Sermon Notes PDF “Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deut. 31:7-8 Cowardice is Not an Option After having led the Israelites out of slavery and through the wilderness, Moses’ time has come to an end. At 120 years old, Moses must now pass the torch to his assistant, Joshua. In doing so, Moses commands Joshua to be strong and courageous - displaying the faith necessary to lead God’s people. This exhortation to be strong and courageous is given not only to Joshua, but to all of Israel as well. In the face of a change in leadership and fierce battles soon to come, God makes one thing certain: not an option. Be Strong and Courageous (Deut. 31:1-29) 31:2. I am no longer able to lead you. As great as Moses was, he was still replaceable. This is an important lesson for every leader: God accomplished his purposes before you were born, and He will accomplish them long after you die. Leaders must always be courageous but never . 31:7. Be strong and courageous. For God, preparing Joshua for leadership was less about competency and more about character and . This is discipleship: helping others trust and follow Christ until courage is born in them. Note: Raising up new, courageous leaders isn’t just a good idea - it’s a idea. 31:9. Moses wrote down this law. Possibly a reference to the entire Torah (Genesis-Deuteronomy), also known as the Pentateuch. Jesus later credits Moses as the author of the Torah as well (see Mark 12:24, Luke 24:44, John 5:46). 31:12. Learn to fear. The reading of the law every seven years was intended to create fear (high reverence for God) in the heart of Israel which would lead to careful obedience. Fearing God is the beginning of wisdom (see Prov. 1:7). Fearing man is the beginning of weakness and cowardice (see Luke 12:4). 31:13. Their children. Once again, God shows great concern for generations yet unborn. His desire is that the news of his great deeds, promises, and commands will be passed down from generation to generation. 31:14-15. Call Joshua. Here God personally commissions Joshua as Moses’ sole successor. The manifestation of the pillar of cloud signaled God’s confirmation of Joshua, the former military captain (see Ex. 17:9-14) and spy (see Num. 13:16) as Israel’s new leader. 31:16-29. They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them. Here God confirms what has previously been stated in Deuteronomy. A time will come when Israel will “prostitute” herself out to the foreign gods of the land. God commands Moses to write down a song which tells the story of God’s faithfulness, Israel’s rebellion, and the calamity that will follow. Fortunately, as Deuteronomy 30:1-3 reminds us, God will be pleased to restore Israel upon her return. How to Cultivate Courage Rather than “hoping” you will have courage when you need it, begin developing courage now for the difficulties still to come. Be . “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deut. 31:6) • Courage is relying on power and resources that cannot be . • Avoid bravado - a bold manner or a show of boldness intended to impress or intimidate. • You can either , or you can . One will lead to cowardice and the other to greater and greater courage. Be a Moses. Be a . “Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous…” (Deut. 31:7a) • Courage is a result of proper discipleship, for courage is . • The church must actively develop a culture of courage. • In a time of testing, you will find out if you have taken discipleship seriously or not. Get clear about what you . “…you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. (Deut. 31:7b) • Courage is born from . • Nobody sticks their neck out for a vague notion. Know what you believe and why you believe it. Learn to God and no one else. “…so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law.” (Deut. 31:12b) • Courage increases when you tremble before God until everything else becomes . Focus on the . “Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them…” (Deut. 31:7a, emphasis mine) • Courage comes when your is greater than your . By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. Hebrews 11:24-28 Your notes: