1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:12,480
Alright, I'm going to give you a bit of a background first because chapter 7 is all

2
00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:17,820
about a defeat of God's people at a place called AI.

3
00:00:17,820 --> 00:00:26,760
So before that, God had promised all the people that they're going to have a land, they're

4
00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:29,960
going to have the promised land to go in, they're going to have to go in and conquer

5
00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:31,160
it.

6
00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:38,720
And in the beginning of that passage in chapter 1 naturally of Joshua, God said, be strong

7
00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:42,880
and be courageous because everything that he was going to face, every challenge, every

8
00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:52,320
circumstance, every king, every giant was going to need courage and strength to be defeated.

9
00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:59,200
And the first place that they destroyed or had victory over I believe was the place of

10
00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:01,760
Jericho.

11
00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:09,600
And God said, go up, He said, I've given you the land and He said in chapter 6 in verse

12
00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,160
2, He said, the Lord said to Joshua, see I've given Jericho into your hand, it's king in

13
00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:14,160
the mighty Man of Allah.

14
00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:18,320
So they went up and they conquered Jericho, they marched around seven times, you know

15
00:01:18,320 --> 00:01:23,640
the story well and the walls of Jericho fell and they conquered but previously to Jericho

16
00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:28,480
they had said, God had said to the people, there are certain things in that land that

17
00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:30,760
you're not to touch, accursed things.

18
00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:31,760
God said, don't touch them.

19
00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:36,640
Anyway, a man by the name of Achan, I preached on this a number of months ago, took what

20
00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:43,480
he wasn't valid or allowed or permitted to take and the result of that in chapter 7 was

21
00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:49,560
a defeat in the next place that they were to conquer which was Ai.

22
00:01:49,560 --> 00:02:00,720
And reading in verse 5, this is when the men came up to spy out the land and then men were

23
00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:09,980
given to go down to this place at Ai and in verse 5 it says, the men of Ai struck down

24
00:02:09,980 --> 00:02:15,400
about 36 men for they chased them from before the gates as far as Shibarim and struck them

25
00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:17,000
down on the descent.

26
00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:20,600
Therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.

27
00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:24,560
Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord

28
00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:28,600
until evening, he and the elders of Israel and they put dust on their heads.

29
00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:33,280
And Joshua said, alas Lord God why have you brought these people over the Jordan at all

30
00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:37,240
to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us?

31
00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:40,680
All that we would have been content and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan.

32
00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:44,520
O Lord what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies?

33
00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:48,760
For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it and surround us and

34
00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:50,480
cut off your name from the earth.

35
00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:53,880
Then what will you do for your great name?

36
00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:59,000
Verse 10, so the Lord said to Joshua, get up, why do you lie thus on your face?

37
00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:03,600
Israel has sinned and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them for they've

38
00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:08,560
taken, they've even taken some of the accursed things and have both stolen and deceived and

39
00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:10,700
they've also put it among their own stuff.

40
00:03:10,700 --> 00:03:14,080
Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies but turn their

41
00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:20,160
backs before their enemies because they have become doomed to destruction.

42
00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:24,380
Neither will I be with you anymore unless you destroy the accursed thing, the accursed

43
00:03:24,380 --> 00:03:25,380
from among you.

44
00:03:25,380 --> 00:03:29,920
Get up, sanctify the people and say, sanctify yourselves for tomorrow because thus says

45
00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:33,500
the Lord God of Israel, there is an accursed thing in your midst O Israel.

46
00:03:33,500 --> 00:03:37,440
You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among

47
00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:38,440
you.

48
00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:44,120
And my message today is, there's a lyric in a particular song, it's, by your spirit I

49
00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:47,360
will rise from the ashes of defeat.

50
00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:57,200
And it's a real powerful lyric because although God had given the land to Joshua and the people,

51
00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:03,040
although God was with them, they still faced giants, they still faced discouragement and

52
00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:05,320
they still faced defeat.

53
00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:09,480
And for you and I today, you know, often people speak to people they're surprised or they're

54
00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:13,200
shocked that they've come under some sort of attack or they've, you know, they've fallen

55
00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:15,200
in some way.

56
00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:18,440
But you know, we have enemies to defeat and there's things that are going to come up against

57
00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:23,640
us that we actually have to endure, things that we have to overcome, there's tribulations,

58
00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:29,080
there's pressures, there's suffering, this is all part of the kingdom that we walk in.

