David Ravenhill discusses the significance of Moses' death and the transition to Joshua's leadership, emphasizing that God often raises new leaders during times of change. He reflects on Moses' life, noting that despite his great accomplishments, he was not allowed to enter the Promised Land due to a moment of disobedience, highlighting the seriousness of representing God's holiness. Ravenhill draws parallels to contemporary leadership failures in the church, urging a return to holiness and integrity among leaders. He emphasizes the qualities that made Joshua a suitable leader, including his faith, character, and commitment to God, suggesting that God is preparing a new generation of leaders for a fresh move of His Spirit.

It's always a real joy to minister the Word of God as well as an awesome responsibility. I appreciate too Brother Mike's singing. I especially appreciate singing, since I don't sing myself. I have a friend from our church in New Zealand and now in the States, a couple, who do a lot of teaching on praise and worship, and they refer to me as a prison singer, behind a few bars and missing the key. And so when you hear somebody that can sing, you appreciate it all the more. I'd like you to turn this morning, if you would, to the book of Joshua. I want to share a message that I believe God quickened to me a number of years ago now, and it has been coming back to me ever since Brother Jim asked me to minister this morning. I want to share with you what I feel God is doing in the nation and the parallel that we find here in this particular portion of scripture. I think most of you are aware that the book of Joshua commences a time of transition for the nation of Israel. They were leaving one stage and moving into a new stage, a new facet of what God had for them. And invariably when God has something new for the people of God, he raises up a new leadership. And I believe that what we are seeing in the body of Christ around the nation and also around the world, is that God is raising up new leaders. And I want to address that issue this morning, the death of Moses and the raising up of the young man Joshua to replace him. In Joshua chapter 1 and in verse 2 it says, Moses my servant is dead. Moses my servant is dead. Somebody has said that the one thing we learn from history is that we don't learn from history. And therefore we keep on making the same old mistake over and over again. I believe that we need to understand why Moses died. What brought about the death of Moses. One of the dangers of opening the word of God at a sort of randomly and beginning to read is that so often we don't know what preceded it. And this is one of those verses if you like, that if you were to decide, well I think I'll read the book of Joshua for my devotions this particular month. You open, you can come across that statement, Moses my servant is dead. If you've had any sort of Bible training at all you know that Moses life was divided into three 40 year periods. The first 40 years he spent in Egypt there under the tutorship and training of the Egyptians. Bible says he was a man mighty in word and speech. And then the next 40 years he spent on the backside of the desert. My father says that was preparation for the next 40 years because he lived during those second 40 years with his mother-in-law. But I'm not sure if that's quite true, but he looked after his father-in-law's sheep anyway. By the time God came to him the second time if you like, he was speaking like a sheep. He says I stutter, I can't speak eloquently and yet the Bible says prior to that he was a man that was mighty in speech. And then of course the final segment of 40 years of his life was spent there in the wilderness. And you can do a quick calculation and 4 times 3 is 120 and you can think well Moses my servant is dead, he died of old age, after all he was 120 years of age. He died maybe crippled up with arthritis, maybe he died of cancer, maybe he died of some sort of incurable disease or some other thing and we almost marvel that he made it to 120. After all the last 40 years when seemingly he would not have the same strength as he had in the first 80 years, he had to contend with something like a million, some say up to 3 million people who were murmuring about their breakfast and murmuring about their lunch and murmuring about their tea as we would say in New Zealand or their dinner as you would say. But constantly they were murmuring, murmuring about the leadership, murmuring about whatever they could murmur about they found at least something that they could come and say to Moses why have you brought us out here into the wilderness. And we again marvel at the fact that this man existed as long as he did, 120 years of age and yet we need to go back and I want to trace now the death of Moses, if you turn back into the last chapter of the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 34 and verse 7 it says although Moses was 120 years of age when he died, his eye was not dim nor his vigor abated. Notice the Bible says that when this great man of God died he was still in tremendous shape physically, his eye was not dim, he did not need bifocals as I do and I am just starting my second 40 year period, but neither was his vigor abated, he was a man that had plenty of tread left on him, he could have kept going, a man that still had plenty of sort of gusto, he woke up in the morning sort of raring to go, why then do we have the statement Moses my servant is dead, obviously he did not die of natural causes, he did not die of cancer, he did not die of old age, he did not die sort of crippled up with arthritis, he did not die because of some sort of failure of