Future Church - Joshua 5:13-15

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Alright, good morning church. Like Janine just said let's take out our Bibles and turn to

[00:00:06] [SPEAKER_00]: the Old Testament book of Joshua today, Joshua chapter 5 if you turn there in your Bibles.

[00:00:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Last week I wasn't here with you guys. I was

[00:00:16] [SPEAKER_00]: actually attending a service over at a sanctuary Bible Church which I'll talk to you about in a second out in Carmel Valley

[00:00:24] [SPEAKER_00]: but the reason I was taking the Sunday off was because

[00:00:27] [SPEAKER_00]: we took the week last week to drop our daughter Violet off at college and

[00:00:33] [SPEAKER_00]: so that's a very sad time and then I had a couple of classes myself to be taking during that week so

[00:00:37] [SPEAKER_00]: just a lot of stuff going on to where I couldn't put together a teaching for you

[00:00:41] [SPEAKER_00]: but I knew we were gonna be getting into the book of Philippians so I asked Pastor Matt to share from Acts 18 or excuse me

[00:00:48] [SPEAKER_00]: 16 about the birth of the church there in Philippi and he did a great job

[00:00:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Just sort of setting the table for our next series. We're gonna go pretty quickly through the book of Philippians

[00:00:59] [SPEAKER_00]: I think it'll take about eight weeks for me to get through it

[00:01:02] [SPEAKER_00]: And I got a couple of pastors coming in Pastor Jeff and Pastor Matt to teach some slowed down sections of some of the more

[00:01:09] [SPEAKER_00]: powerful parts of

[00:01:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Philippians that you probably know and love and would love to think about more deeply for just a Sunday morning

[00:01:16] [SPEAKER_00]: But we're gonna take about eight weeks to go through Philippians thinking about being a gospel

[00:01:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Advancing community. I think that's what the book of Philippians is all about

[00:01:27] [SPEAKER_00]: It's not just a book about joy or rejoicing

[00:01:30] [SPEAKER_00]: It's not a manual on joy

[00:01:31] [SPEAKER_00]: But it's about the joy that is found when a group of people come together around a common cause and spread the gospel in

[00:01:38] [SPEAKER_00]: The community in which they live so that's we're gonna look at in the book of

[00:01:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Philippians

[00:01:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Together but what I want to do today is I want to take a Sunday to pause and talk about the future of our church

[00:01:53] [SPEAKER_00]: from this text

[00:01:55] [SPEAKER_00]: In Joshua chapter 5 verse 13 to 15 when I was at sanctuary Bible Church this last

[00:02:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Sunday, I wanted to connect with them

[00:02:06] [SPEAKER_00]: They have a new pastor there

[00:02:08] [SPEAKER_00]: And so I wanted to say hello to him make my introduction maybe get together

[00:02:12] [SPEAKER_00]: With him, but they just so happened to be celebrating their 100th anniversary as a church

[00:02:18] [SPEAKER_00]: It was really cool

[00:02:18] [SPEAKER_00]: They had a lot of visitors and everything and I you know, I didn't lie

[00:02:22] [SPEAKER_00]: But they thought I was there because of the 100 year celebration. I'm like I didn't get an email or anything

[00:02:28] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm just here. This is the Lord that brought me here, but it was so cool because as they were celebrating

[00:02:34] [SPEAKER_00]: one of the things that they did is they thought back to previous

[00:02:39] [SPEAKER_00]: iterations and

[00:02:40] [SPEAKER_00]: Generations of their church and I it's actually a local church

[00:02:44] [SPEAKER_00]: It means a lot to me because this church has not always had a physical permanent location

[00:02:50] [SPEAKER_00]: And when I was a child growing up in this church, our church was portable and we

[00:02:55] [SPEAKER_00]: rented schools and movie theaters and things like that and for a long stretch of our life whenever

[00:03:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Christmas Eve would roll around we had a real conundrum because there was no room in the end for us the movie

[00:03:07] [SPEAKER_00]: theaters were showing movies the schools didn't want to rent out on that night so

[00:03:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Sanctuary Bible Church, which was the first Baptist Carmel Valley at that time

[00:03:18] [SPEAKER_00]: They would open up their doors to us every Christmas Eve and they would conjoin services

[00:03:23] [SPEAKER_00]: They would actually share the platform with the people from our church so that we would have a place to worship Jesus on

[00:03:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Christmas Eve so that church in other words just means a lot to me

[00:03:33] [SPEAKER_00]: I grew up going to school with the pastors kids at Pacific Grove High School

[00:03:38] [SPEAKER_00]: So I I loved that church and as they were celebrating all these previous iterations of the church

[00:03:44] [SPEAKER_00]: They were just thanking God thanking God for decisions and

[00:03:50] [SPEAKER_00]: faithfulness

[00:03:52] [SPEAKER_00]: consecration

[00:03:53] [SPEAKER_00]: that previous generation sometimes a hundred eighty

[00:03:59] [SPEAKER_00]: sixty years ago had made

[00:04:02] [SPEAKER_00]: for their current

[00:04:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Moment trying to bring the gospel to a lost and dying world and as I was just sitting there

[00:04:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Taking in this service. I couldn't help

[00:04:13] [SPEAKER_00]: But think as I often do about the future of our church of our congregation

[00:04:19] [SPEAKER_00]: We're not quite a hundred years old at this time. We are 46 years old

[00:04:24] [SPEAKER_00]: we're creeping up to our 50th birthday in a few years and

[00:04:29] [SPEAKER_00]: By God's grace, I hope that we will one day celebrate a

[00:04:33] [SPEAKER_00]: 100 year birthday as a church if Jesus decides to delay his return

[00:04:40] [SPEAKER_00]: Now the reality is that most of us in this room will not be here for that 100 year birthday party

[00:04:46] [SPEAKER_00]: We might be rejoicing from heaven

[00:04:48] [SPEAKER_00]: There might be a handful of four and five year olds that maybe they'll make it out to that celebration in fifty four years

[00:04:55] [SPEAKER_00]: From now

[00:04:56] [SPEAKER_00]: But my hope and prayer is that that generation or iteration of our church

[00:05:03] [SPEAKER_00]: Celebrates the faith and faithfulness of this generation of the church

[00:05:08] [SPEAKER_00]: And that's what I wanted to talk to you about today now

[00:05:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Thinking about the next 50 years of our church might be a little long range for some of you

[00:05:18] [SPEAKER_00]: So let's condense it down to the next 10

[00:05:21] [SPEAKER_00]: What are some of the things that the Lord might want to do in our midst during the next 10 years from 2025 to 2035?

