Moses knew he would not be taking the nation across the Jordan He is all about serving the Lord now but he did fail and there are

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1 Leadership Succession Planning May 21, 2014 The Mission Continues With the Next Generation Deuteronomy 31:1 29 Page 1 The third sermon has reached This is the wrap up to the last words Moses will be speaking to the nation It is time to on to who the Lord has chosen This is not something that has not been planned for Numbers 20:11 12 Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them. Moses knew he would not be taking the nation across the Jordan He is all about serving the Lord now but he did fail and there are Deuteronomy 3:21 28 I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings; so the LORD shall do to all the kingdoms into which you are about to cross. Do not fear them, for the LORD your God is the one fighting for you. I also pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours? Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon. But the LORD was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me; and the LORD said to me, Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes to the west and north and south and east, and see it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. But charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he will give them as an inheritance the land which you will see. That was spoken by Moses in his first sermon just a few The Lord has been preparing Joshua the entire time It is now time to move forward with the plan which God has A plan God put into motion as an answer to Moses prayer after his sin

2 Numbers 27:18 23 Page 2 So the LORD said to Moses, Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and commission him in their sight. You shall put some of your authority on him, in order that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may obey him. Moreover, he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD. At his command they shall go out and at his command they shall come in, both he and the sons of Israel with him, even all the congregation. Moses did just as the LORD commanded him; and he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses. Ministry continues, part of our job is to the next generation who will be picking up where we left off 1 Timothy 1:1 2 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope, to Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul also was about the business of preparing others to carry on the work Moses is stating a fact, he is not Moses wraps up his third sermon making it clear that the Lord has appointed We have been reading about Moses and words written by Moses since we began our study in Genesis First Forty Years lived like Egyptian royalty Went to all of the best schools Learned all that a leader to be needed to learn Did all that a future leader of Egypt needed Identified with his people but his in the way Exodus 2:11 14 Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So he looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. He went out the next day, and behold, two Hebrews were fighting with each other; and he said to the offender, Why are you striking your companion? But he said, Who made you a prince or a judge over us? Are you intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian? Then Moses was afraid and said, Surely the matter has become known. Moses tried to do things the way would do things He failed and went into exile as a result

3 Second Forty Years Page 3 On the taking care of Unable to be or do anything he was A complete in the eyes of the world Done with dreaming Done with wanting to serve God his way Done Exodus 2:21 22 Moses was willing to dwell with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses. Then she gave birth to a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land. Third Forty Years Everything changes when Moses is called by God to an Called near the Called when there was no hope of or needing to rely upon any of his skills Called when Exodus 3:1 3 Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. So Moses said, I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up. This Moses is not the Moses of forty years ago Exodus 3:11 But Moses said to God, Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt? Even after showing Moses signs, he pleads ignorance and the graduate of the University of Cairo says he Exodus 4:10 Then Moses said to the LORD, Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue. Eventually Moses goes, but only after more back and forth with God and God assigning Aaron the job of speaking for Moses

4 Page 4 Forty years later, Moses is delivering multiple sermons and no one is speaking for him God has called him, equipped him, and Now he is 120 and rather than dwelling on his rather public disobedience resulting in his inability to enter the land, he spins just a bit in his conclusion I am no longer able to come and go An idiom for He is complaining that he just doesn t have it anymore Oh, and the Lord said I can t go in Deuteronomy 34:7 Although Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated. He is setting the people up for a changing of leadership This already happened with the high priest Now national leadership The formal announcement is next Radio and television cameras are ready to capture the next bit of information The official word it is who will lead Joshua is instrument, Moses was not given a choice in the matter Moses did not choose Joshua; God selected him to be the leader to succeed Moses. I doubt whether Moses would have chosen Joshua if the choice had been left to him. Actually, Caleb seems more impressive than Joshua, and it would seem more natural for him to be the new leader. Or, (after all, Moses is human) wouldn t he have been apt to choose one of his own sons to succeed him? That was the way the Pharaohs did down in Egypt, and it would be natural for Moses to do the same thing. So God chose Joshua to lead them over the Jordan. Moses is no longer essential. J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary, vol. 1, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997), 605. How essential is any one person to God s work? Moses would tell you Aaron would tell you Do we ever get the sense that without us, things would fall apart and nothing would be the same? Succession planning in business forces us to think the unthinkable but all in the name of The implication no one person is In ministry, as long as we are obedient, we serve but if sin or disobedience arises

5 Page 5 1 Samuel 15:25 29 Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me, that I may worship the LORD. But Samuel said to Saul, I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel. As Samuel turned to go, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. So Samuel said to him, The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you. Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind. Moses again feels it is necessary to encourage this next generation that has already been involved in combat operations They have already achieved success in the face of an overwhelming enemy They have followed God step by step Crossing the Jordan is just the Moses remembers though how their parents had a problem with unbelief Unbelief robbed them of their courage They died cowering in the desert He wants their children to be the of their parents We also were reminded of the victory we have through Jesus Christ by Paul Romans 8:26 39 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED. But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

6 Page 6 we prepare to enter into combat with the enemy we have the opportunity to believe and be more than conquerors We have been given incredible tools Ephesians 6:12 17 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Leaders change God is still There are giants in the land God is still There are impossible situations in my life that I cannot work through God is I am in fear for my God is The words used to commission Joshua Be strong and courageous Psalm 27:14 Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD. The words to Asa, the King of Israel as he prepared to purge evil from the nation 2 Chronicles 15:7 But you, be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work. Remember, we are more than conquerors Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Hebrews 11

7 Page 7 Did Joshua need to be reminded of this? Three times in this chapter alone Eight times total with the eighth time in Joshua 10:25 being stated by Joshua himself If we need encouragement, God supplies it, even to a Joshua Moses, even as he wraps up, is still about the next generation He is still about life and death decisions He does not want to have any one generation have to die in the wilderness as he has just witnessed as a result of unbelief Moses the Law Giver Could not enter the land due to He misrepresented the Lord at Meribah The Law does not lead to a spirit filled life just as crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land is a picture of Only one person can lead into the land of promise Joshua also known as His name is exactly the same as the Jesus name is also Every sabbatical year, at the Feast of Booths, the entire Torah was to be read to the people 2 Kings 23:1 3 Then the king sent, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. The king went up to the house of the LORD and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD. The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant. Josiah was serious about the Lord and His commands But it was already too late for the nation Nehemiah 8:2 3 Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it before the square which was in front of the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law.

8 Page 8 Nehemiah 8:9 Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep. For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law. Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Moses is done with the sermon, he has provided copies of the law to all who needed to have it He has taught it all He has lived it Now comes the formal commissioning Imagine Three sermons Moses has delivered He has poured his heart into the people He wants them to live and prosper God says they will not that you said, but they will. I wonder what kind of hook the song had that you would not forget it Moses wrote it and released it the same day No delays in his life now He taught the song the very same day Notice where a copy of the scripture is placed, beside the Ark of the Covenant Why? 2 Kings 22:8 11 Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan who read it. Shaphan the scribe came to the king and brought back word to the king and said, Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD. Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, Hilkiah the priest has given me a book. And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king. When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. It was this copy next to the ark that brought that result Even in the Temple, God s Word was forgotten

9 Page 9 Luke 18:8 I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth? 2 Thessalonians 2:1 4 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every socalled god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. Moses Song next week Past teachings, study notes and slides of Through the Bible with Pastor Ken Brown are available at: