The Power of the Word

A message from reference by Phil Rogers 4/05/08

To listen to Phil's message click here mp3

When I was first baptised in the Holy Spirit (~40 years ago) I began to read Deuteronomy. The Spirit brought scriptures alive to me in a way I had never experienced before. The picture of the promised land, flowing with milk and honey which God promised to give to his people as their possession, shouted out to me “Life in the Spirit”. God had not wanted the Israelites to wander in the wilderness neither does he want his church wandering around in a waterless desert but living in all the fulness and abundance of God. Some Christian friends thought I was barking mad - how can anyone get so excited about the book of Deuternomy? But a few were filled with the Spirit and also experienced what was exciting me.

As we turn to this next episode in the life of Joshua we see that Moses has died and the wilderness wanderings are coming to an end. God speaks to Joshua and and tells him to get ready to lead the people to inherit their promises. I still believe the promised land is a picture of life in the Spirit, that God has promised. But as the years have passed, I now see a dimension to this that I did not see in my early twenties.

Our passage has two main focal points: The Land & the Law. Israel was called to be God’s people who live by God’s Law in God’s land. That sounds a great mission statement. But how does it apply to us? Jesus was neither passionate about the land, nor the law. He superceded both these ideas with a totally new concept of the Kingdom of God. It is vital that we accurate handle scripture especially reading the OT.

1. The Land. To Jesus the concept of ‘the Land’ encompassed people out of every tribe and tongue across the whole earth; the meek will inherit the earth, go into all the earth and make disciples of all nations. This is what it took me many years to realise: the global and missional aspect of life in the Spirit. Pentecost inaugurated life in the Spirit but it took them from Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria to the farthest ends of the earth. But to see ‘life in the Spirit’ break into new territory there are barriers to overcome: Jordan had to be crossed as we shall see. God promised to give ‘every place where we set out foot.’ It is no use having grand visions and plans if we never realise them - possessions have to be possessed. e.g. the gift of the Spirit has to be actually received. People will only believe if we introduce them to Christ. We will only see manifestations of the Spirit if we step out in faith a give them a go. And we will only discover our spiritual gifts when we try a job out and see if it God uses us. We are called to be doers and not just hearers only ‘kidding ourselves’. So where does God want us to place our feet upon as our spiritual inheritance? In our homes, work places, wherever God has placed us, we are to live rightly and act in a godly way.

Pray for the Kingdom to come, but never impose our values or our righteouness on others. Some believers today are very agitated about the government repealing the blasphemy laws. The great offence of the ‘so-called Church’ over the centuries has been imposing laws about morality and idolatary and blasphemy upon unbelievers. How can we impose Christian values and ethics on those outside the grace of God. Jesus sent us to make disciples one by one, of those who repent, get baptised, receive the Spirit and follow Christ. The Lord never ever intended us to turn the gospel into a religion and impose Christendom onto the general public and unbelievers. Too often Christians and Churches engage in protests, which onlydiscredit the gospel. Christian groups picketing Abortion Clinics, or Gay weddings or ‘Jerry Spinger the Opera’ and films like the Exorcist or even ET, have only ever brought ridicule on the Lord’s name and made Christians sound like those extremist Muslims who reacted to the Danish cartoons insulting Muhammed. Read 1 Cor 5:9-13. It is not our place to judge the life-style of outsiders, but to live a godly lifestyle right in front of them to demonstrate that God’s ways work. So don’t imagine the ‘the Land’ as the UK or even the Land of Israel. The Land represents life in the Spirit; the Kingdom of God reaching out to the very ends of the earth.

2. The Law. The Israelites believed by trying to keep the law God would accepted them. We can never be right with God by keeping ‘the law of commandements’ which leads to judgment and death. Paul said we are not under law but under grace. We don’t have to strive to be accepted by God, trying to live a good life, constantly confessing our sins. By grace God uncon -ditionally accepted us. As we live in the Spirit we say no to all ungoldliness and unrighteousness. Joshua was commanded ‘to be careful to obey all the law’. What does that mean to us?

Joshua only had ‘the Law’, we have all scriptures, especially the NT.The early believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, which Christ himself had taught them. But look how often they quote the OT, and how they interpret it.

Let us ‘be careful to live by all the teaching’ that God has given us in scripture through all his many servants. Moses was the first, but much more has been added, especially in the NT. What matters is not what we believe, say or hold to but how we live out the teachings of the scriptures, by the Spirit.

“Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.” As we live in truth, godliness and righteousness, without deviating to the left or right, our lives will be successful and we will prosper in all sorts of different ways. This is the promise of God.

“Do not let the words of scripture depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to live by everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” How can we best handle the scriptures? Joshua is told not let it depart from your MOUTH. The scripture needs to be spoken out - meditate means to murmer or mutter. Mutter the words under our breath. Not just ‘talking to ourselves’ (1st sign of madness!) but talking it over with the Lord. Yes, discuss scripture with each other, but do we chat it through with the Lord, pray-reading the bible? Combining prayer and reading Bible makes both easier. We don’t sit cross legged on the floor, never empty our mind, or use any sort of mantra, which is vain repetition. Take a verse and read the words over until you get what tis being said. using different translations, then talk it all through with the Lord. This feeds our minds, our hearts and our spirits. The Spirit leads us into the truth and we get amazing revelation from God that enables us to live by what we he shows us, and makes us prosperous and succesful. Now that is some deal! Meditating day and night on the scriptures is true biblical prosperity teaching. God speaks to us today in his Word and this has amazing power to change us and to change circumstances and situations around us. Let us be people of the Word and the Spirit.

The final word from this passage is: be strong and very courageous. We need courage to cross our Jordans, to step out in faith and inherit what God has for us, to impact the lives of outsiders and unbelievers. But we can have courage because we have God’s PROMISES, his PRESENCE and his WORD. God spoke to Joshua; he speaks to us all today, by the Spirit. What more do we need? So let us be strong and very courageous!