[00:05:30] [SPEAKER_00]: I believe we have an opportunity to make a great impact and do some incredible things in the making of

[00:05:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Jesus famous sharing the gospel through the world to the world in which we live

[00:05:42] [SPEAKER_00]: But before we talk about plans and this is not what this message is about

[00:05:46] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not gonna come up here today and tell you this is what we're doing over the next 10 years

[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_00]: What I'm doing today. This is basically an invitation ever get an invitation to something

[00:05:55] [SPEAKER_00]: You know maybe in your email inbox or coming to you in your mailbox and invitation you open it up

[00:06:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Here's the invitation that I want to give to you today. I want to invite you

[00:06:04] [SPEAKER_00]: To join me and the rest of our pastoral team in praying

[00:06:10] [SPEAKER_00]: intelligently and

[00:06:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Unitedly for the next 10 years of our church's life in the month of October

[00:06:15] [SPEAKER_00]: That's really what this message is about and I want to help prime you for that season of prayer

[00:06:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Through this message in the book of Joshua now

[00:06:26] [SPEAKER_00]: I just want to admit and if you've been around this church for any period of time, you know that this is really unlike me

[00:06:32] [SPEAKER_00]: If you know me at all, you know that I am very uncomfortable right now. Okay, this is not this is not my sweet spot

[00:06:40] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm a Bible guy, you know when I was 18 years old

[00:06:43] [SPEAKER_00]: I heard the voice of the Lord say I've not called you to those other things

[00:06:46] [SPEAKER_00]: I've called you to teach the word and I've been trying to devote my life to that for the last 28 years or so

[00:06:53] [SPEAKER_00]: So that's what I love to do. I love to pick a book of the Bible. I love to wrestle with it

[00:06:57] [SPEAKER_00]: I love to to process it and I love to communicate it to you guys

[00:07:02] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm gonna do that in the book of Philippians and then we're just gonna keep going

[00:07:06] [SPEAKER_00]: Throughout these various books of the Bible. That's what I love to do. I don't think of myself

[00:07:11] [SPEAKER_00]: really as a dynamic leader. I don't think of myself as

[00:07:16] [SPEAKER_00]: CEO of a church who needs to broadcast some kind of

[00:07:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Dynamic vision or something like that and I'm making it sound like I'm very

[00:07:24] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm making it sound very altruistic, but it's just like it's just not my nature my impulse is the proclamation

[00:07:33] [SPEAKER_00]: of God's word and

[00:07:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Messages like these can be uncomfortable for me

[00:07:38] [SPEAKER_00]: Partly because they're embarrassing and partly because I feel a low level of guilt and embarrassing

[00:07:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Because I know that whatever I say we're gonna do in the future

[00:07:48] [SPEAKER_00]: We won't do exactly that in the future like it never works out

[00:07:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Exactly like you think it's going to work out the mind of man plans his way

[00:07:57] [SPEAKER_00]: But the Lord directs his step so for instance one of the last times I did this in 2018

[00:08:03] [SPEAKER_00]: I stood up I said hey, you know the church is growing and we're in another one of those growth phases right now

[00:08:08] [SPEAKER_00]: but at that time the church is growing and

[00:08:11] [SPEAKER_00]: We would like to continue to expand and

[00:08:15] [SPEAKER_00]: But there's some things we need to do first

[00:08:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Here's our five-year punch list and let's get after it

[00:08:21] [SPEAKER_00]: And we started punching out some of the things on that list and then 2020 hit and we just burnt the list

[00:08:27] [SPEAKER_00]: You know it's just like it's gone in the shredder burnt destroyed

[00:08:32] [SPEAKER_00]: What was even the plan? We don't even know anymore

[00:08:34] [SPEAKER_00]: You know it's just like it just what we said just didn't come to pass or

[00:08:38] [SPEAKER_00]: To take something a little smaller and more recent at the end of or at the middle of 2023

[00:08:45] [SPEAKER_00]: a

[00:08:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Year and a half ago. We had a smaller church gathering and I just shared with those of you who were interested that we were going

[00:08:52] [SPEAKER_00]: to be doing a

[00:08:53] [SPEAKER_00]: refurbishment and minor touch up of some of the key spaces in our church because we just needed to be good stewards a

[00:09:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Few different plans and stuff like that. I'll be honest with you in my mind

[00:09:03] [SPEAKER_00]: I thought it would take I don't know four or five months to finish it all and you guys have noticed

[00:09:08] [SPEAKER_00]: We're a year and a half out and we still haven't gotten all the way to this part of the building

[00:09:11] [SPEAKER_00]: We're getting there. We're seeing some great progress

[00:09:14] [SPEAKER_00]: You're seeing some of our dust and funky temporary walls and stuff like that

[00:09:18] [SPEAKER_00]: But I'm excited about the future, but it's just it can be a little bit embarrassing, but I just have to get over that

[00:09:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Have to get over that. It's not about me

[00:09:25] [SPEAKER_00]: The Lord has his things that he's doing so I'm gonna push past that but the guilt thing has probably been the hardest for me

[00:09:32] [SPEAKER_00]: because

[00:09:34] [SPEAKER_00]: The reality is we get this one little time each week to come together to worship God together

[00:09:41] [SPEAKER_00]: praise his name and

[00:09:43] [SPEAKER_00]: We come in here with all these pains and

[00:09:46] [SPEAKER_00]: hurts and issues and

[00:09:49] [SPEAKER_00]: dilemmas and

[00:09:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Questions and things that we need wisdom about in our own lives

[00:09:55] [SPEAKER_00]: I feel guilty popping up here as a pastor and talking to you about the

[00:09:59] [SPEAKER_00]: dilemmas and hurts and issues and areas that the church needs

[00:10:06] [SPEAKER_00]: Wisdom in when I know that you have those needs in your own life and in your own heart, but I

[00:10:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Can push past that feeling of guilt when I think about what it is that I'm inviting you into

[00:10:18] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm inviting you into the greatest

[00:10:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Mission that has ever been given to anyone at all time in the entire face of the earth

[00:10:29] [SPEAKER_00]: and I know that this mission has a way of

[00:10:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Reordering our priorities our values our way of doing human life that is good for us not hurtful to us

[00:10:41] [SPEAKER_00]: And so in one sense

[00:10:43] [SPEAKER_00]: I know that our own personal burdens issues questions needs for wisdom and all of that

[00:10:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Fall in line quite often when we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness

[00:10:56] [SPEAKER_00]: And then all these things as Jesus said are added unto us

[00:11:00] [SPEAKER_00]: So I'm gonna push past the embarrassment

[00:11:02] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm gonna push past the guilt and I'm gonna preach to you a little message about the future of our church

[00:11:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, so that was my little preamble just to make myself feel better about this today

[00:11:13] [SPEAKER_00]: So I'm just gonna I should probably get on with it. Okay, so the text I've selected comes from the book of Joshua chapter 5

[00:11:22] [SPEAKER_00]: It's one of my most loved

[00:11:25] [SPEAKER_00]: Bible passages

[00:11:27] [SPEAKER_00]: God has used it to shape my life in some significant ways

[00:11:33] [SPEAKER_00]: And it comes from the life of a man named Joshua

[00:11:37] [SPEAKER_00]: That's the name of the book

[00:11:39] [SPEAKER_00]: He is the leader who replaced Moses

[00:11:44] [SPEAKER_00]: and was tasked with bringing God's people into

[00:11:48] [SPEAKER_00]: The land of promise God had told Abraham then reaffirmed Isaac and Jacob and the 12 tribes

[00:11:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Centuries earlier one day you're gonna go into the land of Canaan. That's your land the people there

[00:11:59] [SPEAKER_00]: They're rebelling against me a time of judgment is gonna come and when it comes

[00:12:04] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm gonna bring you into that space

[00:12:08] [SPEAKER_00]: And at the point that we pick up this story they have marched as a massive congregation

[00:12:14] [SPEAKER_00]: To the land of promise God has

[00:12:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Held back the waters of the Jordan River. They've crossed into the land

[00:12:21] [SPEAKER_00]: So now they're in the land and the water has closed behind them

[00:12:26] [SPEAKER_00]: It's kind of like a there's only one way to go

[00:12:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Moment for the people of Israel. They've got to move forward and the first

[00:12:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Major obstacle is this walled fortress of a city called Jericho

[00:12:41] [SPEAKER_00]: What are they gonna do with this city now?

