Order, Words, & Voices – 12.29.24, Joshua 1:1-18; Forward in Hope, Peace, Joy, & Love
Pre/Post Worship Music – Spotify – Open and Close
Opening Response/All Candles begin lit before service ?
Songs Be thou my Vision Lynn/Linda
Battle Belongs-Phil Wickham
Passage/Prayer Joshua 1:1-18 Beth
Song Great is thy faithfulness Lynn/Linda
Impact/Message Forward in Hope, Peace, Joy, & Love Rick
Song It Is Well-Bethel Music Lynn/Linda
Community/Closing Peace Rick
Closing Music O Come All Ye Faithful CCLI Song # 31054 Lynn/Linda
- Record message on memory card – leave space above Speaker’s head
Opening (Slides) ?
– Candles prelit
Leader: Moses said to the people, “I am now one hundred twenty years old. I am no longer able to get about, and the Lord has told me, ‘You shall not cross over this Jordan.’”
Response: “The Lord your God will go before you. He will destroy the nations before you. Joshua will lead you.”
Leader: “The Lord will do to the nations the same as he has done to those who have opposed you. The Lord will give them over to you.”
Response: “Be strong and bold; do not fear or dread them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.”
Leader: Response: “The Lord goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Response: “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Deuteronomy 31:1-8
Music (Slides) Lynn/Linda
Be thou my Vision CCLI Song # 30639
Verse 1
Be Thou my vision
O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me
Save that Thou art
Thou my best thought
By day or by night
Waking or sleeping
Thy presence my light
Verse 2
Be Thou my wisdom
Be Thou my true Word
I ever with Thee
And Thou with me Lord
Thou my great Father
I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling
And I with Thee one
Verse 3
Be Thou my shield
And my sword for the fight
Be Thou my dignity
Be Thou my might
Thou my soul’s shelter
And Thou my high tow’r
Raise Thou me heav’nward
O pow’r of my pow’r
Verse 4
Riches I heed not
Nor man’s empty praise
Thou mine inheritance
Now and always
Thou and Thou only
Be first in my heart
High King of heaven
My treasure Thou art
Verse 5
High King of heaven
When vict’ry is won
May I reach heaven’s joys
O bright heaven’s Sun
Heart of my own heart
Whatever befall
Still be my vision
O Ruler of all
Battle Belongs CCLI Song # 7148126
Verse 1
When all I see is the battle
You see my victory
When all I see is a mountain
You see a mountain moved
And as I walk through the shadow
Your love surrounds me
There’s nothing to fear now
For I am safe with You
Chorus
So when I fight I’ll fight on my knees
With my hands lifted high
O God the battle belongs to You
And every fear I lay at Your feet
I’ll sing through the night
O God the battle belongs to You
Verse 2
And if You are for me
Who can be against me
For Jesus there’s nothing
Impossible for You
When all I see are the ashes
You see the beauty
When all I see is a cross
God You see the empty tomb
Chorus
So when I fight I’ll fight on my knees
With my hands lifted high
O God the battle belongs to You
And every fear I lay at Your feet
I’ll sing through the night
O God the battle belongs to You
Bridge
(An) Almighty Fortress You go before us
Nothing can stand against
The power of our God
You shine in the shadows
You win every battle
Nothing can stand against
The power of our God
Chorus
So when I fight I’ll fight on my knees
With my hands lifted high
O God the battle belongs to You
And every fear I lay at Your feet
I’ll sing through the night
O God the battle belongs to You
Tag
O God the battle belongs to You
Passage (Slides) Joshua 1:1-11, 16-18 Beth
After the death of Moses, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, saying, “Proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses.”
“No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall lead this people to possess the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them.”
“Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go.”
”This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful.”
I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua commanded the officers of the people, “Pass through the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for in three days you are to cross over this Jordan, to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God gives you to possess.”
The people answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you, as he was with Moses! Whoever rebels against your orders and disobeys your words, whatever you command, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”
Join me in the prayer of Jesus,
Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be your name.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our trespasses, while we forgive those who trespass against us.
And, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Music (Slides) Lynn/Linda
Great is thy faithfulness CCLI Song # 18723
Chorus
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning
New mercies I see
All I have needed
Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness
Lord unto me
Verse 1
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be
Chorus
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be
Verse 2
Summer and winter
And springtime and harvest
Sun moon and stars, In their courses above
Join with all nature, In manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness
Mercy and love
Chorus
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be
Verse 3
Pardon for sin
And a peace that endureth
Thy own dear presence
To cheer and to guide
Strength for today
And bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine
With ten thousand beside
Chorus
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be
Message Rick [Screen Share until close]
[Title Slide – Screen share entire message until prayer]
At the age of 120 years old, Moses stood before the Isrealites one last time. Moses spoke the law, ordinances, and other words of life, all to remind the people of how they were to live their lives in abundance. Words that encouraged them to keep faithful hearts and minds and to not turn to the false gods.
The significance of this moment was that the people were to finally, after 40 years of wandering, about to enter the promised land. And, even more significant, this act of moving forward into this promised land, a move that their parents had been unable to do, would not be under the leadership of Moses but now under his successor Joshua.
It was a new season, it was exciting, they were going to finally have a home, but, at the same time, it was understandably scary.
So, shortly before Moses finished his very long message from God, Moses said the words from God to the people..
[Slide] “I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity.”
[Slide] “If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I have reminded you today,
- to love the Lord your God
- to walk in God’s ways
- to observe God’s commandments, decrees, and ordinances,
then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live a life loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him, for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” (Deuteronomy 30:15-20)
[Slide] “I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity…. Choose Life.”
It seems like a no brainer, ‘Choose Life.’ Who would choose otherwise?
Why would anyone need to be encouraged to choose life?
[Slide] The answer lies in the hebrew word, ‘eth’. In our bibles, ‘eth’ is translated as ‘and’. This may be correct, but it is probably partially incorrect. As we have seen in the past, punctuation in Hebrew is problematic because punctuation relies on speculation. Plus, in the case of the word ‘eth’, there are no adequate greek or english, translations.
Let me use an example to explain.
[Slide] In a letter to the Isrealites enslaved in Babylonia, the prophet Jeremiah wrote, “Live, build your houses and dwell in them, and plant gardens and eat the fruit of them. Take your wives and have sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters, that you may be increased there, and not diminished.”
[Slide] “And seek the peace of the city in which I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for the success and peace of the city; for in the peace shall ye have peace.”
In other words, Jeremiah was instructing the exiled Isrealites to live their lives to the fullest even though they were not in their homeland and even though they did not live in freedom. He is telling them to not only live but to not let their situation keep them from living life but to live life even though they do not want to live where they are.
[Slide]
Life and/eth Prosperity.
Life and Prosperity.
Life with Prosperity.
Life of Prosperity
[Slide] Full life. Not riches, Not stuff, not fame or celebrity, Not even comfort. –
[Slide] But, Hope, Peace, Joy, Love.
[Slide] Regardless of what we see or feel.
Another example of this use of ‘eth’, ‘and’, is
[Slide] Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and/eth have it abundantly.” (John 10:01 NRSVU)
[Slide] “My purpose in life is to give life in/eth all its fullness.” (TLB)
[Slide] Fullness, Abundance, Prosperity. Life and Prosperity.
Moses told the people to truly live their lives. To live their lives in the way God teaches us to live. This is the God who created humans, and knows every aspect of how creation, and us, the created, to live and flourish, God is telling them, ‘this is how creation and the created successfully work.
In doing so Moses assures the Isrealites who are about to move forward into the promised land. A journey that will involve war, battle, and the unknown.
The Isrealites had wondered for 40 years. They had been attacked by people who wanted to stop them from moving forward. People who were an excellent example of the people who would attack them as they move forward into the promised land.
