you why did you bring that out? Because theologically, Pastor 0:07:56.450 --> 0:08:00.230 Betts teaches that glorified, which is the future aspect of 0:08:00.240 --> 0:08:04.350 our salvation. He's telling us like it's in the past. Why? 0:08:04.380 --> 0:08:08.820 Theologically eternal security. But it's deeper than that, practically. Let 0:08:08.820 --> 0:08:11.280 me tell you what it is. If I tell you 0:08:11.280 --> 0:08:14.970 that the end of your salvation is already yours in 0:08:14.970 --> 0:08:18.600 the middle of your salvation, no matter what comes your way, 0:08:18.600 --> 0:08:21.900 you will not worry about what happens to you in 0:08:21.900 --> 0:08:26.460 life because you already know the end is going to be. 0:08:26.460 --> 0:08:29.700 And so that's what's happening here. Respond to my plan. 0:08:29.730 --> 0:08:32.429 You looking at folk and you wondering what in the 0:08:32.429 --> 0:08:35.250 world is going on. But if you trust the plan, 0:08:35.280 --> 0:08:38.489 here's what I wrote you. Or did I say me? Yeah, yeah, yeah, 0:08:38.490 --> 0:08:40.740 this is what I wrote. Uh, I said God says so. 0:08:40.740 --> 0:08:43.109 Depend on me and follow my plan. And here's what 0:08:43.140 --> 0:08:47.699 a very handsome, intelligent pastor of Christ Bible Church wrote. Quote, 0:08:47.730 --> 0:08:50.729 the more you depend upon God, the more dependable you 0:08:50.730 --> 0:08:53.729 find him to be. So what happens? No matter what 0:08:53.730 --> 0:08:57.540 comes our way, we follow God's plan and God's going 0:08:57.570 --> 0:09:02.070 to execute it and bring it to pass. past c. C. Okay, 0:09:02.070 --> 0:09:04.830 I know, I know, you say, Pastor Ford. I ain't 0:09:04.830 --> 0:09:06.540 getting it. Okay, let's see if you can get it. 0:09:06.720 --> 0:09:10.260 Let me tell you a story about a man named Jed. 0:09:10.440 --> 0:09:14.730 Poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed. But then one 0:09:14.730 --> 0:09:17.910 day he was shooting at some food, and up from 0:09:17.910 --> 0:09:23.400 the ground came a bubbling crude oil. That is Texas tea. 0:09:23.429 --> 0:09:27.690 Black gold. Well, the first thing you know. Oh, Jed's 0:09:27.690 --> 0:09:32.340 a millionaire. Kinfolk said, Jed, move away from there. Said 0:09:32.340 --> 0:09:35.100 California is the place you ought to be. So they 0:09:35.100 --> 0:09:39.360 loaded up the truck and they moved to Beverly Hills. 0:09:39.360 --> 0:09:45.990 That is, movie stars, mansions, the Beverly Hillbillies. Don't don't don't, don't. Now, 0:09:45.990 --> 0:09:49.709 I mean, I mean, I can tell how many in 0:09:49.710 --> 0:09:51.870 Pittsburgh it was Tuesday, 7:00. I don't I don't know 0:09:51.870 --> 0:09:54.030 what it was here, but I could see by everybody 0:09:54.030 --> 0:09:56.490 that went along with me how many couldn't wait to 0:09:56.490 --> 0:10:01.240 see granny get down and and see Ellie Mae. Whoop somebody. 0:10:01.270 --> 0:10:03.970 Who's she gonna whoop today? You know, and to see 0:10:04.000 --> 0:10:08.350 Jed and and and dumb Jethro. Amen. Every woman looking 0:10:08.350 --> 0:10:11.410 for a Jethro. Rich and dumb. But here. But you 0:10:11.410 --> 0:10:14.470 missed it, didn't you? Here's the point. Why respond to 0:10:14.500 --> 0:10:18.309 my plan now? Because you need to know. I've got 0:10:18.309 --> 0:10:21.220 a plan. Listen, listen, listen, listen. I've come a long way. 0:10:21.220 --> 0:10:24.820 You know why? Because I understand. Uh, you know, it's 0:10:24.820 --> 0:10:27.760 like I don't throw out prosperity. Let me tell you why. 0:10:27.790 --> 0:10:33.730 Because the prosperity gospel is not incorrect. It's just incomplete. 0:10:33.760 --> 0:10:36.970 It's more than just giving to get. I mean, I mean, 0:10:36.970 --> 0:10:40.300 God is a big giver. Do you understand that? And 0:10:40.300 --> 0:10:42.040 so what happens? He said, I want you to go 0:10:42.040 --> 0:10:45.280 in the land, and there's something that's precluding you. Now, now, 0:10:45.280 --> 0:10:47.920 you missed the whole story of Jed Clampett. Let me 0:10:47.950 --> 0:10:50.350 say it slow. Now, listen to my story about a 0:10:50.350 --> 0:10:57.100 man named Jed. A poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed. 0:10:57.100 --> 0:11:00.350 But then one day he was shooting at some food, 0:11:00.350 --> 0:11:04.340 and up through the ground came a bubbling crude. He 0:11:04.340 --> 0:11:06.890 missed what he was shooting at, but in the providence 0:11:06.890 --> 0:11:10.700 of God, even though he missed what he was shooting at, 0:11:10.730 --> 0:11:14.840 God gave him what he didn't know was his. He's 0:11:14.840 --> 0:11:18.620 sitting on land that got all this oil and he 0:11:18.620 --> 0:11:22.100 doesn't know it. And the problem with us is we've 0:11:22.130 --> 0:11:26.360 been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in 0:11:26.360 --> 0:11:29.930 Christ Jesus. And we sitting on it and we shooting 0:11:29.929 --> 0:11:32.600 at something. But God says, I got a plan. You 0:11:32.600 --> 0:11:35.210 going to shoot at it and miss it? But in 0:11:35.210 --> 0:11:38.449 my providence, you going to hit the wealth that I 0:11:38.450 --> 0:11:48.170 have for you? Man, I tell you, it's there. It's there. 0:11:49.370 --> 0:11:52.400 This is treasure truth with a very fired up Pastor Ford. 0:11:52.400 --> 0:11:54.679 And we're going to get back to this teaching in 0:11:54.679 --> 0:11:57.200 just a moment. You really pick up on the passion, 0:11:57.230 --> 0:12:00.020 don't you? As he preaches, you know he's also passionate 0:12:00.030 --> 0:12:02.250 about marriage and relationships, and he's written a number of 0:12:02.250 --> 0:12:04.739 books about that. You can check those out when you 0:12:04.770 --> 0:12:07.800 come to Treasure Truth radio.org and click on the link 0:12:07.800 --> 0:12:10.380 that says Books by Pastor Ford. It's right there on 0:12:10.380 --> 0:12:13.230 the left side of the home page. Also, check out 0:12:13.230 --> 0:12:15.540 the Stay Connected bar. A lot of useful links there too. 0:12:15.570 --> 0:12:19.439 That's at Treasure Truth radio.org. Back to the message. Here's 0:12:19.440 --> 0:12:20.429 Pastor Ford. 0:12:20.460 --> 0:12:24.810 So he's got a plan and we need to understand 0:12:24.840 --> 0:12:29.820 he's telling them respond to my plan. Now let me 0:12:29.820 --> 0:12:32.370 ask you a question. Why are you leaving God's plan? 0:12:32.580 --> 0:12:35.490 Why are you leaving God's plan? How can you be 0:12:35.490 --> 0:12:38.760 hooked up with Jesus and hooked up with somebody that 0:12:38.760 --> 0:12:42.990 isn't hooked up with Jesus? Don't you realize that he 0:12:42.990 --> 0:12:46.590 or she who marries the devil's kids are going to 0:12:46.590 --> 