Have you ever had to step into something that you felt completely unprepared for? Maybe it was a new job or an unexpected leadership role. Maybe even a conversation that you didn't want to have. In those moments, doubt and fear can creep in. You feel the weight of what's in front of you and you think, I'm not ready for this. And I think we've all been there. We're standing on the edge of a challenge, knowing that we need to take a step forward, but the outcome isn't clear.
That's where Joshua found himself in the account that we're exploring today. Joshua was called to step up, not because he was ready, but because God was. Welcome to Mountain View Church. My name is Jeremy, and as you can see, I'm filming off-scene or off-site today. It's great to have you with us. Whether you're joining us in person or tuning in online, I'm excited to continue our faith journey together.
For those of you who are joining online, you can still stay connected to our church community. Simply visit mountainview.church slash connect or text connect to 867-322-8001. We'd love to get to know you and help you get plugged into the various ministries and groups that are available here at Mountain View Church. If you're gathering with us in person, please take a moment to fill out that Connect card found under the seats in front of you. Then, after the gathering, on your way out, please drop it at the welcome desk. For the parents out there, we want to remind you that we have a children's program called Base Camp.
and it runs every Sunday morning at both our 9.30 and 11 a.m. gatherings. It's a fun way for your kids to grow in their faith while connecting with other children. For our students out there, our youth group meets every Sunday, junior high on first and third Sundays, senior high on second and fourth Sundays from 6 to 8 p.m. So make sure to invite a friend and come on out. Now, let's jump back into today's message as we continue our series titled Called by God, where people have been empowered by faith, but driven by purpose.
This is week four of our study, and we're studying nine biblical figures who were called by God into significant roles and responsibilities. So far, we have covered Abraham and Joseph, and last week Moses, and this week we're on to Joshua. All of them were called to move past their comforts and expectations to fulfill a divine purpose given by God. Each of them responded to God's call, despite feeling unprepared and ill-equipped for the task before them. To begin this journey, let's open up our Bibles to Joshua chapter 1 for today's scripture reading. I'll be reading the scripture from Joshua chapter 1, verses 1 to 9.
God commissions Joshua. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the great sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life, just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.
only be strong and very courageous being careful to do according to all the law that moses my servant commanded you do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left that you may have good successors wherever you go this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it Joshua had served as Moses' assistant for years. If you look through the accounts in Numbers and Deuteronomy, you'll see that Joshua had already proven himself faithful. He supported Moses' leadership and courageously scouted the Promised Land. He'd done a great job. Through those experiences, Joshua witnessed both the triumphs and the challenges of leading God's people.
But now everything was about to change. The mantle of leadership was shifting from Moses to him. The responsibility of guiding the Israelites into the promised land rested on his shoulders. Take a moment and just think about that. Just imagine the weight of responsibility Joshua had seen firsthand the challenges Moses faced. Leading God's people through the wilderness and handling their complaints and rebellions and standing before God on their behalf was a big job.
The one stepping into that role was Joshua, and we can only imagine that he didn't feel prepared for it. But Scripture seems to indicate that he trusted that God had called him for this moment, for that purpose. He might not have been ready, but he was willing. And that is the central message for today's lesson. God doesn't call us to be ready. He calls us to be willing. Like Joshua, we might be called to step up, not because we have everything figured out, but because God has already been working in us. And now he's planning to work through us. Even if we feel unprepared for the challenge ahead, he's there.
For Joshua, leading God's people into the promised land wasn't just a logistical or military challenge or task to be achieved. God was using him to fulfill a promise that had been given generations before him. Imagine the pressure Joshua felt. How would he measure up to Moses? Would the people follow him in the same way? Could they finally claim the land that God had promised so long ago?
There's always big questions to wrestle through when we're called to step up. We wonder if we're capable or if we'll succeed. But just like Joshua, God doesn't expect us to have all the answers. God doesn't expect you to have all the answers. What he required from Joshua is what he requires from all of us. It's faith. Sure, it's easy to get lost in doubt and focus on what we lack, but Joshua's call reminds us that it's not about our abilities. It's about trusting in God's promise. With that being said, let's dig a little deeper into the text, and we're going to start by looking at verses 2 and 3, where God speaks to Joshua and says this.
