WEBVTT - Takers, Part 12 0:00:00.110 --> 0:00:04.670 Don't let the little things stop you from the everything 0:00:04.670 --> 0:00:08.390 that God has for you. And so he says, listen, 0:00:08.390 --> 0:00:11.930 here's what I want you to do. I want you 0:00:11.930 --> 0:00:15.440 to readily obey my precepts. 0:00:21.530 --> 0:00:24.890 Welcome to Treasure Truth with pastor and author James Ford, 0:00:24.890 --> 0:00:28.160 junior senior pastor of Christ Bible Church in Chicago. I'm 0:00:28.160 --> 0:00:30.710 Steve Hilbert. Glad that you've joined us today as we 0:00:30.710 --> 0:00:34.640 wrap up our series entitled takers. We began this series 0:00:34.640 --> 0:00:38.870 by being reminded of the promises that God gave to 0:00:38.900 --> 0:00:41.839 the nation of Israel and to Joshua to go and 0:00:41.840 --> 0:00:44.690 to occupy the land, to drive the people who were 0:00:44.690 --> 0:00:48.050 there out and to to subdue that land. And we 0:00:48.050 --> 0:00:51.919 began to pull out and apply principles that we can 0:00:51.920 --> 0:00:55.280 apply to our lives today. So, pastor, as we wrap 0:00:55.280 --> 0:00:57.830 up this series, is there a big takeaway that you 0:00:57.830 --> 0:01:01.770 hope somebody is going to be leaving this series with, uh. 0:01:01.770 --> 0:01:05.550 Well, first of all, I trust that there will be 0:01:05.550 --> 0:01:09.929 those that even though this message was aimed at those 0:01:09.930 --> 0:01:13.500 who are believers. But there would be those who have 0:01:13.500 --> 0:01:16.800 listened to this series who do not know Jesus Christ, 0:01:16.830 --> 0:01:19.830 who would take him as their Lord and Savior, that 0:01:19.830 --> 0:01:25.200 they would become believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. And 0:01:25.200 --> 0:01:27.480 the Bible says that if you shall confess with thy 0:01:27.480 --> 0:01:30.300 mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in thy heart 0:01:30.300 --> 0:01:33.780 that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 0:01:33.810 --> 0:01:39.210 Will you take Jesus, receive him, believe on him, because 0:01:39.209 --> 0:01:42.060 the Bible says in acts chapter four, verse 12, and 0:01:42.060 --> 0:01:46.260 there is no other name given among men under heaven, 0:01:46.260 --> 0:01:51.030 whereby we must be saved. I tell people this when 0:01:51.030 --> 0:01:54.420 I do marriage seminars and the like, I always conclude 0:01:54.420 --> 0:01:59.460 like this Christ plus nothing equals everything. Everything without Christ 0:01:59.460 --> 0:02:03.850 equals Is nothing. If you meet me and forget me, 0:02:03.880 --> 0:02:07.960 you've lost nothing. But if you meet Christ and forget him, 0:02:07.960 --> 0:02:12.070 you've lost everything. We couldn't go up. So he came down. 0:02:12.070 --> 0:02:14.560 And now that he came down, we can go up. 0:02:14.560 --> 0:02:17.619 The Son of God became the Son of Man. That 0:02:17.620 --> 0:02:20.950 the sons of men may become the sons and daughters 0:02:20.950 --> 0:02:25.540 of God. I trust that you'll receive him as your 0:02:25.540 --> 0:02:27.400 personal Lord and Savior. 0:02:28.030 --> 0:02:32.260 That is the greatest thing that anyone ever could take 0:02:32.260 --> 0:02:35.920 from God's Word to begin that relationship with him. And 0:02:35.950 --> 0:02:39.040 if that's you today, I hope that you'll contact us 0:02:39.040 --> 0:02:41.500 here at Treasure Truth. You can always do so through 0:02:41.500 --> 0:02:44.440 our website. It's Treasure Truth radio.org, or if you even 0:02:44.440 --> 0:02:48.220 have questions still about beginning that relationship with God that 0:02:48.220 --> 0:02:50.980 you might call this toll free number. It's one 888. 