59
00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:34,280
And so don't be surprised that at times you will be discouraged and you will be defeated.

60
00:04:34,280 --> 00:04:41,840
And Joshua in this place, he's on his face in verse 10, the Lord said to Joshua, get

61
00:04:41,840 --> 00:04:44,720
up, why do you lie thus on your face?

62
00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:53,480
So he had, 36 men, his men had been defeated before him, although God had given him a promise,

63
00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:59,320
really did he know that it was because of one man's sin that the defeat took place.

64
00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:04,520
But this discouragement, this was a bitter disappointment that Joshua suffered.

65
00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:11,600
And he is in that place on his face asking God why.

66
00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:15,240
And there are times in our lives where we are going to be in that place too, where we

67
00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:22,400
are downtrodden, we are discouraged and we're dismayed.

68
00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:23,960
And that's a part of life.

69
00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:31,360
But what we choose to do in those times is going to be the difference between us rising

70
00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:37,400
up or being remaining rather defeated.

71
00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:41,040
And God said to him, get up.

72
00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:47,400
He didn't speak to his disappointment, he didn't speak to what he was saying, but he

73
00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:49,140
just said get up.

74
00:05:49,140 --> 00:05:55,840
And you see whenever we come into that place where we face a challenging situation, where

75
00:05:55,840 --> 00:06:05,400
we may feel like we are discouraged or dismayed, we have a choice because in that place, Joshua

76
00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:12,560
decided in verse 7 to speak out, he decided to prophesy negatively.

77
00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:17,800
He said, alas Lord God, why have you brought these people over the Jordan at all to deliver

78
00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:21,080
us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us, all that we would have been content and

79
00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:22,440
dwell on the other side of the Jordan.

80
00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:32,720
So he completely forgot all that he'd not only see God do through Canaan, but he also

81
00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:36,420
forgot the promises that God had made to him.

82
00:06:36,420 --> 00:06:41,000
In chapter 1, I'll look at that later, but he said that he would be with God, he would

83
00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:42,000
be with Joshua rather.

84
00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:45,920
And he makes the same promise to us in the end of Matthew 28.

85
00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:48,720
Jesus said, I'll never leave you nor forsake you.

86
00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:55,240
But it's so important that when we come, we're facing something of a challenging situation

87
00:06:55,240 --> 00:07:00,760
that we actually don't fall into despondency, we don't fall into dismay.

88
00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:03,120
And I want to tell you what dismay means.

89
00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:06,320
Dismay comes in, it's, dismay is a bit like discouragement.

90
00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:08,720
You'll be discouraged and then you'll fall into dismay.

91
00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:14,160
Dismay comes in when you consider your own resources and you look within and decide that

92
00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:16,840
you are not strong enough.

93
00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:20,160
That's when dismay comes, when you're looking like Joshua did in the natural, looking at

94
00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:25,520
the circumstances that you're faced with and you think it's just too much.

95
00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:30,040
I don't have the strength or the resources to deal with this, but God doesn't expect

96
00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:31,800
us to.

97
00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:37,720
He's given us His Holy Spirit, He's given us His promise like He did to Joshua, He gave

98
00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:40,100
Him the promises.

99
00:07:40,100 --> 00:07:47,740
And what we have today is such an importance on the words that we speak.

100
00:07:47,740 --> 00:07:53,000
When we're faced with challenges that we don't actually speak out in the negative and go,

101
00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:55,880
I just can't do it anymore.

102
00:07:55,880 --> 00:08:00,360
Or this thing's too hard or this child's too difficult.

103
00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:08,760
And you just speak out in the flesh what your natural eye sees because that sows unbelief,

104
00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:10,720
that sows into your heart doubt.

105
00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:14,560
And the Bible says in Proverbs that death and life are in the power of the tongue and

106
00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:16,880
those who love it will eat of its fruit.

107
00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:24,680
So you've got an opportunity to speak life or you've got an opportunity to speak death.

108
00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:25,680
And it's your choice.

109
00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:29,960
Now, you might say, well, it is difficult what I'm going through.

110
00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:30,960
It is challenging.

111
00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:32,580
I am suffering.

