S1: Everything that I need is found in him. I can
S1: do all things through Christ who strengthens me. There are
S1: no limitations. There are no barriers. Take the lid off.
S1: Break out the box. Let's do this thing.
S2: Welcome to Treasure Truth with pastor and author James Ford,
S2: junior senior pastor of Christ Bible Church in Chicago. I'm
S2: Steve Hiller. Glad you've joined us today. As we continue
S2: to look at Joshua chapter one in our message entitled takers.
S2: You know, pastor, I think many people may be quick
S2: to quote scripture. I mean, what we just heard there,
S2: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me
S2: and try and find some encouragement in that. It's one
S2: thing to know that Bible verse, to even say you
S2: believe that Bible verse. It's quite another to live that
S2: verse out, to truly believe that. And I think some
S2: of us may struggle to really believe I can do
S2: all things well. How come when I try to do
S2: things they don't get done? How come God isn't answering
S2: my prayer in the way I want all things for real?
S3: Yeah. All things. And here's what we have to realize.
S3: We have to line ourselves up with the Word of
S3: God and just stay there. I like to say it
S3: this way the word can't isn't in the dictionary of Deity. Now,
S3: let me just go on record as saying you're absolutely correct.
S3: There are certain areas where I apply this verse and
S3: I'm strong. Oh yeah, I believe God. But then there
S3: are other areas where it seems like it's marshmallow promise,
S3: it's cotton candy, and, you know, cotton candy is and
S3: cotton and it isn't candy. You put it in your
S3: mouth and it disappears, leaves a sweet taste, but you
S3: get no nutritional value. And sometimes. Sometimes it happens that way.
S3: But let me tell you this, Steve, it's always because
S3: of our lack of faith. The word of God. God
S3: has given us the word. He says things like this
S3: in John 15 three now you are clean through the
S3: word that I have spoken unto you. John 1717 sanctify
S3: them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. Isaiah 5511.
S3: So shall it be. The word that goeth forth from
S3: my mouth. It will always accomplish that which I set
S3: for it to do. It will never return unto me. Void.
S3: So the Word of God we can stand on it.
S3: Now what has to happen? There are certain areas where
S3: our faith has to be built up. But how do
S3: you build faith? Faith comes by hearing. Hearing by the
S3: Word of God. Romans 1017. So faith comes by hearing.
S3: So you see how how it all comes together.
S2: Yeah. We need to be making sure that we're in
S2: the Word of God. And as we've been talking about earlier,
S2: rightly discerning the promises that apply to us. I remember.
S3: Definitely.
S2: A number of years ago, having some friends who thought, okay,
S2: my husband is sick, he is dying, and they were
S2: told by some prosperity preacher, if your faith was strong enough,
S2: he will be healed. He was a godly man who
S2: died anyway. And that rocked the widow's faith for a season.
S2: You know, you need to understand what promises in Scripture
S2: actually are ours, right?
S3: And God's sovereignty comes into play. Sure. Because for that person,
S3: that was the sovereign will of God. I like to
S3: say it this way God heals everybody. You know, he
S3: heals everybody. Some of us down here, all of us
S3: up there. Yeah. And we have to know his will. First,
S3: John 514 and 15 says if we ask anything according
S3: to his will, he hears us. And if we know
S3: that he hears us, we know that we have the
S3: petitions that we desired of him. And so we we
S3: have to discern what is your willingness area that job,
S3: what is your will in that area, that relationship, that sickness,
S3: whatever it is God, what is your will? Now I
S3: will say this, that God will speak to us, you know,
S3: when we desire to know, but most of the time
S3: we don't want to know it. Very often I just
S3: if I'm sick, I just want to be healed.
S2: Healed. Yep.
S3: But then he told Paul, he said, this sickness is
S3: for the glory of God. Second Corinthians 12. You know,
S3: my grace is sufficient.
S2: Yeah, yeah. And that's where many of us.
S3: We've been reading the same.
S2: Bible, and many of us don't like that answer. But
S2: that's what how he does answer at times. Well, today
S2: we're in Joshua chapter one as we continue this message
S2: entitled takers, here's Pastor Ford.