0:12:49.770 have a problem with their father in law? Why aren't 0:12:49.770 --> 0:12:54.449 you following God's plan? It's still his plan for a 0:12:54.450 --> 0:12:56.640 man to marry a woman and not a man to 0:12:56.640 --> 0:12:59.130 marry a man. It's still his plan for a man 0:12:59.130 --> 0:13:01.360 to marry a woman and not a woman to marry 0:13:01.390 --> 0:13:03.790 a woman. It still is. Plan for a man to 0:13:03.820 --> 0:13:06.250 marry a woman and not a man to marry a dog. 0:13:06.250 --> 0:13:08.710 It still is. Plan for a man to marry a 0:13:08.710 --> 0:13:11.410 woman and not a woman to marry a cat. Why 0:13:11.410 --> 0:13:17.560 aren't you following God's plan? Because you're trying to get 0:13:17.559 --> 0:13:20.920 out of debt and you're saying, well, I'll just keep 0:13:20.920 --> 0:13:23.800 all my money. And God says, that's not how you 0:13:23.800 --> 0:13:27.400 get out of debt. Read second Kings four. How did 0:13:27.400 --> 0:13:30.430 she get out of debt? How did how did the 0:13:30.429 --> 0:13:33.850 widow get all the oil? She said, make me a 0:13:33.850 --> 0:13:37.360 little cake first. You don't get out of debt by 0:13:37.390 --> 0:13:40.420 taking God's money. You get out of debt by giving 0:13:40.420 --> 0:13:42.940 him his first. Now I'm going to show you something. 0:13:42.940 --> 0:13:45.040 I'm going to show you something. We're just going to 0:13:45.040 --> 0:13:47.380 stand now. I ain't putting nobody on Front Street. But 0:13:47.380 --> 0:13:50.260 I want to show you how many people will say 0:13:50.260 --> 0:13:53.350 that's true. My wife and I were in $35,000 worth 0:13:53.350 --> 0:13:56.860 of credit card debt. We were making $100 a week 0:13:56.890 --> 0:14:00.860 as pastor of this church and being charged charge $100 0:14:00.860 --> 0:14:03.830 a month for rent with a family of five. In 0:14:03.830 --> 0:14:06.800 two years, we were out of debt. Is that true? 0:14:06.830 --> 0:14:09.290 If it's true, stand up. Now, how many of you 0:14:09.320 --> 0:14:12.920 know at one time and you went through something like 0:14:12.920 --> 0:14:16.580 that and God showed you. You can't outgive him. You 0:14:16.610 --> 0:14:18.350 spoon it in, he'll shove it, and I'm gonna see 0:14:18.350 --> 0:14:22.100 you stand. Stand. Show them. Show them individuals who who 0:14:22.100 --> 0:14:25.280 believe God. Look at all these people who said there 0:14:25.280 --> 0:14:27.710 was a time that I would rock, but I. Now 0:14:27.710 --> 0:14:29.870 I saw that God look up in the balcony. Look 0:14:29.900 --> 0:14:31.850 at all these people. Look at all these people who 0:14:31.880 --> 0:14:34.880 are standing who say, I have trusted God. Look at 0:14:34.880 --> 0:14:37.340 all these people. You can maybe sit down. I just 0:14:37.340 --> 0:14:39.830 want everybody to know I ain't the only one, that 0:14:39.830 --> 0:14:43.280 it works for anybody and everybody that will trust the Lord. 0:14:43.310 --> 0:14:46.940 I'm telling you. So God says, listen, what's stopping you 0:14:46.940 --> 0:14:49.790 from going into that business? What's stopping you from getting 0:14:49.790 --> 0:14:53.300 that degree? What's stopping you from doing what you need 0:14:53.300 --> 0:14:56.359 to be doing? I've given you everything. I've given you 0:14:56.360 --> 0:14:59.510 a promise. Take it, take it, take it, take it, 0:14:59.540 --> 0:15:06.320 