112
00:08:32,580 --> 00:08:37,320
I do have this pain or I am waiting for God to do this and I'm not seeing it.

113
00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:40,360
I am facing this challenging situation.

114
00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:41,560
That is the truth.

115
00:08:41,560 --> 00:08:42,560
You are.

116
00:08:42,560 --> 00:08:45,200
But see, that is a reality.

117
00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:49,880
But there's a greater reality that God expects us to walk into.

118
00:08:49,880 --> 00:09:02,360
In Romans, in Romans chapter four, he says, I think it's in Romans chapter four, he says

119
00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:07,760
that God gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though

120
00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:08,760
they did.

121
00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:11,200
See, God expects us to speak words of faith.

122
00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:19,640
He wants to affirm and give us words to speak over our lives for our present day situation.

123
00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:22,400
There's an ultimate reality.

124
00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:24,760
There's a greater reality than what we're facing right now.

125
00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:29,680
Like I said, God says that where there is death, He'll give us life.

126
00:09:29,680 --> 00:09:33,960
Where there seems to be hopelessness, He wants to give us hope.

127
00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:39,840
He wants to give us hope in those challenging situations because for Joshua, he had the

128
00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:45,980
promise and in chapter one, verse nine, he says, God says to Joshua, have I not commanded

129
00:09:45,980 --> 00:09:51,480
you be strong and of good courage and do not be afraid nor be dismayed for the Lord your

130
00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:54,880
God is with you wherever you go.

131
00:09:54,880 --> 00:10:01,960
So we have the same promise in Matthew 28 that God will never leave us nor forsake us.

132
00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:06,600
And that is so important for us to know that in what I just read out, that's the most,

133
00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:10,800
one of the most repeated commandments that we not be afraid.

134
00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:13,800
But he says, be strong and of good courage.

135
00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:15,440
Do not be afraid nor dismayed.

136
00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:22,400
So we don't actually have the right to be dismayed because God has given us this ability

137
00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:23,880
to overcome.

138
00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:29,080
The Bible says that we are overcomers.

139
00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:37,900
It says in Romans 837, yet in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved

140
00:10:37,900 --> 00:10:38,900
us, through Him.

141
00:10:38,900 --> 00:10:42,420
That word conquerors means you can say overcomer.

142
00:10:42,420 --> 00:10:50,360
So we, you and I as Christians are more than overcomers through Him who loved us.

143
00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:52,960
So what does that mean?

144
00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:58,520
Well John 1633 says, these things I've spoken to you, this is Jesus words, that in me you

145
00:10:58,520 --> 00:10:59,520
may have peace.

146
00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:04,720
In the world you will have tribulation or pressure, but be of good cheer, I have overcome

147
00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:05,720
the world.

148
00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:12,760
So if Jesus has overcome the world and you and I are in Him, then we too have overcome

149
00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:14,040
the world.

150
00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:17,440
So we have the Holy Spirit in us.

151
00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:22,380
He was given to us to help us, to strengthen us in the time of need.

152
00:11:22,380 --> 00:11:26,460
He's the one who wants to lead us through every situation, every challenge that we're

153
00:11:26,460 --> 00:11:27,460
faced with.

154
00:11:27,460 --> 00:11:33,240
But we've got to yield to that and we've actually got to make a decision whether or not we want

155
00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:37,720
to wait and let God strengthen us.

156
00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:45,520
Because when we don't, we can be in that place where I can't do this, I can't fix this,

157
00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:47,640
this is not working.

158
00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:54,000
It could be in ministry, it could be an expression of your mouth or your thoughts regarding you

159
00:11:54,000 --> 00:12:00,360
being a husband or father, a wife or a mother, that this is just too difficult, I can't do

160
00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:03,080
this, I'm not living up to what God's called me to do.

161
00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:10,920
But you see, just as God gave Joshua that promise that He still gives us today that

162
00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:19,240
we can stand on, we can actually stand firm in what God has promised for us.

163
00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:28,560
Because the basis for Joshua being strong and courageous, if you look in chapter 1,

164
00:12:28,560 --> 00:12:37,040
he said, at the start of Joshua, he says, I am with you Joshua, Moses is gone, I'm going

165
00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:38,960
to be with you now.