0:02:51.010 --> 0:02:55.780 Need him one eight need him. Well, as I mentioned 0:02:55.810 --> 0:02:59.410 a few moments ago, this is the last broadcast in 0:02:59.410 --> 0:03:02.890 our series entitled takers. So one more time, join us 0:03:02.889 --> 0:03:07.060 in the book of Joshua, chapter one. Here is Pastor Ford. 0:03:07.660 --> 0:03:12.399 And God tells them, listen, I'm going to protect you. Notice, 0:03:12.400 --> 0:03:19.510 notice with me notice because then not just God's protective power, uh, 0:03:19.510 --> 0:03:25.030 God's plan and God's promise, but then notice. Then the 0:03:25.030 --> 0:03:28.990 text tells us that God also wants us to realize 0:03:29.110 --> 0:03:33.160 that he will allow us to possess our God given 0:03:33.160 --> 0:03:38.619 possessions when we readily obey God's precepts, when we readily 0:03:38.620 --> 0:03:42.010 obey God's precepts. Just look at verses six and seven. 0:03:42.040 --> 0:03:44.440 Be strong and of a good courage, for unto this 0:03:44.440 --> 0:03:48.730 people thou shalt divide for an inheritance the land which 0:03:48.730 --> 0:03:51.190 I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be 0:03:51.190 --> 0:03:54.670 thou strong and very courageous, that thou may observe to 0:03:54.700 --> 0:03:58.210 do according to all the law which Moses my servant 0:03:58.210 --> 0:04:01.040 commanded thee. Turn not from it to the right hand 0:04:01.040 --> 0:04:04.730 to the left that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 0:04:04.760 --> 0:04:06.320 Now get this. Get this with me. Let me. Let 0:04:06.350 --> 0:04:07.430 me do a couple of things. Let me show you 0:04:07.430 --> 0:04:11.540 some things. Three times he says to him, be strong 0:04:11.540 --> 0:04:15.440 and of good courage. Three times. Now notice he says 0:04:15.440 --> 0:04:17.810 it in verse six. He says it in verse seven, 0:04:17.810 --> 0:04:19.369 and he says it in verse nine. Here's all I 0:04:19.370 --> 0:04:22.250 want you to see. Every time he tells him to 0:04:22.250 --> 0:04:26.179 be strong and of a good courage, it's about something different. 0:04:26.570 --> 0:04:29.450 It's not the same thing. Look at what he says. 0:04:29.480 --> 0:04:31.850 Be strong and of a good courage that has to 0:04:31.850 --> 0:04:34.880 do with his provision. You see that be strong when 0:04:34.880 --> 0:04:36.740 it comes to your provision. But wait a minute. Look 0:04:36.770 --> 0:04:41.359 at verse seven. Only be strong and courageous about my precepts, 0:04:41.390 --> 0:04:45.830 obeying my precept. So be strong about obtaining your possession. 0:04:45.860 --> 0:04:49.430 Be strong about obeying my precepts. Then look at verse nine. 0:04:49.430 --> 0:04:51.890 Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage. 0:04:51.920 --> 0:04:54.470 Be not afraid. Neither be thou dismayed. For the Lord 0:04:54.470 --> 0:05:00.590 is with you. So be strong. Against persecution. So, so so. 0:05:00.600 --> 0:05:02.580 he's trying to cover all the bases. What? Why is 0:05:02.580 --> 0:05:06.150 he telling Joshua that? Because he knows that Joshua is 0:05:06.150 --> 0:05:11.190 feeling the fear. God says you don't have to be afraid. 0:05:11.190 --> 0:05:13.890 And that's what's stopping us. What is fear? Come on, everybody, 0:05:13.920 --> 0:05:19.500 say it together. False evidence appearing real. That's all it is. 0:05:19.529 --> 0:05:22.440 And how many fear knots are there in the Bible? 0:05:23.700 --> 0:05:31.770 Somebody said a lot. How many? 365. Somebody counted them. 300. Now, 0:05:31.800 --> 0:05:35.190 what does that tell you? One for every day of 0:05:35.190 --> 0:05:37.020 the year. God said, you know, my people are going 0:05:37.050 --> 0:05:39.029 to be afraid. They have a tendency to do that. 0:05:39.029 --> 0:05:42.150 But we know perfect love casts out fear because fear, 0:05:42.330 --> 0:05:45.510 fear and faith are like oil and water. They cannot coexist. 0:05:45.540 --> 0:05:48.060 If you fear, you rule out faith. If you have faith, 0:05:48.060 --> 0:05:51.870 you rule out fear. And so fear knocked on the door. 0:05:51.900 --> 0:05:55.050 Faith answered, nobody was there. That's what Doctor King said. 0:05:55.050 --> 0:05:58.110 And so we have to launch out and step out 0:05:58.110 --> 0:06:01.270 in faith. And he says, I don't want you to 0:06:01.300 --> 0:06:06.940 be afraid. And the word be strong and courageous literally 0:06:06.940 --> 0:06:12.280 speaks of not allowing other things to stop you from 0:06:12.279 --> 0:06:14.470 the things that God had. Let me put it this way. 0:06:14.500 --> 0:06:19.450 Don't let the little things stop you from the everything 0:06:19.450 --> 0:06:24.159 that God has for you. Amen. And so he says, listen, 0:06:24.160 --> 0:06:27.850 here's what I want you to do. I want you 0:06:27.850 --> 0:06:34.120 to readily obey my precepts. Mm. I had two dogs. 0:06:34.120 --> 0:06:39.730 They were pit bulls, Angel and Toby. And Angel was white. 