Now therefore, arise and go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. We noticed this with Moses in last week's call, and again here with Joshua. God's always faithful to give the bigger picture. God's always faithful to give us the destination, where we're headed. So even if we're not ready, we need to be willing to go the distance, to go forward when God calls.
For Joshua, Moses has gone now. He's passed away. But God's promise remains. The mantle of leadership is being passed on, but the mission is still the same. That has not shifted in any way. The land belongs to them. All Joshua has to do is step forward and claim it. Notice how God doesn't say, Joshua, you know, if you feel up to it, or if you think you can manage it, if you have the time, go ahead and lead the way. It's not like that. God's call is arise and go. The calling is immediate, direct. It's a non-negotiable. And yet it also carries that divine promise that wherever Joshua's foot will tread,
It has already been given to him. This is an important reminder that the victory is already secured. It's God's promise, not Joshua's abilities, that made this mission possible. Sure, he used Joshua, but it's God's plan. Although verses 2 and 3 outline the greater call, God's directives don't stop there. Notice that throughout the first chapter, God repeats a specific command to Joshua. Be strong and courageous. God repeats this phrase three times in verses 6, 7, and 9. Whenever a phrase is repeated in Scripture, it should spark our attention and our interest because it tells us something deeper about what's going on.
Why would God repeat this phrase, unless Joshua needed to hear it? God sees deep inside the hidden places of our heart and mind, and Joshua is no different than any other human being. God knows what he's feeling, and he knows that he's about to take on a critical mission. To the people of Israel, Joshua likely presented well, and he was faithful in stepping up, which, you know, he was, but he's still a human being. Fear and doubt are normal reactions, so he may have been trembling on the inside. Moreover, God knows that Joshua will face challenges and opposition, battles and conquests. God sees what Joshua...
is not going to see until a little bit later, and he's going to need strength and courage. But notice how each exhortation to be strong and courageous is attached to a specific component of Joshua's calling. God starts it in verse 6 by connecting Joshua's strength and courage to Israel's promise. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Joshua 1 verse 6.
This statement isn't just a pep talk. It's a reminder that God is going to fulfill his covenant, and Joshua's role is to trust in that promise. Then we look to verse 7. God links his strength and his courage with obedience. He says, Notice how strength and courage aren't just about logistics or military power. They're connected to spiritual display.
Also notice that word very was added to courageous in this final directive. Success is available if Joshua keeps his heart and mind centered on God's word. And yet, clearly from the language used, it's going to take a lot of courage. He needs to be very courageous. Finally, in verse 9, God says the most powerful words of all. Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
This is the most direct statement of them all, but it carries a beautiful assurance. Joshua's not alone, and he'll never be alone. God will be guiding him through every step, every decision, and every challenge. The repetition of strong and courageous shows that God knows the human condition. He understands our tendency toward fear and doubt, hesitation and uncertainty, and all the anxieties that fill our minds. But even if we're not ready, we need to be willing to face the fear.
God didn't need to repeat the external call of where Joshua was going, and yet he chose to repeat the internal call of what would be needed to get there three times. And so I think it's an important factor that we need to consider and come to grips with in our own lives. God knows our hearts. God knows my heart. God knows your heart. He knows that we're prone to fear, and he's calling us to a higher standard, to choose strength and courage, not choose our own skills and abilities, although he'll use them. We need to choose him first. God's calling isn't dependent on whether we feel ready. It's dependent on our willingness to lean on his faithfulness.
It's almost natural to hesitate when God calls us to step up because we don't feel ready. We seem to never feel ready. We tell ourselves, I need more experience or I need more time. But the truth is, God isn't looking for us to be fully prepared. He's looking for us to trust in his preparedness. He's been working on the plan far before we were ever called into it. He's playing the long game. This is why Joshua's calling is such a good example for us. His willingness to follow God's call despite his fears and doubts is what led to victory for Israel. And the same is true for us. God's plan is made perfect in our willingness. It's not about having all the details worked out. It's about trusting that he does.