166
00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:43,840
And he says in Joshua chapter 1 verse 5, he says, no man shall be able to stand before

167
00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:48,840
you all the days of your life, as I was with Moses so I will be with you, I will not leave

168
00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:51,280
you nor forsake you.

169
00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:55,600
Be strong and of good courage, for these people you shall divide as an inheritance of land

170
00:12:55,600 --> 00:13:00,040
which I swore to their fathers to give them, only be strong and very courageous that you

171
00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:04,660
may observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you, do not

172
00:13:04,660 --> 00:13:10,800
turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.

173
00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:15,400
This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate in it day

174
00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:20,680
and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it, for then you

175
00:13:20,680 --> 00:13:24,960
will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success.

176
00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:34,320
So the basis of God's command to Joshua to be strong, to be courageous was the basis

177
00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:41,640
of knowledge because he says to him in verse 8 to meditate, to meditate on it.

178
00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:49,200
So knowing on the basis that God is with us, the basis that God is with us, that is the

179
00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:53,980
basis for which we have strength and courage because he says to Joshua, I will not leave

180
00:13:53,980 --> 00:13:54,980
you nor forsake you.

181
00:13:54,980 --> 00:13:59,000
So that is the basis for us today, that we have a trust in him that he won't leave us

182
00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:05,720
nor forsake us but also that he has the promises like he does to, like we do today.

183
00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:12,920
He says to Joshua that you are to meditate in it, you are to meditate in the book.

184
00:14:12,920 --> 00:14:18,320
So you are to know the Word of God, you are to know the Word of God and you are to do

185
00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:19,320
it.

186
00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:23,760
In verse 8 he says, this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate

187
00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:30,120
in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.

188
00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:35,980
So the first basis is knowing that God is with you, the second basis is knowing and

189
00:14:35,980 --> 00:14:38,500
trusting in the promises of God.

190
00:14:38,500 --> 00:14:44,120
So when we are in that place, maybe we are on our face, before we can get up as God commanded

191
00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:52,040
Joshua twice to do, before we can rise ourselves up we've got to actually know the promises

192
00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:53,040
of God.

193
00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:58,600
We are in that place of defeat, maybe we are in that place of dismay, we are in that place

194
00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:03,280
of discouragement where we can't actually see the future going forward but we actually

195
00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:06,960
get in that place and we stand on the promises of God.

196
00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:12,280
We actually start to, instead of speaking out negatively, instead of speaking out what

197
00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:17,260
we just see in the natural and just go, oh it's all hopeless, I'm never going to win

198
00:15:17,260 --> 00:15:19,160
at anything, I'm never going to be doing anything.

199
00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:23,640
We actually start speaking the Word and the promises of God over your life, over your

200
00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:24,640
circumstances.

201
00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:31,160
Psalm 55 verse 22, I repeat this one regularly because I love it, it says, Cast your burden

202
00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:35,200
on the Lord and he shall sustain you, he shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

203
00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:40,560
So you are in a place and you've got the heaviness and stress of work, you've got family pressures,

204
00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:45,600
maybe you've got ministry pressures as well, it's all getting too much, in the natural

205
00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:51,360
world it just seems too much and you go, no, I'm not even going to begin to think that

206
00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:56,200
or let alone speak that, I'm going to reject that and I'm going to stand on your faithfulness

207
00:15:56,200 --> 00:16:00,440
Lord, your promise says that if I cast my burden on the Lord that you will sustain me

208
00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:03,400
and you will never allow the righteous to be moved.

209
00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:06,760
So I'm going to stand on that promise, I'm going to stand on the promise of Matthew 28

210
00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:09,120
that you said you would never leave me nor forsake me.

211
00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:13,400
I may feel like I'm alone right now but Lord you promised that you would never leave me

212
00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:15,960
nor forsake me.