0:06:39.760 --> 0:06:46.090 Toby was brown. And I had them trained to nonverbal commands. 0:06:46.900 --> 0:06:49.330 I did like that. No matter where they were, that 0:06:49.450 --> 0:06:52.900 Angel would come and heal at my left. Toby would 0:06:52.900 --> 0:06:54.940 come and heal at my right, and they would look 0:06:54.940 --> 0:06:58.180 up in my face to wake my next command. I 0:06:58.180 --> 0:07:00.340 go like this. They roll over. I go like this. 0:07:00.380 --> 0:07:05.150 They sit. If I ever point it at you better run. 0:07:05.630 --> 0:07:07.520 That's all I have to do to have them. I 0:07:07.520 --> 0:07:10.280 don't have to say sic em, just point. And they 0:07:10.280 --> 0:07:12.950 would attack. I often thought, boy, it would be nice 0:07:12.950 --> 0:07:15.290 if I could get my wife and children to respond 0:07:15.290 --> 0:07:18.440 like that. That would really be a great thing. You say, well, 0:07:18.440 --> 0:07:25.580 what's your point? My point is that these dogs waited 0:07:25.580 --> 0:07:31.010 on their master's command, that they didn't do anything. Like, 0:07:31.010 --> 0:07:33.860 for example, if they were hungry and my children or 0:07:33.860 --> 0:07:35.420 my wife said, here, come and get to eat. And 0:07:35.420 --> 0:07:38.240 I had told them to come and I had done this, 0:07:38.240 --> 0:07:40.610 they would not move. They keep looking at me. Don't 0:07:40.610 --> 0:07:42.560 look at them. Come here, come here, come here. And 0:07:42.560 --> 0:07:44.810 they look at me. And if I didn't release them, 0:07:44.810 --> 0:07:47.750 they wouldn't go. I said, man, wouldn't it be something 0:07:47.750 --> 0:07:50.360 if we treated our master like that? I was, I 0:07:50.360 --> 0:07:53.300 was down in. I did a revival in our six 0:07:53.300 --> 0:07:55.880 churches in on the island of Saint Croix. We have 0:07:55.880 --> 0:07:59.420 six churches there. And I did a revival there, and 0:07:59.420 --> 0:08:03.150 everybody had dogs. And so I was saying, I was saying, man, 0:08:03.150 --> 0:08:05.580 all these dogs. And they said, yeah, because there's a 0:08:05.610 --> 0:08:07.740 lot of thievery that goes on in the island. So 0:08:07.740 --> 0:08:09.900 I said, okay, well, if I wanted to rob your 0:08:09.900 --> 0:08:11.910 house because they go from island to island, there's nothing 0:08:11.910 --> 0:08:13.679 for them to go to Saint Thomas and some of 0:08:13.680 --> 0:08:16.590 the other of the islands, you know. And so I said, well, well, well, 0:08:16.590 --> 0:08:19.020 what would you you know, if you're away, I can steal, 0:08:19.050 --> 0:08:21.810 because I can poison your dog. You know, they told me, no, 0:08:21.810 --> 0:08:26.460 you can't. I said, why? They said, because these dogs. 0:08:26.460 --> 0:08:29.100 He said, there's three people on this island that everybody 0:08:29.100 --> 0:08:32.850 gets their dogs from, and they all train them this way. 0:08:32.850 --> 0:08:38.250 They will only take food from their master if their 0:08:38.250 --> 0:08:42.600 master didn't give. I said, boy, wouldn't that be great 0:08:42.600 --> 0:08:45.780 if the church was like that because we eaten everything. 0:08:45.780 --> 0:08:49.140 The devil throwing. I said, we eating everything. The devil 0:08:49.140 --> 0:08:52.350 throwing and man, he throwing stuff and we just. Oh 0:08:52.380 --> 0:08:56.190 I'm hungry. Oh, drew, I'm tired of waiting on you. 0:08:56.220 --> 0:08:58.410 Ain't no gods in the church. They either. They either 0:08:58.440 --> 0:09:00.240 he's in jail or he ain't got. 0:09:00.270 --> 0:09:05.910 A job or they're already married. Aren't all these church girls? 