FBCPS
Sermons, teachings, and podcasts from First Baptist Church in Powder Springs, Georgia.
FBCPS
How A Godly Man Leads | Joshua 1:13-5:10
What does biblical manhood really look like in a world that's increasingly confused about gender and leadership? Through the life of Joshua, we discover five powerful principles that define godly leadership for fathers, husbands, and men of all ages.
The journey begins with a fundamental truth - you must follow before you can effectively lead. Joshua didn't simply take command; he remembered Moses' words from God and submitted himself first. Real leadership isn't about barking orders or demanding your own way; it's about modeling what it means to follow Jesus so others can see the path.
Through Rahab's surprising story, we learn that God uses imperfect people with messy pasts. Her faith - not her reputation - qualified her for God's redemptive work. This reminds us that leadership isn't about perfection but about believing God's promises and extending the same grace we've received.
When facing the impossible barrier of the flooded Jordan River, Joshua recalled God's past faithfulness at the Red Sea. Yet the waters didn't part until the priests' feet touched the water - teaching us that sometimes we must step into uncertainty before seeing God's provision.
Perhaps most powerfully, Joshua created memorial stones from the riverbed - physical reminders that would prompt future generations to ask, "What do these stones mean?" Godly men live in ways that create stories worth telling, testimonies that connect their families to God's faithfulness.
Finally, Joshua reinstated the Passover celebration that had been neglected for decades, understanding that spiritual disciplines must be both learned and taught. This warns us of the dangerous progression we often see: if grandfather says church is essential but father says it's optional, the son will view it as unnecessary, and the grandson may never know Jesus at all.
Biblical manhood isn't about machismo or dominance. It's about following the ultimate leader - Jesus Christ - and guiding others toward Him through humble, faithful, courageous leadership that points beyond ourselves to the One who makes all things new.
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Put your hands together for all of our fathers, all of our grandfathers, great-grandfathers here in the room, all of our spiritual father figures in here. We wish you all a happy Father's Day. Happy Father's Day to all the dads maybe who were not able to be here or they are just not here with us. Happy Father's Day to absolutely everyone. I want to say a happy Father's Day to my dad, who's in Pensacola, florida, watching this morning. My father-in-law, who is in Crossville, tennessee, my wife's dad he is six foot six I'm praying the cruise gets big like him and then also my grandfathers. Both of my grandfathers are in heaven with Jesus. One more time, for all of our dads, happy Father's Day. We are so thankful for you. We're so thankful for you. There's a common term out there that says dad fail, dad fail, right. How many dads in the room have a dad fail? Raise your hand, I have a dad fail. I've got many dad fails. Just to be honest with you, my first one was probably well, within the first week of being a dad right, I learned what dad fails were all about. I woke up Brooklyn this morning at about 6.45 and got to tell her like hey, brooklyn, you were the one who made me a daddy. Right, she was our first, and so Brooklyn was adopted. So we actually we learned about that. We were able to adopt her two weeks before that she was born and we learned the morning that she was being born that her birth mom had gone into labor. We thought it was going to be another couple of weeks, so we raced to the hospital and we got to be in the delivery room you've heard me say before when she was born, and they handed Brooklyn directly over to us and then we got about three days later we got to take Brooklyn home and I just remember those first few weeks were right. I mean, they were just difficult. They were hard, I mean, especially on my wife. She's doing most of absolutely everything. And I remember one night she was just exhausted and so Brooklyn woke up crying. I said, hey, babe, I got it, I got it. You know, I got this, no problem.
Speaker 1:So I go into the nursery For the first time it was probably night one, two or three somewhere in there and I remember getting little baby Brooklyn and I laid her on the changing pad, like how hard can this be? And so I laid her down and I started changing her diaper and wiping her and all that kind of stuff, and she just pees all over the changing pad I mean just everywhere, right. And so I'm like, all right, that's okay. And I'm coaching her like don't do that again, just wait till your diaper's on Listen to daddy. And I put another. And as I'm changing her up and I'm wiping down the pee pad and all that, starting to put another diaper on her, pees again, pees again. I'm like she's already not listening, obviously. And so I'm feeding her her bottle. I start smelling. I'm like, all right, well, now she's got a poopy diaper.