[00:12:44] [SPEAKER_00]: I do want to just mention because some of these Old Testament passages can be delicate for some of us in that

[00:12:51] [SPEAKER_00]: We wonder about God's judgment upon the Canaanite people and I don't have time today to unpack that

[00:12:59] [SPEAKER_00]: For the amount of time that it deserves

[00:13:03] [SPEAKER_00]: But I would refer you to a very recent study that I gave

[00:13:06] [SPEAKER_00]: On the plagues in exodus chapter 6 through 10 you can find that where we release audio and video

[00:13:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Where we spent some time thinking about that subject, but suffice it to say God had given

[00:13:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Every inhabitant of the land decades if not

[00:13:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Centuries to repent and submit to his plans plans that he made very public

[00:13:30] [SPEAKER_00]: through what he did to Pharaoh and

[00:13:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Egypt

[00:13:35] [SPEAKER_00]: Only 40 years before this episode, but still they refused to soften to God's obvious

[00:13:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Will and plans and so the book of Joshua unfolded the way that it is

[00:13:48] [SPEAKER_00]: But but but that's not my reason for selecting this text

[00:13:50] [SPEAKER_00]: My reason for choosing it is for the parallels

[00:13:53] [SPEAKER_00]: I find in it between

[00:13:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Joshua's experience the people of Israel's experience and our own experience

[00:14:00] [SPEAKER_00]: And I want to look at his story to help us figure out how to enter more fully into God's story for our church and family

[00:14:07] [SPEAKER_00]: So let's let's read it together. Joshua chapter 5 verse 13

[00:14:12] [SPEAKER_00]: It says when Joshua was by Jericho

[00:14:15] [SPEAKER_00]: He lifted up his eyes and looked and behold

[00:14:19] [SPEAKER_00]: A man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand

[00:14:25] [SPEAKER_00]: And joshua went to him and said are you for us or for our adversaries and he said

[00:14:32] [SPEAKER_00]: No

[00:14:33] [SPEAKER_00]: But I am the commander of the army of the lord now

[00:14:37] [SPEAKER_00]: I have come

[00:14:39] [SPEAKER_00]: Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him

[00:14:45] [SPEAKER_00]: What does my lord say to his servant?

[00:14:48] [SPEAKER_00]: And the commander of the lord's army said to joshua take off your sandals from your feet

[00:14:55] [SPEAKER_00]: For the place where you are standing is holy

[00:14:59] [SPEAKER_00]: And joshua

[00:15:00] [SPEAKER_00]: did so

[00:15:01] [SPEAKER_00]: and one of the first things I want to point out to you from this passage is

[00:15:06] [SPEAKER_00]: And and something that I get from it that helps me

[00:15:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Consider the time that we're in as a church is is just this and I'll explain it in a moment

[00:15:13] [SPEAKER_00]: But I think number one we need to acknowledge the new day that we're in we need to acknowledge the new day that we're in

[00:15:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Let me explain to you the new day that joshua was in

[00:15:23] [SPEAKER_00]: The text starts with a simple line. It says and joshua

[00:15:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Was by Jericho. This is not the first time that the that the city of Jericho is mentioned in the bible

[00:15:33] [SPEAKER_00]: I think it's the 12th time that Jericho is mentioned in the bible up to this point

[00:15:39] [SPEAKER_00]: But the word by is never with the word Jericho until now

[00:15:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Up to this point god has been talking about Jericho

[00:15:47] [SPEAKER_00]: He's been telling them. Yes, you will cross into the promised land

[00:15:51] [SPEAKER_00]: You will cross into the land of canaan and I will deliver

[00:15:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Jericho into your hands, but it was always something that was future

[00:16:01] [SPEAKER_00]: In a one day we're gonna have to deal with Jericho one day

[00:16:04] [SPEAKER_00]: We'll come face to face with Jericho one day will be up against that massive walled city

[00:16:10] [SPEAKER_00]: But that day is not today. They could have said up to this point

[00:16:13] [SPEAKER_00]: But now they've crossed the Jordan river and for the first time

[00:16:17] [SPEAKER_00]: One of god's people one of god's leaders

[00:16:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Is by

[00:16:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Jericho

[00:16:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Just standing there looking at in the face wondering

[00:16:28] [SPEAKER_00]: How are we going to defeat this impressive and impossible foe?

[00:16:35] [SPEAKER_00]: And I believe that this presented a new

[00:16:38] [SPEAKER_00]: Wrinkle of challenge and pressure

[00:16:42] [SPEAKER_00]: in joshua's life

[00:16:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Joshua at this point you need to know this

[00:16:46] [SPEAKER_00]: You know sometimes we forget this because the book of joshua starts with these like

[00:16:50] [SPEAKER_00]: These speeches where over and over again god tells him be strong and courageous and we imagine him as this

[00:16:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Young man just getting started in leadership, but he's an old dude at this point

[00:17:01] [SPEAKER_00]: He was one of the original 12 spies who 40 years earlier believed god

[00:17:07] [SPEAKER_00]: So he's aged his buddy. Caleb is in his 80s

[00:17:12] [SPEAKER_00]: joshua is an experienced man. He has

[00:17:15] [SPEAKER_00]: wartime experience

[00:17:17] [SPEAKER_00]: He's won victories over

[00:17:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Places like the amalekites or people groups like the amalekites

[00:17:23] [SPEAKER_00]: He's worshiped god at the tabernacle after moses would leave it the bible says that moses

[00:17:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Taught him trained him

[00:17:32] [SPEAKER_00]: You would imagine for those 40 years and the bible says in deuteronomy that joshua was a man with incredible

[00:17:40] [SPEAKER_00]: Wisdom from god in other words. This is not a newbie

[00:17:45] [SPEAKER_00]: He's not brand new at this. He's experienced. He has wisdom. He's made incredible decisions

[00:17:51] [SPEAKER_00]: The hand of god is upon his life, but he's trying to figure this out

[00:17:56] [SPEAKER_00]: How do we move forward? I've never been

[00:18:00] [SPEAKER_00]: He would say by jericho until today and it was a new day

[00:18:06] [SPEAKER_00]: It was a new day. First of all, it was a new generation

[00:18:10] [SPEAKER_00]: That whole generation that had disbelieved they had died in the wilderness

[00:18:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Just as god had said and their children rose up to take their place

[00:18:19] [SPEAKER_00]: It's a new generation

[00:18:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Of people and with the waters of the jordan closing behind them it communicated

[00:18:28] [SPEAKER_00]: It's a new day. You're not wandering in the wilderness anymore

[00:18:32] [SPEAKER_00]: You're moving forward into the land of promise and right before this little episode that we just read together

[00:18:39] [SPEAKER_00]: The men in israel

[00:18:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Recalled the ancient covenant that god had made with abraham

[00:18:46] [SPEAKER_00]: Of circumcision and they circumcised themselves as a way to say we have

[00:18:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Long forgotten to be set apart to you god

[00:18:54] [SPEAKER_00]: But now we're consecrating ourselves to you in a brand new way because

[00:19:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Of the new day and if all of that had not communicated the newness

[00:19:05] [SPEAKER_00]: Of this moment the manna that they had eaten for nearly 40 years