0:09:05.940 --> 0:09:08.520 They ain't giving nothing out, man. Let me, let me go. 0:09:08.520 --> 0:09:12.870 Where they dropping it hot. Backing it up. Oh, yeah. 0:09:13.410 --> 0:09:16.829 Obey God's precepts. Let me, let me just share this 0:09:16.830 --> 0:09:18.450 thing with you and give you these last two. Let 0:09:18.450 --> 0:09:21.120 me just get out of here. Uh, notice complete obedience. 0:09:21.120 --> 0:09:25.530 He says all. So not most all. All. Let me 0:09:25.559 --> 0:09:27.450 say one more thing, and then I'm going to move on. 0:09:27.480 --> 0:09:29.819 Give you this last two points. Did I ever tell 0:09:29.820 --> 0:09:33.150 y'all about the time, uh, in my pastorate where I 0:09:33.150 --> 0:09:39.030 went to jail? Now everybody just woke up, you see? Everybody? Yeah, yeah. 0:09:39.059 --> 0:09:41.940 First year I was pastor here, I went to jail, 0:09:43.020 --> 0:09:48.480 and we fellowship Christian Academy. My children went there. They 0:09:48.480 --> 0:09:51.240 had a play, and I was rushing. Everybody knows my 0:09:51.240 --> 0:09:56.640 right foot still ain't saved. And I went to 83rd 0:09:56.640 --> 0:09:59.580 and Jeffrey. And at that time, they had a sign. 0:09:59.610 --> 0:10:05.470 No turn on red 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.. It 0:10:05.470 --> 0:10:09.670 was 658. I didn't think it made that big a difference, 0:10:09.670 --> 0:10:14.260 so I made that turn at 658. I was halfway 0:10:14.260 --> 0:10:18.429 down toward the Kentucky Fried Chicken when I saw the siren, 0:10:18.460 --> 0:10:20.410 and I'm thinking he ain't coming after me. So I 0:10:20.410 --> 0:10:23.710 pulled over to let him go. Go on around. And 0:10:23.710 --> 0:10:26.859 he pulled behind me. I'm saying, now, what up with 0:10:26.860 --> 0:10:29.230 him now? And so he came out. He says, sir, 0:10:29.260 --> 0:10:32.079 let me see your license registration. I said, okay. He said, 0:10:32.080 --> 0:10:33.850 you have a out of town plate because at that 0:10:33.850 --> 0:10:36.280 time that's what we had. We still had our Pittsburgh, 0:10:36.280 --> 0:10:39.579 Pennsylvania plates. He said, you have a out of town license. 0:10:39.580 --> 0:10:42.069 He said you made an illegal turn. I said, no, 0:10:42.070 --> 0:10:45.400 I didn't. He said, yes, you did. I said, well, 0:10:45.400 --> 0:10:47.380 you know, I'm a pastor and I'm on my way 0:10:47.380 --> 0:10:52.030 down to take my children to Fellowship Christian Academy. And 0:10:52.120 --> 0:10:56.320 he said, I can't help that, you know, you you 0:10:56.350 --> 0:11:00.500 violated the law. I said, yes, I did, officer, he said. 0:11:00.500 --> 0:11:01.790 I know you did. You ain't got to tell me. 0:11:01.790 --> 0:11:03.650 You ain't got to agree with me. I saw what 0:11:03.650 --> 0:11:06.590 you did and I said, I said, well, you know, officer, 0:11:06.590 --> 0:11:10.400 I'm sorry. I was you know, I thought, well, it's 658. 0:11:10.429 --> 0:11:13.130 And then he said this. I'll never forget it. Now, 0:11:13.130 --> 0:11:15.920 this is 33 years ago. I'll never forget it. He 0:11:15.920 --> 0:11:23.900 said it's 658. 7:00. I said, but he said, answer 0:11:23.900 --> 0:11:30.110 my question. I said, no, sir. He said, alright then. 0:11:30.140 --> 0:11:32.599 He said, now this is out of town. License plate. 0:11:32.630 --> 0:11:35.750 Out of town license. Do you have a bail bonds card? 0:11:35.780 --> 0:11:38.990 I said, from Pennsylvania. He said, that ain't good enough. 0:11:39.020 --> 0:11:42.020 You got one for Chicago? I'm a Chicago police officer. 0:11:42.230 --> 0:11:45.410 I said no, sir, I don't. I said, how do 0:11:45.410 --> 0:11:48.560 we handle that? He said, you follow me. I'm not 0:11:48.559 --> 0:11:50.930 going to put you in the squad car roll. You bring, 0:11:50.929 --> 0:11:54.050 you follow me. You're going to jail. So my kids 0:11:54.050 --> 0:11:55.459 was in the back. They said. 0:11:55.790 --> 0:11:58.370 Daddy, you're going to jail. 0:11:58.670 --> 0:12:01.829 And my wife said, they're taking us to. 0:12:01.830 --> 0:12:05.460 And they said, oh, no. Daddy, why do you do that? 0:12:05.460 --> 0:12:06.660 You've got to go to jail. 0:12:08.190 --> 0:12:10.410 And so we went down there and thank God I 0:12:10.410 --> 0:12:14.130 got all my own recognition. Amen. Uh, you know, they 0:12:14.130 --> 0:12:17.490 didn't have any priors here in the city of Chicago. 