Antioch Bible Church - Hutch's Weekly

Hutch's Weekly

Week 8

The Permanence of the Word

Joshua 1:1-9
Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. When He said it to Moses, it was the truth. When He says it to Joshua, it is still the truth. You see, it doesn’t matter who God’s Word goes to, it’s always the same. God says, “My Word doesn’t change because the culture changes. My Word doesn’t change because the generations change, or because we went from one century to another century, or because we went from the Old Testament to the New Testament.” How often do we hear: “Well, that’s just your interpretation; it doesn’t mean that to me.” Do we have the right to change God’s Word to fit us, instead of submitting ourselves to be changed by God’s Word? We all think we do at some time or other.

Joshua might be thinking, “You’ve got to understand, God, when You said it to Moses, he was in a completely different set of circumstances. You can’t give me those same words because I’m dealing with those awful Canaanites; they don’t even know about You. So I’ve got to adapt and modernize what You’ve said because if I try to tell them what You say, they’re not going to like it! I don’t want to turn them off, you know.” Let me ask you something, how can you turn someone off who’s not even on? The truth of God’s Word is the same no matter who is hearing it.

You see, God says the same thing to a husband who has a godly wife, as He says to a husband who has a terrible wife who doesn’t submit, won’t listen, couldn’t care less about God: “Love your wife.” God’s Word is the same to a wife whether she has a great husband who loves God and treats her like a queen, or the worst pagan in town who goes out and gets drunk with his buddies every weekend: “Be subject to your husband.” God says, “My Word is the same to you regardless of what your husband or wife is like.” “My word is the same regardless of how much money is in your wallet.” “My word is the same regardless of how you feel today.” Our biggest problem is we come up with excuses, “Well, my situation’s different.” I guarantee you Joshua is thinking of excuses too, after all Moses had some pretty big sandals to fill. But God’s Word to Moses is God’s word to Joshua is God’s word to us. Will you allow the truth of the Bible to dictate your situations, or your situations to dictate the Word?

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

Week 7

Day 7: Hear and Obey
Joshua 1:1-9

Now therefore arise… “Get up, Joshua! It’s time to get going. Get yourself and your people over that Jordan!” Joshua is the perfect example for us today of a person who hears the Word of God and then obeys the Word of God. That’s what we should strive to do every day of our lives. We hear the Word of God. We reflect on what we’ve heard. We accept and internalize it. Then we live it! That’s what it means to be obedient to the Word of God. This is what God says… so let’s go do it!

You might be saying to yourself, “Well, I just don’t get this. I never know what it is that God wants me to do. How can I be obedient? I don’t know what to do to be obedient in this or that situation.” Let me tell you something. If you’re honestly asking God, “What should I do?” He will be faithful to let you know, and He will lead you in the paths of obedience. If He seems to be taking a long time answering you, you need to be patient and rest in Him. And in the meantime, while you’re waiting to learn what the right thing to do is, don’t do what you know to be the wrong thing! And as long as you don’t do what you’re not supposed to do, you’re doing what you are supposed to do. Your patience and your waiting – your obedience -- will be blessed.

The real problem is, most of the time you already know what the right thing to do is; you’re just stalling and looking for excuses not to do it. You want to do what you want to do regardless of what is right according to the will of God. You pray insincerely, “Lord, please let me know what I should do.” And God provides the answer for you: Your friend says, “Don’t do it.” Your mother says, “Don’t do it.” Your conscience says, “Don’t do it.” But you’ll ignore the answers that you don’t want to hear and you’ll seek out advice – even from nonbelievers! -- as long as it takes until you find someone who says, “Hey, go for it! You deserve it.” The next thing you know, your life is in a mess, your relationships are in a mess, and your job is in a mess. And you’ll turn right around and blame it on God for not coming through.

Is there some area in your life right now that you’re not being obedient in? Take a moment now and get it right before God. Are you praying about a decision that you don’t know the right thing to do and you’re waiting for God to answer? Don’t sin while you’re waiting.

Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifice
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams. 1Samuel 15:22

Week 6

God is the one constant
Joshua 1:1-9
After the death of Moses… “What, Moses is dead?” “Now what are we supposed to do?” “He delivered us from Egypt; he led us in the desert; he talked to God and intervened on our behalf.” “What are we going to do now that he’s gone?” These are the thoughts of Joshua and the Israelites when news of Moses’ death reaches the camp. In a flash, everything they had learned to expect and trust in has changed. No, not everything, for there is One who does not change. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Their situation is now different, yes, but their God is still the same.

People often ask me if I’ve ever met Billy Graham. "Sure I’ve met Billy Graham. I call him “Billy!" I say. Then they wonder how I must have felt meeting the great evangelist. I tell them it was super to meet Billy. But you know what? I’ve met Billy’s boss. I know that even when Billy Graham dies, and the loss to the church will be great, God is still around -- never changing, and never ceasing to bring about His purposes in the lives of people. God is bigger than a Moses or a Billy Graham.   God is bigger than the ever-changing and challenging situations that you are made to face each day. In these verses, God is encouraging Joshua of this very fact. He is saying, “You’ve seen that I have been good, Joshua, and I’ve been faithful. I led Moses. But even now that Moses is dead, you can’t get down because I’m still the same and I will lead you.”

