Turn with me, if you would, to Joshua chapter 5, Joshua chapter 5, and as we commemorate the Protestant Reformation, let us remember that that revival of faith, the return to Scripture produced many changes in Western civilization, not the least of which was the freedom to proclaim the Scriptures in all their power. The Protestant Reformation never took effect in Latin America, and there are people in our church in Costa Rica who remember Mass said in Latin and opened persecution against Protestants. Thankfully, many of those things have changed although last year in the space of six months 120 Protestant churches were closed by the woman in charge of the Ministry of Health on most cases unjustly applying technicalities just to Protestant churches that were not applied to any other institution. After pressure and a lot of protests many of those churches have been opened up again. But that little blip reminds us still of how fragile our freedom is in many countries. Joshua chapter 5. Now, remember what comes before our passage. Joshua has been named by God as Moses' successor, captain of Israel to conquer Canaan. They've sent the spies into Jericho. Remember the story with Rahab? She saved them, hid them. Then God leads His people across the Jordan River, miraculously opening the river. It's like the Red Sea, and they walk across on dry land. Once in the land, they celebrate circumcision. The boy children born during the 40 years in the wilderness had not been circumcised, and so they celebrate circumcision, and then they celebrate the Passover, And then they eat of the first fruits of the land. Manna stops and from then on they enjoy the blessings of Canaan. Now just remember all that. We're going to come back to it later on in the message. And now we come to our passage. Everything is set and now they are facing Jericho. And we read in chapter 5, verse 13, Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him. and asked, Are you for us or for our enemies? Neither, he replied. But as commander of the army of the Lord, I have now come. Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence and asked him, What message does my Lord have for His servant? The commander of the Lord's army replied, Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy. And Joshua did so. We all know that God's missions are impossible for us to accomplish in our own strength. Life in general is difficult enough. But when it comes to the spiritual battle that God has called us to, we know that no one is sufficient in himself or herself. When was the last time you faced an obligation? that you didn't feel you were prepared for? When was the last time there was something very important to be done and the outcome depended upon you? Well, Joshua had been called to a humanly impossible task. Conquer Jericho, a walled city with his multitude of traveling nomads. Israel had been called to a humanly impossible task. Take a land of fortified city, organized armies. Without an army with machines of war. The church today is still called to a humanly impossible task. For God has called us to be His emissaries in this world. He's called us to be Christian parents in our homes. Giving Christian witness on the job. Serving the cause of the gospel in this world. Who is capable in their own strength? Who is capable of representing the Lord of hosts in everything that we do? People of God, let us consider this passage before us. For in it, God indeed teaches us how we may face these tasks. The Bible says Joshua was near Jericho. He was out walking. It appears he was out walking alone. He had been called by God to be captain of Israel in the conquest of Canaan. And Joshua was a good captain. The first task was to take Jericho. And no doubt, Joshua, taking his task seriously, was out scouting the terrain around Jericho, possibly meditating and praying to the Lord, contemplating that great walled city. The task before Joshua was indeed daunting. Jericho was the major city of Canaan at that time. Remember that when Jericho fell, the rest of the cities in Canaan feared. They knew that if Jericho could not resist the Israelites, no one could. Archaeological studies show that for centuries before the Israelites arrived, Jericho had been a major political, economic, and military center. Joshua understood the very real difficulty beforehand. Remember, in these verses that we read, Joshua didn't have the story that you and I have. You know the walls fell down. But Joshua didn't know that. All Joshua saw were those big walls and an army inside of it. Joshua is out there on the plain of Jericho. How many times do we take off running when we have some task to do and we don't stop? contemplate, meditate, pray. I know I do. I'm tempted many times. Get up, what's there to do? Find out what's there to do? What do we have to do? Let's get