SALVATION FOR THE UNSAVEABLE
TEXT: Joshua 2:1-24
INTRO: All God’s people have to be reminded of the calling we have to do His work: whether it be Israel, the Christian Church, or the individual children of God. The Bible, as it recounts His work through the ages, presents to us such reminders. For our church and those who worship with us, we will look to the book of Joshua for a while to discover those reminders and consider how to put the principles into practice as we seek to be revived and redirected forward. This morning we will consider how God uses us to reach lost people as we disciple those who are saved. The lesson will be found in Joshua 2:1-24. It is made up of one story presented in three parts. These parts present God’s process of how a lost person can be brought to salvation by the interaction with God’s people. The story you may know, the process may be a little unclear, but, hopefully, in the end we will understand both a little better. morning we will look at chapter two. In it we will find one story presented in three different parts. These sections lay out the process God works through His people to bring salvation to those who would otherwise be lost. For our church, and for anyone wishing to reconsider how the Lord works with His people, God’s workaccomplish His purpose of reaching the lost with he Gospel. three (3) inter-connected stories that connect to show God at work in the lives of people. Both stories will give us valuable information on how God works to use His people to bring salvation to those who could not be saved otherwise. This is very important to our church at this time. The message is called “How God Saves the Unsaveable.” Allow me to PRAY for our success and then we will go to Chapter two.
- SECTION 1: SEEKING OUT GOD’S PLAN THROUGH PRACTICAL MEANS.
- In Josh. 1:3-5, God made a promise to Joshua, saying, “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you . . . . no man will be able to stand before you, all the days of your life.” But the Lord also tells Joshua in vs. 6, “you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.” God has given it to them through promise, but they must take it through faith!! Joshua was to see to this matter: that they should take what is already theirs!
ILLUS: God has provided so many essential things in our lives that we must appropriate for ourselves. God has given food to maintain life and vitality for people. Vegetables, meat, grains, and so on, God has put on earth so we will have life-sustaining food. But He does not fill our pantries with those things or leave it on our doorsteps. No, we must grow and gather and prepare what we need. WHY?? Because co-operating with God is how we grow into adults and able to have genuine relationships and be accountable for our actions. We are not robots, we are relational creatures, and obeying God is how we relate to Him – and to each other. God provides, we appropriate. That is how He has created us.
- READ Josh. 2:1. Forty years earlier, Moses had sent 12 spies to take account of the Promised Land, its inhabitants and its produce. The purpose of the trip was to prepare the people to move forward with confidence and wisdom. BUT, 10 of the spies came back saying the land was great, but the people were strong and could not be defeated. So the people became discouraged and turned against Moses and Aaron. It was an act of complete lack of faith and disobedience! The spies were wrong and they caused the people to be afraid. It was not their job! But there was a lesson to be learned, and Joshua learned it. Joshua sent out only 2 spies and he did so secretly. After all, it was not their job to advise the people. GOD HAD ALREADY TOLD JOSHUA WHAT TO DO. HE JUST WANTED TO GET INSIGHT INTO THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THE PEOPLE WITH WHOM HE IS ABOUT TO GO TO BATTLE AND THE LAY OF THE LAND. That’s what they were to inform him about. were simply to advise him as to the lay of the land and the attitudes of the people. We will see shortly what they learned. But, we can look ahead to vs. 24 and read their report, which says, “And they said to Joshua, ‘Surely the Lord has given all the land into our hands, and all the inhabitants of the land, moreover, have melted before us.” In straight English, “The Lord told us the truth, the land is ours and the people have already given in to fear!” Joshua was encouraged and strengthened by the report.
- Now, remember our focus is on the process of God in reaching the lost in the ongoing task of enriching His kingdom. In this passage the message is that we know our mission, but, like Joshua, we must begin to check out our areas of contact and find those who would be open to the sharing of the gospel. We are to constantly be “checking the lay of the land,” looking for people who might be receptive to the Gospel message. The point is not to discover IF WE SHOULD REACH OUT, but how to do so wisely and who would be receptive. Be aware God will lead us, but we must do the searching!
- THE SECOND SECTION: HOW FAITH IS BORN AND STRENGTHENED. .
- There are actually 3 subsections we must consider in this section: 1.) Recognizing the receptive
heart, 2.) Seeing the birth of faith, and 3.) Presenting the conditions of obedient faith. Let’s begin in vs. 1-7.