his heart or any other thing, he died in the prime if you like of his life, still with plenty of vigor, plenty of vitality, again his eye not dim, his vigor not abated. I think in order to understand the death of Moses we need to go back into Deuteronomy chapter 20 and it was on this particular occasion again when the children of Israel were murmuring about the lack of water, that God spoke to Moses, spoke to Aaron and said I want you to go and I want you to speak to the rock and you recall the story and I will not read it right now, I will come back to it later on, but you recall how Moses again in a moment of frustration, a moment when he was just at a time of weakness, he had put up as much as he could with the constant murmuring of the children of God and there in that moment of weakness instead of doing what God told him to do and speaking to the rock, he struck the rock and God said because you have done this Moses you will not take the children of Israel into the promised land and at that particular time and we can turn to this verse there in verse 24, Aaron who stood alongside him and was involved in that situation, God said I want you to take Aaron, verse 24 Aaron shall be gathered to his people for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the sons of Israel because you rebelled at my commands at the waters of Meribah, take Aaron and his son Eliezer and bring them up to Mount Hor and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eliezer and so Aaron will be gathered to his people and he will die there, verse 28 says Aaron died there on the mountaintop. I believe there are two ways in which God deals with their leaders, those that are involved in any sort of sin and I think we need to understand that those in leadership have the word of God says a greater condemnation, says be not many teachers or if you like be not many leaders thus incurring a greater wrath or a greater condemnation and sometimes God will deal with leadership immediately when they sin as was the case with Aaron, immediately he was told to climb to the top of the mountain, Mount Hor and there God took his life. There are other times when God for the same sin will allow somebody to continue on as was the case with Moses almost another 40 years before God eventually took his life from him. But Aaron was stripped notice of his garments, he was stripped of his office, he was stripped of his divine calling, his divine responsibility and that calling and that responsibility was placed upon his son but then if we go on let's trace now if we turn to Deuteronomy chapter 1 and verse 37 I just want to trace the sort of the background to the death again of Moses this great servant of God and in verse 37 it says Moses here speaking to the nation of Israel the Lord was angry with me on your account saying not even you shall enter there referring to the promised land Moses because of what you've done not even you will enter there I think sometimes we think that we because we're in leadership God makes certain exceptions after all look what I've done Lord look at all the great exploits look at all the great churches I've established and so on and so forth I've got a reputation I've got a name and so on so forth so God please be merciful to me and God says not even you Moses will go in and inherit the land over into chapter 3 Moses does what most of us do and we are told we can't have something we throw some sort of a tantrum of some sort this was a spiritual one in this case Moses began to fast and pray and in verse 23 it says I pleaded with the Lord at that time saying O Lord God thou hast begun to show thy servant thy greatness and thy strong hand for what God is there in heaven or on earth who can do such great wonders and mighty acts as thine let me I pray cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan that good hill country in Lebanon and the Lord was angry with me on your account and he would not listen to me and the Lord said to me enough speak to me no more concerning this matter never as God was tired of Moses constant pleading Lord please I pleaded with the Lord please Lord let me go in and see the land let me go in and have a taste of what it's like that which you promised to your people their own inheritance their own possession all the blessings the milk the honey Lord let me go in please Lord let me go and God saying I don't want to hear another word about it sounds like a parent doesn't it some child constantly begging listen forget it I don't want to hear another word about it and God says enough don't ever speak to me again concerning this particular matter and then over into chapter 4 verse 21 again Moses speaking now the Lord was angry with me on your account and swore that I would not cross the Jordan and that I should not enter the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance for I shall die in this land I shall not cross the Jordan but you shall cross and take possession of this good land over into chapter 31 of Deuteronomy and verse 14 as you're turning to that let me just give you a little bit more of the background to this particular incident you recall that just prior to Moses striking the rock that the children of Israel had sent in 12 spies to spy out the land you recall the story how ten of those spies came back and said it's impossible we'll be destroyed if we go in we'll lose our families we'll lose our children and you know even though God says we can go in we've seen it and we know what it's like there are cities fortified up to heaven and so on and God said because of their sin of unbelief for the forty days in which the twelve spies were in the promised land that God penalized them one year for