Joshua wasn't the first, and he wasn't the last. For millennia, God has been calling people who don't have all the details. He often calls people right in the middle of the uncertainty, right in the middle of the fear and doubt, into difficult and challenging situations. I remember the day Nicole and I arrived in Whitehorse, excited to start my new role as associate pastor. We had prayed and waited for this opportunity for eight years, eight years, and we were fully confident that God had called us here for a purpose. We arrived and jumped right into ministry. Then, just a few months into this role, everything was turned upside down when the lead pastor unexpectedly resigned.
I was left with a congregation that was full of anger and confusion and a flood of other unknowns about what would come next. It's funny, as I remember back, not long after, someone actually approached me and said, I'm assuming you're leaving now too? Now that this has happened, I wouldn't blame you if you left. I'd leave if I were you. Still shocks me when I think back to that, but that question echoed in my mind. Would I follow what seemed like the logical choice and leave, move to another church? Or would I trust the calling that God had placed on our hearts so many years ago?
Nicole and I knew that God had brought us to Whitehorse for a reason. Despite the confusion and uncertainty, we were convinced that our call wasn't tied to those circumstances. It was attached to a greater call that God had been planning for a long time. So this was my moment to step up, even though I felt unprepared. I was unprepared for the transition and the challenges that lay ahead, and there was a lot of them.
I'm so glad we stuck it out. Nicole and I have witnessed God's provision in ways we would never imagine. He gave us the strength and guidance we needed to navigate that season, and over time, we saw his plan unfold as the ministry grew in unexpected ways. I would eventually be called into a lead role that I never anticipated, but it was what God had planned all along. He redeemed a difficult season for his glory, but for our good as well.
The experience taught me that when God calls you to step up, it's not about feeling fully equipped or having all the answers or knowing the future. It's about trusting that he has already prepared the way. He knows the future. All he asks is that we obey and he will provide what is needed to fulfill that purpose that he's set out beforehand. We shouldn't ever be surprised when God calls us to step up during times of uncertainty. In fact, we should expect not to have all the details for the road ahead. There's always a faith and trust component when following God's call. When God sent his son Jesus into the world, his mission for us was clear, to follow him.
It wasn't about being fully prepared or waiting for the perfect moment. Jesus simply called people to step up and follow him. A great example of this is the very first disciples, ordinary fishermen. When Jesus called them, they were in the middle of their work by the seaside. Nevertheless, Jesus said to them, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.
Jesus called them to leave their livelihoods and cling to the unknown. Imagine their confusion for a moment. Becoming fishers of men? What did that even mean? There wasn't a list of qualifications or conditions. There wasn't a contract, just a calling. Jesus didn't wait for them to be ready. In faith, they would have to leave everything, trust in him, and trust that he would equip them for the mission ahead. This call remains today. God is calling you and me to step up, just as he did with those first disciples.
If we look in the New Testament, in Paul's letter to the Roman church, he wrote, This passage reassures us that God's calling is rooted in His eternal plan and purpose for each of our lives. He calls us not because we're perfectly prepared, but because we're part of His divine purpose. We're called through His Son, Jesus, and we follow. This calling isn't just for church leaders or missionaries. It's for everyone who has been called by God's sovereign grace. Each of us is called to rise to the occasion, trusting that God works everything for the good of those who love Him, which He has already prepared beforehand. With that in mind, I want you to take a minute, maybe pause the video, and just ask yourself, how is God calling me to step up? How is God calling me to step up?
Maybe it's in your family, at work, or within a ministry. Is there a responsibility you've been avoiding because you don't feel ready? Today might be your day, the day you respond to God's call. It could be a new opportunity, a leadership role, or a difficult conversation that you've been putting off that you know needs to happen. Perhaps it's an act of service that feels outside your comfort zone. You may not feel fully qualified or prepared to do it, but God isn't asking for perfection. He's simply asking for your willingness to follow him, trusting that he has already prepared you in his call for you, for the task ahead, for the mission ahead, for his purpose.
So don't miss out on God's call. When we hesitate out of fear or inadequacy, we risk missing the incredible things God wants to do through us. It's in those moments of stepping up, despite our uncertainties, that God's faithfulness shines through. Remember what he said to Joshua. God wasn't sending Joshua out on his own. He was walking with him every step of the way, providing guidance and strength. That same promise still applies to us today.
