Standing Together in the Long Campaign

Standing Together in the Long CampaignSpeaker: Pastor Jonathan MoeScripture: Joshua 10:1-12:24The Big Idea: A courageous community is formed through long obedience together, because God does His deepest work in the long middle.Key Verse:Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time.—Joshua 11:18 NIVPoint 1: Most of God’s Work Happens in the Long Middle- God’s promises are often fulfilled through sustained faithfulness rather than instant success.- The miracles demonstrated God’s power, but the long campaign revealed Israel’s trust. They kept following because God had promised to go before them.Community Application: Most of our growth doesn’t happen at conferences or retreats. God often does His deepest work in the long middle.Point 2: Endurance is a Community Discipline- What does a community that endures do?i. Share a common visionii. Endures through mutual responsibility• “bear one another’s burdens…” - Gal 6:2•”Bear with one another in love.” - Eph 4:2Community Application: Instead of asking what I want this church to become, we can ask how I can be a part of what God is building here?Point 3: Faithfulness Over Time is its Own Kind of MiracleWe can live according to our value schemes, independent of His love and His covenant, but we’ll pay the price. Or, we can elect to be faithful to Him and discover His faithfulness.—John Huffman, Mastering the Old TestamentThis is why the New Testament so often describes the Christian life in communal terms:- “Encourage one another daily” (Hebrews 3:13)- “Consider how to stir up one another” (Hebrews 10:24–25)- “Let us run with endurance the race set before us” (Hebrews 12:1–2)For our community, what does that look like?- It keeps showing up- It keeps carrying one another- It keeps remembering God’s faithfulness.