- Recognizing the receptive heart: READ 2:1-7. The spies were wise. They went to a place
that would be common for men, even strange men, to go: the home of a harlot. One reason seems obvious, but there are two more that exist. We will discover soon that Rahab’s house was probably the first building open to the public when one entered the city. Vs. 15 says the home was built on the wall and we read it was near the gates to the city. Second, a home used for harlotry was often also an inn, with lodging for those passing by. Where better for the men to go?? We may be stunned that God’s people would visit such a place, but remember that Jesus was known for associating with sinners so He might reach them. The spies were seeking information, not entertainment. The main thing we note here is that Rahab had a receptive heart to God’s people. Vs. 2 indicates that the people of Israel were recognizable in some way and surely Rahab knew it. But, it is even clearer that she intended to help them when the king himself commanded her to turn over the men and she would not. She told a lie to save them, knowing that if she was found out, she would likely suffer the loss of her life. (Note: This does not mean lying is okay with God, but it does mean God accepts people where they are. Rahab was not aware of the ways of God, she was doing what she knew to do at that time.) So she sent the soldiers away because she had an interest in the mission of the Israelites. She saw the need to see what the Israelites offered.
- Seeing the birth of faith: READ vss. 8-14. Rahab possessed a raw, but honest faith in the God
of the Israelites. She had never spoken to an Israelite, nor seen their armies, but she had heard the stories about them. What she had heard was that the nation of Israel was blessed by God. She may have considered He was one of many gods, but still their GOD had proven He was “God in heaven and on earth beneath,” the God above all other gods. She had heard the stories, but how had she come to such a conclusion? God had led her to faith. Apparently, the stories were known by the whole city, but everyone else saw them as either false or dangerous. Rahab saw them as truth and hope. She received her faith because God had stirred it up in her! She had something in her that sought to find a change in her life. She knew she needed to repent, but her gods did not call her to do so and, inside she felt the emptiness of that fact. She was convicted by the Spirit of her need. I can tell nothing else, but that she repented and was granted the faith to believe. The rest of this passage tells of her request for mercy for herself and her family. She was willing to put her life on the line for those she loved.
- Presenting the conditions of faith: READ vss. 14-21. The men of Israel heard the woman’s
pleas and they responded with mercy and direction for receiving that request. The men set forth several conditions she must meet to receive the salvation she sought. Now, let’s make clear what this means and what it does not mean. It does not mean she can earn her salvation. She could have worked forever and not be given this opportunity. It was a gift from God from the beginning which she can only receive by faith (which she already had been given). But her faith had to be tested, not to convince God, but to strengthen her trust in Him. When God gives His people commands, He does so not to discourage them, but to allow them to be encouraged by His faithfulness. (In Jms. 1: , “Count it all joy, brothers, when when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” Endurance doe snot come to assure us of our strength, but to assure us of His strength to provide for and protect us.) Matt. 4 tells us even Jesus’ faith was tested by Satan at the beginning of His ministry. It is the way of God to test the faith of those who follow Him.
ILLUS: When a builder builds a bridge, he is saying the bridge is trustworthy and can be used by the people in safety. But his words can only be proven true when someone is willing to drive over that bridge. When the driver’s task is done, it does not bring him glory, but it promotes glory to the builder and faith in his ability.
So Rahab does as she is told. Her faith is not given – it is confirmed! And she can rest on God’s faithfulness. This is why believers are called to obedience. The “red rope” did not save her and her family, it was a seal that told the Israelites she was saved. It was a seal she did not wait to put in the window, but put it in immediately. Her faith was not hesitant!!
- Now, as God’s people, when we go out to obey the Lord in sharing our faith, this is what we will find. There may be no one open to the truth. On the other hand, there may be someone who has had the seed of the hope of God’s intervention planted in his or her heart. If so, they should be presented with God’s plan of salvation. They must be offered the chance to confirm their faith and to be tested (a chance to discover God’s word, to interact with God’s people, to obey through baptism, and so on.) They must be prepared to follow the next step presented by the Lord. We are the instruments through which s seeker is presented with these things.
III. SECTION 3: THE TESTIMONY OF GOD’S WORK.
- READ vss. 22-23. The spies had done their job. They were able to tell Joshua that God had gone before them and sought out those who should be saved. The rest were already melting in fear and could not defend themselves. This testimony pleased Joshua and it wa so important that it is recorded in God’s word to be a testimony to all the ages. Through it we see the grace of God, the hope of humanity, and the certainty of His victory. It is our example of the work of evangelism, to direct and encourage us.