0:12:21.780 --> 0:12:25.410 But you get the idea. God says I want complete obedience. 0:12:25.410 --> 0:12:28.860 And it's following the letter of the law. That is, 0:12:28.860 --> 0:12:31.140 if God said do it, then we ought to do it. 0:12:31.140 --> 0:12:33.150 And and what happens? He says, I want you to 0:12:33.150 --> 0:12:35.730 do everything now real quick. What happened? They got to 0:12:35.760 --> 0:12:38.160 I and they decided not to do it the way 0:12:38.190 --> 0:12:42.839 God said it. And Achan saw the Babylonian garments and 0:12:42.840 --> 0:12:46.260 hid them and disobeyed God. And Joshua got down to pray. 0:12:46.260 --> 0:12:49.110 And God said, quit praying. It's time to get up 0:12:49.110 --> 0:12:50.970 and deal with people who didn't do. 0:12:50.970 --> 0:12:53.130 What I said. Deal with. 0:12:53.130 --> 0:12:54.390 Them folks who didn't do. 0:12:54.420 --> 0:12:54.809 What. 0:12:54.809 --> 0:12:57.300 I said. And of course we know what happened at 0:12:57.300 --> 0:13:01.479 the end of that picture so as to be complete obedience. All. 0:13:01.480 --> 0:13:05.290 Not some, not most all. But then notice it's compliant obedience. 0:13:05.290 --> 0:13:07.570 That is when God says it, do it. And I 0:13:07.570 --> 0:13:09.370 want to share one story. Then I'll move on. But 0:13:09.400 --> 0:13:12.550 but I remember this missionary told this story. I don't 0:13:12.550 --> 0:13:14.530 know whether it's true or not, but he said he 0:13:14.530 --> 0:13:17.770 was in Africa and he told his, well, he said 0:13:17.770 --> 0:13:20.860 it was true. He told his son they were the 0:13:20.860 --> 0:13:23.949 place where the Black Mamba was. And the Black Mamba 0:13:23.950 --> 0:13:26.709 was one of the deadliest snakes in Africa, supposed to 0:13:26.710 --> 0:13:30.490 be more venom, more deadly than a cobra king cobra. 0:13:30.490 --> 0:13:33.670 And so it was coming out of the tree, and 0:13:33.670 --> 0:13:35.590 his son was under the tree, and the snake was 0:13:35.590 --> 0:13:39.400 going down to to to his son. He said, the 0:13:39.400 --> 0:13:45.550 only thing I had time to do was say, son, drop, roll, run. 0:13:45.580 --> 0:13:49.150 He said his son immediately dropped to the ground, rolled, 0:13:49.150 --> 0:13:53.380 and then got up and ran to him. I said, wow, 0:13:53.500 --> 0:13:56.230 he did. I said, what if it had been one 0:13:56.230 --> 0:14:02.510 of our kids son Drop, roll, run. But I got 0:14:02.540 --> 0:14:11.690 on my true. Ah! Hey! The time to obey God 0:14:12.320 --> 0:14:15.830 is now. It's always now. 0:14:17.120 --> 0:14:19.850 A vivid picture, but a powerful truth. The time to 0:14:19.880 --> 0:14:22.880 obey is now. We are listening to a message entitled 0:14:22.910 --> 0:14:26.000 takers from Joshua chapter one. And we'll get back to 0:14:26.000 --> 0:14:28.310 this message in just a moment, while I have a 0:14:28.310 --> 0:14:30.260 second one to remind you. Treasure truth is a listener 0:14:30.260 --> 0:14:32.810 supported ministry. We depend on your prayers and your financial 0:14:32.810 --> 0:14:36.050 generosity so we can keep bringing you Pastor Ford's teaching. 0:14:36.050 --> 0:14:37.940 So if you'd like to stand with us as a 0:14:37.940 --> 0:14:40.160 giving or prayer partner, find out how to do that 0:14:40.160 --> 0:14:42.170 or give your gift when you come to our website, 0:14:42.170 --> 0:14:46.850 it's Treasure Truth radio.org. Back to the message again. Here's 0:14:46.850 --> 0:14:47.870 Pastor Ford. 0:14:47.900 --> 0:14:53.270 Notice. Realize God's presence. Realize God's presence. Now, once again, 0:14:53.270 --> 0:14:55.760 God says, I am with you, and I'm just going 0:14:55.760 --> 0:14:56.900 to cut to the chase so I can go ahead 0:14:56.900 --> 0:15:00.050 and just do the last part. But listen, here's what 0:15:00.050 --> 0:15:02.930 he says. I am with you, that you need to 0:15:02.930 --> 0:15:06.590 understand that God's presence makes the difference. Now, let me 0:15:06.590 --> 0:15:09.500 just just cut to the chase because he says he says, listen, 0:15:09.500 --> 0:15:12.500 he says, for the Lord thy God. Nine B is 0:15:12.530 --> 0:15:15.800 with thee whithersoever thou goest. We have that prophecy and 0:15:15.800 --> 0:15:18.680 that promise in the New Testament that God's presence is 0:15:18.680 --> 0:15:21.860 always with us. And so then he tells us Isaiah 0:15:21.890 --> 0:15:24.890 chapter 43, verse two, when you pass through the waters. 