God's Solutions to Our Spiritual Needs

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>God's Solutions to Our Spiritual Needs</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id173.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Battle With Complacency"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id184.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Having Courage to Confront"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Ministry Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Joshua 20-21, Berean Bible Church, March 4, 2001pm, “God’s Solutions to Our Spiritual Needs”</B></div> <bR> <div>      Have you every met someone who is very bright, intelligent, and theoretical, but they can’t apply their knowledge to practical needs and concerns? God isn’t like that. Practical situations of life are behind these chapters, and he wants to make sure they are dealt with. “Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance but to do what lies clearly at hand” (Thomas Carlyle). Important issues that had to be dealt with included justice for the accused and places to live for the Levites.  Israel had trusted God through many significant matters as a growing nation (invading, dividing, conquering, and settling the land). But here were practical matters that had to be settled. From these chapters we learn that God has provided for the spiritual needs of those who trust in him.</div> <bR> <div> <B>I.  God provides a place of refuge (Joshua 20.1-9).</B></div> <div>      By custom in Ancient Middle East, the “avenger of blood” (a close relative of the victim) could put to death one who was guilty of killing the victim.  However, for an unintentional killing, a trial would be given (by an assembly at the town where the act occurred). Thus the (unintentional) killer needed protection (the close relative may have had a different idea of what was intentional or unintentional). A limit was placed on private acts of vengeance (from the Nelson Study Bible).  There were 3 cities on each side of the Jordan, no more than a day’s journey from any part of the land. God has a concern for justice.</div> <div> 1.  We have salvation from the penalty of sin.</div> <div> 2.  We have forgiveness when we sin.</div> <bR> <div> <B>II.  God provides a place of service (Joshua 21.1-3, 41-42).</B></div> <div>      Levites were set apart for the service of God (Num 8). The Levites were in place of the offering to God of the first-born son of every family, which was a memorial to the sparing of the first-born in the final plague in Egypt, the Passover; this was a continual reminder of and appreciation for God’s salvation from Egypt (Num 3.40).  The Levites gave up what everyone else had (land of their own) for the sake of service to God.  They were spread throughout the land in towns God provided (vss. 4-40).  Their service to God was their inheritance (Josh 18.7); he made up for the tangible thing, land, which they gave up for him.</div> <div> 1.  We give him ourselves as thanks for his giving himself up for us on the cross.</div> <div> 2.  We should use our spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12.1-11, Eph 4.11-16). God has given both needs and spiritual gifts to the church; he gives both the <U>assignment</U> and the <U>ability</U>.</div> <bR> <div> <B>III.  God provides a place of rest (Joshua 21.43-45).</B></div> <div>      This is a big-picture summary (conclusion of  chapters 13-21) — God gave them the land as he said he would.  He kept his promise, as he always does. They subdued all their enemies and lived at rest in the land.  No enemy force was in a position to rise up against them.  But the work was not yet done; each tribe had to continue the process of expelling the remaining peoples in their individual territories. <I> </I>Gradual extermination is how God intended it from the beginning (Deut 7.22, Ex 23.30).</div> <div> We have been given rest from:</div> <div> 1.  Our efforts to gain our salvation.</div> <div>               2.  Our doing God’s work on our own, in our own strength.</div> <div> 3.  The control that the power of sin has over us.  We are not at the mercy of our spiritual enemies, the world, the flesh, the devil.  We have power to overcome through the Spirit!</div> <bR> <div>      God keeps his promises because he alone has the power.  Are you living in his promises and taking advantage of the spiritual power he offers you?</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2001, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>