Speaker 1:And so I put her back on the changing pad right after her bottle and so I take her diaper off and there's all those little bitty newborn you know that poop in there. And I'm thinking, okay, so how do I do this? And you know I've got the diaper in one hand. I'd never changed a baby's diaper before. Diaper in one hand, michelle's sleeping. I've got the wipes in the other hand. So I'm wiping her and I'm trying to put the wipes in the diaper and the diaper had closed on me, like the little tab got stuck, and so I can't put it on. I'm holding Brooklyn like with my elbow and the diaper with the other hand. So I'm thinking, well, the tag is stuck on there, so maybe if I just shake the diaper, maybe if I just shake it, the tab was barely on there, maybe it'll just come off. And I shake the diaper and it happened. A little piece of poop started flying through the air, literally like at my daughter right, and so it's flying at her. I'm thinking Michelle is going to kill me. And so it flies in the air slow motion, and it lands right beside Brooklyn, right beside her, and I'm thinking thank God that did not just land on her, so I get her all cleaned up. And so this was actually the text that I sent her. This is the actual text, you can notice. It says today, 4.55 am. I don't even know what time it is. I'm like, hey, it's 4.30 pm, it's in the afternoon, I don't even know. We're so tired. She drank almost three quarters of her bottle Leftover bottles in the fridge. I changed her diaper Harder poop this time. That's what newborn parents do? We talk about our kids' poop. She peed all over her changing bed twice while I was changing, her Pooped right after I changed in bed Hard poop again, babe. And the poop fell out on the changing table, but everything is wiped down and sanitized, everything's okay. I've got this. I've got it all under control. I've got it all under control.
Speaker 1:So this morning we just want to celebrate fatherhood together and at the same time I want us as a church, as First Baptist Church, powder Springs, I want us to honor biblical manhood together. Because here's the deal. Today the world is asking the question what is a man? And the world is confused. The world doesn't understand what a man is. But the word of God gives us clarity on what biblical manhood is. Can I get an amen? The world may not know which bathroom a man should use, but the word of God is clear how God is calling men to live.
Speaker 1:It seems today like the world is against men, especially men in leadership. I think one reason the world is against men today, the world doesn't honor men, the world doesn't respect men, is this I don't think the world gets to see what godly, biblical manhood is supposed to look like. And that is our job as followers of Jesus that we get to show them the love of God, the Father. We get to show them the love of Jesus, the Son. We get to show them this selfless, sacrificial leadership. It's so interesting on all these kids' cartoons and movies it seems like the dad is always an idiot and the kids are like these brilliant little genius, inventors, and the hamster always saves the day right, and it's like where is the dad? But I want to say thank you to the men in this church.
Speaker 1:I am so thankful for the men in our church, the men of First Baptist Powder Springs, because, men, you are men who are called to be like Jesus. I see you leading your families. I see you loving your families. I see you bringing them to church. I see you in the way in which that you serve. I see you in the way in which that you worship. I see you in the way in which that you get involved in group and in Sunday school. I see you in the way that you serve. I am so thankful that you are being the men that the word of God calls us to be, and often on Mother's Day, it seems like we're building up all the moms and Father's Day we're beating down all the dads, and that's not what we want to do. Dads today, men, today, I pray that you feel empowered. I pray that you feel encouraged. I pray that you feel equipped from the Word of God and what God is calling you to do.
Speaker 1:I want you to remember all the men in the room, that in Genesis, chapter one, the Bible says on the sixth day of creation, god created man. God created man in his image. Why were we created in his image? Because we are called to be like God, our Father, and I wanted you to remind you that God also created woman in his image, but not in the same way that God created man. God created us out of the dust of the ground. God created woman. God created Eve out of the rib of the man. She came from Adam. Why did God create her from his rib? Because our wife is not to be behind us. Our wife is not to be ahead of us. Our wife is to be right beside us so that we can protect her, we can love her and we can provide for her. Can I get an amen? I've heard it said before that God gave Adam three things. He gave Adam a word to obey. God spoke to Adam so that Adam could speak to all of creation. Adam was called to be a prophet like Jesus. God gave Adam a woman to love. God was calling Adam to be a priest like Jesus, and God gave Adam a work to enjoy that he was calling Adam to be a king like Jesus. Calling Adam to be a king like Jesus.