213
00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:21,280
I'm going to stand on your faithfulness, I'm going to stand on your promises that you are

214
00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:27,640
going to pull me out of this place that I'm in and it's going to be by faith, it's going

215
00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:35,200
to be by faith that you do that because there's another instance, see Joshua had a victory

216
00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:40,080
in Jericho but the next one became a defeat and we too in the Christian life are going

217
00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:43,800
to have victories but we're also going to have defeats, we're going to have mountaintop

218
00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:51,200
victories, we're going to have valleys and in 1 Kings 19 this is a time when Elijah had

219
00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:59,960
a great victory, God had used him mightily to destroy the altar of Baal, all the prophets

220
00:16:59,960 --> 00:17:07,280
had been shown up that their God was false and there was a mighty move of God in that

221
00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:15,160
place and straight after that, that's the context but the king of that place, Ahab,

222
00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:24,160
told his wife Jezebel all that Elijah had done and it says that Elijah ran for his life

223
00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:29,720
in verse 3 and when he saw that he arose and ran for his life and went to Bathsheba which

224
00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:34,400
belongs to Judah and left his servant there but he himself went a day's journey into the

225
00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:38,280
wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree and he prayed there that he might die

226
00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:46,400
and said, it is enough, now Lord take my life from me no better than my father's. Then as

227
00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:51,280
he lay and slept under a broom tree suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, arise

228
00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:59,160
and eat. See this man Elijah he just had that great victory, the next day or shortly after

229
00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:08,120
he's in a place and he's running for his life into the wilderness and often we can do the

230
00:18:08,120 --> 00:18:13,480
same thing when we're challenged with something and we haven't drawn on God, we haven't stand

231
00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:19,120
firm on his promises, we don't know the promises let alone stand on them that we can actually

232
00:18:19,120 --> 00:18:24,160
flee like Jonah did, like Elijah did, he ran for his life into the wilderness and that

233
00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:33,600
discouragement that he was facing it turned into self-pity and then it turned into hopelessness

234
00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:40,560
because he said, I might die and said it is enough, now Lord take my life from me no better

235
00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:49,440
than my father's. So this man was incredibly destroyed by that word but God raised him

236
00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:57,160
up, God raised him up after that, he fed him and he still had a purpose for him and see

237
00:18:57,160 --> 00:19:03,360
we can, like this man Elijah, we can take refuge when we don't know how to handle situations,

238
00:19:03,360 --> 00:19:08,000
we can take refuge in sleep like Jonah did, he took refuge in sleep, we can take refuge

239
00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:12,160
in food because we just don't know how to deal with it, we just want to numb our senses,

240
00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:17,720
you take refuge in drugs, you can even take refuge in movies, just binge watching movies

241
00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:20,920
just to numb your mind so you don't have to think about what you're challenged with but

242
00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:27,920
today I want to give you what God says because you know we can't do it in our own strength,

243
00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:33,000
it is only through the strength and the courage that God will give you and I that we can actually

244
00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:39,680
walk through every obstacle and every challenge in life that we will too become overcomers

245
00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:43,200
because you and I are overcomers, you may not feel like you're an overcomer but you

246
00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:49,960
are, God said to Joshua, be strong, you might say, I don't feel strong, he didn't say feel

247
00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:55,040
strong he said be strong because it's all by faith, we don't walk by emotions, we don't

248
00:19:55,040 --> 00:20:01,520
walk by feeling, we walk by faith, we walk by faith.

249
00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:10,360
Jesus said in 1 John 5, 4 regarding our faith and overcoming, he said for whatever is born

250
00:20:10,360 --> 00:20:16,960
of God, this is 1 John 5, 4, for whatever is born of God overcomes the world, we are,

251
00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:21,840
that's you and I, we are born of God, we are sons and daughters and this is the victory

252
00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:24,920
that has overcome the world, our faith.

253
00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:30,360
He who overcomes the world, who is he who overcomes the world but he who believes that

254
00:20:30,360 --> 00:20:33,800
Jesus is the Son of God.

255
00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:39,400
So we have great promises that God's given us, we have this word but not only that in

256
00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:48,040
Psalm 27 we actually have the way in which we can walk this out.

257
00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:55,200
In Psalm 27 verse 13, this is the Psalm of David, he said, he began with I would have

258
00:20:55,200 --> 00:21:02,400
lost heart, see we feel like we are being consumed if we don't believe, that's just

259
00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:06,840
so important that we believe, we have the faith.

260
00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:12,320
He said, I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness

261
00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:19,440
of the Lord in the land of the living and he goes on to say, wait on the Lord, be of

262
00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:26,760
good courage and he will strengthen your heart, wait I say on the Lord.