[Slide] This people who were facing the unknown, fear would have been natural and expected. They were entering a New Season with a New Leader, New insecurities, New Fears, New Doubts, New(?). To this fear Moses assured the people that God not only would go with them, but, that God had already gone ahead of them. They were not, and would not be, alone or isolated.
They were on the cusp of a new year. They stood looking out at this new year wondering what it held. Politics, wars, relationships, health, jobs, money, etc. Everything new, but also, everything familiar.
[Slide] We, too, stand on the cusp of a New Season, a New Year, with a New Leader, New insecurities, New Fears, New Doubts. Everything new, but also, everything familiar. To this fear God has not only promised to go with us, but, God has also promised to have already gone ahead of us. We are not, and we will not be, alone or isolated.
God calls us with an ‘eth’, to choose to live, fully, continuing to live with that ‘eth’ a ‘and’ which defines our life, our path, which calls us to full lives regardless of our circumstances or situations. Our choice to live life as God calls us to live, allowing God to guide us.
We are not alone, and we continue to not be alone even when we feel alone, maybe even abandoned. God is with us, but, even more importantly, God has, at the same time, (another ‘eth’), God has gone before us, ahead of us.
[Slide] In other words, we are going to be okay, whatever that means, whatever that looks like. We can move forward, to continue on, not allowing fear or exhaustion, or even the unknown, to define what and how we live fully.
[Slide] The late preacher, Tim Keller, said, “God doesn’t give guidance on the path, God does guidance in the path,
and you are, we are, on and in the middle of the path.”
Isaiah speaking to the exiled Isrealites after Babylonia has been conquered by the Persians. Some of the Isrealites had been allowed to return home which was a huge question to those returning home. What would they return to? What would their freedom in the midst of oppression look like? And also, there were many Isrealites still in Babylonia, which was now Persian, they were hesitant to move out of slavery and to take step forward because of the questions about their future. To them the prophet Isaiah said the words of God…
[Slide] “ I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19
[Slide] To us, at the beginning of a New Season, God still says that “he is about to do a new thing, in fact, truth is, God is already doing the New Thing. Can you, can we, see it?”
Music Slides Lynn/Linda
It Is Well (Bethel) CCLI Song # 7021972
Verse 1
Grander earth has quaked before
Moved by the sound of His voice
Seas that are shaken and stirred
Can be calmed and broken for my regard
Chorus
Through it all through it all
My eyes are on You
Through it all through it all
It is well
Through it all through it all
My eyes are on You
(1st) And it is well with me
(2nd) And it is well it is well
Verse 2
Far be it from me to not believe
Even when my eyes can’t see
And this mountain that’s in front of me
Will be thrown into the midst of the sea
Bridge
So let go my soul and trust in Him
The waves and wind still know His name
(REPEAT)
The waves and wind still know His name
Ending
It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well it is well with my soul
(REPEAT)
It is well it is well with my soul
It is well it is well with my soul
Community (Slides) Rick
- New Series begins Next Sunday, 01.05.25, ‘Live Your Life the Way Jesus Lived Life’
- 01.05.25 Jesus at Temple/‘Father’s House, ‘’Knowing/Knowing”, Luke 2:41-52 (Psalm 2:7-8)
Closing Peace (Slides) Rick (Slides)
Leader: May the peace of the Lord go with you.
Response: And also with you.
Closing Music Lynn/Linda
O Come All Ye Faithful CCLI Song # 31054
Verse 1
O come all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
O come ye O come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born the King of angels
Chorus
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
Verse 2
Sing choirs of angels
Sing in exultation
O sing all ye bright
Hosts of heav’n above
Glory to God all Glory in the highest
Chorus
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
Verse 3
Yea Lord we greet Thee
Born this happy morning
Jesus to Thee be all glory giv’n
Word of the Father
Now in flesh appearing
Chorus
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
Be thou my Vision
Battle Belongs-Phil Wickham
Before message: great is thy faithfulness
After: It Is Well-Bethel Music
Order, Words, & Voices 