every year for every day of unbelief the reason that the God sort of pulled out of his mind it was a penalty for every day of unbelief in which the twelve spies were in the the promised land I think it tells us something about what God thinks of unbelief although we cannot tie it down as a hard fast rule or doctrine one day of unbelief can cost you a year in God's economy and God says for the next 40 years you will wander in this wilderness you will not go in I will raise up a new generation and so Moses knew that he had 40 years in which to live and as those years began to go by Moses knew that his time was also drawing to an end when 30 years had gone by he thought I've got 10 years left we've only got 10 years that God said we would wander now and then nine eight seven six five four three two one down to 11 months ten months nine months eight months and down he goes until God again speaks to Moses here in verse 14 and the Lord said to Moses behold the time for you to die is near I'm sure Moses already knew that I'm sure he'd already counted the years as they went by and thought you know I would so love to go in and see the next move of the Spirit of God and yet I can't and God reminding him Moses those 40 years are almost to an end Moses I'm going to take your life so the time for you to die is near call Joshua present yourself at the tent of meeting that I may commission him and Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting and then over into chapter 32 of Deuteronomy and verse 48 and the Lord spoke to Moses that very same day saying go up to this mountain of the Abiram Mount Nebo which is in the land of Moab opposite Jericho and look at the land of Canaan which I am giving to the sons of Israel for a possession then die on the mountain where you ascend and be gathered to your people as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people once you notice now verse 51 the reason why because you broke faith in me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel you shall see the land at a distance but you shall not go there into the land that I am giving to the sons of Israel because you did not treat me as holy sentence translation puts it this way because you did not exalt me you did not sanctify my presence among the children of Israel the Jerusalem Bible says because you did not display my holiness among the sons of Israel and the Torah says by failing to uphold my sanctity you shall not go in because you did not fail or do you because you failed to uphold my sanctity I believe that what we have seen again in the last 24 months in this nation and that has been really just a token of what has been happening around the world and the fall of leaders has its parallel if you like here in this portion of Scripture but they will not enter into what I believe is the next move of God and I believe we are standing on the threshold of a new move of the Spirit of God and God is saying that you shall not go in because you fail to represent me for who I am a holy God we have seen men men that have had a tremendous mantle but men like Samson if you like that have brought down more in their spiritual death than they ever did in their living men that have caused the name of Jesus Christ to be blasphemed among the heathen across the media in every newspaper every magazine not only in this nation but around the world men that fail to represent God for who he is a holy God a righteous God a God of integrity a God of purity God says to this great man Moses who was not involved in immorality was not involved in homosexuality was not involved in what we would consider some great sin but simply a man that for a moment lost his temper in the side of a nation and as a leader to represent God God was saying Moses I don't get angry the way you get angry I don't just fly off the cup Moses you have not that you have failed to represent my true nature my true character before the people therefore you will not go in to that which I'm about to take my people into and so we're seeing today I believe a pruning that is going on I was thinking this morning as I was just meditating for a moment of the the whole process of pruning that if you don't know too much about pruning and you see that a man go along there a gardener and he takes those that pruning knife and he begins to cut back that particular tree or that particular vine you think how on earth will that thing ever begin to grow again how will it ever produce fruit he's ruined it he's made a total mess of it and I'm sure that the world as well as members of the Church of Jesus Christ today look if you like at the pruning that has gone on in the house of God and thinks and think to yourself will never ever recover it's being damaged too much but I believe that it is the hand of God in order to bring about a greater measure of fruitfulness a greater measure of blessing that could never be achieved in any other way God is removing men from office some of them like Aaron are removed immediately others by the grace of God God will allow them to continue for a period of time and then he will remove them I don't understand why that happens but I see it happening throughout the Word of God I see so that even after he disobeyed God God allowing him to have a certain anointing and to continue ministering even though God had removed again the call of God off his life others that die immediately but I want to look now at the raising up of this young man Joshua because again I believe that this is a time in which God is raising up a new breed of man I believe for every new move of the Spirit of God God has waiting if you like in the wings men that he's prepared men that he's had his eye