0:15:24.920 --> 0:15:27.260 Not if when you pass through the fire, not if 0:15:27.290 --> 0:15:29.239 you are going to pass through water, you're going to 0:15:29.240 --> 0:15:31.610 pass through fire. I will be with you. Didn't say 0:15:31.610 --> 0:15:34.850 he put the fire out. Didn't say that. He drained. 0:15:34.880 --> 0:15:37.850 Drained the water. He just said, you won't drown. I'm 0:15:37.850 --> 0:15:40.640 with you. And sometimes God will not deliver you out 0:15:40.640 --> 0:15:42.650 of your problems. But he wants you to know he's 0:15:42.650 --> 0:15:45.890 always with you in your problems. Come on, Daniel, tell 0:15:45.890 --> 0:15:48.140 us that it was the presence of God. He didn't 0:15:48.140 --> 0:15:50.330 deliver you out of the lion's den, but he was 0:15:50.330 --> 0:15:53.600 with you in the lion's den. And the angels shut 0:15:53.600 --> 0:15:56.180 their mouth. They said, it's Daniel will shut my mouth. 0:15:56.180 --> 0:16:00.300 And all night he was there. And them lions were hungry, 0:16:00.300 --> 0:16:04.530 not hungry, hungry. And the next morning King Nebuchadnezzar said, Daniel, 0:16:04.560 --> 0:16:09.060 are you alright? He said, My God reigns, my God reigns, 0:16:09.060 --> 0:16:12.150 my God reigns. I don't care what they put you through. 0:16:12.180 --> 0:16:17.130 Your God reigns. And remember that sometimes their rejection was 0:16:17.130 --> 0:16:21.300 for your redirection that you sometimes didn't know. It's time 0:16:21.300 --> 0:16:23.940 to leave. And God says, okay, I gotta give you 0:16:23.940 --> 0:16:26.340 a little push. I gotta let them push you because 0:16:26.340 --> 0:16:28.770 I got something better for you. I got something bigger 0:16:28.770 --> 0:16:32.040 for you. Don't listen, listen. Don't ever think that no 0:16:32.040 --> 0:16:35.400 matter what happened to you, that it was designed to 0:16:35.430 --> 0:16:38.640 make you bitter. But God always says it's going to 0:16:38.640 --> 0:16:41.340 make you better. I don't know what he's going to do. 0:16:41.370 --> 0:16:45.810 All I do know is it's going to happen for you. 0:16:46.470 --> 0:16:49.320 It's going to happen for you. I don't know where. 0:16:49.320 --> 0:16:51.180 I don't know when, I don't know how, I don't 0:16:51.180 --> 0:16:55.650 know who. But it's going to happen for you. Little 0:16:55.650 --> 0:16:59.400 Johnny's mother said, Little Johnny, go in the pantry and 0:16:59.400 --> 0:17:02.020 get me a can of tomato soup and get me 0:17:02.020 --> 0:17:04.780 a can of chicken noodle soup. He said, mama, it's 0:17:04.780 --> 0:17:08.110 dark in there. I don't want to go in there. 0:17:08.109 --> 0:17:13.180 It's dark. Oh, come on, son, you have you have Jesus, right? Yes. Well, 0:17:13.180 --> 0:17:15.100 you know, you not only have Jesus in you, but 0:17:15.100 --> 0:17:19.570 he goes before you. He's already in that pantry. Well, 0:17:19.570 --> 0:17:22.540 Johnny say he is. Yes. So he went to the. 0:17:22.750 --> 0:17:24.790 He said, okay, mama. He went to the pantry door, 0:17:24.790 --> 0:17:27.940 opened it up. He said, Jesus, can you hand me 0:17:27.940 --> 0:17:30.820 a can of tomato soup and a can of chicken 0:17:30.820 --> 0:17:36.280 noodle soup? Here's the last one. Here's the last one. 0:17:36.280 --> 0:17:39.850 Here's the last one. Recruit God's people. That's ten and 11. Now, 0:17:39.850 --> 0:17:41.680 let me just let me just summarize this because I'm 0:17:41.680 --> 0:17:43.390 I'm going to let this go. But, but but it 0:17:43.390 --> 0:17:46.270 says recruit God's people. Remember what he said. Take my 0:17:46.270 --> 0:17:49.240 people in. Take those people out. Take that place over. 0:17:49.270 --> 0:17:53.020 Now he's saying, listen, you've got to get the people involved. 