125 YEARS Proclaiming Peace!  During this past year we have reflected on the many aspects of the ministry conducted here at Salem.  A history was written, a DVD produced of a picture history, special displays have reflected on the key parts of ministry, baptism, confirmation, weddings, and even hope of the resurrection in the midst of death.  We can look back and give thanks for those who carried the battle.  But who is willing to be here for the generations to come? 

      We are standing at a time when we now need to look forward and see the task before us.  Our text takes us back to a time when God’s people had just completed forty years of wandering in the wilderness.  They stood at the threshold of the Promised Land.  Before them stood a daunting task.  God had a special word for the leaders and the people.  As we keep our text before us, may we consider:   Forward with the Lord.

1. With Courage in the Lord

      Three times in our text God says to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous.”  Courage would be needed for the leaders and for the people.  In the pages of Holy Scripture we first meet Joshua leading a battle against Amalek, this is the Bible story when Moses held up with arms they were winning, but when he got tired his arms dropped. Aaron and Hur held up his arms, but it was Joshua fighting the battle down on the field.  Next we find him being one of the twelve spies sent into the Promised Land who were selected chiefly because of their courage.  When they came back Joshua and a Caleb were the only ones that felt that with the Lord they could take the land.  But the majority of the voices prevailed and the people lost heart.  This is not to underestimate the challenges that the people faced.  Three times the Lord had told Israel that the nations that controlled the land were stronger than they were.  In this world there can be people of courage.  Many battles in the history of mankind have recorded courage on parts of people.  When we hear these words from God…Be strong and courageous….it means to look to him for our strength and courage.  We need to focus on his promises and find the answer in him, not us. 

      Facing major obstacles and greatly out numbered Joshua still went forward with the Lord.  This book reveals times of his courage as he made swift march at night to rescue Gideon, his prayer and command that the sun should stand still and the conquest of the land.  There were also times when Joshua would have his moments of weakness, for example at a time when the enemy seemed to be getting the upper hand Joshua told the Lord, it would have been easier to stay on the other side of the Jordan river.  Why I point that out is the other promise God had made, I will never leave you or forsake you.  Even in those moments when the strength and courage were not what they should have been, God was still true to his promise.  The challenge before Joshua was to prepare the land for the time when the Savior would be born.  Cities such as Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and the area around the Sea of Galilee would all need to be prepared for the coming of the Savior. 

      In the New Testament Church the congregation of Ephesus would hear from the Apostle Paul, (Eph 6:10 NIV) finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. The early church would need to have this encouragement for the spread of the gospel in a godless world.  Christians can be the most optimistic people in the world.  We have a powerful, almighty God, we have a God of all wisdom and we have a God who has conquered death by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  Since the grave cannot hold Jesus, who will stop him and his church in this world?

      God has given us a task just as daunting as Joshua of old, not the conquest of land, but of souls for Christ.  Within and without the church the kingdom of God is to be built and extended.  Within and without the enemies of the kingdom are strong and powerful foes, more powerful than we are.  Mission-work, the proper education of the children and young adults, brotherly correction, the struggles with materialism, worldliness, and the internet are all challenges before us in the coming years.  This task calls for Christians of faith, conviction and courage in the Lord.  God’s people who will stand with the Lord by the difficulties and obstacles placed against the Lord and his church, undeterred by the many sacrifices of time, money and convenience that would make life easier (to stay on the other side of the river.)  Our time calls for courage in the face of the enmity and hatred of the world, the frequent ridicule and the petty jealousies, expression of dissatisfaction and murmuring in the ranks of God’s people like Joshua of old.  The church needs to see people of faith and courage in the Lord who by their noble example, devotion to the Lord, and give a strong testimony that we are going forward in the Lord. 

      Satan however would have us sing the hymn:

Backwards, Christian soldiers, running from the war,

With the cross of Jesus meaning nothing as before.

Christ, the royal master, left against the foe;

Retreating from the battle See his soldiers go!

Backwards, Christian soldiers, running from the war,

With the cross of Jesus meaning nothing as before.

Our God says, Onward Christian soldiers.

2. Onward with Conviction

      God not only told Joshua to be strong and courageous he gave him this command:  Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. {8} Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.  At this time Joshua just had the first five books of the Bible, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.  But why would God tell him to obey this work, speak this word, meditate on the word and follow the word?  Very simply it wasn’t just Moses’ thoughts about God, it wasn’t just a great way of life; this was the word of God.  The Lord knows that when his word is followed, there are his blessings. 

      Joshua could so easily question the word of the Lord.  Take for example the capture of the city of Jericho.   God said to Joshua: March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in."  What if that doesn’t work?  Perhaps building and grounds should get a builder’s inspection report.  Joshua didn’t ask those questions.   He did what the Lord told him and walls came tumbling down.  Joshua was met with success.  Joshua also was told to have no other gods.  He was not to water down the confession of faith made in the heathen land.  He was not to go into an alliance with Baal, Ashtoreth, or any of the other gods.  The Lord was to be the one and only God. When the people became indifferent to the other gods, then there came the downfall of the nation. 

      For God’s people today we are told to overcome the world, in fact, make disciples of the world.  Many churches lose the focus of their ministry when they stop listening to the Lord. Is the thought of some just to maintain an institution where family members can be hatched, matched and dispatched?  We can ask the question; do the members want to reach out with the Gospel through word and sacrament into our valley?  Do we really believe that the Lord has said that salvation is only through Jesus?  Do we really believe that unbelievers will be damned for all time?  When God’s people don’t listen to the Lord, or know what he wants, the church will not be carrying out the will of the Lord.  When God’s people are willing to compromise the truth, give false doctrine and the same place as the truth, can they really expect God’s hand of blessing. 

      Joshua did not reach perfection in his faith, so when he studied the word of God he heard the Lord say to him, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.  When God’s people spend time in the New Testament they hear the words of God speaking to his people: (2 Cor 5:19 NIV)  God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them.

      We all need to go back to the Lord in confession of our sins and also a conviction to be faithful to the Lord our God.  As the new school year is before us, we hear our God say again, Be strong and courageous, Onward Christian Soldier.  Amen.