upon men that he's had sort of cloistered or hidden away and then there comes the time of release and Joshua is such a man and I want to look at what it was that qualified Joshua to lead what are the things about this man's life that the Spirit of God was able to anoint him and rest upon him in such a way that he became the new leader to bring the people of God into the new move that God had for them the first time that this man's life is mentioned is in the book of Exodus chapter 17 I'd like you to turn there if you would Exodus chapter 17 Joshua was a man that had a hatred for sin Joshua was a man that that lived in victory over sin you may recall in this portion of Scripture that this is the first battle of the children of Israel fought after they came out of the land of Egypt it says in verse 8 that Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim you recall how Moses said to Joshua Joshua I want you to go and I want you to assemble some men that we may fight against Amalek you recall the story how Moses then went up to the mountain along with Aaron and Hur and in the midst of the battle we find that the Amalekites began to prevail and Moses raised his hands and as long as his hands were raised the children of Israel prevailed against the Amalekites and then during that long lengthy battle Moses becomes weary and his hands begin to sag they begin to droop and suddenly the Amalekites begin to overwhelm the children of Israel and Aaron and Hur notice what is going on they stand one on one side one on the other they raise the hands of that great leader and as long as his hands were raised we find that the Bible says that Joshua overwhelmed Amalek he totally defeated Amalek and you may say well what does that tell us the Bible says that these things that were written a full time were written for our instruction we need to see the spiritual significance of this particular battle Amalek some people say were descendants of Esau a type of the flesh others say according to the prophecy of Balaam that this was the beginning the very first nation that he's ever mentioned in the scriptures this is the first nation Balaam said there in his in his prophetic word concerning Amalek but they were a nation that represented sin they were a nation that represented the flesh you recall many years later when Saul was told by the Prophet Samuel I want you to go and destroy the sinners the Amalekites the sinners the Amalekites they were a type of sin the Philistines were a type of those that were involved in the occult it talks about the Philistines being soothsayers but the Amalekites again were a type of the flesh or type of sin this was a battle against sin and here is a young man that is successful in defeating the sin if you like that rose up against him a man that had a hatred for sin a man that lived in victory over sin again we need to understand that this this story here is a twofold story Joshua is down in the valley fighting but Moses is up on the mountain and as long as Moses is has his hands raised again Joshua is successful you'll notice in the margin there and I noticed all the elite up here use the same translation but I do the new American somebody said there were ten versions five wise and five foolish this is one of the wise ones but in verse 16 in the margin it says because a hand is against the throne of the Lord because a hand is against the throne of the Lord you see what Moses was doing when his hands were raised he was in contact with the throne and as long as he was in contact with the throne Joshua was able to overwhelm the flesh he was able to live in victory over sin he was able to bring the flesh under control but as long as Moses lost contact with the throne then the Amalekites the sin the flesh dominated the children of Israel and let me say this for those of you because I know there are many students here this morning but don't begin to go out in ministry unless first of all you know what it is to live in victory over sin unless you know what it is to have the flesh under control do the house of God a favor and stay out of the ministry we've had too much of the world looking on and say that if that's all the Church of Jesus Christ represents I don't want to be a part of it and I believe that this next move of God God is looking for young men and young women that live in victory over sin and the only way you can live in victory over the sin that would rise up against you is to have contact with the throne of God you cannot do it in your own flesh the old hymn says the arm of flesh will fail you but as long as you have contact with the throne of God living in an intimate dynamic relationship with God then and only then can you be successful over the sin that would rise up against you and what we have seen again in the last 24 months a man that did not have the flesh under control men that did not live in victory over sin and the Amalekites came in and destroyed and defeated them and God I believe is saying listen I'm going to raise up a new breed of man I'm gonna raise up some Joshua's some Joshua's that know how to use the sword of the Spirit some Joshua's that have such a hatred for sin they know what it is to have the fear of God resting upon their lives and so the very first thing that we find about Joshua again a man that hated sin and lived in victory over sin it's interesting in verse 14 the Lord said to Moses write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua first time he's ever mentioned in scriptures and God says listen I want you to record this Moses and don't recite it to the nation of Israel recite it to Joshua see I believe right then God saw something in the life of this young man that