Whose Side Are You On?

When we are posed with the question, “Whose side are you on”? We may not realize our decision may be a defining moment in time. Joshua didn’t realize who he was talking to when he asked the question.

13 And then this, while Joshua was there near Jericho; He looked up and saw right in front of him a man standing, holding his drawn sword. Joshua stepped up to him and said, “Whose side are you on – our or our enemies’?”

14 He said, “Neither. I’m commander of God’s army. I’ve just arrived.” Joshua fell, face to the ground, and worshiped. He asked, “What orders does my Master have for his servant?”

15 God’s army commander ordered Joshua, “Take your sandals off your feet The place you are standing is holy.”

Joshua 5:13-15 (The Message)

This was certainly a defining moment in history and in Joshua’s lifetime. Face to face with a man wielding a drawn sword. Joshua understandably wants to know who he is, but the commander of God’s army? Exactly who is that?

Our pastor brought up a good point in his sermon. Joshua fell, face down and worshiped. It couldn’t have been an angel. If so, he would have been told not to worship. So, it must have been Jesus. Who else would be the commander of God’s army?

We’ve all had to choose sides through out life. Decisions about politics; are you democrat, republican, or independents? Who do you choose to win the super bowl, Bengals or Chiefs? Decisions about which side to back on a decision at work or which side of an issue in the church.

It’s not that God is on Israel’s side. God’s commander is on neither side, Israel or Jericho. He is on the side of God. Israel was not always on God’s side. They were so wishy washy for 40 years as they bounced back and forth between following God and not following God.

God gives the order and Israel was called to follow. God was going ahead, leading the way. The battle was won, all they had to do was follow his directions.

Joshua falls down on his face in reverent worship. One day every knee will bow and every tongue confess. Right now we have a choice concerning how we stand in the presence of God.

God doesn’t care what kind of music we play. He cares about your heart. Our true posture before God comes down to how we worship.

• Some come into the presence of God and do nothing
• Some feign worship and go through the motions
• Some worship with everything but never ask what would you have us do
• Some come to worship with everything and ask what they could do…
• And never do it.
• Our posture in worship is directly tied to our abundance in life

With a Godly perspective leads Joshua to realize that everywhere we go…we step is Holy Ground and belongs to God. God had led his people through the parted Jordan, the tumbled walls of Jericho, the Promised Land, the wilderness they wondered through all those years…it’s all God’s. It’s all Holy.

The commander had come to lead Joshua in the plan to capture Jericho. Choosing God’s side was a crucial choice for Joshua. In the same way, the sides we choose make up the moments we live in now.

Jon’s takeaways from this sermon:

• Think about a Jericho that is on your horizon
• Ask God how He plans to get you through it. Write it down.
• View that “Jericho” as holy ground…meaning that God is there…always
• Our position — follow God and God alone and God uncorrupted
• Our posture — reverence, wonder, awe, and submission
• Our perspective — the earth and everything in it is God’s. It’s holy
• We must follow God’s lead and Word with bowed heads and bare feet
• God does not come to us to be a part of our stories
• He invites us to be a part of His story

To listen to the sermon click here.

Another take on our pastor’s sermon. Just a reminder to be in the Word yourself and study the Bible seeking God’s wisdom.

In Faith,

Pam