0:17:53.050 --> 0:17:56.230 Now I'm talking corporately. You can apply individually because there 0:17:56.230 --> 0:17:59.020 are individuals who are designed to help you get where 0:17:59.020 --> 0:18:02.360 you're supposed to go. Guess what? My education in undergraduate 0:18:02.359 --> 0:18:06.650 and in graduate was over $100,000. Ask me how much 0:18:06.650 --> 0:18:10.970 I paid. Not a penny. Other people came along and 0:18:10.970 --> 0:18:14.750 saw God's gift in me, and God gave me favor 0:18:14.750 --> 0:18:17.570 with them. And so I came to tell somebody, you 0:18:17.570 --> 0:18:20.750 don't need money. You just need favor, because favor never 0:18:20.750 --> 0:18:24.050 runs out when money does. I'd rather have favor than 0:18:24.050 --> 0:18:26.720 money any day. Y'all don't believe that. And I'm telling you, 0:18:26.720 --> 0:18:29.300 I've lived it. I've. I had faith every time I 0:18:29.300 --> 0:18:33.740 turn around. Favor favor favor favor favor favor. I said, man, 0:18:33.740 --> 0:18:38.750 I gotta do a message called the Flavor of Favor. Yeah, 0:18:38.780 --> 0:18:41.660 I gotta do a message like that because it's like, man, 0:18:41.690 --> 0:18:44.420 I ain't going to use anybody's illustration but my own. 0:18:44.450 --> 0:18:46.520 It's like, yeah, I was doing this. And then boom 0:18:46.700 --> 0:18:48.290 came up and this is my lady. Let me tell you, 0:18:48.290 --> 0:18:49.609 my ladies, I know. I said, I'm gonna get you 0:18:49.609 --> 0:18:52.490 out of here, I am. I said, I want to write. 0:18:52.730 --> 0:18:54.620 I told you before, I told you in January, this 0:18:54.619 --> 0:18:56.330 is my decade of destiny. I want to write at 0:18:56.330 --> 0:18:58.280 least five books a year. And some of you are 0:18:58.280 --> 0:19:00.510 saying you took you three years to write one book. 0:19:00.510 --> 0:19:01.470 How are you going to do it? I didn't know 0:19:01.470 --> 0:19:03.359 how I was going to do it. And then the 0:19:03.359 --> 0:19:07.109 woman who was the general editor, top woman for urban 0:19:07.109 --> 0:19:10.530 ministry for 20 years, God gave me favor with her, 0:19:10.530 --> 0:19:13.949 and she took a series of messages and turned it 0:19:13.950 --> 0:19:19.080 into a book in three weeks, three weeks. And so 0:19:19.080 --> 0:19:20.850 he said, you got to get the people involved. Now 0:19:20.850 --> 0:19:23.760 you get them involved in this order. Get the leaders 0:19:23.760 --> 0:19:27.810 together first, then get the laity together first. So he 0:19:27.840 --> 0:19:31.230 he begins to communicate to the leaders, listen to this. 0:19:31.230 --> 0:19:34.470 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people saying, pass 0:19:34.470 --> 0:19:37.410 through the host and command the people, saying, prepare you victuals, 0:19:37.410 --> 0:19:39.630 for within three days you shall pass over this Jordan 0:19:39.630 --> 0:19:42.600 to go into the land which the Lord your God 0:19:42.600 --> 0:19:45.030 giveth you to possess it. Now basically, here's what he's saying. 0:19:45.030 --> 0:19:48.629 He's saying that that that the leadership needs to carry 0:19:48.630 --> 0:19:53.160 out what the Joshua is saying and share that with 0:19:53.160 --> 0:19:55.860 the people. So it is it is a hierarchy that 0:19:55.859 --> 0:19:58.680 we have here. We have elder rule. And so he says, 0:19:58.680 --> 0:20:02.150 I want to the participation of the laity. I want 0:20:02.180 --> 0:20:05.330 submission to the direction of the leadership. Verses 16 through 18. 0:20:05.330 --> 0:20:07.790 I want submission to the declaration of the leadership. Why? 0:20:07.820 --> 0:20:09.650 Because you're telling them what I told you, not what 0:20:09.650 --> 0:20:11.090 you're telling them. As long as you tell them what 0:20:11.090 --> 0:20:13.790 I'm telling them, then they can follow you as they 0:20:13.790 --> 0:20:19.250 follow Christ. Some people are born again. Some people are 0:20:19.250 --> 0:20:25.910 born against. It's like. It's like, uh. He said, you 0:20:25.910 --> 0:20:31.700 got to get the people together. Well, I was looking 0:20:31.700 --> 0:20:35.660 at the word action, and, you know, it's not one word. 0:20:35.690 --> 0:20:43.280 It's three words. Think about it. Act I. On action. 