he says there is a young man that I can use don't tell the nation of Israel about it record it and one day recite it to Joshua the second thing we go over into chapter 24 of Exodus Joshua was a man of character again for sake of time Moses has gone up into the mountain God is about to reveal to him the plan of the tabernacle recall how he left Aaron and the elders behind and he took with him a young man it says there in verse 13 so Moses rose with Joshua's servant and Moses went up to the mountain of God it goes on to say that Moses then went ahead and for the next 40 days he was on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights 40 in the scriptures again is always a time of testing a time of proving where God watches and sees how we handle situations Moses 40 years in the backside of the desert children Israel 40 years Jesus Christ 40 days in the wilderness and so on and so we find that here is a young man and out of 3 million people the only individual apart from Moses himself who Moses at this time is in the very presence of God that Moses sorry Joshua is the only one that does not involve himself in idolatry and sin you see it's hard to handle the time delays one of the greatest tests of any man of God is whether he is willing to wait God's timing when nothing is happening the tendency is I'll produce an Ishmael I'll do it my way and here is a young man again who when nothing is happening he doesn't know what's happened to to Moses there is a cloud that covers the entire mountain he can't see it's a time and nothing seems to be taking place and the children of Israel during that same period of time become impatient they go to say we don't know what's happened to Moses give us a God that we can worship and during that time they build or fashion the golden calf associated with that was idolatry immorality all sorts of loose living and uncleanness and so on and the entire nation of Israel turns their back on God except for one young man again a test of his patience a test of his fidelity test of his faith a test really of his character somebody says character is what you are when you're alone character is what you are when you're alone when there's nobody else to check up on you the things you listen to the things you look at the things you read the things that you involve yourself in when nobody else is around that is when character is revealed character is never revealed in a like this when everybody walks in dressed up in their Sunday best with a Bible under the arm and so on it's revealed when you're all alone then nothing is happening then seemingly God is not on the scene whether you will continue to trust him so Lord I don't understand what's going on but Lord I know that you're a faithful God you've never ever failed anybody and you're not about to fail me so Lord I'm going to wait for your timing say something again about this young man a man of character over into chapter 33 and verse 11 he was a man of worship Moses comes down from the mountain see what sees what's going on takes the tent remember and he pitches it outside the camp again God comes and speaks to Moses face to face it says there in verse 11 the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face just as a man would speak to his friend and when Moses returned to the camp his servant Joshua the son of none a young man would not depart from the tent I don't want to read into this more than is already stated but I believe that there was something in the life of this young man that loved the presence of God but even when Moses left and the glory of God was there the presence of God was there he found himself lingering in the presence of God a man that enjoyed the presence of God a man that enjoyed being alone with God see most of us don't mind being in the public but a lot of us don't be like to spend time alone with God the Bible says enter into your closet pray to your father in secret your father that sees in secret will reward you openly here was a young man that loved the presence of God the rest of the nation again standing at the doorway of the tent but the tent of meeting had been taken out from its place in the very center of Israel you know I believe that God is calling if you like today to those that are prepared to stand separated again from a sinful people people that again enjoy the presence of God love to spend time waiting on God time in prayer listening to the voice of God getting the mind of God understanding the purpose of God there was a young man again he would not depart from the tent as long as God's presence was there you're not going to get me anywhere else the ballgame can't excite him the television can't excite him there was nothing that could lure him away from the presence of God how much you love his presence this morning honestly how many of you are anxious to get home throw back here you know kick off your shoes and watch the television for the afternoon so easy isn't it but how many really enjoy spending time in his presence you see I believe even now God has got his hand on young men and young women and he's watching to see what sort of caliber of young men and young women they really are he's looking to see how much time you spend alone how much time you enjoy his presence Joshua was a man of faith numbers chapter 14 again you recall the story how he was one of the twelve spies that went in along with Caleb he was the only one that had to stand against all the public opinion including those that went with him he was able to say I believe that what God said is true we are well able to go in and possess the land God can take us in I don't care whether they're fortified cities I don't care whether they're