CrossLife Church

Sometimes in life, we manage to make things more difficult than they need to be. Have you ever had a job or assignment in which you somehow increased the level of difficulty?

In Joshua 9, the Israelites made an alliance with the Gibeonites without seeking the Lord for wisdom. There is a danger in aligning ourselves with worldly and ungodly people. Paul warns believers not to be unequally yoked with non-believers (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). Five other Canaanite Kings, fearing this alliance, prepare to attack Gibeon. The Gibeonite King calls on the Israelites, their new ally 22 miles away, to come and defend them. 

This is where we see how Israel's foolish alliance made things much more difficult for them. They took on one city at a time in each of their previous battles, but now they would be facing five armies at one time. This would be their hardest battle and unless the Lord was with them they would surely find defeat.

This Sunday we will be in Joshua 10 as we consider how to fight the hardest battles.

Be Thankful

Gratitude is one of the greatest weapons for battling discontentment, disappointment, and covetousness.

Why is contentment such a struggle? For many people, buying things temporarily fills a void inside. We want because we sense that we do not have. Others seek to gain their worth and value from what they have or what they have accomplished.

The question we should be concerned about is not “Is Christ sufficient for me?” But “Is Christ sufficient to qualify us for the covenant blessings of God, though we have broken the Old Covenant?” In Christ, we have all we need. In Christ, we find our sufficiency.   

"Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit." - 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 

War, Worship, and the Words of God.

Whether you are in a competition, a battle, or a war if you are winning you never want to let off the gas. When the momentum is in your favor you keep going. At least, that is the expectation and common wisdom of warriors and coaches alike. 

As we have covered in Joshua 6-8, God had given Israel victory over the cities of Jericho and Ai. The conventional wisdom would be for them to keep the pressure on and continue the fight until all of Canaan is conquered. Instead, Joshua takes them on a 30-mile side trip to the town of Shechem to worship God and renew their covenant with Him. 

Why was this so important? Moses had commanded the Israelites to go to the center of Canaan to the town of Shechem, between the Mountains of Ebal and Gerizim (Joshua 8:30-35). The purpose was to build an altar and worship God by offering sacrifices and reading God's Word aloud for everyone to hear. For Israel to truly live victoriously in this new land God's Word would need to be at the center of the nation and at the center of their hearts.   

Let's look at Joshua 8:30-35 as we consider the connection between War, Worship, and the Words of God!

The Art of War by Sun Tzu is a classic treatise on strategy and leadership, emphasizing the importance of preparation, adaptability, and understanding of yourself and your opponent. It explores winning conflicts through intelligence and strategy rather than brute force, advocating for flexibility and avoiding prolonged warfare. Sun Tzu stresses the importance of exploiting weaknesses, maintaining discipline, and using deception to gain the upper hand. The principles are applicable not only to warfare but also to business, politics, and even spiritual battles.

After Israel defeated Jericho in Joshua 6 they sent a small force to battle the smaller city of Ai. The result was a humiliating defeat of Israel. They had unguarded strengths and hidden weaknesses they had not considered and the enemy of their souls exploited both. Fortunately, this was not the end of the story. 

"The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand." - Psalm 37:23–24

No matter our mistakes, the worst mistake of all is not to try again; for “the victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings” (Alexander Whyte). In Joshua 8:1-29, we can find some important lessons about the areas in our lives where we are the most vulnerable to attack. Crafty enemies can exploit our weaknesses and strengths. 

The Problem of Secret Sin

The timeless Golden Rule is to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” But, what is the Golden Rule of our day? I think it would be something like: You do you. As long as you are not hurting anyone, you are free to do whatever you want. The idea is that what an individual does in private should not be the interest of anyone else. In our era of radical individualism, these are axioms that are uncritically assumed. 

Unfortunately, when we ask some basic questions we realize this modern view of moral responsibility is an oversimplification. Should one person’s actions done in private, matter to anyone else? Is it anyone's business whether you obey God in private?

Does a Father’s sin uniquely affect his family? Does the private sin of individuals affect their community (family, church, city, nation)? 

In Joshua 7, Israel has just had a triumphant victory over Jericho. There next adversary was a small city called Ai. Israel would have been able to easily defeat them except God was not with them. Ai won the first battle because God was bringing judgement upon Israel as a result of sin in their camp. One man sinned and the whole nation experienced a defeat.   

There has been a recent interest in the significance and meaning of the Lord's Supper, as a result of the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games. The opening ceremony included a shocking reframing of the famous painting of the Last Supper by Leonardo de Vinci.

The portrayal included in the Olympic ceremony was a perverse mockery that celebrated gluttony, gender dysphoria, pedophilia, sexual perversion, immorality, and even more. All while mocking one of the most sacred symbols of Christianity, Jesus' final supper where He inaugurated the New Covenant.  

Christians around the world were understandably shocked and offended by this blatant attack against Christianity. Perhaps the more shocking reality is how little most Christians know about the significance and meaning of the Lord's Supper.  

This Sunday, we will be back in the book of Luke, examining the powerful message and meaning behind the Last Supper of Jesus. 

Over the past two weeks, we have witnessed some extraordinary feats in athletics at the 2024 Olympics. The ultimate goal for the athletes is not just to compete, but to win a medal. Katie Ladecky, Scottie Scheffler, Simone Biles, and Ryan Crouser are just a few names that won gold medals for their outstanding efforts in Paris. These are extraordinary athletes but how would we determine what an extraordinary Christian looks like, or should the extraordinary be ordinary?

First Timothy was written by Paul to the young minister Timothy, serving at Ephesus at the time. The book of First Timothy addresses Paul's testimony, praying for governing leaders, qualifications for elders and deacons, warnings about those who would leave the faith, instructions about various groups within the church including widows, and instructions about how to address false teachers. Paul however stops right in the middle of the letter to give some loving, pastoral direction to Timothy.

Paul's admonition to Timothy seems to be an extraordinary expectation for the everyday life of a believer. Maybe the extraordinary life is just the way an ordinary Christian serves and lives for Christ. 

The Christian Church in America seems more fragmented and vulnerable than ever before. The influence of the secular forces of the media, government, and cultural elites continues to grow, while the influence of Christianity continues to decline. Many Christians around the world are experiencing severe persecution. There is instability and uncertainty as wars and migration continue to wreak havoc on many nations.  

In the Book of Revelation, John records the visions he receives from the Lord Jesus. Dated around 95 AD--over 6 decades after Jesus's ascension--the state of the church looked even more bleak. The seven churches described in John’s letter were struggling with sin, temptation, and worldliness, resulting in Jesus calling them to repentance. John was the only one of the original 12 disciples still alive after the others had all been martyred.

The Apostle John could resonate with our sense of hopelessness when looking at the events unfolding around us. John's revelation contained within it a shining and bright hope. There was a reason to be encouraged, not only for the future but to sustain each generation of believers in their lifetimes. God is at work, He is winning, and His plan is unfolding right on time.

We live in chaotic times. Living under prolonged stress and uncertainty can lead to depression and anxiety. Does Christianity provide a way to remain calm in the midst of chaotic times?

In Luke 21, Jesus warns his followers that there will be times of tribulation and suffering. Those words proved true for the first century and remain true for Christians even in our day.

In Jesus's final words for his disciples regarding His second coming, He provides some practical instruction on how we are to remain Calm in the Chaos.