Elements of a Successful Campaign

Joshua 10:1-43

It's great to be on a roll. For those of us who have given our lives to serving God, allowed Him access to our lives to deal with sin, discipline and train us in righteousness and then begun to send us out on missions for Him. By missions, I don't necessarily mean traveling to a foreign country to preach the gospel, though that might be one. I'm talking about anything God assigns for you to do. Israel, in Joshua 10, is on a roll for sure, and the nation has faced incredibly powerful enemies and God has defeated them.\r
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What I like about this chapter is that it gives us a pattern, one of many in the Word, of the elements of a successful campaign, or mission for God. It isn't a formula to follow, but there are principals that we see here that we can look for as we mature and begin to hear and obey the voice of God.\r
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In these verses I want to point out 10 princpals.\r
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Verses 1 - 6 Respond to the call of the mission\r
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Not every need is a mission for you. Not every open door should be walked through. In this case it was obvious that Israel should defend Gibeon-because they had made a promise to God. It may be obvious to you as well, but not always. \r
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One of the most common conversations I have with people is "how do I know what I'm supposed to do?"\r
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This is not a textbook for how to see and respond to a need, but here are some thoughts that come out of these verses:\r
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1. They were in danger (the need was legitimate)\r
2. They cried out to God's promise of protection through Israel (they wanted what God offered to them)\r
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Sometimes we will encounter people who are in danger but do not want anything to do with God, or people who say they want God but have no idea the danger they are in by not giving their lives to Him. \r
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Jesus said in Matthew 7:6 "Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you."\r
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Jesus shared the good news with everyone, but to those who rejected it, He did not press the matter. \r
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Make sure that 1. the need you hear is real, and that 2. the people really want God's help. \r
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Verses 7 - 8 Listen for the call and promise from God\r
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This is the third key - Wait for the call and promise of God\r
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Don't move till you are called, don't wait if you are. If God had said "do not go up," then moving to satisfy a need would have been a fool's errand. We might actually do more harm then good. How do you know? We talked a little about that in our Wednesday study of Joshua 9, but in the end, only you can know if you feel a stirring in your heart from the Holy Spirit. The more time you spend asking for direction, listening for the call, and responding to what you think God wants you to do, the more you accurately hear the voice of the Lord. \r
Isaiah 30:19-21 For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. 20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. 21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. ESV\r
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Verse 9 Move when God calls you (and be creative)\r
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Sometimes our problem is that we think we hear direction but are afraid to actually put our feet into action. Once Joshua knew what to do he did not delay. The other thing is how creative Joshua was. He marched up 3,100 feet in an 8-10 hour march all night long. God gave him a vision and then allowed Joshua's creative mind come up with a brilliant solution.\r
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Jesus was the master at being creative in fulfilling God's will-just look at all the ways He healed people. There is no one right way to do something. Don't be afraid to try new things, try different things. Just stay within your calling and the promise of God.\r
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One way I mean that is that it is not okay to be creative with the gospel. \r
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Paul told Timothy (2 Timothy 1:13) to "Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me." God gives us the outline or the pattern, then we get to color it in, as long as we stay within the lines.\r
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Verse 10 God goes ahead of you, preparing the way\r
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Watch for the internal struggle. Notice how God created a panic in the hearts of the enemy? And He did it before Israel even got there and before they had to lift a finger.\r
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Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. ESV\r
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I believe that in everyone there is a God-shaped hole-a need that is felt in a very deep place that only God can fill. We need to understand that "panic". We do not need to "sell" God, we need only proclaim what He has done.\r
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You are not blazing a trail, you are walking a path. Rest assured that in those things you feel called, God is there before you making a way. \r
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Verse 11 God goes with you, aiding you in the battle\r
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We participate, God moves. Notice God created internal panic, then he created external pressure by sending hailstones. God prepares the way, then participates with us in the battle. And just as with Israel, He will do more than you, and that's okay. More died by the hailstones than by the swords of Israel. You are a participant, not a Lone Ranger. \r
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Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ESV\r
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Verses 12 - 15 Don't fear asking for the impossible\r
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Notice that God did not offer to make the sun stand still-Joshua asked. Don't be afraid to ask for something that might seem impossible to you in order to do His will and bring Him glory.\r
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It was impossible that we, from such a small church, should be able to go to Kenya and affect so many lives there as well as in many other parts of the world. We asked, God made a way, and when we needed it, He came through.\r
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Luke 1:37 "For nothing is impossible with God."\r
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Luke 18:27 "What is impossible with men is possible with God." \r
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Verses 16 - 21 Prioritize\r
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Here Joshua could have paused to kill the kings. They were, after all, the main catch. But in reality God wanted to destroy all the enemy, so Joshua had to prioritize and leave the kings in a cave while the armies pursued the rest of the enemy. The kings might have escaped, but Joshua knew which mission had to come first. \r
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Sometimes you will be called upon to make such decisions. My encouragement to you is not to fret too much over it. Seek Him for the most important things, and trust Him to take care of the rest in their time.\r
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Verses 22 - 43 Use one victory to encourage the next\r
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After coming back for the kings, Joshua had the leaders of the men come and put their feet on their necks. They needed to "own" this victory - not in the sense that they accomplished it, but that God had done it through and for them. Their foe was defeated. They needed to experience it first hand.\r
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Then he gives them this incredible encouragement in verse 25:\r
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"Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight." ESV\r
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What followed was probably the quickest and most effective military action in this entire campaign. In short order, in a matter of days in fact, the armies of Israel conquered seven cities-all the cities that had come up to destroy Gibeon.\r
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As God moves through you, remember what He did so that in the hard battles that lay ahead you can remember that victory is yours in Jesus Christ. You are a part of the winning army. You are the good guys!\r
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Conclusions\r
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1. Listen for a real need\r
2. Listen for real faith\r
3. Listen for God's call\r
4. Lean on God's promise\r
5. Move when He calls you\r
6. Be creative in executing that call\r
7. God goes before you, preparing the way\r
8. God goes with you, giving you strength to win the battle.\r
9. Don't fret if you must leave some things for later\r
10. Remember what God has done, and let it encourage you (and others) for the future.\r
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