Moving into the Promised Land

Heb 4:1-11

Joshua, Judges, and Ruth

Evangelist Billy Walked told a story about the city fathers of New York as they contemplated the future growth of the city. They laid out the streets and numbered them from the center outward. When they began, there were only six or seven streets. In their planning maps, they projected how large they thought the city might grow. Reaching beyond their wildest imagination, they drew streets on the map all the way out to 19th street. They called it "Boundary Street" because they were sure that's all the larger New York City would become. But history has proven them to be shortsighted. At the last count, the city had reached 284th Street, far exceeding their expectations!

In the books of J-J-R, God’s intent for Israel was that they enter and mature. To come out of the world (Egypt) and into His rest.

1. Victory, Josh. 1:1-4 and 8-9

They at first didn’t believe God; they didn’t go into His rest, Heb. 3:15-19; they wanted to go back to the world (Egypt); 2 Chr. 15:15

The Book (v. 8a)

Teach-2 Tim. 3:16

Meditate-Psalm 119:97

Do-Eph. 2:10

The Reward (v. 8b)

Prosperous--Mt. 6:19-21; that’s where your heart will be also

Good success-Jericho--the maneuver didn’t make sense (BLUFOR on outer TT). God’s mysterious methods are not always understandable to us. But God does not ask us to understand them; rather, He asks us to obey them. (Illust. 156)

The Promise (v. 9)

Strong-comes from the faith we exercise; you have to exercise your faith or you will never grow (milk-meat)

Courage

Withersoever-Mt. 28:18-20

2. Judgement, Judges 2:10-19; Cycle: Apost., Oppr., Repent., Deliv.

We need to judge ourselves; 1 Cor. 11:31 (communion); Heb. 12

Kick all the bad stuff out, Rom. 6:8-14

Rom. 6:18 and 20, you serve something

Notice the digression of submission to authority: The Lord, Moses, Joshua, Judges, King, Anarchy.

3. Commitment, Ruth 1:6-18

Ruth was faithful, not only to God but to her mother-in-law. She could have left her for her own family, but chose to follow her mother-in-law to a foreign country where she may not be accepted.

Because of Ruth’s commitment, she secured her a place in the Lineage of our Lord; mostly women were at the cross when Jesus died

When Julius Caesar landed on the shores of Britain with his Roman legions, he took a bold and decisive step to ensure the success of his military venture. Ordering his men to march to the edge of the Cliffs of Dover, he commanded them to look down at the water below. To their amazement, they saw every ship in which they had crossed the channel engulfed in flames. Caesar had deliberately cut off any possibility of retreat. Now that his soldiers were unable to return to the continent, there was nothing left for them to do but to advance and conquer! And that is exactly what they did.

Conclusion: Streets of NY. Mature as a Christian.