[00:19:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Seized to be supplied in the morning after they arrived in the promised land

[00:19:16] [SPEAKER_00]: It was as if god was saying to them. Look, i've taken care of you for 40 years that way

[00:19:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Now you got to go out and get it

[00:19:25] [SPEAKER_00]: You got to find your own food. You got to plant your own crops. You got to build your own vineyards

[00:19:30] [SPEAKER_00]: You got to do your own thing because i'm providing for you in a new way in giving you this land

[00:19:37] [SPEAKER_00]: In all these ways, it was a new day

[00:19:40] [SPEAKER_00]: For joshua and israel and i believe

[00:19:45] [SPEAKER_00]: That we could acknowledge that it is a new day for our church

[00:19:51] [SPEAKER_00]: as well

[00:19:52] [SPEAKER_00]: First of all, there's something new

[00:19:56] [SPEAKER_00]: I believe at least this might just be my impression but others are born witness to this

[00:20:02] [SPEAKER_00]: There's something new just about the culture the society the time that we're in

[00:20:09] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean the the just something that feels different the animus

[00:20:14] [SPEAKER_00]: The division the confusion the hard-heartedness the pain

[00:20:19] [SPEAKER_00]: That knowing sense that humanity is not functioning well right now

[00:20:25] [SPEAKER_00]: That has just increased in previous years. I'm not saying that it's a new sense, but it's a heightened sense

[00:20:33] [SPEAKER_00]: It seems

[00:20:35] [SPEAKER_00]: And what I want to say here is that to me that presents the church with a new day opportunity

[00:20:41] [SPEAKER_00]: i was talking to one

[00:20:44] [SPEAKER_00]: og christian yesterday

[00:20:46] [SPEAKER_00]: You know that means they're really old and

[00:20:50] [SPEAKER_00]: They've been around for a long time and they can remember

[00:20:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Back in the 70s when the spirit broke out and lots of people who were part of the counter cultural

[00:20:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Revolution and world heard the gospel and gave their lives to christ

[00:21:04] [SPEAKER_00]: And what they said to me was they said

[00:21:07] [SPEAKER_00]: It has never felt closer to that moment

[00:21:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Than right now

[00:21:14] [SPEAKER_00]: There's a new day. There's an opportunity the gospel is still the answer

[00:21:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Right, so

[00:21:19] [SPEAKER_00]: There's a newness there, but I think also

[00:21:23] [SPEAKER_00]: I perceive a fresh work of the spirit occurring in our midst as well

[00:21:28] [SPEAKER_00]: There's something new

[00:21:29] [SPEAKER_00]: You know god is still

[00:21:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Reaching people we're still watching people enter into the kingdom. We're still seeing people get baptized

[00:21:39] [SPEAKER_00]: We're still seeing the gospel break into a hard community

[00:21:44] [SPEAKER_00]: You know and we're like most churches we've endured a lot over these

[00:21:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Past few years, but god has made himself known to us

[00:21:53] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm so excited right now. We've got a new generation of christ-loving

[00:21:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Bible honoring spirit empowered pastors being developed in our church that that to me speaks future like god is not done

[00:22:06] [SPEAKER_00]: And though not every single christian in this larger

[00:22:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Monterey Peninsula Salinas Valley context will vibe with what's happening here at Calvary Monterey and nor should they

[00:22:17] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm glad for a plurality of churches god has given us in our larger context a good reputation

[00:22:26] [SPEAKER_00]: As a church that though not perfect has held high the word of god has held high the gospel and has remained faithful

[00:22:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Over the years we're a jesus loving cross centered bible believing and honoring fellowship

[00:22:41] [SPEAKER_00]: So jesus, I just don't think is done with this church. He's got plans for it for years to come

[00:22:47] [SPEAKER_00]: But one last reason why I think it's a new day for us as a church and just bear with me on this one

[00:22:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Our church has only developed about half

[00:22:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Of the land and used half of the water

[00:23:02] [SPEAKER_00]: That's at our disposal

[00:23:04] [SPEAKER_00]: We have enough water credits right now to essentially double our building space

[00:23:10] [SPEAKER_00]: And enough land to house even more. This is not news. This has been true since 2008 when we had

[00:23:19] [SPEAKER_00]: a miraculous moment

[00:23:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Where we were gifted water credits for future expansion. It was like they said it would not happen

[00:23:28] [SPEAKER_00]: And it happened. Okay. It was just a beautiful moment where god

[00:23:32] [SPEAKER_00]: Was at work

[00:23:34] [SPEAKER_00]: But what is news

[00:23:36] [SPEAKER_00]: Is that we have an expiration date attached

[00:23:40] [SPEAKER_00]: To that future water not the water we currently use we're safe. We can use this building forever

[00:23:46] [SPEAKER_00]: But future expansion we have to put they say a shovel in the ground by october

[00:23:53] [SPEAKER_00]: 2027

[00:23:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Now to me

[00:23:57] [SPEAKER_00]: What this does is it to me puts us on the other side of the jordan river

[00:24:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Waiting for god to show us

[00:24:05] [SPEAKER_00]: His plans for us as a fellowship

[00:24:08] [SPEAKER_00]: And i'll be honest with you this has been probably for me like that ticking clock has been for me one of the biggest

[00:24:15] [SPEAKER_00]: burdens for me to

[00:24:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Just shoulder it's like just been on my heart is i can't

[00:24:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Get away from that feeling like there i've been had so many times i think i mentioned a couple services ago

[00:24:25] [SPEAKER_00]: Where i've just wished that this

[00:24:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Facility was just like in downtown monoray where there was no land

[00:24:32] [SPEAKER_00]: No way we could do anything else because i am so thankful to god for what he has blessed us with

[00:24:39] [SPEAKER_00]: But i feel a responsibility

[00:24:41] [SPEAKER_00]: Because i know that the church in this region

[00:24:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Will only own so much land and so much water credits and we have to be good stewards with what god has given to us

[00:24:52] [SPEAKER_00]: But the there's a question mark about it god. What do you want us to do?

[00:24:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Like joshua in his era. We are also

[00:25:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Limited he was limited militarily and we are limited in so many different ways

[00:25:07] [SPEAKER_00]: You know sometimes people ask me like how are the finances in the church?

[00:25:11] [SPEAKER_00]: this is a hard time that our

[00:25:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Nation is going through people are hurting in lots of ways. How's the church doing and you know god has been so faithful to us

[00:25:20] [SPEAKER_00]: I hate talking about money

[00:25:22] [SPEAKER_00]: I never talk about money like we used to pass a bag during the worship services

[00:25:26] [SPEAKER_00]: And like that was the first thing to go when coveted i'm like we never have to do that anymore

[00:25:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Like we could just put a slide up there for like six seconds

[00:25:33] [SPEAKER_00]: And maybe they'll see it you know and do stuff like that and like

[00:25:36] [SPEAKER_00]: I want god to lead you and for you to be as generous as god wants you to be but

[00:25:41] [SPEAKER_00]: You know basically like he's just steadily provided for us

[00:25:45] [SPEAKER_00]: But the fact of the matter is and this is how i say it to help people understand we're basically

[00:25:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Experiencing 2018 giving with 2024 expenses

[00:25:57] [SPEAKER_00]: So we're you know, we have to be wise and figure things out

[00:25:59] [SPEAKER_00]: You probably are experiencing the same thing in your own life and in your own home. It's just the reality of life

[00:26:06] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not complaining about it. It's just the reality. And so

[00:26:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Here I feel looking at this land and this water just going god. What is it that you're doing?