take it, take it, take it. Wow! I tell you 0:15:06.350 --> 0:15:08.240 now get this, get this. Hang in there with me. 0:15:08.300 --> 0:15:09.410 Hang in there with me. I'm gonna get you out 0:15:09.410 --> 0:15:13.340 of here pretty soon. Listen, now, this plan is not new. 0:15:13.370 --> 0:15:19.430 This plan was given to them 470 years prior to 0:15:19.460 --> 0:15:23.090 Joshua chapter one. It's in Genesis 1513. He gave it 0:15:23.090 --> 0:15:25.880 to Abraham. Abraham passed the passed it down to his 0:15:25.880 --> 0:15:29.030 son was his son's name Isaac. And Isaac passes down 0:15:29.030 --> 0:15:31.130 to his son. What's his name? Jacob. And then Jacob 0:15:31.130 --> 0:15:33.410 passes it down to his 12 boys, and one of 0:15:33.410 --> 0:15:36.470 his boys passes down to Moses. Moses passes down to Joshua. 0:15:36.500 --> 0:15:38.479 Joshua's passing it down to the children of Israel. It's 0:15:38.480 --> 0:15:43.220 passed down. Guess what? From Genesis 15 to Joshua one, 0:15:43.460 --> 0:15:49.880 it's over 600 times the land that they were supposed 0:15:49.880 --> 0:15:52.520 to possess. Why did God keep telling them Lang lang 0:15:52.520 --> 0:15:58.250 lang 600 times? Because sometimes you got to have it ingrained. 0:15:58.250 --> 0:16:01.770 Because there are so many things that try to stop 0:16:01.770 --> 0:16:05.280 you from what God has given you. And so guess what? 0:16:05.280 --> 0:16:08.970 In the book of Deuteronomy, it's 200 times over and 0:16:08.970 --> 0:16:11.610 over and over and over and over again. Why? Why? 0:16:11.640 --> 0:16:14.730 Because we've got to know that whenever the devil comes 0:16:14.730 --> 0:16:17.310 against us, I mean, it's like, what are our possessions? 0:16:17.310 --> 0:16:20.760 I'm blessed with every blessing in spiritual places in Christ Jesus. 0:16:20.760 --> 0:16:23.490 Then why am I living so impoverished? I tell you, 0:16:23.490 --> 0:16:26.490 I do know I no longer have a poverty mentality. 0:16:26.520 --> 0:16:29.070 God said, the poor you will have with you always. 0:16:29.070 --> 0:16:30.900 But he never said I had to be one of 0:16:30.900 --> 0:16:32.940 them until he tell me I got to be one 0:16:32.940 --> 0:16:35.520 of them. I don't want to be poor. No, no, no, 0:16:35.520 --> 0:16:38.070 I'm blessed now why don't I have it? Because I 0:16:38.070 --> 0:16:40.470 gotta take it. I am more than conquerors through him 0:16:40.470 --> 0:16:43.410 that love me. And so I have the victory. How 0:16:43.410 --> 0:16:45.720 come I don't have it? Because I didn't take it. 0:16:45.720 --> 0:16:47.760 I didn't put on the whole armor of God. That 0:16:47.760 --> 0:16:49.740 I might be able to stand against the wiles of 0:16:49.740 --> 0:16:52.410 the devil. And so then greater is he that is 0:16:52.410 --> 0:16:53.790 in me than he is in the world. Well, why 0:16:53.790 --> 0:16:56.190 is the devil whooping my tail and making me run? 0:16:56.190 --> 0:16:58.560 Because I won't take it. Come on, help me out. 0:16:58.590 --> 0:17:01.450 Let's get pumped up. Come on. Say take it. Look 0:17:01.480 --> 0:17:04.540 at somebody say take it. It's your God given destiny. 