Fellowship Bible Church, Tacoma - Weekly Sermon

In these instructions regarding cities of refuge, we see a reflection of God's heart for both justice and mercy. This text serves as a helpful corrective, since we often struggle to consider what is truly fair and right in any given situation - and likewise also tend to evaluate justice and mercy by the wrong criteria. Ultimately, these instructions point us to the fullest expression of both God's justice and mercy in the person and work of Jesus Christ, to whom any sinner can flee and find refuge.

How can we know that God is for us? In Joshua 11:1-12:24, we see the spectacular results when God fights for his people. We also get a preview of the assurance we can find in Jesus our Servant, Jesus our Warrior, and Jesus our Sacrifice - who himself is the ultimate proof that God is for us.

Is anything too hard for God? This is the question raised by our extraordinary passage here, where God not only defeats a massive coalition of enemy armies - but stops the sun and moon in the process. We'll consider how the doctrine of God's omnipotence provides the basis for mighty acts like this, and then reflect on how the knowledge of God's power leads us to worship, prayer, and trust in Jesus.

How can God command the Israelites to kill entire groups of people - including women and children? This question has troubled many modern readers of the Book of Joshua. In this sermon, we won't try to explain these passages away. Rather, we will try to understand these commands within the larger biblical context so we can hear God's word and heed it - to our benefit.

There's one clear main point to this passage: Jesus is not guilty. So why do we need to see this? What would we miss if this passage was missing from our Bibles? By the end, we'll observe four reasons why we can't understand the message of the cross unless we first see Jesus's innocence. And how, for all of us who ARE guilty, the message of the cross is very, very good news.

We are drawing into one of the darkest sections of the story of Jesus. In Luke 22:54-62, we see one of Jesus's top disciples (arguably THE top disciple) desert Jesus in his time of greatest need. So what can we learn from Peter's example? We learn plenty about temptation, tests, and how to fail. But even more importantly, against the dark backdrop of Peter's faceplant, we see the faithfulness, power, and grace of Jesus shine out all the brighter, even for failures like us.

The world, as we know it, is going to end someday. In the second half of Jesus's famous "Olivet Discourse" (go back and listen to the first half from Bruce last week!), Jesus tells his followers what that end will look like and, more importantly, how to prepare right now.

There is one clear theme in our passage today: Jesus is Lord. Once again, he faces challenges (this time about taxes and marriage), and once again - Jesus emerges victorious. In the process, he addresses questions like "Do we have to pay taxes?", "Will there be sex in heaven?", "What's the point of marriage if it's going to end in eternity?" and more. Jesus then ends with one of the most thrilling declarations of Lordship in all of scripture, prompting all who listen to respond in submission and rest.