S1: What if the songs we where we used to sing,
S1: we don't sing them anymore. But but but what if
S1: the truth would be known? We. There's a song called
S1: Sweet Hour of Prayer. We don't pray. Five minutes. There's
S1: a song. Onward, Christian Soldier. We got to be drafted
S1: and then we go AWOL or they will be showers
S1: of blessing. That's the title of a song and we
S1: don't come to church when it rains. Blessed be the
S1: tie that binds. And we take that tie and try
S1: to hang each other with it. Yeah, serve the Lord
S1: with gladness. Yeah. And we gripe about what we do
S1: for him. We are marching to Zion, but we don't
S1: march to Sunday school and the Wednesday night Bible study.
S1: I love to tell the story, but never witness or
S1: invite anybody to come to church. When the roll is
S1: called up yonder, I'll be there. We're not there when
S1: the roll is called down here. Wow. Now here's my point.
S1: Get this if God gave you a promise, his plan
S1: didn't change. It's not a roller coaster. He doesn't capitulate
S1: that we got to get in there. Hang in there
S1: and hold on to what God has promised. He said,
S1: I want you to go in there. Don't listen to him.
S1: Don't watch. For hundred and 70 years, it hasn't changed.
S1: It's the same. Write down Jonah one and Jonah three.
S1: If you're taking notes, here's what happened. Go to Nineveh,
S1: chapter one. So he goes to Tarshish, which is 2000 miles.
S1: If he would have went to Nineveh. It's 500 miles,
S1: so he went four times as far to get out
S1: of the will of God as he would have done
S1: to stay in the will of God. Then he had
S1: a fish experience, and that's what many of us need.
S1: That's a problem because some people listen. Some people are
S1: motivated by a pat on the back, some are only
S1: motivated by a foot in their behind. And so that's
S1: what it took for Jonah. And come on now, that's
S1: what it takes for a whole lot of us. And
S1: so God said chapter two foot in the behind and
S1: chapter three. Here's what it says. And the word of
S1: the Lord came unto Jonah again. Arise, go to Nineveh
S1: and preach. Same words. Plan didn't change, but it took
S1: the fish because God's not trying to change the circumstance.
S1: He's trying to change our mind and the way we
S1: look at it. That's what he's trying to do. So
S1: let me finish this up. I said I was only
S1: going to do one point, so why did God have
S1: to urge Joshua to respond to his plan? Here it is.
S1: Here it is. People past and problems. Let me drop them.
S1: I'm not going to push them. You've been here long enough,
S1: number one people. Moses name is prominent. Now. I got
S1: some information on that, but I'm going to let that go.
S1: I was going to tell you that his name is
S1: in this chapter more than three times in the book
S1: of Joshua, more than 60 times Moses, Moses, Moses, Moses.
S1: Here's what it says. Moses my servant is dead. And
S1: so Deuteronomy 31, uh, they're mourning the the death of Moses.
S1: It said, they mourn for 30 days. Here's what God
S1: is saying. He is dead, I am alive. Get going.
S1: John Wesley's gravestone says this. He's one of the ones
S1: that started the Great Awakening. It says God buries his workers,
S1: but his work goes on. That's on his tombstone. That's right.
S1: And 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 here, about three of them, just to
S1: give 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. When you ask somebody,
S1: who's your Uzziah who had to ask somebody, what's your Uzziah?
S1: Don't 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. And the sign said
S1: men who were dominated by their wives on earth. Then
S1: there was another line with a sign that said men
S1: who were never dominated by their wives on earth, and
S1: that 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 Swim's was there. We were all in
S1: that line. Well, then all the men in this church
S1: that were married were in there, and there was only
S1: 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, no, the green. The guys want me to
S1: ask you, why are you over here? Elder green said,
S1: I don't know, I'm just standing where my wife told
S1: me to stand. All I got to say is, who
S1: has to die before you believe God? Now it could
S1: be this. Why is he so intimidated? Because Moses was big.
S1: Moses was. He's the lawgiver. He was his servant. He
S1: was the first line Moses servant. He was the assistant.
