Don't let your fear of people, circumstances, situations overrule your fear of God. Dr. Tony Evans says progress comes when we push past our own paralysis. Keep going in spite of the resistance, in spite of the opposition. Because there is an enemy out there who wants to keep you from what God has.
This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans.
Sometimes it feels safer to hold on to the past than to step into the unknown. But God calls us to move forward into the future He's prepared. Today, Dr. Evans takes us to the book of Joshua, where Israel stands on the edge of the promised land after 40 years in the wilderness. Let's listen as he explains that while God's promises are certain, even for us, stepping into them takes courage, obedience, and faith.
Israel is getting ready to go into the promised land. They're getting ready to enter into that which they have waited 40 years for. It came about after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord. That the LORD spoke to Joshua the son Of none. Moses servant saying So Moses has died.
It's time to move on. Moses was a great leader. But Moses is yesterday. One generation shall sing your praises to the next. There is this baton, this transfer.
that is to occur, that our children should build on us. Moses is gone. One of the worst things you can do is live in yesterday.
Now, you should appreciate the good things in yesterday. You should learn from the bad things of yesterday. But you can't live there. And so now, Joshua, you got to go on. You just can't think about where you are.
It's now time to move. Moses, my servant, is dead. Verse 2 says, Now, therefore, arise, cross the Jordan, you and the people. and take the land which I am giving them. When he tells them to move forward, he tells them to.
Sees what God has already promised. To seize their spiritual inheritance. Look at verses three or four. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses from the wilderness of this Lebanon, even to the great river.
Okay, watch this. Mm-hmm. Every place I said, I have given it. It's already been granted, you just don't have it. You haven't gone to get it.
God's promises for you as for them are guaranteed, but they're not automatic.
So that brings in God's sovereign provision and our human responsibility. Every place on which you put your foot. God gives what we must take.
So, yes, God wants us to pray. he also wants us to do. based on what we're praying for. If it is within our capacity to do some things you can't do because there's no capacity to do it. But he says I've given it.
But you gotta go get it. He comes in verse 5: No one will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I've been with Moses, I will be with you. Notice what he said in verse 6. Be strong and courageous.
Verse 7, only be strong and courageous. Verse 9, be strong and courageous. He even says at the end of verse 18: be strong and courageous. Why? Why does he tell them to be strong and courageous?
Because there will be resistance. When they cross over to the land. for them claiming their inheritance. Because in the land were Hittites, Jebusites, Canaanites, Amorites. They were the enemies of God in the land.
So there is going to be resistance. to your claiming what God has for you.
Now, I know we live in a name and claim it world where people just claim anything. And that's not what we're talking about. You can't. You can't claim what God does not give. But you can claim what he does give.
which are his promises. But to do that, you must be strong and courageous. In other words, Don't let your fear of people, circumstances, situations, Overrule your fear of God. We give people too much credit. We even idolize people.
You say, I don't idolize people. If they trump God, they're your idol. If you believe a person or people more than God, then they've just become your idol. He says, no, no, no, no, no. You are to focus on me, not on people.
The enemy wants to deny you. Satan wants to deny you. What God has for you. and therefore he resists you. See, here's the question you must ask.
Am I in God's will? Right now, that's the question. Once you answer that question clearly, as clearly as you can. To the best of my knowledge. And God, I'm willing for you to change me.
But to the best of my knowledge, I am living, walking, and operating in your will, that is, in obedience to your revealed word. I am doing that to the best of my knowledge. Once you can say that. Be strong and courageous. Mm-hmm.
Keep going in spite of the resistance. In spite of the opposition. Because There is an enemy out there who wants to keep you from what God has. And so he tells them And I love the way this says, no man will be able to stand before you. In other words.
I will not allow men to overrule me. See when you see this changes everything. This changes being threatened. It changes being bullied. It changes being overrun.
It builds confidence to know that when you're operating in His will, men do not have the last word.
So you be strong and courageous. The question is: Am I in the place God wants me? And then if you're walking like I want you to walk. He says, You be strong and courageous. Because no man will make the final decision.
They're going to come against you. but they will not be the final arbiter of how things will work out. Then he says, stay tethered. Stay tethered. Tide Tightly To my word.
Verse 7. Only be strong and courageous. Be careful. to do according to all the law. which Moses my servant commanded you.
Do not turn from it to the right or the left.
So that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law, this book of the law, shall not depart from your mouth. But you shall meditate on it. Day and night.
So that you may be careful. to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous. And you will have success. Notice the word success.
How do you successfully claim your inheritance? That is, reach your destiny. How does that become? Successful.
Well, let me define success because we live in a world. Whereas success is how much money you have, how much power you wield. What position do you hold? Success is usually defined in terms of those three major categories. popularity, power, prosperity.
position All of those speak to A person sensing that they have success, or people looking at people that they have success. Biblical success. Is when you have fulfilled your purpose. You are successful when you have fulfilled your purpose. You can have all of the categories of the world and be a failure.