[00:26:15] [SPEAKER_00]: We need your wisdom. We need your grace now. We do have some incredible options in front of us

[00:26:23] [SPEAKER_00]: I would go so far as to say they might even be miraculous options

[00:26:27] [SPEAKER_00]: And that's what I want to talk with you about next sunday night

[00:26:31] [SPEAKER_00]: When we have our first prayer meeting at five o'clock here in this sanctuary

[00:26:35] [SPEAKER_00]: We'll also record it for those of you for whom that is inconvenient so that you can

[00:26:40] [SPEAKER_00]: Get the cliff notes video or audio version of it because I want us to pray

[00:26:45] [SPEAKER_00]: intelligently and unitingly throughout the month of october

[00:26:49] [SPEAKER_00]: But if we took the time to read on in joshua's story

[00:26:55] [SPEAKER_00]: We discover how god gave him a wild plan for defeating jericho

[00:27:03] [SPEAKER_00]: It's I think the kind of divine wisdom

[00:27:07] [SPEAKER_00]: That we are in need of right now

[00:27:10] [SPEAKER_00]: That direction that guidance god. What is it that you're wanting to do?

[00:27:14] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean basically what the lord told joshua. He said hey

[00:27:17] [SPEAKER_00]: I want you to get the people the whole congregation and walk around jericho once a day for six days

[00:27:25] [SPEAKER_00]: And then on the seventh day walk around it seven times

[00:27:29] [SPEAKER_00]: And then after the seventh time blow some trumpets and shout that was the whole plan

[00:27:35] [SPEAKER_00]: God actually didn't even tell him what would happen after can you imagine me and joshua going back with that plan?

[00:27:41] [SPEAKER_00]: Like hey guys, I got it. I saw

[00:27:44] [SPEAKER_00]: The angel of the lord we had a conversation. He gave me the plan like what is it?

[00:27:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Well, we're gonna like walk and so be like a parade kind of

[00:27:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Once a day for six days and on the seventh day wait for it

[00:27:58] [SPEAKER_00]: We're gonna walk around seven times that day

[00:28:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Then we're gonna blow trumpets and we're gonna shout

[00:28:05] [SPEAKER_00]: And then like what's gonna happen after that joshua. I don't know I left at that point

[00:28:09] [SPEAKER_00]: I was so excited to get the plan. I don't really know what's gonna happen

[00:28:13] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if we're gonna fight if god's gonna fight. I don't know what's gonna happen

[00:28:16] [SPEAKER_00]: But that's what god told us to do. I just love it. I love it. I love that. I mean it just

[00:28:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Different it was a obviously a victory that at the end of it everyone would say god gets the credit

[00:28:28] [SPEAKER_00]: The glory the honor the praise because there was no human ingenuity involved

[00:28:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, the second thing though that I want you to see is not only

[00:28:38] [SPEAKER_00]: That this is a new day, but I want to help you recognize that the mission that we're on as a church is critical

[00:28:44] [SPEAKER_00]: The mission is critical. There's joshua

[00:28:47] [SPEAKER_00]: No obvious next moves to make

[00:28:51] [SPEAKER_00]: And everything seems like impossible

[00:28:56] [SPEAKER_00]: But the story takes this vital turn

[00:29:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Joshua it says in verse 13 lifts his eyes

[00:29:03] [SPEAKER_00]: And behold there's this man there with his sword drawn

[00:29:07] [SPEAKER_00]: And joshua says to him

[00:29:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Ask him are you for us or are you for our adversaries?

[00:29:13] [SPEAKER_00]: You know, I think i'm reading into it a little bit, but there I think there's a little bit of like

[00:29:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Hey, yo, I didn't tell anyone to get their swords out. So

[00:29:22] [SPEAKER_00]: What are you doing? You know kind of thing he's like, who are you? What are you doing?

[00:29:26] [SPEAKER_00]: And in asking this question the man replied in verse 14

[00:29:30] [SPEAKER_00]: No, but I am the commander of the army of the lord

[00:29:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Now I have come the man is making himself very clear. I don't belong to you

[00:29:39] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't belong

[00:29:41] [SPEAKER_00]: to them

[00:29:43] [SPEAKER_00]: I belong

[00:29:44] [SPEAKER_00]: To yaoi

[00:29:45] [SPEAKER_00]: I lead his armies

[00:29:47] [SPEAKER_00]: And I am now here to fight a battle that he is very interested

[00:29:52] [SPEAKER_00]: in winning

[00:29:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Now this would throw joshua into worship and we'll think about that last but for our purposes

[00:30:00] [SPEAKER_00]: I want to pause to ask a question. Why was the commander

[00:30:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Of yaoi's army so interested in jericho in the first place

[00:30:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Why is he there? Why is there this experience this moment this appearance? Why is he there for this one?

[00:30:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Now you could say that maybe part of the reason that he's there is because

[00:30:21] [SPEAKER_00]: The canaanite people have become as I said earlier in the teaching ripe for judgment

[00:30:26] [SPEAKER_00]: He had promised this many years earlier

[00:30:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Given them centuries to correct their behavior, but their society had decayed to the point

[00:30:36] [SPEAKER_00]: That it was cancerous to the world and it was time

[00:30:39] [SPEAKER_00]: For that judgment to be experienced. Maybe that's what's happening

[00:30:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe as well

[00:30:45] [SPEAKER_00]: There's an apologetic here or a way that god is trying to communicate to the world who he is through

[00:30:54] [SPEAKER_00]: The life and times of the people of israel

[00:30:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Now god had told abraham

[00:31:01] [SPEAKER_00]: That through you all the nations of the earth are going to be blessed. I'm going to give you a people

[00:31:05] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to give you a land. You're going to become a great nation

[00:31:08] [SPEAKER_00]: And so perhaps this is one of god's general revelation things that he does where as people are scanning

[00:31:16] [SPEAKER_00]: humanity kind of asking is there a god?

[00:31:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Why do we exist? What do we exist for?

[00:31:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Why is there all this evil? How do we solve it? Is they're asking those questions?

[00:31:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe they're supposed to look around and one of the clues that they're supposed to see along with general

[00:31:32] [SPEAKER_00]: Revelation and creation is to look at the people of israel and go

[00:31:36] [SPEAKER_00]: There's something different there

[00:31:38] [SPEAKER_00]: And why are we all fussing about that group and that piece of land and all of that and maybe maybe it

[00:31:44] [SPEAKER_00]: meant to catch people's attention, but so I don't know if those are some of the reasons why the commander of the army of the lord is

[00:31:50] [SPEAKER_00]: interested

[00:31:52] [SPEAKER_00]: In jericho, but here's what the biblical data does tell us

[00:31:56] [SPEAKER_00]: It tells us that they the people of israel

[00:32:01] [SPEAKER_00]: were

[00:32:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Going to be god had said from you

[00:32:05] [SPEAKER_00]: Is going to come the serpent killer the

[00:32:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Deliverer the christ the messiah

[00:32:13] [SPEAKER_00]: That will remedy the world's problems

[00:32:17] [SPEAKER_00]: He's going to come from you, but at this point

[00:32:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Jesus had not yet been born one day