S1: Now he's stepping into some big shoes and he might
S1: be afraid. You know what? I'm gonna go here and
S1: try to take him across Jordan. And you going to
S1: tell me to tell the people to put their foot in,
S1: and they're going to say, we a rod stretching church. See,
S1: under Moses, we ain't stepped no foot in no water.
S1: Moses came to the water and he raised the rod.
S1: You know what that means? There are people who are
S1: afraid to do what they've already done. There are people
S1: who only want to do what they've always done. And
S1: you got individuals who are coming in. I told you
S1: last week, I'm gonna say it again. Some of us
S1: got to be very careful because we see new people
S1: sometimes as an intrusion when God gave them to us
S1: as an infusion. Gotta be careful, gotta be careful, gotta
S1: be careful. And so what do you mean? He could
S1: have said all that. Let me, let me let me
S1: give it to you. Let me give it to you
S1: and get you on out of here. Then the second
S1: one is the past. He represents the past. And they're saying, man,
S1: we haven't done it this way before. I mean, every
S1: time I make a change, somebody asked me a question
S1: when I. When I made a change because the Bible
S1: says we ought to have elders and we had elders
S1: and deacons instead of deacons and trustees. And we got
S1: rid of trustees, and I got a call from one
S1: of my good friends. You went Pentecostal? What do you mean?
S1: You're Elder Ford and Elder Ward, and I said, I
S1: ain't go Pentecostal. I went Bible. Went Bible. The Bible
S1: says this says, is there anybody here that believes the Bible? Oh, Amen. Amen. Amen.
S1: And so here it is. Break out the box. Why?
S1: Now unto him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly
S1: above all that we could ask or think, according to
S1: his mighty working power in us? What are you talking about,
S1: Pastor Ford? The great commission. It is ours. Go ye
S1: therefore in all the world and preach the gospel to
S1: every creature. Folk, listen, listen. Now, there's some good things
S1: about the past, but the past has a tendency to
S1: drag us in it. I was, I was, I was
S1: in a store and I was shopping. This was last week.
S1: And on the box it came on, it was heat wave.
S1: And me. Me and the cart just start tearing it up.
S1: I was bumping with the cart, going down the aisle,
S1: bumping with the cart. Then I heard, Pastor Ford, what
S1: are you doing? I said, oh, I got a little
S1: crick in my back. Got a little crick in my back.
S1: Uh uh. I've been watching you all the whole hour.
S1: You went back. You went back. I said, you're right,
S1: I went back. Yeah. And it drew me back. And
S1: it wasn't all good stuff. It drew me back, too.
S1: Here's the last one. Here's the last one, he says
S1: in spite of the problem, he says, he says this. Jordan. Okay,
S1: check this out. If I said this pulpit, uh, you
S1: know what that means? I'm pointing to it. God is
S1: pointing to the Jordan. Now, what do you know about
S1: the Jordan at this time? It's swelling. He's pointing to
S1: where he's got to go and cross to get to
S1: his promise. He's pointing to it. But right now it's
S1: overflowing and can't be crossed. Don't miss that. I don't
S1: have to explain everything. Do I know you got that?
S1: He's pointing to that provision that's across that problem. This. Jordan,
S1: there's the problem. Now here it is. God said, here's
S1: what I want you to do. I want you to
S1: do whatever you can, and then what you can't do,
S1: I can. And then. So you come to the river.
S1: That's what he tells them in chapter three. You come
S1: to the river, stop there because you can't go any further,
S1: and then I'll take over. But get this, I want
S1: you to put your foot in it while it's overrunning.
S1: Don't wait until the problem's over. You step on it
S1: before the problem's over, because you trust God to deal
S1: with the problem. And when they stepped in the water,
S1: the water became a wall.
S2: This is treasure truth. With Pastor Ford really pointing out
S2: the importance of just understanding what God has called us
S2: to do, and then walking or acting in obedience. I
S2: don't know about you. Sometimes I feel that little nudge
S2: in the spirit to support some type of ministry. And
S2: maybe you're considering giving a gift to treasure truth. If
S2: you're kind of feeling that little nudge right now and
S2: you'd like to give a gift to support so we
S2: can continue to bring you Pastor Ford's teaching each day.
S2: Just come to treasure Truth Radio org and click on
S2: the donate button. Well, let's get back to the message
S2: once again. Pastor Ford.