the Giants in the land I don't care what sort of obstacles lie if God says that I believe it see God is looking for men of faith today I'm not talking about the faith that lets you drive home in a Cadillac or a BMW I'm talking about faith that believes the Word of God not talking about some sort of hyper faith that centers itself in man but I'm talking about faith that exalts the name of Jesus Christ and here's a man that said Lord I believe that we are able to go in you see there was something about Joshua during those 40 days he tasted something he tasted something that God had for the next to move if you like he was a foreigner and that never got out of his system you see he was spoiled for settling for second best I was in a meeting just last Sunday morning and I felt that God spoiled me forever seeing anything that was second best as I saw a man of God stand and through the anointing of the Spirit of God name people by name and have them stand to their feet and prophesy over them I thought God I've said being for years and years in the house of God where somebody said there's somebody over here with a headache and while I don't discredit that that was a word of knowledge I saw something that spoiled me forever settling for second best as a young boy on the front row and this man said David I want you to stand and David stood to his feet he said God's got his hand on your life David he said I've never talked to you I've never talked to your parents before and there that was the name of that young man somebody else named him by name named his wife by name you see God is wanting to move by his spirit I believe we're on the threshold of a new breed of men of a new move of the Spirit of God that he's going to eclipse anything that we've ever seen before and it's going to take men that a man that desire the glory of God and nothing else a faceless group of individuals who are not in it for their own sake they're not there trying to get all the applause and all the attention but they're there to exalt one and one alone the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and here we found time again Joshua a man of faith Lord I believe that what you said is possible I believe that you're coming back for a church without spot wrinkle not some wizened-up bride not some sort of pathetic bride that's just barely holding on but a glorious church in all its power and all its glory and all its integrity and its holiness that we can believe that that's what Jesus Christ is coming back for and if you don't believe that then don't get involved we've got too many people we've got some sort of defeated mentality we don't believe that what God says is possible we look around we look at the Giants we look at the obstacles we look at the walls that are fortified to heaven say God it would never ever happen you may have been sincere when you said it 2,000 years ago but you never dreamed that the world would get so vile as it is today I believe that he's coming back for a glorious church next thing we find about Joshua again and we've already read it there in Joshua chapter 1 where he was a man that was willing to serve a man that was willing to serve Joshua it says the servant of Moses see Jesus made it very clear that those that belong to him those that God used first of all need to have a spirit of a servant here that would be the greatest among you let him first of all become servant of all somebody said if you want to know how much of a servant you are watch your reaction when somebody treats you like one that's a good test watch the way you react when somebody said would you mind doing this would you mind doing that would you mind helping vacuum the church would you mind washing the windows and the sort of bristles go up and you think boy I've been in this church 20 years and I can sing play the piano they never asked me to get involved in those things you know see he that would be the greatest let him become servant of all I have watched with interest over the years as we were involved in a very tremendous congregation there in New Zealand 15 1600 people and in the 15 years that I was there I've seen many people that would involve themselves in some capacity of service and with interest I've watched the type of people that will serve invariably I noticed that the leadership never had a lack of people that would help them I've also noticed that most of the people that would help those in leadership had some sort of inferiority complex and they needed to be seen if you like with somebody in prominence because of course that did something for their ego and they would do anything for those in a capacity of leadership you see the Bible says a true servant is not one that simply serves leaders but he that would be the greatest letting become servant of all and very seldom did I see somebody that was willing to be a servant of all oh yes I'll serve so-and-so I'll serve so-and-so because I get a little bit of recognition now I need the recognition but Jesus said he that would be the greatest let him be willing to serve and serve the very lowest and do it willingly and gladly and we see that in the life of this man Joshua never trying to get there in the limelight but simply a servant a servant and tied in very closely with that in numbers chapter 27 Joshua was a man with a shepherd's heart a man with a shepherd's heart and those two obviously go hand in hand but Moses knowing that his time is coming to an end begins to pray here in this chapter and in verse 15 of Moses spoke to the Lord saying may the Lord the God of the spirits of all flesh appoint a man over the congregation who will go out and come in before them and who will lead them