[00:32:24] [SPEAKER_00]: He would be born of the tribe of juda

[00:32:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Born in the city of bevlehem the city of david he'd be called a nazarene there in northern israel

[00:32:33] [SPEAKER_00]: One day he would come from this people group, but he had not yet come from this people group

[00:32:39] [SPEAKER_00]: So the angel of the lord is there knowing this is something that the

[00:32:46] [SPEAKER_00]: Godhead has promised and declared and it's not yet come to pass and if jericho it's either jericho or israel

[00:32:53] [SPEAKER_00]: And if israel doesn't live the messiah does not come and the promises that god has made to rescue this world

[00:33:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Do not come to pass. This is a critical moment in other words the angel knows and if I could

[00:33:07] [SPEAKER_00]: even say it this way

[00:33:09] [SPEAKER_00]: There are plenty of scholars who think that the angel of the lord is not just a created angel

[00:33:16] [SPEAKER_00]: But is actually the second person of the triune godhead

[00:33:21] [SPEAKER_00]: In part because he's identified with yaway elsewhere and he receives worship in this passage

[00:33:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Angels don't do that. They don't receive worship

[00:33:30] [SPEAKER_00]: So if that's the case then what you have here is the second person of the triune god looking at jericho knowing

[00:33:37] [SPEAKER_00]: If israel succeeds if they become a people one day

[00:33:43] [SPEAKER_00]: A descendant of david will be born and I will be that descendant

[00:33:49] [SPEAKER_00]: And I will go to the cross and I will die for the sin of the world. This is he would say a mission

[00:33:57] [SPEAKER_00]: critical moment

[00:33:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, now us

[00:34:01] [SPEAKER_00]: We live on the other side of all that don't we jesus has come. He's died on the cross

[00:34:05] [SPEAKER_00]: He's risen from the dead 2 000 years ago, but we have been given that critical mission of declaring jesus to the world in which we live

[00:34:14] [SPEAKER_00]: It's our responsibility. It's our privilege. It's as I said earlier the greatest

[00:34:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Mission that we could ever be

[00:34:24] [SPEAKER_00]: Involved in this is our calling this critical mission

[00:34:28] [SPEAKER_00]: And I believe that the church local churches local congregations

[00:34:33] [SPEAKER_00]: biblical

[00:34:35] [SPEAKER_00]: jesus loving

[00:34:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Holy gospel preaching churches

[00:34:40] [SPEAKER_00]: Are a massive part of that mission

[00:34:43] [SPEAKER_00]: I hold the conviction

[00:34:45] [SPEAKER_00]: That for all the great ministries and all the great organizations that should flow

[00:34:51] [SPEAKER_00]: From gospel centered biblically faithful churches

[00:34:55] [SPEAKER_00]: None of them are as important as the presence of gospel centered

[00:35:01] [SPEAKER_00]: biblically faithful churches. I think of it like a stream

[00:35:07] [SPEAKER_00]: What is happening upstream affects what is going to be produced downstream?

[00:35:13] [SPEAKER_00]: And if downstream we want incredible recovery ministries if downstream

[00:35:18] [SPEAKER_00]: We want to see people reaching out to those who are in poverty if downstream

[00:35:22] [SPEAKER_00]: We want to see us rescuing those who don't know what to do like a child who's in need and we're helping them

[00:35:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Downstream if we want to see all that then upstream

[00:35:33] [SPEAKER_00]: We better have strong gospel preaching

[00:35:36] [SPEAKER_00]: Bible teaching

[00:35:38] [SPEAKER_00]: Jesus focused churches because the second those fade away

[00:35:43] [SPEAKER_00]: The effects eventually maybe after years

[00:35:46] [SPEAKER_00]: But they're eventually felt downstream and all those organizations trying to seek and save the lost

[00:35:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Turn into organizations that are busy running around just wasting time because the gospel

[00:35:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Never becomes a part of their work

[00:36:00] [SPEAKER_00]: And so we've got to think about what is upstream and to me

[00:36:04] [SPEAKER_00]: It's the church the church is what is upstream. Jesus said

[00:36:09] [SPEAKER_00]: I will build my church

[00:36:12] [SPEAKER_00]: This is where my temptation to feel guilty about talking to you about the work of the church. It starts to melt away

[00:36:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Jesus was on a mission

[00:36:20] [SPEAKER_00]: He's still on that mission

[00:36:22] [SPEAKER_00]: And he invites us into that mission. He said that he came luke 1910 to seek and save the lost

[00:36:29] [SPEAKER_00]: He said in verse mark and mark 1045 that he came to give his life as a ransom

[00:36:35] [SPEAKER_00]: for many

[00:36:36] [SPEAKER_00]: He said in john 3 17 that he didn't come into the world to condemn the world

[00:36:42] [SPEAKER_00]: But in order that the world might be saved through him

[00:36:46] [SPEAKER_00]: He said that he came in john 12 46 into this world as light

[00:36:51] [SPEAKER_00]: So that whoever believes in him may not remain in darkness and even this morning

[00:36:56] [SPEAKER_00]: There are some of you you're in darkness and jesus is inviting you to come out of that darkness

[00:37:01] [SPEAKER_00]: He's trying to expose your heart and your life. He died on the cross for your sins

[00:37:05] [SPEAKER_00]: He wants to bring you into connection with god

[00:37:09] [SPEAKER_00]: He is the way for that to

[00:37:11] [SPEAKER_00]: occur and jesus

[00:37:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Invites his church into

[00:37:16] [SPEAKER_00]: His original mission

[00:37:17] [SPEAKER_00]: He told his church to go into all the world and make disciples in matthew 28

[00:37:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Teaching and baptizing those new converts. He said in john 20

[00:37:27] [SPEAKER_00]: As the father has sent me even so i am sending you i've been sent from heaven for this mission

[00:37:32] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm sending you for this mission as well

[00:37:35] [SPEAKER_00]: He taught us to pray in luke 10 that god would send out laborers to join him

[00:37:40] [SPEAKER_00]: In his work of harvest in mark 16

[00:37:43] [SPEAKER_00]: He said go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation

[00:37:47] [SPEAKER_00]: And he promised that he would make us fishers of men for that work

[00:37:51] [SPEAKER_00]: He promised

[00:37:53] [SPEAKER_00]: That he would never leave us

[00:37:55] [SPEAKER_00]: But that we would receive the power of his holy spirit in doing this work in acts 1 8 and matthew 28

[00:38:02] [SPEAKER_00]: And he said in john 14 that whoever believes in him

[00:38:06] [SPEAKER_00]: Will also do the works that he did and greater works as well an astonishing statement from our lord

[00:38:13] [SPEAKER_00]: And paul his apostle said that he left the church as a pillar and ground of the truth

[00:38:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Giving it apostles and prophets and evangelists and pastor teachers to equip the church

[00:38:27] [SPEAKER_00]: For ministry effectiveness

[00:38:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, part of the reason i'm sharing all this

[00:38:33] [SPEAKER_00]: On the critical nature of the mission that we're on

[00:38:39] [SPEAKER_00]: Is that I think because of

[00:38:47] [SPEAKER_00]: I think because of

[00:38:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Because of

[00:38:51] [SPEAKER_00]: Because of that

[00:38:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Many of us have been shaped into

[00:38:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Or we're in danger of being shaped into a more consumeristic mentality when it comes to what the church is

