May 01, 2022

“STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF GOD”

“AVOIDING THE DANGERS OF VICTORY”

JOSHUA 8:29-35

In moments of victory we can become careless.

Three Principles That Will Help Us Avoid The Dangers of Victory:

They will protect us from becoming prideful in the midst of the victory.

1.   Remember the Landmarks In Your Life.

Joshua 8:29 “And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until evening. And as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his corpse down from the tree, cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raise over it a great heap of stones that remains to this day.”

*Crossing over the Jordon

*Joshua 7- they set up stones over Achan and his family who had sinned against God in taking the accursed thing and the entire nation suffered because of this and was defeated by Ai.

Joshua 8:29- Now we have a heap of stones set up over the king of Ai as a reminder of victory.

Joshua chapters 10, 24- we have three other occasions that they set up stones as reminders.

What are the landmarks in your life?

We need to have significant things in our lives to remind us of things God has done for us, so we don’t have to repeat it again. So we need to set up landmarks to help us.

Do you have a way to remember? Do you need some landmarks to help you avoid the dangers of victory?

Joshua 8:29 “…Joshua commanded that they should take his corpse down from the tree, cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raise over it a great heap of stones that remains to this day.”

The landmarks to remind us of what God is doing in our lives.

Joshua 3:4 “…for you have not passed this way before.”

It is not that life gets any easier as we go along, but we should grow and mature so we can handle life’s challenges.

Philippians 3:13-14 “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

What is Paul forgetting? 

“Remember” is used over 140 times in the Bible.

2.   Give God His Do

Joshua 8:30-31 “Now Joshua built an altar to the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal, 31as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of whole stones over which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings.”

“The Book of the Law of Moses”- Genesis through Deuteronomy.

Altars were to be set up of whole stones and no one was to work on them. “No man has wielded an iron tool.” vs.31

Exodus 20:25 “And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it.”

Deuteronomy 27:5-8

The altar is the place where God and man meets.

Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

“we have access by faith into this grace” 

This reminds Joshua it is not what he has done, but what God has done in him and through him. It is about God!

“Burnt offerings”-spoke of total consecration. Romans 12:1-2

This is the offering God desires the most- that is us, I give You Me. Giving ourselves to God in victory.

Ephesians 5:2 “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

Peace offerings-represent the reconciliation between man and God, this was thanking God for the peace we are able to access by faith.

Hebrews 13:10 “We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.”

“We have an altar”- we can go to God anytime, anywhere, for anything.

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

3.   Keep Close To The Bible

Joshua 8:32-35

Joshua wrote the Law of Moses on the stones. He did this himself.

Deuteronomy 17:18 “Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites.”

Write it out by hand, the Scriptures. This forces you to interact with the Word of God.

Base your promises to God based on His promises to you. 

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Do you need to set up some Landmarks? Romans 12:1-2- Give God you!!