Speaker 1:So this morning I want to preach a message to you that I'm calling how a Godly man Leads. Everybody say lead how a godly man leads. As men, we are called to lead. To lead does not mean to bark out commands. To lead does not mean it's my way or the highway. To lead means this to set the tone in your life and in your home so that others can follow your example, so that you can model the way for other people in how you are called to follow Jesus.
Speaker 1:We're here in this series that is called Follow the Leader and we're looking at the book of Joshua and this morning, as last week, we talked about four verses. This morning I want to walk you through quickly five chapters because I want to give you five quick pictures, five of what leadership looks like for biblical manhood and biblical fatherhood in following the leader. Let's pray, heavenly Father. We pray, god, that you would speak through your word, god. We pray that your will would be done, that you would accomplish in our lives, that you would accomplish in our church, that you would accomplish in our families and that you would accomplish in this community what you purpose from your word. Today, in Jesus' name, we pray and all God's people said amen. Here we go. Number one, number one how a godly man leads is follow and lead. Everybody say follow and lead. Notice, it's not just follow. Men who only follow, they're not leaders. Notice, it's not just lead. If you just lead, then you're just taking a walk and no one's willing to follow you because you yourself are not following someone.
Speaker 1:If you turn in your Bible to Joshua, chapter 1, in Joshua, chapter 1, we see that Joshua was this leader that God called. He was replacing Moses and that God is calling Joshua to now lead his people, the Israelites, some two to three million people. They're on the other side of the Jordan River, looking over the Jordan River, looking at the promised land that God promised them some 500 years prior, and they had been on this wilderness journey for 40 years. And we get to see how Joshua took over the leadership, how he took the command. Now, time out for a second, I'm going to read to you a little bit longer passages of Scripture than I typically do on a Sunday morning because I just want us to look at big pictures. I'm going to move fast, but I don't want you to lose the power of the word of God Just because it's a longer passage. I don't want you to tune out, I want you to dig in, I want you to zone in, because I want you to see and hear the voice of God through his word. Here we go. Joshua.
Speaker 1:Chapter 1, verse 13 says Joshua says to the Israelites remember the word that Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you saying the Lord, your God, is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land. So remember the word God gave Joshua, a word to obey and a word to teach others, just like he gives to us. Verse 14, your wives, your little ones, your livestock, shall remain in the land. Look at how Joshua is calling the men to protect and provide and to love. Their wives and their children Shall remain in the land that Moses gave you, beyond the Jordan. But all the men of valor among you shall pass over arm before your brothers and shall help them until the Lord gives rest to your brothers, as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land. That was the work to enjoy. This was their calling. This is what God was commanding them to do. Go and possess the land that the Lord, your God, is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you. Beyond the Jordan, toward the sunrise.
Speaker 1:Notice how Joshua was following God in order to lead others for God. So when we are leaders, the first thing we do is we don't have all the answers, we don't have all the commands, we don't know all the direction. We have to lead with a godly, biblical, humble humility in order to say God, I don't got this, god, I need you, god, I'm gonna follow you. Leadership is always follow first and lead second. God loves to bless people with leadership who are following him first, and leadership is never about ourselves. Leadership is always self-sacrificial, it's always selfless Because we are following the one that we are leading others to.
Speaker 1:Just yesterday we've got a little exercise room in our house and I was working out and my boy, cruz, two years old. He's just following me around in the workout room and all that type stuff and he's just daddy, daddy, daddy and he wants to do everything that I do. He picked up the other day two seven-pound dumbbells and just threw them as far as he could. I was like that's my boy, right there, let's go. Let seven-pound dumbbells, and just threw them as far as he could. I was like that's my boy, right there, let's go, let's go. And my brother-in-law and my wife's sister is in town and Joey, my brother-in-law, came in the exercise room and he's watching Cruz follow me around and Joey's got a 20-year-old, a 17-year-old and a 15-year-old and he looked at me and he said what do you mean? He said they only follow you around like this for a little while and it got me thinking.
