Joshua's leadership (Joshua 1;1-8)

Leadership is not only needed in politics, society or companies 

But also need for our Christian life 

Because leadership does not only leads or motivate others but also ourselves. 

Today I want share with you about Joshua’s leadership 

If you have a Bible Shall we open with me Joshua 1;1-9 

You know, when an American president is inaugurated as a president 

He swear by the Bible in Joshua chapter 1 

Like this, the book of Joshua is important book especially for the leaders 

So let’s find out together how he show leadership to the people 

There are 4 kinds of leadership that we can consider 

1) Crisis leadership 

When we read the book of Joshua 

It begins like this “After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord” 

God called Joshua and used him after the death of Moses 

As you know, Moses was the great leader in Israel 

He is more than Abraham Lincoln in America 

He is more than Winston Churchill in Unite kingdom 

He is more than Ninoy Aquino in the Philippines 

Bible says (Deuteronomy 34;10) 

“There has never been a prophet in Israel like Moses.” 

That is why after his death 

Israelite was thrown into big confusion 

Bible says (Deuteronomy 34; 8) 

“The people of Israel mourned for him for thirty days in the plains of Moab.” 

They cried one month because of the Death of Moses 

After Moses died, they don’t know what to do next 

They were so afraid for their future. 

But after the death of Moses, 

God called Joshua and the Israelite conquered Canaan Land 

through Joshua’s Leadership 

In China, there is a saying “a hero in a turbulent age “ 

Meaning a hero or great man will come into being in troubled times 

Star twinkle more brightly if the sky is dark 

God use people during difficult times 

After the death of Moses, God used Joshua 

After the death of Elias, God used Elisa 

After the death of Paul, God used timothy 

There is a saying “The flowers comes out with the wind” 

When we have difficult times comes to us 

We have to know this one Difficulty is opportunity 

When the wind comes to us we say, this is the time for flowering 

Ex) 조용기 목사 개척 

Rm) 5;20  But where sin increased, grace increased all the more 

Don’t say because the place is not nice 

Do not blame your surrounding 

Do not complain your situation 

Don’t make excuses (because of this, because of that I cannot do it… don’t say that) 

When Crisis come to you, 

You say this is the opportunity that God has given me to be a great leader 

Brothers and sisters 

There is no leader forever 

Next generation is waiting for you 

3) Humble leadership 

Many people think like this ‘when I become a leader, I will do my best’ 

Some one says, ‘when I become a pastor in a big church, I will make a good Job’ 

But brothers and sisters 

Don’t say I will do well tomorrow but do well today 

Don’t say when I become leader I will make a good job 

But you do your best now 

If you good now then you can be a good tomorrow 

As you know Joshua is just assistance of Moses 

He is the secretary of Moses 

He is the second men not first man 

He is just a supporter of Moses (follower) 

For forty years he served under Moses in the Wilderness 

He was a man of humility 

‘You will increase I will decrease ‘ 

This is his mind 

In his shadow he just humbly work for him 

It is like this brothers and sisters 

For example congress man 

He has staff and they are all working for congressman 

He is only meet people and do you have any problem? 

And just have diner with them and play golf with them 

But people only praise the congressman 

Also here in ABC, all the staff works for the me 

But only the president gets honor 

Like this, assistance often works hard 

but they are only like a shadow 

As if they exists or not, it doesn’t matter. 

Brothers and sisters 

Even you have a lower position 

Do your very best 

Someday, God will make you great 

Joseph, even he work as a made in Potiphar’s house he did well 

So that after 10 years 

God made him prime minister in Egypt 

Even when you are in a lower position, do your best 

And just do a good job out of it 

Then God will use you someday 

Before you become a good chief, be a good worker first 

Before you become a good president, be a good staff first 

Before you become a good pastor, be a good student (member) first 

Ex) when I was the vice president of ABC 

I did my best and I worked for ptr. Gho 

I did my best for ABC to glorify God 

So God gave me a chance to become the president 

So brothers and sisters 

Do your best today then tomorrow will be your day 

3 forward leadership (cross over) 

Joshua 1;2 ‘get ready to cross Jordan River into the Land’ 

Puritan crossed the Atlantic Ocean for freedom of faith 

And they found America 

When china became a communist country 

Chinese merchant cross xun river and went down ,down for escaping persecution  

And now Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia Indonesia and so on 

Most of asian country 

They hold 70% of South Asia economy 

Like the Chinese, without them, maybe the economy will crumble 

(꽁 왈랑 차이니스 인 싸우스 아시아 팍싹 이코노미) 

Moses crossed over the Red sea and they had freedom 

Jacob crossed over the Jabbok River and he became a winner 

Brothers and sisters 

We also have to go forward 

Don’t be afraid to challenge to your life 

We need adventurous spirit 

Do not plump down in your place 

Stand up and go forward 

We should cross over the river 

Cross over difficulty 

Cross over poverty 

Cross over problem 

Don’t say 마히랍 

Don’t say 힌데삐웨데 

Don’t say 아라이꼬 

Cross over it 

Even your situation is like sandwich 

Between two fires 

Do not lose hope 

Even close north and south west and east. 

God will open the door of heaven and make a way 

Cross over the limitation that is the faith 

Brothers and sisters 

Are you ready to work of God? 

Go forward do not go backward 

Just go forward, and cross over your situation 

As Joshua cross over the Jordan River and conquered the land of Canaan 

You can also cross over and then you will fulfill the work of God. 

4) Hold God’s promise 

Verse9 ‘be strong and courageous. Do not be discouraged, for the lord your God will be with you wherever you go” 

What a amazing and wonderful promise is this 

If you see the Genesis 28; 15 God made same promise to Jacob 

And this promise will be repeated to Gideon. 

And this promise will be repeated to Solomon 

And above all, God has made this promise to us as his people today. 

Jesus saying to us I am with you always even to the end of the ages. Amen 

Praise the Lord 

His presence and power to always be with us 

How powerful encouraging is this 

What all of this means for us as God’ people is that we can keep moving forward into God’s will. 

We can be absolutely assured of God’s presence and power. 

Praise the Lord 

. 

The promises of God's presence and activity are fantastic. 

God is saying to you and me through these verses, 

"I won't drop you in the middle of a project that I've given to you." 

God will never leave us nor forsake us 

God is not in the business of deserting his people 

when we get in trouble if we're honestly endeavoring (trying) to do his will. 

But it doesn’t mean, we will not meet struggle or difficulty in our life 

We will meet struggle or difficulty 

Our faith will be tested, 

We may suffer, 

Our lives will be hard at times 

The work is tough. 

But we have to know this one 

God will never close his door to us 

God's power and his present will be with us through the good and bad times, 

And his presence will continually sustain us. 

Life won't be easy for Joshua, 

But we're going to see him 

Claim God's power and presence through both bad and good times. 

Be strong and courageous. 

Do not be discouraged. 

For the lord your God will be with you wherever you go 

Brothers and sisters 

Hold this promise and focus unto God not the people 

And I pray that you're encouraged by this text, 

that it strengthens you and gives you a brave heart. 

let us pray