[00:39:04] [SPEAKER_00]: You know joshua said as for me in my house, we will serve the lord

[00:39:07] [SPEAKER_00]: If we're not careful, we can be drawn into more of a mentality that says as for me in my house

[00:39:13] [SPEAKER_00]: My needs are met at calvary. My needs are met in my local church

[00:39:17] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think we need to do anything more

[00:39:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Because I like it the way it is my needs are being met now. We're a church. It's about jesus

[00:39:26] [SPEAKER_00]: You know, we had our bridge dinner this last friday night. We're trying to reach people like so

[00:39:31] [SPEAKER_00]: I think we're in a good lane

[00:39:33] [SPEAKER_00]: But we have to watch out you know i was thinking about this the other day

[00:39:36] [SPEAKER_00]: I was thinking like what would be like back in the day? What was a thing that was just like, okay

[00:39:40] [SPEAKER_00]: That's an investment that is just kind of off

[00:39:43] [SPEAKER_00]: And I was thinking about like stained glass windows

[00:39:45] [SPEAKER_00]: You know like nobody has ever asked me for stained glass windows like pastor if we could just have stained glass windows

[00:39:52] [SPEAKER_00]: I'll be if somebody wants to give me a church building that has stained glass windows. I'll take it for sure but

[00:39:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Uh when it comes to like the expense of it, I think there's other things to invest in

[00:40:03] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know what like a modern equivalent would be, you know, maybe it'd be like we could get pickleball courts for

[00:40:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Our church to be able to have pickleball tournaments or whatever and again, nobody's ever asked me

[00:40:15] [SPEAKER_00]: For those kind of things. We're jesus people. We're emission people

[00:40:19] [SPEAKER_00]: But that's that's kind of what i'm getting at. I want us to as we're entering into prayer this next month

[00:40:25] [SPEAKER_00]: I want us to be thinking about along those lines

[00:40:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Not what would make things more comfortable comfortable for us

[00:40:32] [SPEAKER_00]: But what would stretch us so that we could impact as many people as possible

[00:40:37] [SPEAKER_00]: With the message of jesus over the next 10 and then 50 years

[00:40:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Kind of decisions could we be making in that direction? So a little bit

[00:40:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Less pretty stained glass

[00:40:52] [SPEAKER_00]: To inspire us and maybe and i'm not saying this is what we should do but maybe

[00:40:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Expanded seating capacity so that we can go beyond us

[00:41:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe less pickleball courts to entertain us and a little bit more classroom space to help disciple us

[00:41:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Or here's one maybe a little less a gym to house a christian workout space

[00:41:16] [SPEAKER_00]: And more actual houses

[00:41:19] [SPEAKER_00]: So a new generation of biblical pastors can break into

[00:41:23] [SPEAKER_00]: The monary peninsula for the work that is coming in the years to come in the decades to come

[00:41:30] [SPEAKER_00]: We have to all i'm saying is maintain a constant desire to see the fame honor glory

[00:41:37] [SPEAKER_00]: And a steam of christ increase in our cities and what we want to have happen to people is an earthquake scenario

[00:41:44] [SPEAKER_00]: In other words, we want people to experience the main shock of the gospel for the first time in their lives

[00:41:51] [SPEAKER_00]: And then what we want through our subsequent Sundays and bible studies and teachings and life groups and all that

[00:41:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Is for every person who's experienced main shock to have millions of aftershocks

[00:42:05] [SPEAKER_00]: Of the magnificence of christ

[00:42:09] [SPEAKER_00]: That's jesus famous

[00:42:11] [SPEAKER_00]: That's what we're looking for but but we have to understand this is a critical mission that we are on

[00:42:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, i want to close today by just saying

[00:42:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Shortly we just need to last prepare to follow prepare to follow

[00:42:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Joshua falls on his face. He worships the lord

[00:42:30] [SPEAKER_00]: The man tells him it's holy ground that he's on this is like mozess's burning bush or joshua's burning bush mozess moment

[00:42:38] [SPEAKER_00]: He takes off his sandals

[00:42:44] [SPEAKER_00]: I think this is a huge burden being lifted from joshua's shoulders. He's like

[00:42:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, yes

[00:42:51] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not as in charge as i thought i was

[00:42:54] [SPEAKER_00]: And i'm so thankful for that

[00:42:56] [SPEAKER_00]: The lord is here

[00:42:58] [SPEAKER_00]: And he's just worshiping. He's this is a transfer taking place

[00:43:03] [SPEAKER_00]: A burden transfer

[00:43:05] [SPEAKER_00]: It's taken place. He's alleviated

[00:43:08] [SPEAKER_00]: And I think that the all important words that joshua said was his question

[00:43:13] [SPEAKER_00]: What does my lord say to his servant?

[00:43:17] [SPEAKER_00]: What does my lord say to his servant? This is what it's all about you guys

[00:43:21] [SPEAKER_00]: My prayer is that as we're praying in the month of october for some of these things

[00:43:26] [SPEAKER_00]: My prayer is that we would be a people who are saying

[00:43:32] [SPEAKER_00]: Lord you are lord

[00:43:34] [SPEAKER_00]: We are your servants

[00:43:36] [SPEAKER_00]: What do you say

[00:43:38] [SPEAKER_00]: to your servant

[00:43:40] [SPEAKER_00]: You know in the book of first samuel. There's a time where little samuel he's growing up in the temple

[00:43:45] [SPEAKER_00]: He's being trained to be a future priest by a man named elie the head priest

[00:43:51] [SPEAKER_00]: And one night he hears a voice samuel

[00:43:55] [SPEAKER_00]: And he thinks it's elie so he goes into elie's room. You called me. He's like I didn't call you

[00:44:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Then he goes he's like go back to bed

[00:44:02] [SPEAKER_00]: So he goes back to bed samuel gets up again goes back to elie

[00:44:06] [SPEAKER_00]: You called me. I heard you

[00:44:09] [SPEAKER_00]: No, wasn't me you're hearing things go back to bed third time samuel

[00:44:15] [SPEAKER_00]: Comes back to elie and elie finally figures it out. It's actually an ominous moment for elie the message is

[00:44:21] [SPEAKER_00]: God's done speaking with elie

[00:44:24] [SPEAKER_00]: He's starting to speak to samuel

[00:44:26] [SPEAKER_00]: And elie says to him I perceive as the lord

[00:44:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Next time you hear your name. You say speak lord your servant

[00:44:34] [SPEAKER_00]: listens

[00:44:35] [SPEAKER_00]: It's like this is how you talk to god you posture yourself in the right place. You don't talk to him as your servant

[00:44:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Your his servant

[00:44:45] [SPEAKER_00]: And you say god

[00:44:46] [SPEAKER_00]: What do you want to say?

[00:44:49] [SPEAKER_00]: i'm listening

[00:44:50] [SPEAKER_00]: I want to do

[00:44:52] [SPEAKER_00]: What it is that you want to say and I think we need to posture ourselves

[00:44:56] [SPEAKER_00]: This way like I said earlier the plan that god gave joshua would have been inconceivable to the mind of man

[00:45:04] [SPEAKER_00]: And I believe this might be the time that our lord wants to reveal some

[00:45:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Previously unthought of or inconceivable plans to our church and I want to talk to you about some of those possibilities next sunday night

[00:45:18] [SPEAKER_00]: But I think before we decide anything we need to stop as a congregation and we need to pray we have to trust in the lord

[00:45:24] [SPEAKER_00]: With all our hearts lean not on our own understanding

[00:45:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Acknowledge him in all our ways and watch him

[00:45:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Make our path straight

[00:45:33] [SPEAKER_00]: And what I want you to see is that is something that we'd actually didn't read about this morning when we read the text

[00:45:39] [SPEAKER_00]: Is that there's a backdrop to this episode?