Speaker 1:You know the reason that why do? Why are little kids your best friends, basically until they're 10 or up until their middle school years, or whatever it might be is because they are following us and they are learning to follow Jesus through us. And so the point in being a family, the point in being a dad, the point in being a mom, is that we follow Jesus and we lead them to Jesus, because the point is that they follow Jesus with their own lives. In other words, godly men follow Jesus and lead others to him. Godly men, follow Jesus and lead others to him. My job is not to lead my kids to him. Godly men, follow Jesus and lead others to him. My job is not to lead my kids to me. My job is not my house, my rules. My job is not remember whose last name you have. My job is not you go out and you remember that you're representing me. No, my job is I am constantly pointing them to Jesus to follow him for the rest of their lives, because daddy won't always be around. We need to follow and lead.
Speaker 1:Number two is faith and forgiveness. Everyone just say forgiveness, faith and forgiveness. This is one of the most unique passages of scripture. I wish I had more time to talk about this. Turn to Joshua, chapter 2, or you'll see it on the screen.
Speaker 1:This is a time when Joshua sent two spies over the Jordan River into the promised land and they were to go and spy out all of the land. And they end up at one house and it is actually the house of a prostitute. Her name is Rahab. I do not think that they went to the prostitute's house because they had any sinful intentions. I believe they went to Rahitute's house because they had any sinful intentions. I believe they went to Rahab's house because they could be incognito there. In other words, when men went into the house, nobody asked any questions. So they actually went there to hide out. And I just want to stop for a second and just remember the brokenness that Rahab must have felt, the hopelessness, how she must have felt so used and maybe so ashamed in her life. But something happened.
Speaker 1:Word got out that the Israelites were coming in and what God had been doing through the lives of Israel over the past 40 years. I want you to read. Don't zone out, I want you to zone in. I want you to read Rahab's very words. As a Canaanite prostitute, she said to the men, these spies, I know that the Lord has given you the land and that the fear of you has fallen upon us and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord, your God. He is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. This is fascinating to me.
Speaker 1:Rahab, a prostitute, heard other people discussing what God had been doing in his people, in the Israelites, that they were coming that way. And she is telling the spies. Everyone's been hearing about it and they're melting with fear. But notice, she doesn't sound afraid. She doesn't sound fearful. She sounds faithful. She doesn't sound fearful. It sounds like she is believing. Which is why? Did you know?
Speaker 1:The Old Testament says that Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute, she was saved by faith. You realize that God used her as one of the individuals in Jesus's genealogy. Did you know that the New Testament mentions Rahab more than it mentions Joshua? So what's the point? The point is this she was a Canaanite prostitute and she believed in who God was and what God was doing. And what did God do? God redeemed her life to be able to hide two spies so that they could go free and they could do what God called them to do. And if God can redeem her because of her faith, god can redeem you too.
Speaker 1:I think there are so many people in the church that think I could do nothing for God because of my past, because of my reputation, because of my addiction, because of my record. And you look at the word of God and it is full of sinful people who believe, who have faith, and they are forgiven and their leadership is redeemed. If you are forgiven, then you are redeemable by God for your leadership and you can lead others too. And I love what the word of God says. It says that Rahab and all of her house were saved. Your faith as a leader not only makes a difference in your life. It makes a difference in the lives of others too. God wants you to believe for your salvation because he loves you, but he also wants to use you and your leadership so that he can save others too.
Speaker 1:I saw this stat online that said moms, wives that give their life to Jesus, there is a statistical chance of 18%. 18% chance that the household will all get saved. A kid gets saved, for whatever reason, 22% of the house. 22% chance that everyone gets saved in the home. But if a dad or a husband gets saved, 94% chance. Here's what that tells me.