0:20:43.310 --> 0:20:49.730 Act I. On action. Let me close like I started. 0:20:49.730 --> 0:20:55.040 Because how I started was talking about this Joshua or Joshua. 0:20:55.220 --> 0:20:57.560 I don't know about you, but I am what I 0:20:57.560 --> 0:21:01.630 am because of. I am who I am. Yeah. That's right. 0:21:01.630 --> 0:21:03.609 That's what he said his name was I am. And 0:21:03.609 --> 0:21:06.430 Jesus is a taker. And so what did he do? 0:21:06.460 --> 0:21:09.160 He took away what we didn't need and gave us 0:21:09.160 --> 0:21:13.300 what we did need. He took who we shouldn't have 0:21:13.330 --> 0:21:16.300 and gave us who we should have. He's the Christological 0:21:16.300 --> 0:21:18.850 Robin Hood who takes from the poor and makes us rich. 0:21:18.850 --> 0:21:23.619 So Jesus is a taker. He took away my sins 0:21:23.619 --> 0:21:27.460 on Calvary because he's a taker. He took the sting 0:21:27.490 --> 0:21:31.300 out of death because he's a taker. He took victory 0:21:31.300 --> 0:21:34.119 from the grave because he's a taker. He took power 0:21:34.119 --> 0:21:36.940 from the devil because he's a taker. He took souls 0:21:36.940 --> 0:21:40.270 out of hell because he's a taker. He took my 0:21:40.270 --> 0:21:43.240 sin and our sin and gave us his salvation. Because 0:21:43.240 --> 0:21:46.389 he's a taker. He took our sadness and gave us 0:21:46.390 --> 0:21:49.840 his gladness. Because he's a taker. He took our brokenness 0:21:49.840 --> 0:21:52.960 and gave us his wholeness. Because he's a taker. He 0:21:52.960 --> 0:21:56.500 took our perversion, gave us his purity because he's a taker. 0:21:56.500 --> 0:21:59.330 He took our barrenness and gave us his is fruitfulness. 0:21:59.330 --> 0:22:01.850 Because he's a taker. He took our ashes and turned 0:22:01.850 --> 0:22:04.490 them into beauty. Because he's a taker. He took our 0:22:04.490 --> 0:22:07.460 weakness and gave us his power because he's a taker. 0:22:07.460 --> 0:22:11.420 And the greatest taking hasn't been took yet. That the 0:22:11.420 --> 0:22:15.199 Bible tells us in first Thessalonians chapter four, verses 11 0:22:15.230 --> 0:22:20.150 through 13, that Jesus Christ one day will crack the clouds, 0:22:20.180 --> 0:22:24.350 the trumpet shall sound, and the dead in Christ shall rise. 0:22:24.350 --> 0:22:27.080 He said, he going to take up the dead, and 0:22:27.080 --> 0:22:29.389 their bodies are going to be changed in a twinkling, 0:22:29.390 --> 0:22:31.040 in a moment of an eye, he's going to take 0:22:31.040 --> 0:22:33.470 up the living. Then he's going to take us to heaven, 0:22:33.470 --> 0:22:36.080 and then he'll take us to the judgment seat. Then 0:22:36.080 --> 0:22:38.690 he'll take us to the battle of Armageddon. Then he'll 0:22:38.690 --> 0:22:41.510 take us into the New Jerusalem. Then he'll take us 0:22:41.510 --> 0:22:45.139 into all eternity and for all eternity. He's going to 0:22:45.140 --> 0:22:48.680 love us up because he took us. And we need 0:22:48.680 --> 0:22:51.859 to be like our Jesus. We need to be takers. 0:22:51.890 --> 0:22:55.609 Take the promises, take his plan, take his presence, take 0:22:55.609 --> 0:22:59.160 all of those things and accomplish what God said you 0:22:59.160 --> 0:23:00.000 can do. 0:23:01.560 --> 0:23:04.859 What a way to wrap up not just today's message, 0:23:04.859 --> 0:23:10.200 but this entire teaching series from Joshua chapter one entitled takers. 0:23:10.200 --> 0:23:12.270 By the way, if you've missed any of the broadcasts, 0:23:12.270 --> 0:23:15.330 I hope you'll come to our website and listen online. 0:23:15.330 --> 0:23:18.780 Stop by Treasure Truth radio.org. You can stream the programs 0:23:18.780 --> 0:23:23.790 or download an MP3 for free. That's at Treasure Truth radio.org. 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