263
00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:33,960
So in that place like David, he said I would have lost heart, he didn't, his remedy was

264
00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:39,520
unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

265
00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:43,480
See God has been so good to us, God has given us not only His Holy Spirit, He's given us

266
00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:48,800
His Word, He's given us His Holy Spirit to speak rema words that we have, we can have

267
00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:58,000
personally, daily, see the goodness of the Lord, the mercy of God will keep us, the goodness

268
00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:04,960
of God is His strength, the goodness of God is to lift us up when we are down in that

269
00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:12,880
pit just like David and he said wait on the Lord, wait on the Lord.

270
00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:20,400
See what we were doing here in worship, that's a beautiful picture of just waiting and worship

271
00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:27,400
and praise, we were just waiting and God's Spirit, His presence was so manifest and we

272
00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:32,840
were just waiting on the Lord, that's what we do at home, waiting because in that place,

273
00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:38,560
in His presence, that's when we are strengthened, that's when we are strengthened and we so

274
00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:44,720
need to be strengthened and we so need to be encouraged.

275
00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:45,900
Where does it come from?

276
00:22:45,900 --> 00:22:48,040
Where does our courage come from?

277
00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:54,720
It's taken courage in knowing that we can trust in God.

278
00:22:54,720 --> 00:23:01,280
That sounds pretty straightforward but we take courage that God will strengthen our

279
00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:07,600
heart, again it's by faith that we come into all that God has given us, all that He's promised

280
00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:08,600
us.

281
00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:16,800
See we don't have to be like Joshua, we can actually walk victoriously, we can walk completely

282
00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:27,040
victoriously regardless of what we are faced with, whatever challenges that come our way,

283
00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:32,080
it might be something in your personal life that no one else knows about but you see when

284
00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:39,880
we actually give it to the Lord and we actually wait on the Lord, we stand on His promises,

285
00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:44,960
they are yes and amen, He then comes in, the Bible says that He arms us with strength and

286
00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:49,200
makes our way perfect, see these are some of the promises that we can stand on, that

287
00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:56,720
we can actually by faith receive instead of speaking words of unbelief, instead of speaking

288
00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:05,020
words of doubt, instead of speaking words of failure, we can say it is well, it is well,

289
00:24:05,020 --> 00:24:10,800
if I'm going through something I just don't choose to speak it out, I just, and I'm not

290
00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:16,040
joking I say it is well, just like I think it's, I forget her name, one of the widows

291
00:24:16,040 --> 00:24:24,640
or in 1 Kings 2, 9, that one, Shunammite woman, it is well, she was suffering horrifically,

292
00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:25,640
how are you?

293
00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:31,960
She said it is well, it is well, that should be the affirming words of our lips because

294
00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:38,720
that is what hope is, it is well, maybe we're facing a challenging situation but it is well,

295
00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:45,440
and you know we are, as Christians we are to put on, the Bible says in what Thessalonians,

296
00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:52,640
as a helmet our salvation, put on as a helmet our salvation, which means our hope or our

297
00:24:52,640 --> 00:25:01,760
salvation it stands or falls with hope and having hope is being optimistic, see being

298
00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:08,960
a pessimist, being a pessimist is a denial of your faith, we don't have the right to be

299
00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:14,360
pessimistic, we have a Jesus who's risen, we have the Holy Spirit who is not only in

300
00:25:14,360 --> 00:25:19,600
us but is with us and upon us, we have the faithfulness of God, we have the promises

301
00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:26,240
of God, there is no chance that we can stand in a place where we are pessimistic because

302
00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:32,100
that completely denials all that Jesus has done, see the Bible says our hope is like

303
00:25:32,100 --> 00:25:39,520
an anchor, when we choose to focus on Jesus instead of our circumstances, He is our hope,

304
00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:44,240
that hope like that anchor that passes through like a boat passes through the anchor, it

305
00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:50,040
goes through the water, that water represents like the world, it's like an unstable element

306
00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:56,320
that it hits rock bottom, it hits the rock, who's the rock? It's Jesus, so although the

307
00:25:56,320 --> 00:26:01,560
boat on the surface might be moving, it's anchored in, that is the hope we have, it's

308
00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:06,240
in Jesus Christ and He says I have overcome the world, you and I have overcome the world

309
00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:14,280
because we are in Him and I think that's good news because we have to guard our minds, we

310
00:26:14,280 --> 00:26:22,800
have to affirm what is true from the Word of God, we cannot afford to speak out what

