This Is Our Business - Pastor Stacey Shiflett
This Is Our Business
Joshua 2:14 And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
Joshua 2:20 And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.
Intro: This statement has been going over and over in my mind since Friday. Bro. David Young preached out of this chapter and referenced this verse in his message.
It hit me like a ton of bricks.
A. Our Business is Different
Make no mistake – these two men and Rahab were in two entirely different businesses!
The world is in the lust business; we are in the life business.
The world focuses on depraved pleasure; we are focused on divine precepts.
The world’s business is physical; our business is spiritual.
The world wants you to feel good. We want you to feel God!
1 John 2
· 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
· 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
· 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
B. Our Business is Deliberate – Luke 2
It’s not a choice for us.
We are on a mission.
· Luke 2:49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?
This business wasn’t some pyramid scheme.
This wasn’t some entrepreneur’s startup.
This wasn’t a flash-in-the-pan idea they saw on Shark Tank.
This business is a business unlike anything the world has ever seen.
This business is not driven by MONEY; it is driven by a MANDATE.
This business is not motivated by a DESIRE FOR COMFORT; but by the DEMANDS OF THE COMFORTER.
This business was not the brainchild of a bunch of GENIUSES; but was initiated by the GOD-HEAD.
C. Our Business is Decisive
We are not selling bubble gum.
We are not selling home improvements or upgrades to your pickup truck.
Our business involves life or death.
We are not pushing LIFE INSURANCE; we are pushing ETERNAL LIFE ASSURANCE!!
Our business involves the eternal destiny of souls.
The world will never understand our business.
They are obsessed with selling what they have.
We are consumed with giving it away.
They are all about immediate gratification; we are all about eternal glorification.
Just looking at this chapter, we notice several key aspects of OUR BUSINESS.
I. Raise a Godly Heritage – Joshua 2:1, 2
Joshua 6 tells us that the two spies were YOUNG MEN.
· Joshua 6:23 And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.
These two young men secretly entered into Jericho, but everybody knew they were there.
A. They could not hide their IDENTITY.
They were clearly “of the children of Israel.”
How could the people of Jericho tell that?
How did they know that?
B. They could not hide their INTENTIONS.
They knew they were there “…to search out the country.”
How did they know that?
They were not there for entertainment, pleasure, or personal advancement.
They were there on an assignment.
C. They could not hide their INVOLVEMENT
They didn't say it was Joshua's business, or their parent's business.
They said THIS IS OUR BUSINESS!!
They were young enough to be called young men, but mature enough to be trusted with a dangerous mission.
The outcome of the armies of Israel hinged on the actions of these two young men.
They had been taught the importance of keeping their word.
They had the character to make a solemn promise
They had the maturity to influence the lives of an entire household.
Consider Rahab's testimony in Joshua 2:9–11.
Their arrival became part of the events through which Rahab expressed her recognition of the LORD's power.
The two spies entered Jericho on a spy mission, but their encounter with Rahab also became part of her deliverance.
II. Receive a Glorious Haven
Joshua 2
· 9 And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
· 10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
· 11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
· Joshua 2:24 And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.
Beginning at the burning bush in Exodus 3, God gave his people a land.
Rahab acknowledged in Joshua 2:9 that “…I know that the Lord hath given you the land…”
The spiritual application is simple – God wants his people to live in victory.
Canaan is a type of the victorious Christian life.
There will be battles, and there will be enemies.
But that is God’s will for the believer.
To experience the abundant, victorious Christian life.
To get out of the wilderness and enjoy the richness and abundance that God has.
It ought to be the business of every Christian here to get themselves and their family into Canaan!
It ought to be our primary objective to pursue and discover everything that God has for us!!
III. Rescue the Guilty Humanity
Joshua 2:14-21 (scarlet line represents the blood of Christ)
In this story, a wicked woman believed in the God of the Israelites.
God granted her mercy.
God removed the judgment and destruction from her and her house.
Her faith was counted for righteousness.
They told her to put a scarlet line in the window (vs. 18)
She did just as they said. (vs. 21)
Her faith was demonstrated in verse 21 – “According to your words, so be it.”
All she had to go on was the word; the promises; the guarantees of another.
But her faith was enough.
They warned her – destruction is coming! Judgment is coming! Death is coming!
But – if you’ll put that red thread in your window, you’ll be saved.
READ Joshua 6:20-25
That scarlet thread was hanging in the window.
The entire wall of Jericho fell – except for her house.
She lived in the wall – (2:15)
As the people of Israel circled the wall, those two spies saw that red thread.
Imagine the looks on their faces!
They couldn’t talk, but they could point!
They couldn’t speak, but they could smile!
They couldn’t make a fuss, but they could make a face!!
The Bible says that Rahab was SAVED – 6:25
· Hebrews 11:31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
OUR BUSINESS is to do everything within our power to Rescue the perishing; care for the dying.
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave. Weep o’er the erring one; lift up the fallen. Tell them of Jesus the mighty to save!