When you’ve got thousands in your checking account, God’s the same. When you’re broke with no job, God’s the same. When your children thank you and bless you, God’s the same. When they curse you and disobey, God’s the same. When you’re respected and honored by your spouse, God’s the same. When you’re unappreciated and abused, God’s the same.   When you’re the life of the party and center of attention, God’s the same. When you’re alone and frightened, God’s the same. You see, it doesn’t matter what changes around you; God remains constant, unchanged, immutable, and unaffected.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.” Heb 13:8
“In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
    And they will be discarded.
But you remain the same, and your years will never end.” Ps 102:25-27

Week 5

Christ the Rock
Numbers 20:1-13
A lot of people say, “Man, that’s really harsh what God did to Moses, not letting him in the Promised Land." But I don’t believe Moses just made the one mistake at Kadesh. It was just the last straw. I believe Moses’ disobedience started forty years earlier. Remember when the twelve spies came back from checking out the land? Ten of them said, “We can’t do it.” And all the people heard them and said, “We can’t do it. We can’t fight giants. Let’s go back to Egypt!” Where was Moses? He didn’t say a word. He was swayed by the report of the ten as well.

Imagine if Moses had said, “Don’t you remember what happened at the Red Sea? Don’t you remember how God delivered us? Are you doubting and complaining again? Well you guys just stay right here. As for me, Joshua and Caleb, we’ll go in and take the land by ourselves!” What do you think would have happened if Moses would have stood up? I think Moses blew it. But God gave him another chance. It wasn’t until Moses struck the rock a second time that God said, “That’s it!”

Only days after the Exodus, Moses led the people into the desert, to a place where there was no water. God would provide for them. He said to Moses, “Go over and strike the rock,” which Moses did. As he struck the rock, water burst out -- living water in the desert. Forty years later, the Israelites were in a similar situation. But this time God said, “Go speak to the rock.” In a fit of frustration, Moses instead angrily struck the rock again. God immediately judged him for his disobedience and rebellion by prohibiting him for setting foot in the Promised Land.

You see, the rock in the desert represents Jesus Christ. When He was struck, or crucified, He gave living water. But Jesus Christ can’t be crucified a second time. My God chose the best plan when He brought His Son into the world to die for the world. He allowed His Son to be crucified and He says, “My Son will never, ever be crucified again.”

Moses sinned one last time and God said, “That’s it.” Let me give you a real big thing to think about. Do you realize that it takes just as much faith to sin one more time as it does to have faith not to sin at all? Who would have ever thought that Moses just sinning one more time would completely disqualify him? Moses blew it. Blam! God said, “That’s it.” Now, you have got to be one brave soul to think that God is going to watch you sin one more time and not say to you, “That’s it.”

“…all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.” 1Cor. 10:3-4

Week 4

In the Now
Joshua 1:1-9
“Now after the death of Moses…” There’s just something about the word “now.” God has asked you and me to believe in Him now. Not tomorrow, not yesterday, but right now is when God is interested in what you’re doing. You see, I don’t have enough faith to live yesterday today. I don’t have enough faith to live tomorrow today. But I do have all the faith it takes to live right now for God. He’s given me everything I need for living now. Now is the most important time in the rest of your life. Now. I can’t live for the next three months with what I know now. But I can live right now with what I know right now, and right now I’m doing really good with God. The only way that I can sin is to sin right now. And if I learn to walk with God right now, there’s no time for sin -- not right now, there’s not. And if I live right now for God long enough, I’ve lived now for one, two, ten years, a whole lifetime.

You see, God is the everlasting present. He is the ever now. Now. There’s not a tomorrow or a yesterday for God; He is the ever present. That’s why it’s going to be so good for us when we get to heaven. Why? Because now is going to be it. You might be thinking, “Man, ten thousand years in Bible study?! How boring!” Maybe God will give us a break to go get a chocolate shake or something every once in awhile! Trust me, heaven won’t be boring. You see, the only way you can be bored is to know you’ve been doing something for a long time. The only way you can get bored is realizing it’s going to be a long time before you can do something else. Then you start getting bored with what you’re doing. But when you and I get to heaven, the flesh is going to be removed and time is going to be thrown away. It’s going to be now now, every now, not next now or the last now, but now now! You see, it’s impossible to get bored with now.

What causes you your greatest problems and troubles and worries? Be honest. What causes you to get bored and frustrated and envious? It’s because you are dwelling on what has happened in the past to you, or to someone else. And it’s because you’re thinking about what is going to happen in the future, or what won’t happen. You worry because of tomorrows and yesterdays. But right now, you’re doing OK. You have the power to obey God, to live for God, now. Start…right…now.

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