Whatever God is calling you to do, you don't have to face it alone. You don't need to carry the weight by yourself. The Lord your God is with you wherever you go. His presence empowers you, and his promises sustain you, even when the road seems daunting. The victory is already secured by his faithfulness. He'll be with you as you step into the unknown. So what's holding you back? Is it fear? Is it feeling unprepared? That's okay, because God's already gone ahead of you, and all he's asking you to do is trust him. Remember, God doesn't call us to be ready. He calls us to be willing. You just have to be willing to trust God, step up, and follow his lead.
With that in mind, please join me as we close in prayer. Pray this prayer with me. Dear God, thank you for the reminder that you're not calling me to be ready, but to be willing. I want to follow you in faith. I want to trust you and step up to the challenges you've placed before me. Help me be strong and courageous, knowing that your promises never fail and your presence goes with me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
We'd love to pray for you and support you here at Mountain View Church. Please reach out to us at mountainview.church slash prayer or text prayer to 867-322-8001. And if you're here in person, simply write your prayer request on a connect card and drop it off the welcome desk. Someone from our team will reach out to support you in this new season of life and faith. Thank you so much for joining us today. Before we close, please stick with us for a few moments and updates, and then we'll be back with this week's discussion and prayer focus.
Good morning. This is a reminder for the men about men's Bible study. It's Tuesday evenings at 5.30 p.m. just after work. So come on over straight from work. I'll have pizza, pop, and we'll study the Word of God. Hope to see you there.
For our Covenant members, the October membership meeting has been rescheduled. Sorry about that, but we're bumping it a few days later into the next week on Tuesday, October 29th at 6.30 p.m. We'll share in prayer, worship, and communion. We'll receive some ministry reports. And the best part, we're going to be celebrating five new members. Yep, that's right, five membership inductions, which is amazing. If you've been attending Mountain View Church for a while and aren't sure what membership is or why it matters, I would encourage you to go to mountainview.church.
and check that out, or plan on attending our Next Steps workshop, which is October 27th, and you'll find out all about membership, and lunch is included, by the way, on that October 27th Next Steps meeting. Next, we're just two weeks, that's right, two weeks away from the Journey to Us marriage conference, sponsored by Focus on the Family. Space is limited, so if you haven't purchased your tickets yet, grab your phone and visit mountainview.church slash conferences and book your spot today. There are rates for both couples and for singles. Even if you're not currently married, you can still learn and prepare for your future spouse, or just...
learn the skills and lessons on building great relationships that are going to be found in that conference. It's for anyone. Now, Baptism Sunday has been rescheduled for Sunday, November 3rd. If you're interested in taking this important step of faith and would like to know more, visit mountainview.church slash baptism or plan on attending that October Next Steps workshop that I talked about previously. With all that out of the way, now it's time for this week's discussion and prayer focus. If you're watching with friends or family, ask them this question. Now, if you're watching alone, just drop an answer in the comment stream. And if you're watching this in-house, turn to the person beside you and ask them this question. How is God calling you to step up?
And what's holding you back? How is God calling you to step up? But what's holding you back? Now let's move on to this week's prayer focus. After you've had some time to discuss that question and share it a bit, spend some time praying with each other. Or if you're alone watching online, drop a prayer request in the comment stream below. Let's pray for this. Pray for the courage to step up, trusting that God has already prepared the way. I'll say that again. Let's pray for the courage to step up, trusting that God has already prepared the way.
Come back next week. We'll continue our Called by God series with the story of Ruth. Ruth was called to rise up with courage and faithfulness in the face of a lot of adversity. Her journey will challenge us to trust in God's provision and remain steadfast in his plans, even when the future seems uncertain. If you've ever faced a difficult season or time of uncertainty, you will not want to miss next week's message. A final thank you to everyone watching for joining us here at Mountain View Church. Let's head into this week trusting that God is guiding us every step of the way. Let's just choose to step up into that calling.
If you prayed to receive Jesus today, or would like to connect with our church community, visit mountainview.church and click the connect link. If this podcast and radio ministry has been a blessing to you, please consider partnering with us or making a tax-deductible donation at mountainview.church. Thanks for listening to Mountain View Church Audio. Join us next week for more Christ-centered teaching from the Wilderness City of Whitehorse Supon.