Joshua-When to Be Bold

Text for Today's Study: Book of Joshua

Narrative: In the book of Joshua, the Israelites were told time and again to be bold, and to go forward. Let us look at when Christians should be bold and when they should hold back.

Time: (also see time line in the classroom): about 1405-1390 B. C..

The Bible Story (Joshua):

God empowers Joshua--1:1 -1:18.

II. The faith of Rahab and of the spies (Chapter 2)

III. Crossing of the Jordan (chapters 3 and 4)

IV. Victory at Jericho--"Be strong, and of good courage."

V. Rout at Ai (chapter 7)

VI. Victory at Ai (chapter 8)--a study in attitudes.

VII. Failure with the Gibeonites (chapter 9)--As Jesus would later put it, "Be ye wise as serpents, but harmless as doves."

VIII. Victories over the Amorite and over Canaan

IX. The division of the land (13-19)

X. Cities of refuge (chapter 20)

XI. The challenge to remain faithful (24)

Applications for today.

What we have studied is more than a history lesson. It is a study in when the Christian should be courageous and when he should be more cautious.

When to be courageous:

1. When you are living pure in the Lord and know you have nothing to hide. The apostles knew this as reported in Acts 4: 13-22 and Acts 5: 27-32.

2. When what you are declaring is God's plain and simple truth and not man's doctrine. Matthew 10:32-33
3. When you are presenting the Gospel to people who have never heard it. Matthew 28: 18-20; I Corinthians 9: 16b-27.
4. When you are admonishing in the right and know you are right. Galatians 4: 16; Galatians 2: 11; Titus 1: 10-16.

5. When people are calling truth error and error truth.

When to run for your life:

1. When you know you are wrong. Achan should have done this (Joshua 7). Simon the Sorcerer was invited to (Acts 8).

2. When your companions are not what they should be. (I Corinthians 15: 33)

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