0:17:04.570 --> 0:17:07.240 Take it. God wants you to have it. Take it, 0:17:07.330 --> 0:17:15.669 take it, take it. Take it, take it. Yeah. That's it. See, 0:17:15.670 --> 0:17:18.130 we just want to talk about it. It'd be okay 0:17:18.130 --> 0:17:20.740 if all it took was talk. But it takes walk, 0:17:20.740 --> 0:17:22.810 not talk. Hey, you know, I was thinking about it. 0:17:22.810 --> 0:17:27.220 I said, what if. What if, uh, the songs we 0:17:27.250 --> 0:17:29.170 where we used to sing, we don't sing them anymore. 0:17:29.170 --> 0:17:32.260 But but but what if the truth would be known? We. 0:17:32.260 --> 0:17:35.530 There's a song called Sweet Hour of Prayer. We don't pray. 0:17:35.560 --> 0:17:39.790 Five minutes. There's a song. Onward, Christian soldier. We gotta 0:17:39.790 --> 0:17:42.820 be drafted. And then we go AWOL. Uh, they will 0:17:42.850 --> 0:17:44.980 be showers of blessing. That's the title of a song. 0:17:44.980 --> 0:17:47.470 And we don't come to church when it rains. Blessed 0:17:47.500 --> 0:17:50.350 be the tie that binds. And we take that tie 0:17:50.350 --> 0:17:52.750 and try to hang each other with it. Yeah. Serve 0:17:52.750 --> 0:17:56.290 the Lord with gladness. Yeah. And we gripe about what 0:17:56.290 --> 0:17:58.750 we do for him. We are marching to Zion. But 0:17:58.750 --> 0:18:01.160 we don't march to Sunday school and the Wednesday night 0:18:01.190 --> 0:18:03.500 Bible study. I love to tell the story, but never 0:18:03.500 --> 0:18:06.379 witness or invite anybody to come to church. When the 0:18:06.380 --> 0:18:08.840 roll is called up yonder, I'll be there. We're not 0:18:08.840 --> 0:18:12.230 there when the roll is called down here. Wow. Now 0:18:12.230 --> 0:18:15.170 here's my point. Get this. If God gave you a promise, 0:18:15.200 --> 0:18:18.379 his plan didn't change. It's not a roller coaster. He 0:18:18.380 --> 0:18:21.139 doesn't capitulate that. We gotta get in there. Hang in 0:18:21.170 --> 0:18:23.840 there and hold on to what God has promised. He said, 0:18:23.840 --> 0:18:26.600 I want you to go in there. Don't listen to him. Don't. Why? 0:18:26.630 --> 0:18:29.660 470 years, it hasn't changed. It's the same. Write down 0:18:29.660 --> 0:18:31.910 Jonah one and Jonah three. If you're taking notes, here's 0:18:31.910 --> 0:18:35.030 what happened. Go to Nineveh, chapter one. So he goes 0:18:35.030 --> 0:18:37.550 to Tarshish, which is 2000 miles. If he would have 0:18:37.550 --> 0:18:41.030 went to Nineveh, it's 500 miles. So he went four 0:18:41.030 --> 0:18:42.800 times as far to get out of the will of 0:18:42.830 --> 0:18:44.359 God as he would have done to stay in the 0:18:44.359 --> 0:18:47.629 will of God. Then he had a fish experience, and 0:18:47.630 --> 0:18:50.990 that's what many of us need. That's a problem because 0:18:50.990 --> 0:18:54.379 some people listen. Some people are motivated by a pat 0:18:54.380 --> 0:18:57.440 on the back, some are only motivated by a foot 0:18:57.440 --> 0:19:00.149 in their behind. And so that's what it took for Jonah. 0:19:00.150 --> 0:19:02.189 And come on now, that's what it takes for a 0:19:02.190 --> 0:19:05.170 whole lot of us. And so God said chapter two 0:19:05.170 --> 0:19:07.680 foot in the behind in chapter three. Here's what it says. 0:19:07.710 --> 0:19:11.580 And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah again. Arise, 0:19:11.609 --> 0:19:15.720 go to Nineveh and preach. Same words. Plan didn't change, 0:19:15.720 --> 0:19:20.220 but it took the fish because God's not trying to 0:19:20.220 --> 0:19:23.369 change the circumstance. He's trying to change our mind and 0:19:23.369 --> 0:19:24.870 the way we look at it. That's what he's trying 0:19:24.869 --> 0:19:28.140 to do. So let me finish this up. So why 0:19:28.170 --> 0:19:30.840 did God have to urge Joshua to respond to his plan? 0:19:30.869 --> 0:19:34.140 Here it is. Here it is. People past and problems. 