[00:45:42] [SPEAKER_00]: I alluded to it. It was the circumcision moment for the men in israel

[00:45:47] [SPEAKER_00]: It was a way for them to say not just we're trying to get back to the faith of our forefathers

[00:45:52] [SPEAKER_00]: It was a way for them to say we're trying to consecrate ourselves to god

[00:45:57] [SPEAKER_00]: We're separating ourselves under him. We want to get rid of unholiness. We want to be a holy people

[00:46:02] [SPEAKER_00]: what i'm trying to tell you is that joshua's worship of the lord and joshua's

[00:46:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Wisdom that he received from yaweh was backed by the full force of the congregation's

[00:46:16] [SPEAKER_00]: Consecration to god

[00:46:23] [SPEAKER_00]: and I pray

[00:46:26] [SPEAKER_00]: That our

[00:46:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Worship and our seeking of the lord would have the full backing of our consecration to god as well

[00:46:34] [SPEAKER_00]: That each one of us would say my life matters

[00:46:38] [SPEAKER_00]: My life matters to this congregation

[00:46:41] [SPEAKER_00]: The way I live matters and that we would

[00:46:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Consecrate ourselves in two ways

[00:46:48] [SPEAKER_00]: personally

[00:46:49] [SPEAKER_00]: but also that we would consecrate ourselves by

[00:46:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Making a congregational commitment

[00:46:59] [SPEAKER_00]: I'll be honest with you. This is one of the hardest things about being a modern local church pastor

[00:47:04] [SPEAKER_00]: You know as a pastor you're called to like give your heart to people

[00:47:10] [SPEAKER_00]: You're called to build relationships. You're called to love on people. You're called to care for people unconditionally

[00:47:18] [SPEAKER_00]: And it can be painful

[00:47:21] [SPEAKER_00]: When you're doing that one week and then the very next week with no notice with no word with no conversation

[00:47:29] [SPEAKER_00]: That person just decided to go to a different church

[00:47:33] [SPEAKER_00]: It speaks of a low

[00:47:36] [SPEAKER_00]: congregational commitment

[00:47:38] [SPEAKER_00]: And what I want to say to you today is I'm trying to do this in part to invite you

[00:47:44] [SPEAKER_00]: I guarantee you there's a lot of you in this room right now and you just start thinking this whole time

[00:47:48] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm talking you're like, well, this is not for me. This is for the people for whom this is their church

[00:47:55] [SPEAKER_00]: And I'm like, I don't know you're here

[00:48:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe this could be your church

[00:48:03] [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you could commit yourself in that kind of way

[00:48:07] [SPEAKER_00]: And I think this is an important thing for us and the people they made that commitment

[00:48:12] [SPEAKER_00]: So that they could hear the voice of the lord so that they could ready themselves to receive

[00:48:19] [SPEAKER_00]: From him. So I want to close today with just giving you five

[00:48:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Suggestions ways to apply everything I've said and then we're going to take communion together to prepare ourselves for this next month

[00:48:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, number one. I want to encourage you to come out next sunday night

[00:48:34] [SPEAKER_00]: To hear a little bit more

[00:48:36] [SPEAKER_00]: Or watch the video when we send it out giving a cliff's notes version of what I share next week

[00:48:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Because I want us to pray intelligently and unitedly. All right, so just come out or listen or watch

[00:48:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Later so that you can get that

[00:48:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Number two, I want to invite you to join me and the other pastors in a selective fast for the month of october

[00:49:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, october is 31 days long. So that's a long time

[00:49:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Um, I guess if you really want to you can do like a fast fast

[00:49:08] [SPEAKER_00]: That means no food you can drink water, but no food you could drink coffee

[00:49:12] [SPEAKER_00]: But no food for an entire month. You don't have to tell anybody about it. We'll know on day 31 if you did it

[00:49:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Please doctor supervision, you know the whole thing

[00:49:25] [SPEAKER_00]: But a selective fast is different than a total fast

[00:49:30] [SPEAKER_00]: A selective fast is when you you take something or some things in your life

[00:49:35] [SPEAKER_00]: That you just say i'm going to give those up for a period of time so that every time

[00:49:40] [SPEAKER_00]: I feel an urge to to partake of that

[00:49:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Instead i'm going to pray

[00:49:47] [SPEAKER_00]: All right, so I want to encourage you to think about something that for the month

[00:49:52] [SPEAKER_00]: You could say that's going to be out of my life and every time I have that desire

[00:49:55] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm just going to pray for the church. I'm going to pray for the future of the church the next 10 years of calvary

[00:50:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Monterey and that god would give us the wisdom and vision

[00:50:03] [SPEAKER_00]: That we need at this point in our church's life and history. I already know

[00:50:08] [SPEAKER_00]: The two that i'm gonna do it's gonna be uh, well, it's gonna be treats for one sugar

[00:50:14] [SPEAKER_00]: So i'm gonna have to wait till november 1st to get that halloween candy. So that's fine

[00:50:20] [SPEAKER_00]: I'll work out but uh the second one for me is I love music

[00:50:24] [SPEAKER_00]: I love all kinds of music

[00:50:26] [SPEAKER_00]: And I just feel like the lord wants me to just listen to only worship music for a month

[00:50:32] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not gonna like lock myself in a room and like force myself to listen to like all these albums or something

[00:50:37] [SPEAKER_00]: But when I listen to music, that's what i'm gonna choose to put on for a month

[00:50:41] [SPEAKER_00]: For that reason so that I will

[00:50:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Pray to the lord each time I want to throw on some music

[00:50:48] [SPEAKER_00]: All right, so i'm gonna encourage you to do that. I'm also gonna invite you to pray all month long

[00:50:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Uh through what I just said but also

[00:50:56] [SPEAKER_00]: On sundays at five o'clock and on thursdays at 6 30 here on the church campus

[00:51:01] [SPEAKER_00]: We will have prayer meetings all month of october you can come to one

[00:51:05] [SPEAKER_00]: You could come to all you can come to three or four

[00:51:09] [SPEAKER_00]: But come on out at least once to say I want to be present and accounted for lifting up to god with my brothers and sisters in christ

[00:51:16] [SPEAKER_00]: The future of my home church

[00:51:20] [SPEAKER_00]: And then I would say number four address long held sin

[00:51:25] [SPEAKER_00]: This might be a season where god wants to set you free

[00:51:30] [SPEAKER_00]: And perhaps there's something he's gonna put his finger on that for years

[00:51:35] [SPEAKER_00]: You've refused to allow him to put his finger upon

[00:51:39] [SPEAKER_00]: And so I'd encourage you in that direction and then lastly trust jesus

[00:51:44] [SPEAKER_00]: You know the chief shepherd i've seen over and over again. He loves this church

[00:51:49] [SPEAKER_00]: For almost 50 years now. He's supplied our every need. He's blessed the work

[00:51:53] [SPEAKER_00]: He's opened doors and I think we need to trust him for 50 more even more fruitful years

[00:51:59] [SPEAKER_00]: To come