Joshua in wisdom sends out 2 spies instead of 12 that Moses sent out. Consider the difference between the two reports:

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1 Park Avenue Church of God Sunday AM Texts: Joshua 3: 1-6 Josh 3:1 And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. Josh 3:2 And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host; Josh 3:3 And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. Josh 3:4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore. Josh 3:5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you. Josh 3:6 And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people. Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things [are] possible to him that believeth. Mark 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. Joshua in wisdom sends out 2 spies instead of 12 that Moses sent out. Consider the difference between the two reports: Num 13:27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this [is] the fruit of it. Num 13:28 Nevertheless the people [be] strong that dwell in the land, and the cities [are] walled, [and] very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. Josh 2:23 So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all [things] that befell them: Josh 2:24 And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.

2 When the 2 spies went into Jericho they met Rahab the harlot (Joshua Chapter 2). She tells them Josh 2:9 And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. Josh 2:10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that [were] on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. Josh 2:11 And as soon as we had heard [these things], our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he [is] God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. If thou can believe... A conditional promise... We want God to change our conditions, God says you change and I promise to change your conditions. People must have reasons for change 1. They must see the value to them of the change 2. The plan must be understood by them 3. They must be involved in the process 4. People must be prepared for change. Joshua: 1. The value : the land of milk and honey 2. Plan understood 3. The people were involved 4. Joshua prepared the people

3 Some people will change when they see the light. Others change only when they feel the heat. It is not best to swap horses while crossing the stream. Abe Lincoln Everybody thinks of changing Humanity and Nobody thinks of changing Himself. L. Tolstoy. Everybody thinks that God will change things but nobody thinks of changing Himself 3 Factors that hinder change 1. Fear The first antidote for fear is Light We really don't fear the dark, we fear what we can't see because it is dark The antidote to darkness is light, light dispels darkness, in the absence of darkness fear has to GO! Ps 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. Ps 18:28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. Ps 27:1 [A Psalm] of David. The LORD [is] my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD [is] the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Ps 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Prov 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Isa 9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. John 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. John 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

4 The second antidote for fear is to know God more The more you know God the less fear you will have, the less you know God the more fear you will have To know God is to love Him, To know God is to know that he LOVES US! (His perfect love casts out fear) We are not talking about a head knowledge about God, but an experiencial knowledge of God. A heart understanding of who God is. Joshua places the Ark of The Covenant, which represents to very presence and power of God, before the people. Josh 3:3 And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. We know God by knowing His Word, By knowing His Son, and by experiencing God the Holy Ghost Dan 11:32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do [exploits]. We may think that we know God. Israel was convinced that because of heritage and tradition that they knew God. They did not!! Their sins of Idolatry and disobedience caused God to visit them Hos 8:1 [Set] the trumpet to thy mouth. [He shall come] as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law. Hos 8:2 Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee. Hos 8:3 Israel hath cast off [the thing that is] good: the enemy shall pursue him. Hos 8:4 They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew [it] not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off. We know God through His Word and the Rhema (revelation) of His Word The Third antidote for fear is to Remember what God has already done in your life, Praise Him and Thank Him continually Moses reminds the people to Remember what God has done Deut 7:17 If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations [are] more than I; how can I

5 dispossess them? Deut 7:18 Thou shalt not be afraid of them: [but] shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt; Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I [am] God, and [there is] none else; [I am] God, and [there is] none like me, Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times [the things] that are not [yet] done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Ps 20:7 Some [trust] in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. Ps 77:11 I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. 2Tim 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2. Our past: Hinders change Our past is the grid that we lay every new thing up against when things don t line up we involuntarily reject it Need to erase our past every day: White board illustration Paul said: Phil 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, God doesn t work in the past, Although God knows the future, He is really not in the Future God operates in the present, He is the Great I AM Ps 46:1 To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God [is] our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

6 The devil on the other hand, operates in the past and in the future thereby crippling most people in the present 3. Isolation: Hinders change past hurts cause us to isolate and insulate Church is a place where there are people Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of [our] faith without wavering; (for he [is] faithful that promised;) Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Matt 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. Matt 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. 2Cor 13:1 This [is] the third [time] I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. The Christian life is not an independent one, we need each other!!