0:19:34.140 --> 0:19:35.700 Let me drop them. I'm not going to push them. 0:19:35.700 --> 0:19:39.869 You've been here long enough, number one people. Moses name 0:19:39.869 --> 0:19:41.910 is prominent and I got some information on that. But 0:19:41.910 --> 0:19:43.379 I'm going to let that go. I was going to 0:19:43.380 --> 0:19:46.740 tell you that his name is in this chapter more 0:19:46.740 --> 0:19:49.380 than three times in the book of Joshua, more than 0:19:49.410 --> 0:19:52.710 60 times Moses, Moses, Moses, Moses. Here's what it says. 0:19:52.710 --> 0:19:58.050 Moses my servant is dead. And so Deuteronomy 31, uh, 0:19:58.050 --> 0:20:01.270 they're mourning the the death of Moses. It said, they 0:20:01.270 --> 0:20:04.150 mourn for 30 days. Here's what God is saying. He 0:20:04.150 --> 0:20:08.409 is dead, I am alive. Get going. John Wesley's gravestone 0:20:08.410 --> 0:20:10.510 says this. He's one of the ones that started the 0:20:10.510 --> 0:20:14.230 Great Awakening. It says God buries his workers, but his 0:20:14.230 --> 0:20:17.200 work goes on. That's on his tombstone. That's right. And 0:20:17.200 --> 0:20:21.459 that's what God is telling him. Hey, listen. He's dead. 0:20:21.460 --> 0:20:23.650 They've been mourning for 30 days. Tell them to get 0:20:23.650 --> 0:20:27.220 up and get over there and claim that promise. One 0:20:27.220 --> 0:20:29.889 monkey don't stop my show. Now get this. Let me 0:20:29.890 --> 0:20:31.540 give one illustration about three of them just to give 0:20:31.540 --> 0:20:33.130 you one. Can I give one? Say give one. Okay. 0:20:33.130 --> 0:20:36.820 Thank you for the permission. Chapter one of Isaiah. Was 0:20:36.820 --> 0:20:40.780 he a believer? Yes. Was he preaching? Yes. What's he 0:20:40.810 --> 0:20:46.480 say in chapter six? In the year that King Uzziah died, 0:20:46.510 --> 0:20:50.590 I also saw the Lord. Now get this. He didn't 0:20:50.590 --> 0:20:54.820 see the Lord in all of his glory until Uzziah died. 0:20:54.820 --> 0:20:59.320 Which means then for five chapters of preaching he's preaching, 0:20:59.320 --> 0:21:02.920 but not in the fullness of knowing who God is. 0:21:02.920 --> 0:21:07.750 So what happens? Uzziah had the there's something about Uzziah. 0:21:07.780 --> 0:21:09.010 I don't have time to tell you about him. You 0:21:09.010 --> 0:21:10.630 ought to read about him. He was a great king 0:21:10.630 --> 0:21:14.800 that usurped his vision of God. Now he didn't need 0:21:14.800 --> 0:21:17.080 to use the word also that preposition. But here's what 0:21:17.080 --> 0:21:20.379 it means. Here's what it means. He died. And at 0:21:20.380 --> 0:21:23.290 the same time I saw God. Here's my point I'm 0:21:23.290 --> 0:21:26.560 going to make it and move on. What? Uzziah is 0:21:26.560 --> 0:21:32.109 keeping you from fullness of God. What? Uzziah? You know 0:21:32.109 --> 0:21:37.720 why I asked you that? Because Uzziah has to die 0:21:37.750 --> 0:21:43.090 before you see God in his fullness. Well, ask somebody 0:21:43.119 --> 0:21:47.770 who's your Uzziah Lord? Ask somebody, what's your Uzziah don't 0:21:47.770 --> 0:21:51.310 have to be a person. And so what happens, man? 0:21:51.340 --> 0:21:54.310 God says, listen, get people out of the way. You 0:21:54.340 --> 0:21:56.320 heard about two lines in heaven. You got to tell 0:21:56.320 --> 0:21:58.629 you about it. Two lines in heaven, you know. And 0:21:58.630 --> 0:22:01.490 there was one line, and it was like hundreds of 0:22:01.490 --> 0:22:04.100 millions of men in that line. The sign said men 0:22:04.130 --> 0:22:07.699 who were dominated by their wives on earth. Then there 0:22:07.700 --> 0:22:10.129 was another line with a sign that said men who 0:22:10.160 --> 0:22:13.460 were never dominated by their wives on earth, and that 0:22:13.460 --> 0:22:15.980 line where men were dominated by their wives on earth. 0:22:16.010 --> 0:22:20.240 Pastor Betts was there. I was there. Brother Yarborough was there. 0:22:20.270 --> 0:22:23.570 The newlywed minister of swims was there. We were all 0:22:23.570 --> 0:22:26.630 in that line. Well, then all the men in this 0:22:26.630 --> 0:22:28.550 church that were married were in there, and there was 0:22:28.550 --> 0:22:31.280 only one person in the other line. It was Pastor Green. 0:22:31.280 --> 0:22:33.260 So they said, Pastor Ford, go over there and ask 0:22:33.260 --> 0:22:36.800 Pastor Green. We all in this line that said everybody 0:22:36.800 --> 0:22:39.560 was dominated by their wives on earth, and he's the 0:22:39.560 --> 0:22:42.889 only one over there that that was never dominated by 0:22:42.890 --> 0:22:44.810 his wife. Go over here and see how it is. 0:22:44.810 --> 0:22:47.720 He got to be over in that line by himself. 0:22:47.750 --> 0:22:51.410 I said, Elder Green, the guys want me to ask you, 0:22:51.440 --> 0:22:54.859 why are you over here? Elder green said, I don't know, 0:22:54.859 --> 0:22:57.200 I'm just standing where my wife told me to stand. 0:22:58.100 --> 0:23:00.750 All I got to say is who has to die 0:23:00.780 --> 0:23:03.090 before you believe God? 0:23:05.280 --> 0:23:08.430 You're listening to Treasure Truth with Pastor Ford. While you 0:23:08.430 --> 0:23:11.609 know that's a humorous story, there really is a practical 0:23:11.609 --> 0:23:14.010 point that Pastor Ford is helping us think about as 0:23:14.010 --> 0:23:17.940 we wrap up today's broadcast. Who has to die, right? Well, 0:23:17.940 --> 0:23:21.090 we're going to continue taking a look at this passage 0:23:21.090 --> 0:23:23.669 of Joshua chapter one next time on the broadcast. Do 0:23:23.670 --> 0:23:24.990 you hope you make it a point to tune in? 0:23:25.020 --> 0:23:26.879 You can always podcast the program as well so you 0:23:26.880 --> 0:23:30.149 don't miss a program. Come to Treasure Truth radio.org to 0:23:30.180 --> 0:23:33.090 sign up for the podcast. And really quickly, before we go, 0:23:33.090 --> 0:23:34.980 I just want to ask you to consider giving a 0:23:35.010 --> 0:23:37.619 gift so we can continue to bring you Pastor Ford's 0:23:37.619 --> 0:23:40.979 teaching each day. Give online at Treasure Truth radio.org and 0:23:40.980 --> 0:23:43.800 click on donate. Well, thanks to our producer, Amy Rios 0:23:43.830 --> 0:23:46.649 for Pastor Ford, I'm Steve Hiller. Treasure truth is a 0:23:46.650 --> 0:23:51.060 production of Moody Radio, a ministry of the Moody Bible Institute.