Because you've not fulfilled your purpose. Why you're here. Acts 13:36, and David. Fulfilled the purpose of God in his generation, and he fell asleep. That's success.
Success is when it's time for you to go to sleep. Die and go to heaven when you get to that time And you can look back, like Paul in 2 Timothy chapter 4, and say, I fought a good fight. I kept the faith, I finished my course, now there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness. That's success. That's success.
Those other things are trinkets. They are trinkets. Nothing wrong with them. It's nothing wrong with. Prosperity or having money or having position, or having, I mean, in and of itself, there's nothing wrong with it.
But don't let that alone make you think or make other people think of you, you are successful. When you have fulfilled your purpose. When you are doing what you know God wants you to do for where you are right now. you are on your way to success. Dr.
Evans will return in a moment with a look at why staying focused on God's purpose can be so easy to forget. First, though, I want to let you know that what we've been listening to today is the first message in a powerful teaching series from Dr. Evans on the book of Joshua. It's a study about moving forward in faith. Trusting God's timing and stepping into the promises He's prepared for us.
In this eye-opening series, you'll discover what it means to conquer obstacles, claim spiritual victories, and live with confidence, not in your own strength, but in God's power and provision. We are offering the entire audio series on digital download as well as on either CD or USB flash drive as our thank you gift when you support Tony's ministry with a financial contribution. And if we hear from you right away, we'll also include something extra, the Kingdom Family Devotional, a 52-week resource that makes it easy to grow in faith as a family. Each week highlights a key spiritual topic with daily insights and action steps for every member of the family. Simple enough for kids to follow, but meaningful enough to inspire adults.
This special double offer will only be available for a limited time.
So visit us today at tonyevans.com. Or call us day or night at 1-800-800-3222 to make your request. Yeah. Dr. Evans will return with more of today's lesson right after this.
Hey ladies, it's time to gather your friends, small group, or all the women of your church for a soul-fulfilling, faith-awakening time with the Lord. Join us virtually for the Desperate for Jesus Conference this July 25th and 26th. Get ready to worship and hear powerful teaching from Crystalhurst, Priscilla Shire, and their special guests. Don't miss this chance to be refreshed as you grow spiritually. Hurry over to DFJConference.com to register for the live simulcast.
That's DFJConference.com. You know, I know as a pastor, I know. That if I came to you on Wednesday, then I said, Give me a rundown of my sermon last Sunday. This is just three days. Most would be stuttering a little bit, would be struggling a little bit because.
Well, you s you were talking something about eternity. It'd be something vague away out there. You know? Because it's easy to lose. it's easy to lose.
I mean just within all the things that come across our mind, It's easy for the word of God to get lost because it's not saved. Meditation is designed to save it. And then he says, I want you to serve it. Verse eight, Be careful to do according to all that is written in it. All this is designed.
To drive the word deep down in your soul. My soul. Serve it, operate on it.
So you're speaking it, you're saving it, you're serving it. He tells them, don't turn to the left or the right. Meaning, don't deviate from it.
So when human opinion from divine revelation. Then you've gone to the right or the left. And it's easy to do because There's so many opinions. Look at how many times a day you use the two words. I think Because everybody's got a thought.
And there's so much to have a thought about. And Lord, don't look at television. Because that's a billion different opinions.
So the question is. How do you sort through all of that?
Well, when it comes to Your destiny. Your inheritance. He says You better listen to me. Obeying God. And listening to his feelings and thoughts on a matter.
It can be quite challenging. Because he's often Lord, you understand how I mean this, weird. He's getting ready to tell Joshua march around the wall. Once a day for six days, seven times on the seventh day. And the walls are going to come down.
What kind of military strategy is that? The question is, do you want the walls to come down? That's the question. If Joshua, we'll get to that. If Joshua were to use his human opinion, He'd be losing to Jericho.
Because, as we always say, as God says in Isaiah 55: my ways are not your ways, and my thoughts are not your thoughts. I don't roll like you roll. You know, on a lot of things, God is going to be different. The menu. His approach will be different.
And so when your thoughts conflict with or contradict him. You turn to the right or to the left. You know, because if you if you just a little out of alignment. It can take you in a whole different direction. Here's how this works.
His objective word, the book. It's what you read in the book. The book of the law shall not depart from your mouth. The objective word, what he says. Opens the door to his Subjective guidance.
God's objective word, what he says. opens up the door for his subjective Guidance. In other words, His word does not talk about every single thing you're going to deal with in life. in specifics. His word doesn't tell you.
Which job to take out of a number of job offerings. It doesn't tell you whether you should relocate to this city or that city. You can't go to a verse. To find that out. There are millions of decisions to be made in life.
that you will not find specific direction on the Bible.
Okay, the Bible covers principles and precepts, and all that. It doesn't give you all those details, but in the issues of life, you need guidance. on the thing that you're facing. that the Bible doesn't talk about directly. But when you Follow what God says objectively.