out and bring them in that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd so there was one thing about Moses life he was a shepherd there were times when God says listen let's start all over again Moses let's start with a whole new batch a whole new breed I'll start through you and I'll raise up an entire new generation you don't have to contend with all this rebellion with all this murmuring and so on Moses said listen if you brought them out blot me out such was his love for the people of God a true shepherd that was willing to lay down his life for the sheep and here he is he's coming to the end of his life and even though he knows that he can't go in and possess the land there's something within this man that begins to pray and say God please appoint somebody over the congregation so that they're not simply wandering aimless coming to the end of his life and even though he knows that he can't go in and possess the land there's something within this man that begins to pray and say God please appoint somebody over the congregation so that they're not simply wandering aimlessly but somebody that will lead them so they're not like sheep without a shepherd and God says in verse 18 take Joshua the son of none a man in whom is the spirit and lay your hand on him you see God says this is the man there's something again about this young man's life not only a man of character not only a man of faith not only a man of integrity not only a man that hates sin but a man that's willing to serve and a man that has a shepherd's heart boys whatever a need for shepherds today in the house of God I have had so many calls and talked to so many people since coming back to the States people that have been hurt in the house of God disillusioned in the house of God that don't trust the shepherds any longer because somehow they've just been a number you see the trouble is that people are going into the realm of pastoring today as a profession rather than a calling there's all the difference in the world between a profession and a calling see Jesus said there are two types of people that look after sheep there in John 10 there's a hireling and he simply does it for what he can get out of it he does it because it is a lucrative business he does it because at the end of the week there is a paycheck but he does not care about the sheep and then he says there is the good shepherd that lays down his life for the sheep one is a profession one is a calling again I say the young man this morning but if you're in it simply because it is a lucrative or could be a lucrative profession then do God a favor do the people of God a favor and don't ever get involved unless you are in it because you've got a heart for people the Bible says if any man aspire to the office of a bishop he aspires to a good work you see we aspire to a title but he says you don't aspire to a title you don't aspire to a label you aspire to a good work it's work and we need to be willing again to have a shepherd's heart and Joshua a man that had a love for the people of God a love for the house of God a man that was willing to lay down his life for the sheep finally he was a man totally committed over in Numbers chapter 32 verse 11 none of the men who came up from Egypt from 20 years old and upwards shall see the land which I swore to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob for they did not follow me fully except Caleb the son of Jephthah the Kenazite and Joshua the son of man for they have followed the Lord fully are they in the King James says they have wholly followed the Lord I believe that God is looking again for men women that will wholly follow the Lord not men that say well listen let's do it my way see Jesus said if any man come after me let him take up his cross and follow revelation says of those 144,000 these are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes through the dark times see we'd all like to follow him to the Mount of Transfiguration none like to follow him to Mount Calvary but these are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever and Joe there again there here's this great man Joshua that wholly follow the Lord he was prepared to follow he was prepared to listen he was prepared to let God control and lead and guide and make the decisions he was not simply one that was out there doing everything himself this sounds good and that sounds good but he wholly follow the Lord God is looking for a man women today that are totally submitted to his purposes that have ears to hear what the Spirit of God says to the church the last thing about Joshua he was a man of wisdom the very last thing that Moses was told to do there in Deuteronomy chapter 34 and verse 9 he was told by the Lord to take his hands and to place them on Joshua and to impart to him a spirit of wisdom there's one thing that God saw that was lacking here again a man of character a man of faith a man of patience man that had a hatred for sin but he was lacking in the one area of wisdom Bible says with all of you getting get wisdom wisdom is the principal thing we need again a new breed of men that know what it is to walk in the wisdom of God the understanding of God that see things from God's perspective and God's point of view God says listen the final thing that will prepare him is that you lay your hands upon him and allow the very wisdom of God to be imparted to him let's turn back to Joshua chapter 1 just for a moment verse 3 every place that the soul of your foot treads I have given to you just as I've spoken to Moses verse 5 no man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life just as I've been with Moses I'll be with you I'll not fail you and I'll not