Speaker 1:There is something that we see in the word of God that is special, that is unique about the leadership of a man and I want to call out right here every dad, every granddad, every great granddad never stop leading your family. I want to tell you right now, if you're not a dad yet, maybe you're a boy, maybe you're a teenager, maybe you're a young adult and God has not allowed you to become married or maybe become a father yet I wanna encourage you you be continuing to grow in Jesus Christ and you keep choosing the word of God over the world, because God has a call on your life, that God wants you to lead the next generation not to sin and not to yourself, but to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He's got something better for you than you could ever have for your life. Can I get an amen? So we are called to follow and to lead. We are called to have faith and to be forgiven. Godly men believe the word of God. We receive the forgiveness of God so that we can extend the grace of God. We don't believe the word of God and get forgiven of God so that we can be a hard, harsh dad or so that we can be a distant grandfather. No, we're given the faith in God and the forgiveness of God, so that we can be that spiritual father figure in our family and we can show them what it looks like to follow Jesus. And we extend the grace of God when people make mistakes, just like we have. We extend the grace of God when people sin, just like we do, and we show them the forgiveness of God because we're able to walk them through when God has forgiven us.
Speaker 1:Number three past and future. Past and future this is fascinating to me. This is Joshua, chapter three. So here they are still, on the other side of the Jordan River. They're overlooking the Jordan River. They've been there since, they've been in this spot since Deuteronomy, and this is the time finally for them to pass over the Jordan. So they pack all their stuff up Two to three million people and they finally walk to the banks of the Jordan River.
Speaker 1:There's only one problem it's flood season. During flood season, the width of the river it could be about 300 feet across. At its farthest point it could be 12 feet deep, which doesn't sound crazy. The problem is, during flood season it is a raging river and with this raging river it can be some 10 mile hour water currents, which equals up to a class three or four whitewater rapid. So here they are, standing at the bank of the river with their kids and their wives and their animals and all their possessions, and it is a raging river and it is impossible to cross.
Speaker 1:It's impossible to cross, but don't you know what God did in the past? He didn't just do it in the past to be done in the past. God did it in the past because he wants to do it again in the future. See, there's something about Joshua was there for the crossing of the Red Sea. He was there for the crossing of the Red Sea so some 40 years ago. So Joshua's now thinking in his mind, 40 years later, which he would never forget if God can part the waters of the Red Sea, and God has called us to cross the Jordan, then God can part the waters of the Jordan River. Just like you get in situations in your life and there seems like there's nowhere out, no way out. It seems insurmountable, it seems impossible, it seems uncrossable. But I want you to know that you can look at what God has done in your past, or in the past of others, or the biblical past, or generations in the past, and what God did in those men, what God did in those dads, what God did in those grandfathers. They weren't any different than you. God doesn't bless special men. God blesses men that keep their eyes on him.
Speaker 1:Joshua, chapter 3, says the Lord said to Joshua Joshua, today I'm going to begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. What's the point? As God was with Joshua, so he will be with you. What's the point? As God was with Joshua, so he will be with you. So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan, with the priest bearing the Ark of the Covenant before the people, and as soon as those bearing the Ark had come as far as the Jordan and this is important the feet of the priest bearing the Ark were dipped into the brink of the water. Now the Jordan overflows all of its banks throughout the time of the harvest, that's the flood season, the waters coming down from above upstream. They could look upstream and the water stopped. The water stood. The waters rose up in a heap very far away and the people passed opposite over from the Jericho. Now the priest bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until the nation had finished passing over the Jordan.
Speaker 1:Put your hands together right now just for the miracles of God. The miracles of God. God loves to lead you into impossible places so that he can show you his power in your life. He doesn't want you to be able to do it, because if you're just able to manufacture and to provide for your own life, then there's no dependence upon him. God loves to bring you to Jordan rivers. He loves to bring you to Red Seas, where it is impossible and only God can part the waters. But notice how God parted the water. He did the same thing in the Red Sea. God didn't part the waters until they went and stepped in.