S1: What you have here in this particular book is you
S1: have Joshua as the Jesus who's taking us through sanctification. See,
S1: Pharaoh represents the devil and Egypt represents the world. And
S1: making bricks without straw represents how sin dogs you out.
S1: And then the Red sea represents salvation. Why? Because you
S1: cross over the Red sea and you come across on
S1: dry land. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he's
S1: a new creature. They're going into a new land. It's
S1: new everything. And so the Red sea then closes. Why?
S1: Because our salvation is separated by the cross of Jesus Christ,
S1: on which he died. So the Red sea represents the salvation.
S1: Those who are unbelievers died, and they're going to hell
S1: because of the cross. And we are alive. We can
S1: never go back because justification is once and for all.
S1: It's done by God. Therefore, even when they talked about
S1: going back, they couldn't go back because who was going
S1: to open up the Red sea? Now they wander in
S1: the wilderness that represents Betweeners say, Betweeners, what's the betweener?
S1: It's a person who is really saved but ain't living
S1: like it because they're stuck between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday.
S1: The Holy Spirit is resident Good Friday, but he's not
S1: President Resurrection Sunday, so they're in betweeners. They're living a
S1: carnal life, which is represented by wandering in the wilderness
S1: and unbelief and not taking the possessions and the promise
S1: of God. But then Joshua represents Jesus in sanctification, where
S1: he says, come unto me, all ye that labor and
S1: are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. That's justification.
S1: Take take my yoke upon you, and take. Be a taker.
S1: Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me. For
S1: I am meek and lowly of heart, and you shall
S1: find rest. That's Cain and rest. That's complete rest. And
S1: so here it is, consecrated rest. And so you can
S1: have that rest. But he gets them across, because Canaan
S1: is not a picture of heaven, because you don't fight
S1: in heaven. Now we fight in church, but you don't
S1: fight in heaven. So what's he saying? Here it is.
S1: You don't fight for victory. You fight from victory. So
S1: it's Ephesians. Put on the whole armor of God that
S1: you may be able to stand against the wiles of
S1: the devil. Put on all of it. Now get this.
S1: And I and I close. And you've been so gracious.
S1: During my summer vacation, I went to different churches. I
S1: went to four different churches. Some of the young, up
S1: and coming preachers, I went to their churches. One of
S1: them was Charlie Church. And when I go, I sit
S1: in the back and they say, That's Pastor Ford back there.
S1: Leave me alone. Leave me alone. I'm on vacation. Well,
S1: come and pray for us. No, no, I'm sticking right
S1: back here. I ain't I'm not saying anything. I'm not
S1: doing anything. And they say you're on vacation. Yeah, because
S1: if I'm a good pastor, I need a break from them.
S1: And if I'm a poor pastor, they need a break
S1: from me. I say both of them's going on. And then.
S1: And then he closed and I said, I'm using that.
S1: I'm using that when I go back. He said, when
S1: he came there, he's only been there three years, and
S1: God has taken him from 100 to 1000 in three years.
S1: That man, that's great growth. And and so he said
S1: when he went in, there was a big awkward piano
S1: on the stage and they needed more stage. So he said, man,
S1: I need to get rid of that piano. But he
S1: found out that that piano was 78 years old, and
S1: some of the members had given their money to get
S1: that piano. So he knew as a wise pastor, if
S1: you move that piano, they're going to throw you up
S1: out of here. Amen. Because some things you just don't touch.
S1: You're doing sitting in my seat. I've been sitting in
S1: that seat for 25 years. I've been sitting in that
S1: seat as long as Pastor Ford been a pastor at
S1: this church. You're in my seat. And so and so
S1: he said, well, let's fix it. So he called a
S1: piano company. They came in and looked at it and
S1: they said, I'll tell you what, we'll give you a
S1: brand new electric baby, grand piano and some money. Just
S1: give us that. He wasn't born. He was born at night,
S1: but not last night, he said. I said to myself,
S1: wait a minute. They're going to give me a brand
S1: new electric baby, grand piano and money for this old thing. Uh,
S1: so guess who he called? He called in the same
S1: guy that fixes our stuff. The old guy from Indiana,
S1: he came in and he said, let me tell you
S1: this piano. They wanted to give me this. He said,
S1: let me see. He opened the. What do you call
S1: that thing? This. The lead. I thought I had to tinkle.