311
00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:27,680
we see in the natural, in our circumstances, if you're going through something you need

312
00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:31,760
to share that with someone that's fine but you just don't prophesy over your life because

313
00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:35,200
like I said death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it shall

314
00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:45,120
eat of its fruit. So I want to encourage you today that just as God raised up Joshua, just

315
00:26:45,120 --> 00:26:52,920
as He continued to use him despite what happened, that today you can actually be encouraged

316
00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:59,400
that whatever you're facing you don't actually have to receive it, you don't actually have

317
00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:05,360
to be in that place of dismay, despondency, you don't have to rely on your own strength

318
00:27:05,360 --> 00:27:11,960
or your own wisdom or your own resources, you can actually stand on the faithfulness

319
00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:19,200
of God like Joshua did, you can actually rise above your circumstances because you can overcome,

320
00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:25,400
you can overcome every challenge you're facing with, you can overcome, I'm not, God's saying

321
00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:31,440
you can overcome, according to His Word, He says you can overcome. So I believe whatever

322
00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:35,000
you're going through, whatever challenge, whatever ashes you have, God wants to raise

323
00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:42,800
them to defeat, raise them to victory. Wherever you are defeated, God wants to raise you up

324
00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:46,800
but you've got to make a decision, just like God told Joshua, you've got to actually get

325
00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:53,840
up, you cannot lay on your face despondent anymore. So I want to close there but I want

326
00:27:53,840 --> 00:28:03,560
to, I want to finish by saying if you have something that you're struggling with and

327
00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:07,560
you want prayer for that, maybe you're in a place of dismay, maybe you want to come

328
00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:13,160
before God and just release everything to Him, we have a prayer team who will pray for

329
00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:20,860
you if you come forward and know that God will actually lift you up because He's faithful,

330
00:28:20,860 --> 00:28:27,320
He will lift you up out of that place, I know He's done it for me, He's done it for me recently

331
00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:36,040
but you've got to rely on Him, you've got to rely on Him. So Lord I want to thank You

332
00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:39,640
for Your promises, Lord I want to thank You, Lord they are yes and amen, I want to thank

333
00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:45,280
You for Your faithfulness. Lord I thank You that You see every challenge, Lord and You

334
00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:52,880
remember and You see every tear, You see every heart, You see Lord every person's struggles

335
00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:57,160
and Lord I want to thank You Lord that is Your great love for us Lord that You want

336
00:28:57,160 --> 00:29:04,320
to respond to that and minister to that. Lord I'm asking Lord today where people are despondent,

337
00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:09,080
Lord where people are Lord in those ashes, they are in the dust on their face, I'm asking

338
00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:15,560
Lord today, Lord that You would revive them, Lord You would revive them according to Your

339
00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:20,160
Word, Lord those souls that melt from heaviness, I'm asking Lord You would revive them according

340
00:29:20,160 --> 00:29:27,240
to Your Word, Lord those people Lord who are discouraged, I'm asking right now Lord that

341
00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:33,760
You would raise them up, raise them up Lord out of the ashes of defeat, Lord raise them

342
00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:39,080
up to victory, Father God I thank You Lord that each and every one of us here Lord are

343
00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:44,820
overcomers because of what You have done Lord Jesus, we are overcomers Lord and I declare

344
00:29:44,820 --> 00:29:49,680
Lord today every person Lord shall walk out of this room and overcome it, they shall know

345
00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:55,800
Your faithfulness, they shall know Lord that they are Lord in You Lord Jesus and You have

346
00:29:55,800 --> 00:30:01,500
overcome the world, I thank You Lord that no challenge, Lord no challenge shall set

347
00:30:01,500 --> 00:30:10,440
them back, Lord nothing, no mountain, Lord shall befall them but Lord they shall rise,

348
00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:15,120
they shall rise up Lord because Lord You are the God that gives strength, You are the God

349
00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:20,920
that builds courage in us so I ask right now for fresh courage, I ask for fresh hope right

350
00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:24,720
now that You would renew hope in people's minds Lord where they have lost hope, I'm

351
00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:35,280
asking You would renew that hope for every person today and ask it in Jesus' name, Amen.

352
00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:55,320
Come forward if you want someone, one of the prayer team to pray for you, come forward.