That is, you operating by this principle that he gives. Even though that principle doesn't directly talk about your specific issue, you've now opened up the door for his subjective movement in your life. Guidance bringing new thoughts or new people to give you say something to you you didn't think before, give you a concept. I mean, he now that opens up the door, as I say, using football again. In football, you've got the NFL rules.
These are the rules that the game is played by. These are the rules. They are non-adjustable. They're non-negotiable. Those are the fixed rules, okay?
But then every team has their playbook. There's an NFL rulebook, but then there's a team playbook and that the playbooks on every team is different. They have different playbooks because they're different teams with different people leading them. While the rules don't change, the plays do change.
Sometimes you call audible, sometimes you call plays on the spot. that you hadn't planned to call. But all of the plays in the playbook must operate within the rules in the rule book. The Bible is the rule book, the Holy Spirit gives the playbook.
So it's the Holy Spirit's job to kind of lead you and open this door and close this door and give you an idea here, bring a person into your life to guide you there. He negotiates the different plays as you move along. as long as you're operating on the field to play. The rule book.
So There was nowhere in the five books of Moses That would told Joshua how to defeat Jericho. He couldn't go to Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. to find out how to defeat Jericho. There's nothing in there. Yeah.
But because he was operating by the rule book, God could give him the specific Jericho plan. God told Martha and Mary, told Mary, move the stone. She wanted to have a discussion about mortuary science. He'd been dead four days. He stinks.
She said, what, what, what, what? You can't hear? I didn't ask you how long you've been dead. I know how long you've been dead. I'm the one who delayed coming to you.
I know how long you've been dead. Yeah, I know Rick and Mortis has set in, okay, and you know, the cells have begun to collapse. I got all that.
Now you're going to move the stone and we're going to keep discussing biology. She finally moved the stone.
Now she got a miracle. Yeah. See, she she would have never gotten a miracle if she wanted to keep having long conversations about stone moving. And about what happens when you die.
So, a lot of times we block the subjective move of God to move us to our destiny. Because we arguing with the book of the law. He says, Accept the book of the law. And let me guide you. Then Joshua commanded the officials of the people, saying, Passed through the midst of the camp, and he commanded the people, saying, Prepare provisions for yourself, for within three days, you're going to cross the Jordan.
Let's get ready to rumble. Let's get ready to go.
So God talked to Joshua, and now Joshua was talking to the people. And he says, it's time to go. He tells the tribes that had already received their inheritance: the Reubenites, verse 12, the Gedites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. You, even though you've already received on the east side of the Jordan. You are to leave your family, then you are to come and at the end of verse 14, and all you valiant warriors, and you shall help them.
Help your brothers. Just because you got yours don't mean you don't help other folk get theirs.
So he's challenging them not to be selfish because they had already received their inheritance, but to join in so that everybody was able to get what God had for them. Until the Lord gives your brothers rest. Rest was the enjoyment of your destiny. That's rest. The New Testament in Hebrews chapter 6 talks about rest.
Rest when you get to enjoy the goodness of God in your life. What God has been doing. And then you shall return to your own land and possess what Moses had given you. He comes to the end, and the people answered Joshua, saying, All that you have committed us, we will do. And wherever you go, we will go.
Wherever you send us, we will go. Verse 16 says in 17, just as we obey Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you. as he was with Moses. He says, Because we will follow you, only the Lord's got to be leading you.
Okay, you honor leaders, you follow leaders. to a point. Not to a fault. Right. When a leader leaves God, you leave the leader.
When a leader leaves God, your ultimate commitment is to the Lord.
Now, God uses people. He said, I was with Moses, I'm going to be with Joshua.
So God uses people. Leaders can blow it. And if they don't repent, the Bible says in 1 Timothy 5. then you're not to follow them.
So but you are if they're following the Lord.
So Joshua knows that the people's focus must be on the Lord.
So they affirm their support. Trust God to give success. fulfilling his purpose. Dr. Tony Evans, encouraging us to keep our eyes on the Lord above all else, and to trust Him for success as we step into the promises He's prepared for us.
Now, before we go, I wanted to mention that today's message is called Preparing to Enter God's Promise. It's part of Dr. Evans' impactful series on the book of Joshua, a study that will help you discover how to overcome obstacles and step confidently into the victories God has planned for you. Don't forget, when you make a donation to support Tony's ministry, we'll say thanks by sending you the complete audio series on Joshua, along with the Kingdom Family Devotional I mentioned earlier. Learn how to grow closer to God and closer as a family day by day.
Get all the details and make your request online at tonyevans.org. That's tonyevans.org, or let one of our team members help you when you call 1-800-800-3222. That number again, 1-800-800-3222. Yeah. When your GPS keeps recalculating, it's a sign you've missed a turn, or maybe several.
Next time, Dr. Evans continues his study of Joshua. as he unpacks what it means to move from wandering to winning. And now our obedience and courage can open the door to God's promises. Be sure to join us.