S1: He opened the lid. He looked in. He said, uh huh.
S1: He said, let me tell you something, pastor. Don't you
S1: sell that piano. He said, it's worth more than 3
S1: or 4 brand new baby grand pianos and money broke.
S1: He said, well, wait a minute. He just looked at it.
S1: He said, no, you you missed it. He said, I
S1: looked in there. It didn't look like anything to me.
S1: He said, let me show you what you missed. And
S1: he looked in there. And you know what? He missed
S1: the name. The name in the piano was Steinway. It
S1: was a handcrafted, handmade piano worth about 200,000. Broke, broke.
S1: What's the name of this book? Joshua. Do you know
S1: what the equivalent is in the New Testament? Jesus. It
S1: means the same in Hebrew, Yahweh is Savior, and you
S1: shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his
S1: people from their sin. His name means Yahweh is Savior.
S1: Do you know what you have in the name? There's
S1: healing in the name of Jesus. There's power in the
S1: name of Jesus. There's joy and peace in the name
S1: of Jesus. And so that's the name we can possess it. Why?
S1: Because everything we want. John 15. If you ask anything
S1: in my name, all I do is get a checkbook
S1: from heaven. And I write in, in the name of Jesus. Lord,
S1: I claim this in the name of Jesus. That's the name. Oh,
S1: you know Jesus, the one who spoke the nothing and
S1: nothing listened to his voice until nothing that was not
S1: became everything that is. Yeah. Jesus, Jesus. Yeah. The one
S1: in Hebrews 11 three that said he spoke the world
S1: worlds into existence. He said. Light, be and light was
S1: the Jesus or the one who made wet water come
S1: out of a dry rock? Jesus, that's the one. Yeah.
S1: The one who turned a waterway into a parkway and
S1: a freeway. Yeah. Jesus. That's the name. That's the name
S1: that's above every name. Jesus. Yeah. The one who turns
S1: some sardines and some crackers into a Moby Dick sandwich. Jesus.
S1: The great provider. The one who turned the praise team
S1: into the United Forces of the United States of America. Jesus. Yeah.
S1: That one who said everything that you need is found
S1: in me, in his life. Jesus is our example. First
S1: Peter 221 and his death Jesus is our Redeemer. First
S1: Corinthians 15 three and his burial Jesus is our scapegoat.
S1: Romans 425. In his bodily Resurrection. He's our justification. Romans 425.
S1: Jesus didn't break out of the tomb. Jesus walked out
S1: of the tomb. Why? Because there's power in the name
S1: of Jesus, he and his ascension. He is the head
S1: of the church. First Colossians 118 and 19. In his
S1: second coming, he's the hope of the believer, the blessed hope,
S1: and for all of eternity. Jesus is our God and King,
S1: the King of kings and the Lord of Lords. Everything
S1: that I need is found in him. I can do
S1: all things through Christ who strengthens me. There are no limitations.
S1: There are no barriers. Take the lid off. Break out
S1: the box. Come on, Christ Bible, let's do this thing.
S1: It's in the name of Jesus that we need to
S1: do it. Come on, help me call that name Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus, Jesus.
S1: Because there's power in that name. There's redemption in that name.
S1: There's salvation in that name. For there is no other
S1: name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Amen.
S2: Amen, indeed. Well, you're listening to Treasure Truth with Pastor Ford.
S2: A message entitled takers from Joshua, chapter one. Love. How?
S2: No matter where Pastor Ford is in the Bible, all
S2: the way back in the Old Testament, in the book
S2: of Joshua, he's beaten a path to Jesus because it
S2: is all about him. Well, I'm glad that you've tuned
S2: in today, and if you ever miss part of this
S2: series entitled takers from Joshua one, come to our website.
S2: Listen online at Treasure Truth radio.org. Thanks for listening today
S2: and thanks to our producer, Amy Rios for Pastor Ford,
S2: I'm Steve Hiller. Treasure truth is a production of Moody Radio,
S2: a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.