Dreamer: The Promise and Process of a Joshua Generation

Deuteronomy 31:7-8 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. 1- Moses = Our parents generation *See sermon, The Covenant Process (Exodus 6:2-8 outlines the supernatural process by which people receive deliverance) A. They left outright sin (Egypt), but were still wandering in the desert. They were intended to go all the way. (There is no such thing as half-hearted devotion to Christ) i. The wilderness is where we wrestle with identity. (See Jacob/Israel in Genesis 32, Moses in Exodus 2 (He kills an Egyptian for beating his own people), and Exodus 3 (He is sent back to Egypt by The God of your father, Abraham) And, also see Jesus being tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:3 - If you are the Son of God) identity.) ii. The reason they have to wander is because they receive the counsel of carnal/worldlyminded people. (The 10 spies) (They let the world put its fingerprint on what supposed to be Holy.)

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iii. The church has made the mistake of honoring people based for their gifting and their calling, not their consecration. And trying to make the church look like the world, to draw in worldly people, instead of making it look like the Kingdom, to draw Kingdom-hungry people. (I dont have a problem with hip hop or metal being used in ministry. The flaw in what our church is doing is that we have tried to make church evangelistic. It must, by nature, not be evangelistic.) B. He was able to offer the people a saving image of the Christ (The snake on the pole), but, when God began to move in ways that were not in line with what God had once done, he refused to follow (Strike the rock/speak to the rock: Exodus 17/Numbers 20) i. He continued doing what had worked previously, even though God had called him to move in a new way. ii. The image of Christ (the serpent on a rod) alone was not the Israelites full destiny, but to enter the land of promise was--and the image of Christ was one tool by which were able to do that.

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iii. Because of Moses standard, ALL the Israelites had the same tendency to stay anchored in what God had done, as opposed to what God was doing (as evidenced by the fact that, in 2 Kings 18, Hezekiah had to break the bronze serpent, as they had made it an idol) (Nehushtan) (Generational curses) C. Because of his covenant with God, he will be allowed to SEE the promised land, but not live in it.

Dreamer: The Promise and Process of a Joshua Generation

That sets the stage for the next generation 2- Joshua = Our generation A. This is an invitation. (I believe the stage is set, and the Lord has made it available to us, but we must respond in kind to the invitation to become the Joshua Generation) B. A generation whose vision is not swayed by the popular opinion (Even our parents opinion) but the promise of God. (Joshua and Caleb were the 2 of 12 spies who encouraged the Israelites to try to take Canaan.) i. Not being nave to the fact that there are giants in the land, but being aware that, if God has said it, He will surely do it. C. A generation submitted to spiritual authority. (Joshua to Moses Hearts of the sons to the fathers, lest I strike the land with a curse. Curse being: the earth has to wait another generation) D. It is a generation who have cut away the flesh. (Circumcision is a picture of the aggressive destruction of the flesh) (Joshua 5:2 - They re-circumcised the people, in light of the promise.) i Circumcision happens IN PRIVATE. ii. It gives us the ability to love God (Deuteronomy 30:6) iii. IMMEDIATELY after that, the Lord gives Joshua vision for their victory E. A generation committed and willing to lift up their eyes (Joshua 5:13) before they move forward, for the vision of the Lord. i. This is the RIGHT way to approach the problem that Moses had faced earlier (Moses looked to carnally-minded men, and seemingly-insurmountable obstacles, while Joshua lifted His eyes up.) - Prayer -Worship -Meditation F. A generation willing to follow where He leads (Like walking 3 million Jews around a city for a week) regardless of whether it sounds rational or not. ii. We must be people who live from the inside out. (That is, to let the spiritual (The Word of God) determine our emotional (our thought, will, and emotion), which then will have authority to alter the physical)