forsake you be strong and courageous for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them I think there are two facets if you like of interpretation of this particular portion of Scripture I've heard evangelists I'm not an evangelist as you can tell I stand behind the pulpit rather use the whole platform here but I've heard evangelists that have waxed eloquent as they've taken this verse just as I've been with Moses I'll be with you and they're talking and talked about all their tremendous exploits talked about all the tremendous miracles that Moses did so he stood before Pharaoh and turned the water into blood and all the tremendous plagues that he brought upon the land as those that were in rebellion against him the ground open swallow them and so on and so forth and made a tremendous exciting message about the fact that here is a young man about to take over the leadership after this great statesman and God saying to him listen just as I'd be with Moses I'll be with you and imagine the sort of goosebumps going up and down his spine thinking boy I can't wait to have that sort of power can't wait to have that sort of authority can't wait to have that dimension of authority as the mantle of God comes upon me but you see there's another side to this statement just as I've been with Moses I'll be with you the last thing that this young man remembers about this great man Moses was watching him I'm watching him climb to the top of Mount Nebo as God said to him Moses you're not going to go in and possess the land because you did not treat me as holy I'm watching that great statesman that great man of God that was admired by some three million people I'm watching him slowly ascend and never coming down from that mountain I'm leaving that impression on a young man that is about to take over the leadership and God says Moses to Joshua just as I've been with Moses I'll be with you see I think that did something to this young man as he watched the agony of this great statesman who I believe could have taken the children of Israel in it was never God's intention that they wander for 40 years in the wilderness and you see Moses did not die of natural causes and if they had never wandered for 40 years God said to Moses I want you to take them in and he'd have gone into the blessing he'd have gone into the next move if you like of the Spirit of God but he never made it because he never he didn't treat God as holy he didn't represent God for who he was and here is a young man again and God's saying listen just as I've been with Moses I'll be with you I think that had some sort of solemn effect upon this young man because it goes on to say be strong and courageous verse 7 be careful be careful to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you do not turn from it to the right or to the left so that you may have success wherever you go you see the Bible says this law it's your very life it's your very life and God's saying to Moses sorry saying to Joshua Joshua as I've been with Moses I'll be with you be careful to do according to all this word see Moses failed because he did not totally follow the Word of God Joshua again standing there on the threshold of a new move I'm conscious of the fact that unless I listen to the voice of God I may end up like Moses let's close in prayer father we pray this morning I know that your word would reprove and correct father we pray that your word would cause us this morning to assess our ways where we're at you said examine yourself to see whether you're in the faith especially for young men that are men that have got the call of God upon their life and yet Lord maybe men that have become lax and indifferent men that have allowed maybe the pleasures of sin to slowly creep in the little foxes have already begun to eat away at the vine the father this morning would be a time in which they would turn and change and repent time each they would reach out again for cleansing for forgiveness but I believe that we stand again on the threshold of a new move of your spirit and you move that he's going to exalt and glorify not man but God himself and that I believe it out of this congregation you've already got your hand on young men and young women pray the Lord this morning again we might Lord receive the admonition of your word where we might treat it again with a solemnity the father we might be careful we might walk circumspectly redeeming the time because the days are evil father you want to go out of this meeting this morning conscious of your presence conscious that Lord there's nothing in our lives that would offend it's nothing in our lives Lord that you would disapprove of and Lord if there is we thank you for the blood of Christ that cleanses from all sin we thank you Lord that we can avail ourselves of that cleansing blood but Lord we can call upon you the Lord we meet you at a mercy seat we thank you for that not a place of law not a place of judgment we thank you there's a mercy seat Lord we ask for mercy for those that Lord have strayed those that Lord have not represented you for who you are a holy righteous God Lord give us a new desire to exalt your name the father we would say again in that prayer that you taught us to pray hallowed be thy name not just in a general sense but in my life in everything I do and everything that I say father let the very fear of God grip especially young men and young women this morning the fear of God that would give them a hatred for evil raise up a new generation we pray that would lead us on father into greater measure of anointing greater measure of your purposes we pray and we'll be careful to give you the praise and the glory in Jesus name amen