The Preparation of a Leader, Part 3

We've been looking at Joshua. We're looking at how God would ultimately prepare him to become this leader of Israel. Forty years of preparation. By the way, it was 40 years of preparation for Moses as well. That doesn't mean it's going to be 40 years for all of us, but it goes to tell you how much work goes into preparing an individual. To do a great and mighty work. And Joshua became a fabulous leader because he was the man of victory. He would lead Israel into the promised land, and they would begin to occupy that land through one victory after another.

And so when you study the life of Joshua, you begin to understand the principles for victorious living. And so hopefully throughout our time we'll be able to glean from this book the principles we need to live a victorious Christian life. And we've looked at the encounters that Joshua had with Moses, with his God, throughout the Old Testament before the book of Joshua. We've told you there are seven times he is particularly mentioned, specifically mentioned. And of those seven times, something significant happens in his life.

That trains him to become a great leader. And we took you back, first of all, to Exodus chapter 17 to help you understand that he learned that very first lesson and it dealt with prayer.

We told you that was the backbone for ministry. But that was principle number one. Principle number two dealt with perception.

And that was the basis of his victory. He would see God. He would begin to grasp God more and more and more. And whenever circumstances would arise that would cause others to doubt, he would always believe in his God. He would trust in his God. He had that unique perception that God was great and God was greater than anything he would ever face. And he would learn to depend upon him more and more and more. He learned to love as God. He learned to see as God. And that became the basis for his victory.

When everybody else said no, he said yes, because he saw God and they didn't. We saw that over in Exodus 24, where he went up halfway up that mountain after communing with God and the other 70 elders and Moses. He began to get a glimpse of God that changes life forever, which led to our third principle, and that was passion.

Passion, which was the bridge to intimacy. We saw last week over in Exodus chapter 33 that when Moses went into the tent of meeting and the glory of the Lord came down and the glory of the Lord left and Moses left the tent, that Joshua stayed in the tent of meeting. Because there was a certain passion about his life. There was a certain drive. He was more than a warrior. He was a worshi of his God. And he not only depended upon his God, he was devoted to his God. And he wanted to worship him with all that he had.

There was a unique passion about his life. He didn't want to leave the presence of God. When everybody else was going about the normal duties of life, he was still there. And you know, it kind of sets him apart from everybody else, doesn't it? Because you see, he had that intimate walk with his God that others didn't have. Because of his passion for God. And we have to ask ourselves: what about us and our passions? And where do we stand with God? And are we the kind of people that love to be with our Lord?

And when I thought about that, I was drawn back to what we talked about when we did study Exodus chapter 33. And we talked to you about what is it about us that causes that passion to diminish? What is it about us that causes that passion to become diluted in our lives? Why is it we can't maintain that passion? Why is it when church is over, we want to run home? Why is it when we open our Bibles, we want to hurry up and read through it so we can get done to get on to something else? Why isn't when you have the opportunity to fellowship with the people of God, it just can never be short enough?

We want to end it quickly so we can go on and do something else. Why is it our passion, for the most part, is non-existent? Do you ever ask yourself that question? Why is it I'm not on fire for God? Why is it I don't want to dwell in the tent of meeting? Why is it I'm such in a hurry to get off and do something else? If you're with us in our study of Exodus 33, I gave you a couple of principles. If you're with us, these will be reminders for you. If you weren't, these will be good for you. Because I think they help you understand what caus your passion for God to deteriorate.

Let me give them to you. There's just four of them. It's this: my passion for God begins to deteriorate. When I desire everything that's nice instead of the one thing that is needful. When I begin to desire everything that's nice instead of the one thing that is needful There are lots of things that we do that are nice. Do things with the family. That's nice. Do good things to people who are in need. That's nice. There are a lot of opportunities we have to do nice things. But there's one thing that's needful.

And if I don't desire that over the things that are nice, my passion for God will begin to diminish. And it doesn't happen all at once. Kind of a gradual thing. In fact, you don't even notice it at first until all of a sudden you wake up and you say, you know, I just don't feel like going to church.

I don't need to go to church. I don't need to spend time in the word. I don't need to do that kind of stuff anymore. Or, at least, not as long, not as often. It begins to run in cycles. And the Bible says very clearly these words, you've heard them before.

One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in his temple. One thing I have asked was one thing I seek. There's one thing I desire: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord. All the days of my life. That's in Psalm 27, verse number 4. Psalm 26:8 says, O Lord, I love the habitation of thy house and the place where thy glory dwells. When Psalm wrote this, there was no temple yet.

And so it was just that temporary dwelling place of God. But there was something about the desire. To dwell in the presence of the glory of God, there's one thing that's needful, and that's what you need to do. When I desire everything that's nice instead of the one thing that's needful, my passion begins to deteriorate. Number two.