Speaker 1:There are times that you have got to move forward. You've got to step forward in your obedience, in your faith, in your trust of God. You've got to stand in the waters, not knowing what's about to happen, trusting God, what he's told you to do, even when it doesn't make sense, when it goes against all logic, when it goes against all science, when it goes against all creation, and this I don't know what's about to happen, but I know that God called me to do this and I'm going to do it. And you trust God and you put your feet in the water and you obey him, and God opens the waters and he makes a way in your life. I wanna encourage you, men in a difficult situation right now keep your eyes on Jesus, keep in the word of God, continue to pray to Jesus, continue to seek him, continue to pursue him, continue to gather together as he commands us, to do with the body of Jesus Christ, continue to trust him in the way that you give, in the way that you serve, in all that you do, and watch, when you trust God, even when it doesn't make sense, how God is going to make a way for you too, because you can learn from the past in order to live in the present, for God to provide your future, godly men, learn what God did in the past to believe what God can do in the present, to bring about what God can do in the future. That's why he gave us his word. That's why we have church history, so we can learn from the past and we can obey in the present, so God can provide in the future.
Speaker 1:Number four live and tell, live and tell. Everybody say tell, tell, listen, live and tell. Do you realize? The way you live your life today determines the stories you get to tell in the future. Today determines the stories you get to tell in the future. The way you live your life today determines the stories that you get to tell in the future. They had just crossed over the Jordan. God had just parted the waters. There they are, on the other side, and what was the very first thing that Joshua told them to do? This was an incredible leadership lesson. The very first thing that Joshua told them to do long passage, incredible leadership lesson. The very first thing that Joshua told them to do long passage, zone in. This is the word of God. Let God speak to you.
Speaker 1:Then Joshua called the 12 men from the people of Israel whom he had appointed. He called a man from each tribe, one of 12. And Joshua said to them pass on before the ark of the Lord, your God, into the midst of the Jordan and take up, each of you, a stone from the Jordan River upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel. And Joshua set up 12 stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priest bearing the ark of the covenant had stood, and those stones are there to this day. And so what did Joshua do? Leadership lesson. Joshua said to the people of Israel when your children ask their fathers in the times to come, dad, what do these stones mean? Then you shall let your children know. Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground, for the Lord, your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord, your God, also did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over. Why? So that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty and that you may fear the Lord, your God, forever. I love this leadership lesson.
Speaker 1:Joshua is saying the way in which you live determines the stories you get to tell. And so what Joshua is doing is now that they've trusted God and they went and stood on the banks of the Jordan River and the rivers open, and then, while they're in the river, they get the rocks out of the river and they stack them up 12 huge boulders high to where, whenever they go back down to the rivers of family, whether they're going down to wash their clothes or take a bath or water their animals or go swimming or on a family hike or whatever it might be. And you see these 12 stones out of nowhere stacked up in a river, which is impossible to happen in a river. Dad, what are those stones? And the fathers of the Israelite kids would get to say oh, let me tell you this story. There was a day that God was bringing us out of the wilderness into this land that God promised us, and it was impossible, it was impassable, but we trusted God. He called us to stand on the banks and he opened up the waters and we got to walk across on dry ground as the waters were. He opened up the waters and we got to walk across on dry ground as the waters were heaped up upstream. And that is the God that we serve, a God that parts a sea, the God that parts a river, the God that delivers people from slavery, a God that saves people, a God that gives people land. He is a good God and your daddy loves him and you can serve him too.
Speaker 1:I think it's so important that, as dads, that we all have stories to tell of what God has done in our lives. Dads, you have a salvation story. Tell your kids, granddads, tell your grandkids, tell your family, tell them often, at least once a year. What is your salvation story? How did you give your life to Jesus? Your baptism story when was it that you were baptized? Why were you baptized? How were you baptized? Your sin story what sins have you had in your life that maybe they were impossible to overcome, but God parted the waters and God gave you the power to overcome that sin? Your serve story you can tell your kids, your grandkids, your family, the next generation, the gifts that God has given you and how you use those gifts, not just to make money for yourself or your family, but also how you use those gifts to build the church of Jesus Christ, as the word of God says. Your give story how God says that we're called to give 10% of our income as our tithes and offerings, that we give it gladly to God because he gave us a hundred percent of what we have. These are the truths that we're passing on to the next generation, that we need to be talking about with our kids and our grandkids and others, as we see the kids of the community coming in and we get to tell these stories. But the way that you live your life determines the stories that you get to tell. Godly men, live for God boldly and tell how he's worked powerfully in their life. Lastly, and I'm done, learn and teach, learn and teach, learn and teach. Everybody say teach Very quickly, verse 10,. This is it.
