Just heard Ken Mbugua preach a great series of sermons on leadership from Joshua. Here were some of the points:
- The necessity of leadership – Not because it is sociologically necessary (e.g. for group dynamics, efficiency etc.) or because it is theologically necessary (God could easily get stuff done without us) but simply because God has ordained that he will accomplish his plans through human leaders – Moses, Gideon, Joshua, David, Nehemiah, Peter, Paul etc. We don’t just pray and sit back and expect things will just happen – someone is going to do it.
- The disposability of leadership – Moses has died, Joshua will one day die. Leaders are necessary but no one leader is necessary (except Jesus). God’s mission is the main thing and that will continue without even a massive leader like Moses.
- The weaknesses of the leader – Again and again Joshua needs to be told to be strong and courageous. Why? Because he’s weak and scared.
- The promises for the leader – The presence of God – “I will be with you.”
- The bottom line is faithfulness – Not creativity, not results, but faithfulness in sticking to exactly what God has told you to do (Joshua 1:8 cf. 1 Cor. 4:2).
- The power for God’s mission is God’s power – In every battle, time and again, it’s shown to be God who fights for them, God who gives the nations into Israel’s hands. As the book wraps up God tells them, “It was all me, from first to last” (Joshua 24:2-13). If you are doing work that doesn’t require God’s power it probably isn’t God’s mission. And if you’re doing God’s mission without God’s power you will fail.
- The book of Joshua is not really about leadership, it’s about the great Joshua – The big picture of the Bible starts with Rest With God (Gen. 1-2) and ends with Even Better Rest With God (Heb. 4; Rev. 21-22). In Genesis 3 enter the serpent, sin and death. We’re thrown out of God’s rest and into darkness, slavery, pain, malice, curse. Since then we’ve been looking for a seed of woman who can overcome evil and sin. But not one has withstood. All have been overcome and defeated by sin. Finally Joshua comes – God-Saves – the one who will “save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). The serpent throws every temptation at him (Matt. 4) but he is not overcome. Finally, at the Cross he tramples on the serpent, takes all our sins and destroys them in his own flesh, enters the door marked ‘Death’ and blows a hole out the other side. He is the great leader who takes us into the Promised Land. None can stand against him. He fights for us. All fall at his feet. Through him we enter the Great Rest.
What do you think?