When I believe I ought to be satisfied rather than God glorified, my passion begins to dwindle. When I believe that I ought to be satisfied rather than God glorified, my passion for him will dwindle. So many times we get caught in this rut that it is about me and I need to be satisfied. And if I'm not being satisfied, something's wrong. We look at it and say, you know, if I'm not being satisfied in my marriage, my marriage is wrong.

So what's wrong with it? If I'm not being satisfied at church, my church is wrong. So, what's wrong with it? If I'm not satisfied in my job, well, my job must be wrong. What's wrong with it? And the problem is not the job, it's not marriage, it's not the church, it's you. That's the problem. Because you really believe you ought to be satisfied rather than God be glorified in your life. You see, we are to live for the glory and honor of Almighty God. Whatever you do, whether you eat or whether you drink, you do all to the glory of God.

In other words, you do everything to magnify His name. So, no matter what the circumstance, no matter what the situation, it's about God, His glory, that others would see Him through my life. That's what it's about. But the moment you begin to think, you know what? I'm not getting any satisfaction here. I get no satisfaction. That was a song, wasn it? Sung by somebody many, many moons ago. I can't get no satisfaction. And so, if I can't get it here, I'm going to get it over there. But life's not about that.

It's about the glory and honor of Almighty God. That's why our Lord said to the church at Laodic in Revel:. I am rich and have need of nothing. And God says, Therefore, you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.

They think they had everything because they thought life was about them. Yet they didn't realize they had nothing. They actually were bankrupt. They were naked before God. Because it was all about them. That's why the Bible says in John 14: that God answers prayer, so the Father will be glorified in the Son.

The only reason God answers prayer is for the glory of Almighty God. That's it. It's all about the glory of God. But the moment you think that you need to be satisfied, Rather than God glorified, you're not going to sit at the gates of the temple. You're not going to sit at that tent like Joshua did. You're going to go home like everybody else. You're going to go home unchanged like everybody else was. But Joshua wanted to stay right there because he couldn't get enough of his God. And my passion for God begins to dwindle when I truly believe that I need to be satisfied rather than God be gl.

Think of it this way. Think of it this way. Say, you know, Lord, what did our Lord say when he was in the Garden of Gethsemane? Not my will, but yours be done. Boy, I'd say that would change our prayer life, wouldn't it? Lord, not my will, but yours be done. Yours. Number three.

When my final authority is no longer governed by Scripture, but guided by society. When my final authority is no longer governed by Scripture. But guided by society, my passion for God begins to dwindle. The Bible says in Colossians 3, verse number 16, we are to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts.

In other words, the peace of Christ is the um in our hearts. The peace of Christ call all the shots. And then the Apostle Paul says, and let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. And so when God's word is dwelling in me richly, Then I'm learning what the empire is deciding for my life: what I should do, where I should go, what I should say, how I should do it. But the moment my final authority is governed by society And not guided by the scriptures, then my passion for God begins to dwindle because I'm thinking something is more important than God.

What society says, what people think is more important than what God thinks. What society says ranks high and above what God says.

And so, when the Bible says that every word of God is true and pure in Proverbs chapter 30, when the Bible says in 2 Timothy 3: and 17, that the man of God will be thoroughly equipped, thoroughly furnished, thoroughly put together, because God God's word is that which equips a man.

God's word is that which puts him together. See? Then I begin to understand that every decision I make needs to be under the authority of the Word of God. Folks, this would revolutionize the church of Jesus Christ. This will revolutionize your family. Every decision you make for your family, for you and your wife, for you and your kids, thus saith the Lord. But we get so sucked into what Dr. Phil says, or what Oprah says, or what's going on on TV, or what's the latest fad coming down the pike, that it just begins to govern everything that we do.

Instead of saying, What does God say on the issue? What is God's opinion? And you'll realize that when that's the case, that's why in Joshua chapter 1, God tells Joshua, You know what, Joshua? Don't let this Book of the law depart out of thy mouth. You meditate on it day and night. Now, when is Joshua going to have time to do all that? He's got two and a half million people he's got to lead. How is he going to meditate on God's word day and night and still lead those people? Well, let me tell you something.

If he doesn't do that, he can't lead those people. So let me say it this way. Husbands, if you don't meditate upon God's word day and night, you can't lead your wife and you can't lead your family. You just can't do it. Now, you might think you're educated enough, you might think you're handsome enough, you might think you're talented enough, but let me tell you something.

If you're not a man of the word, you can't lead your family spiritually. You can't lead them toward God. The best you can do is lead them. But you can't lead them toward God. Because you can never take your family, you can never take the people you lead any further than you yourself have gone. So, you got to be a man of the book. You got to be in the word day and night, memorizing the word, studying the word, singing the word, applying the word, living the word. You got have it saturate your brain.

But so many times, so many times, what God says Really isn't that important to us. So, what do others think? What others have said? Just doesn't work that way. Because your passion for God will dwindle. Number four, this is the last one. When I choose to give God second-rate contributions instead of first-rate ador, When I choose to give God second rate contributions instead of first rate, Adoration.

