This is Graduation Sunday. Systematic
Theological Growth: Communion:
Encouraging and enabling students/disciples of Christ to implement the
principles of the Bible in our lives.
A member of a college class,
soon after graduation, was admitted to the practice of his chosen profession,
the bar. Leaving the court house, he was met by a brilliant young man, who
took him by the hand, saying: "Now you have been admitted to the bar, let
me give you a little advice. Have your name taken from the church roll, burn
your Bible, and you will make your mark." It was a moment of supreme
temptation. Turning from him, the young lawyer walked straight to the
depository and invested almost his last half-dollar in a pocket Bible. A
quarter of a century passed, and this lawyer met, on the same spot, the wreck
of this same brilliant young man. With bloodshot eye and matted hair and beard
-- extending the same hand, he said, "Colonel, for God's sake, give me
half a dollar, and let me get out of this town to get off this spree." As
he drew from his pocket the coveted coin, he thought of his former investment.
By J. Wilbur Chapan, "Present Day Parables."
Joshua was given an opportunity to lead the people of God
after the death of Moses. This
was his graduation. He was moving
up. To each us is given the
opportunity to step up and graduate. The
old ones will move on and the new must step up to the task.
The cycle of life continues to flow.
My grandmother’s were largely responsible for passing on to my father
and mother the torch of faith. My
father and mother passed this torch on to me and I am passing it on to my
children. Hopefully they will
continue the cycle.
Scripture Text:
Josh 1:1 (KJS) Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD
it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses'
minister, saying, 2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over
this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to
them, [even] to the children of Israel.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given
unto you, as I said unto Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even
unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and
unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy
life: as I was with Moses, [so] I will be with thee: I will not fail thee,
nor forsake thee. 6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this
people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto
their fathers to give them. 7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that
thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant
commanded thee: turn not from it [to] the right hand or [to] the left, that
thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8 This book of the law shall
not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night,
that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for
then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good
success. 9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be
not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee
whithersoever thou goest. 10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the
people, saying, 11 Pass through the host, and command the people, saying,
Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan,
to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess
it.
Who are God’s Champions?
The Champions are those who go with God.
A.
A New Beginning. God’s
Champions take advantage of the new beginning they are given from the Lord.
Every one has an opportunity to go on and move up with the Lord.
Every ending is a new beginning. We
have daily opportunities to have a new beginning.
Graduation is a new beginning. Waking
up in the morning is a new beginning. Each
day is another opportunity to start again.
God’s plan for us is revealed through time.
As time goes we will see what the Lord has in store for us.
He revealed his plan to Joshua of his desires for his life.
Sometimes his will is revealed in events, evidence, and effects. The events in our lives will lead us to either go with the
Lord or not. If we go with him
here then we can go with Him when we go into eternity.
The evidence of the scriptures and the preaching of the Word of God
will lead us as it did for Joshua. If
we are willing to hear and follow. The
effects of the Holy Spirit as He speaks to us will affect us as we seek to
follow the Lord.
B.
Receive your orders. V.
5 God’s Champions receive
their orders from the Lord. They
don’t reject the Lord’s desires for their life.
: as I was with Moses, [so] I will be with
thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee From Moses to Joshua the torch of the Lord continues to be
passed down. From the graduates
who walked across the stage to get their diplomas on Friday night to the
disciples who waited in the upper room we wait to get our orders from the
Lord. Then we have the right to
go on and carry the torch to the next one who waits.
Today is Pentecost Sunday. We
remember those who waited in the upper room as recorded in Acts 2 to receive
their orders from the Lord. Then
they passed on their torch to the next. Will
you receive or reject your orders from the Lord.
A student of Amherst College, soon after entering, put over the door of
his dormitory room the letter V. Because of it he endured all sorts of
ridicule and withstood questioning. But he paid no attention to either, nor
would he disclose the secret of the letter. When his four years were over, and
graduation day came, that student was appointed to deliver the valedictory.
Then the mystery of that letter V was revealed. It stood for valedictory. That
letter on the door held before him during his four years the ideal that he had
set for himself.
Not every boy puts a letter over the
door of his college room or over the door of his
house. But nevertheless, somewhere, if only in his mind, there is a
letter that he pastes there and that holds before him an ideal. Some put up
the letter M that stands for money. Others put up F, for fame. Others put up
S, which may stand either for self or for service. It is a good idea once in a
while to step outside your door and look at the letter you have put there. It
may be that when you realize what it is you will want to change it. --Moody
Monthly
C.
Ride with God: God’s
Champions go with the Lord. V. 9 neither
be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee whithersoever thou goest
How will you go into the future?
“People who stand still may avoid stubbing their toes, but they
won’t make much progress. Every church needs people with the courage to try
new ideas and run the risk of making mistakes. Otherwise progress never
happens. "The better a man is, the more mistakes he will make, for the
more new things he will try," says management consultant Peter
Drucker. "I would never promote into a top-level job a man
who was not making mistakes -- otherwise he is sure to be
mediocre."
D.
Remember to Use the Map of Life.
God’s Champions take the right way and don’t remain lost. Real Men need to realize that we need to follow directions
when we don’t know the way. How?
The Bible is Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.
Take the Bible with you on your journey.
Study what it says and follow what it says.
Then you will be going with the Lord. You will be tempted to go to the
right and to the left but only go straight on with the Lord.
“ A Bible that is
falling apart usually belongs to a person who isn't.”
7
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do
according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from
it [to] the right hand or [to] the left, that thou mayest prosper
whithersoever thou goest. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy
mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe
to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy
way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
E.
Roll on in Confidence and Courage. God’s Champions go with the
Lord in confidence of God’s abilities to preserve them. They aren’t afraid
to try. They believe that
God is a real God who is able to do far more than we can even imagine.
They know that failure isn’t final, but just one of the steps on the
road to becoming a champion of God. for
then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good
success. Are you afraid of
failure?
Failure doesn't mean you are a failure -- it does mean you haven't
succeeded yet.
Failure doesn't mean you have accomplished nothing -- it
does mean you have learned something.
Failure
doesn't mean you have been a fool -- it does mean you had a lot of faith.
Failure doesn't mean you've been disgraced -- it does
mean you were willing to try. Failure doesn't mean you don't have it -- it
does mean you have to do something in a different way.
Failure doesn't mean you are inferior -- it does mean you
are not perfect.
Failure doesn't mean you've wasted your life -- it does
mean you have a reason to start afresh.
Failure doesn't mean you should give up -- it does mean
you must try harder.
Failure doesn't mean you'll never make it -- it does mean
it will take a little longer.
Failure doesn't mean God has abandoned you -- it does
mean God has a better idea!
-- From You Can Become the
Person You Want to Be. Copyright
1973, by Robert H. Schuller. Reprinted
by permission of the publisher, E.P. Dutton, Inc.
“No
one could say that George Smith didn't have courage.
A daring jet test pilot in the 1950's, back when the sound barrier was
first being broken, he could face anything -- until he had to bail out of a
jet going 805 miles per hour (Guideposts 1958). Though he survived, he was
afraid of ever flying again. Then,
during his hospital stay, a nurse gave him an antidote to fear. He took her
words to heart: "Courage," she said, "is knowing the worst --
and discovering that, in God's world, the very worst can't really hurt you.”
9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of
a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God
[is] with thee whithersoever thou goest.