Speaker 1:While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the 14th day of the month in the evening of the plains of Jericho. This sounds incredibly anticlimactic, but we don't understand how huge this is. When God saved Israel, delivered them out of the slavery of Egypt, he gave them a meal to eat together once a year to celebrate what he did in their lives, called the Passover meal. It would be like Good Friday and Easter and the Lord's Supper all wrapped up into one. Do you realize that God gave them this meal 40 years prior? They were supposed to eat it one time a year and they had only done it twice. They did it the first two years and they did not do it the next 38 because of their sin.
Speaker 1:Joshua is the leader that says we are going to obey God, we're going to celebrate God. We're going to honor God, we're going to remember all that God has done in our lives and we're going to do what God called us to do. And so we are going to have this Passover meal together and in the same way as godly men, godly fathers, dads, godly mothers, godly women. What are we ultimately called to do, godly women? What are we ultimately called to do? My goal in life is not to be a great dad. My goal in life is not to be like my dad. My dad's goal in life is not for me to be like him. My goal for my kids are not for them to be like me. My goal is to be like Jesus. My dad's goal is for them to be like me. My goal is to be like Jesus. My dad's goal is for me to be like Jesus. My goal for my kids is for them to be like Jesus.
Speaker 1:And so, in everything that we're doing, as we are following the leader, as we're continuing to follow Jesus together, we're continuing to learn from the word of God and all the things that God is calling us to do so that we can teach them, so that we can show them. I wanna encourage you never stop learning. Never stop learning deeper truths about the gospel so that you can keep teaching others truths about the gospel. And I wanna show you one last point, and I'm done because we see this happening in our culture all the gospel. And I want to show you one last point, and I'm done Because we see this happening in our culture all the time, every day. Grandpa might say church is essential, but if dad says church is optional, then the next generation, the son, says church is unnecessary. And if the son says church is unnecessary, then the grandson will say Jesus, who Just encourage us and remind us that our job, our role, our call over everything else, there are so many things that God calls us to do, but the most important thing is to pass on the gospel of Jesus Christ to the next generation, because following him is what matters most.
Speaker 1:Can I ask us all to bow our heads and close our eyes? Every head bowed, every eye closed. I just want you to focus, just right here, right now, on what is it that God spoke to you about today? Just talk to him. That's what it's all about. Just talk to him. That's what it's all about. Just talk to the Lord and maybe, right here, right now.
Speaker 1:Maybe God is just reaffirming in you, he's just re-empowering you again that all of life is ultimately all about Jesus and we need to orient our lives all around him, center our lives on him, and maybe one of these areas that we talked about this morning you just need to ask God to strengthen you in and right here, right now. I just wanna encourage you that maybe you're here today and maybe you're thinking well, pastor Chip, I can't do that. I can't do that because I haven't given my life to Jesus yet. Well, I want you to know that he loves you so much and he is listening to you right now, and he has already come and he's already died and he's already risen from the dead, and so I just want you to know that if you call on him, the Bible says that he will save you. All he's asking you to do is believe in him, give your life to him, call on him to be the Lord of your life. I can help you with that. Right now.
Speaker 1:You can say something like this to him from your own heart and your own words. You can say dear Jesus. You can say I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. Jesus, I believe that you died on the cross for my sin. Jesus, I believe that you died on the cross for my sin, and, jesus, I ask that you would forgive me of all my sin and you can say Jesus, I believe that you rose from the dead, you're alive and you're real. And so, jesus, I give my life to you.
Speaker 1:And the Bible says that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is your Lord and believe with your heart that God raised him, with your mouth, jesus is your Lord and believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead, jesus, you're my Lord. I believe you rose from the dead. Here's what the Bible says you will be saved. You'll be saved. You say that you believe that you mean that, and he saves you right here, right now, forever, for all of eternity. Jesus, we love you, we thank you and we pray that you would continue to work in every heart and every life that we would follow the leader in Jesus. You're the leader. You're our Lord. In Jesus' name, we pray.