My passion for him begins to dwindle. You know, there's a lot of things that we do. And we give God just what's left over. Just getting the leftovers. Thinking that that's going to be good enough. Thinking that that will suffice him over in the book of Malachi, the first chapter.

Listen to what the prophet Malachi says. He says this in chapter 1, verse number 6. A son honors his father and a servant his master. Then if I am father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my respect? says the Lord of hosts to you of priests. God speaking to the priests. It says that the son honors his father. But I'm your father. How come I receive no honor? How come I receive no respect? He says, You despise my name. But you say, How have we despised your name? You are presenting defiled food upon my altar.

But you say, How have we defiled thee? In that you say the table of the Lord is to be despised. But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil Not evil, why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you, or would he receive you kindly, says the Lord of hosts? You see, we want to give God what's left over. And because He's so gracious and kind and loving, He'll understand. I got news for you. God doesn't understand that.

He doesn't get that. He demands the best, he expect your best. And when we decide to give God a second-rate contribution with our time, with our talents.

With our treasures, instead of first-rate adoration, that is, I give him my all, I give him my life, I give him my time, I give him my money, I give everything to him because he.

Deserves all that I have. And if I give all that I have, it still will never match what he has done for me. It can't measure up. And yet we go through life thinking, God understands. I don't have time for him today. I don't have time to pray. I got to go to work. I'll lose my job if I don't pray. And God says, Well, what about your relationship with me?

Oh, Lord, you'll understand. You're a God of grace. Forgiveness, but I got to go to work. I got to get things done now, folks. Listen, you need to go to work. I'm not minimizing that. You need to be at work on time. But you give God first-rate adoration when you are on time and when you give the best of what you have in the job that he's placed you.

And people see you honoring God and see you giving your all for God. Folks, let me say, that's so important.

You got to give your all. I got a few minutes. Principle number four. Principle number four. That's pride. Pride. And this is good. Joshua had to learn this lesson. He had to learn this lesson and learn it well. Because pride is the blemish to credibility. Over in Numbers chapter 11, verse number 24, it says these words. Numbers 11, verse number 24. So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. Also, he gathered 70 men of the elders of the people and stationed them around the tent.

And the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and he took the Spirit who was upon him. And placed him upon the seventy elders. And it came about that when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do it again. But two men had remained in the camp, and the name of one of them was Eld, and the name of the other, Med. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those who had been registered, but had not gone out to the tent. And they prophesied in the camp. So a young man ran and told Moses and said, Eld and Med are prophesying in the camp.

Then Joshua, the son of nun, the attendant of Moses from his youth, answered and said, Moses, my Lord, restrain them. But Moses said to him, Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets. The Lord would put his spirit upon them. This day was a great day for Joshua because he had to learn he had to learn that ministry wasn't about him. It was about the Lord God. And when God had told Moses that these 70 elders, that the same spirit that was on Moses would be upon these men, and they would prophesy in the tent of meeting, and they would be able to counsel the people in the ways of God.

Well, there were two men who did it in the camp and not in the tent. And Joshua says, You can't do that. Moses, stop them! They can't do that! And Moses says, Joshua, are you tell us for my sake? It 's not about me, it's not about me at all, Joshua. And Joshua learned a very important lesson that day. A lesson that maybe, if he'd have missed, would have cost him a great deal. That ministry is not about him. Moses learned that way back in Exodus 2. Way back in Exodus 2. When he tried to enact the Exodus himself, when he slayed the Egyptian, thinking that the nation of Israel would ar up and follow this man because of his athletic prowess and his physical abilities.

Oh man, look at this guy. He slayed the Egyptian. That must be our redeemer. Be our deliverer, let's follow Moses. Instead, they said, Who made you prince over us? Who do you think you are? And Moses had to learn that it wasn't about him, that the whole Exodus thing was about God. Joshua on this day began to realize it's not about it's not about him it's about God And of course Moses was the meekest man on the face of the earth. He wasn't a prideful man. He wasn't a jealous man. And Joshua had to learn the lesson about pride.

It will blemish his credibility, it will destroy his leadership. What would have happened to Joshua if things would have been reversed? And Moses would have said, You're right, those guys need to be prophesying in the tent. They're wrong. Go get them. And Joshua would have thought, you know what? When I lead, if I ever get a chance, it's going to be about me and what I say, how things ought to be. You know, maybe you're a husband and you think that things ought to be running your way in your family and nobody's following.

You're thinking you're the man. And you are because you're the male species. But you're not the man. You know what I'm saying? And sometimes we get this thinking that, you know, we're really good. We're really good. And I've come to realize that the moment I think I'm something, I'm absolutely nothing. Nothing. And so we need to be awake and aware of what the Bible says about the blemish to our credibility.

Nothing will warp and destroy your leadership more so than your pride. It will bring it down. It will destroy it. And you will not have any effectiveness at all. And we've got to be aware of that. And next week, we'll show you how that happens and what it is we need to be doing as we, Road William, will conclude with the rest of these principles.