CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT OF FAITH

SERIES: PRACTICAL FAITH.

TEXT: JOSHUA 23:1-1123:1-11.

Joshua was a man of Faith. At the end of Joshua’s life on Earth, he teaches the children of Israel how to create an atmosphere of Faith for their Faith to grow and mature as they moved forward into the promises of God.

To pursue the presence of God, it is vital we create an environment of Faith within our lives and the church. 

The key is remembering that we cannot pursue God’s presence where God’s presence does not exist or reside. We need to create an environment that welcomes God. 

It takes Faith to enter into God’s presence, (Ephesians 2:8). It also takes Faith to remain in God’s presence.

• By Faith Abraham was declared righteous, and by Faith Abraham was sanctified and justified.
• By Faith we extinguish Satan’s fiery darts, we are delivered from the mouths of lions, and by Faith we overcome the world.
• By Faith God is pleased-(Heb. 11:6).
• It is by Faith that we live our lives and it is by Faith that we draw near to God.
• When we lack faith it displeases God and prevents Him from moving mightily in our lives-(Matt. 13:58, Mark 6:5-6).
• It was lack of Faith that kept the children of Israel from entering the promised land on the first go.
• Heb. 10:38-39- The just shall live by Faith and God is not pleased by those who draw back.
• The writer of Hebrews was quoting the book of Habakkuk, telling us not to be like the children of Israel who drew back from God and died in the wilderness because God was not pleased with them.
• Even though God promised them the Land of Canaan, they never set foot inside of it, but instead died in the wilderness because of their lack of Faith.
• Faith is more than merely saying that we believe in God, the Bible says that even the demons believe yet they tremble in fear because they are not saved- (James 2:19).
• Faith that does not act upon what it says it believes, is dead Faith-(James 2:16).
• Real Faith is when our hearts draw near to God and receive His promises and acts accordingly-(Heb. 4:2).
• The children of Israel did not mix the word they had heard with Faith in their hearts, they did not grow in the things of God.
• They did not create an environment of Faith.
• The miracles of God are released where there is an environment of Faith.
• There was no environment of Faith in their hearts and in their homes.
• By Faith Joshua drew near to God and by Faith Joshua remained there- (Joshua 23:14).
• Growing in age did not make Joshua leave God, He stayed in the station of Faith throughout-(Joshua 23:1-2).
• Let us notice how to create an environment of Faith in your life, home and church. Joshua gives us the secret of creating an environment for Faith to grow and mature:-

REMEMBER GOD’S PAST INTERVENTION-(Joshua 23:3).

• Joshua is telling them to look back and think about all God has done.
• Joshua remembered his former life as a slave in Egypt and how God through many mighty miracles delivered them from out of their bondage.
• Joshua remembered the manna from heaven, the water gushing out of the rock and how God’s presence went with them in the pillar of fire and the cloud pillar.
• Joshua remembered how God parted the red sea and the River Jordan.
• Joshua remembered how the walls of Jericho fell down and the many victories because of their obedience.
• Joshua remembered the people’s rebellion of unbelief, and how God prohibited them from entering into the Promised Land the first time.
• If you and I want to create that environment of Faith in order to stay in the presence of God, then we need to remember how God has intervened in our own lives, both the good and the bad.

• The writer of Hebrews tells us to remember our suffering–(Hebrews 10:32).
• We are to also remember God’s promises as well–(James 1:17).
• By the when we trust in God’s promises then He will release in us His supernatural grace–(2nd Peter 1:4).
• God’s grace through the faith in His promises, not in the keeping of commandments.
• Never allow yourself to become so preoccupied with our problems that we forget about God’s blessing, promises and what He has already given and done for us.
• We should not take God for granted it is a shame how we cheer for our favorite sports teams or at concerts, but we are silent in our praise and worship to God!!
• To create that environment of Faith, we need to remember what God has promised and accomplished, and let our praise ring out.
• We cannot have faith for the future until we look back and thank God for our past.

ANTICIPATE GOD’S FUTURE INTERVENTION-(Joshua 23:4-5).

• Joshua was not contented with what He had accomplished, he invoked God’s promises.
• Never tell your soul to be contend with what you have accomplished in the Lord.
• Anticipate for more until all the promises of God to you are fulfilled.
• Anticipate to conquer more territory. Don’t be complacent and comfortable.
• There is still a lot within our own lives that have yet to be conquered.
• There are things in your life that are not the way God wants them to be.
• Create an environment for faith by rooting out the enemy and all that hinders our coming into God’s presence by anticipating God’s promises–(Hebrews 11:1).
• Faith believes God’s promises even though we have yet to see them. Faith believes God’s word and God’s promises.
• To create an environment of Faith, we must posses a spirit of anticipation that God will fulfill His promises to the full.

ALLOW GOD’S PRESENT INTERVENTION-(Joshua 23:6-11).

• To allow God to intervene in the present there are three things Joshua brings out.

Obey God-(23:6)

• Obedience is the central tent throughout Joshua’s life–(Joshua 1:8)
• Obedience to God’s word needs to be central in everything we do.
• God’s wants our obedience.
• Obedience is something that is contrary to our of culture interdependence.

Be Holy.

• Holiness means to be separate. To create an environment of Faith we need to separate ourselves from sin and this world–(Joshua 23:7)
• Today God is calling His children to separate.
• Even though we are in the world we are not of the world –(1st John 2:15)
• Making worldly alliances removes us from God’s presence.
• Wrong conversations inappropriate relationships, fascination with questionable things and practices all lower our shield of faith allowing Satan to rip us off–(James 4:4).
• To allow God to intervene in our present we must obey His word and be a holy people.

Follow God–(Joshua 23:11).

• Our failure to obey God’s word and maintain those standards of separation can be traced back to our failure to fully follow God, that is having a heart that’s fully in love with Him-(John 14:15)

CONCUSSION.

• Let us not be like the generation who failed to enter into the promised land because of unbelief.
• Let us not miss the opportunity that God has set before us today.
• Let us drawn near to God by faith, completely trusting in Him and let us hold unto what we profess as true.
• Remember God past intervention, allow God’s present intervention count on Him for the future.