going. That's how I am. Joshua gives us a good example. You know, when I was a little boy and I would break a toy or it would get lost, which seemed to be every other day, I'd go running to my mother crying. Mom, my toy's lost. It's broken. And Mom would always say, Son, did you pray about it? It seems that for years, I couldn't figure out that the first thing Mom was going to say, Son, did you pray about it? I'd never prayed about it. I don't know how many hundreds of times Mom said that to me. I still forget it sometimes, but now it comes to me more often. Son, did you pray about it? Aren't we so earthly? Don't we really live our lives so often, make our plans, take decisions so often, really as if God didn't exist? Now, I know we won't ever admit that, probably even to ourselves. But is it true? We find Joshua alone, concentrating his thoughts ahead of time on God. In all the book of Joshua, we find that Joshua was a man, a pious and God-fearing man. Indeed, he took his task seriously, seeking God's presence. Now, Joshua meets someone out there on the plain of Jericho. He meets a warrior. He meets a man with a drawn sword. This is not some farmer with a machete. In Latin America, we use machetes for everything. It's a great handy instrument. I tried to find a machete in Michigan and I could get one ordered for $30. We can buy them for $5 in any hardware store and they can use them for everything. Well, this isn't a machete. It's not a tool. It's not a farm implement. This is a warrior with a drawn sword. And what does Joshua do? Boys and girls, did you see what Joshua did? He turned and ran. Didn't he? No, he didn't turn and run. He went toward him. He went right toward him. Joshua doesn't appear to be afraid. He goes right toward him. Now this man, the phrase here, was facing Joshua and it was very clear that this was not just Joshua surprising someone walking around out there. It says he was opposite him And in the Hebrew phraseology, it means that the issue was with Joshua. Joshua's out there, we don't know what he was doing, and suddenly there's a man facing Joshua with a drawn sword. The issue is with Joshua. Make no mistake. Joshua doesn't turn and run. He goes right toward him and he challenges him. And he says, who are you? He doesn't seem to recognize him. Joshua probably didn't know everybody in his army, but this fellow doesn't look familiar and he says, Who are you? How I love Joshua. You know, Joshua made some mistakes in his career. But cowardice was never one of them. God loves courageous children. Who are you? Whose side are you on? Are you for us or for the enemy? Now, we find that this warrior gives two surprising answers to Joshua's questions. The first answer he gives is, no. That's not what Joshua asked. He said, are you for us or for them? And he says, no. Well, how can this be? In war, you're either for one or for the other. Neutrality doesn't exist. Joshua appears to ask the right question. But the answer is totally unexpected. He says, no. I've come as commander of the army of the Lord. You see what he's saying? In effect, this warrior is saying, I am under neither you nor the king of Jericho. I'm over both of you. You are commander of Israel. I am commander-in-chief. I am commander of the Lord's army. And how important this was for Joshua to understand right at this time. You see, Joshua had been seeing the matter only in terms of us and of them. Naturally so. But at this crucial moment in his life and in the life of Israel, it was necessary for Joshua to remember that both Israel and Jericho were under God's control, God's sovereignty, and God's authority. Joshua needed to be reminded and encouraged by the fact that the battle in the last instance was not up to him. It is possible that Joshua as a conscientious leader was feeling his inability to conquer Jericho. In fact, it's very likely Joshua knew what he had and he knew what he didn't have. And he didn't have a trained army and he didn't have machines for siege, battle rams to take down those walls or those doors. At this precise moment, the warrior of the Lord is sent to remind him that both Jericho and Israel were under God's command. God wanted Joshua to remember at all times And especially at this moment, that his God was sovereign. Well, it turns out this warrior is much more than a man. He is indeed divine. Joshua, as one whose heart was sensitive to the things of the Lord, immediately recognizes this when the warrior gives his response and he falls face to the ground and he worships. And the warrior accepts his homage. He's more than a man and he's more than an angel. The angels, when men fell before them, the angels would not receive homage. This warrior receives Joshua's worship. Joshua is quick to recognize the nature of this commander-in-chief. He recognizes that he is none other than the angel of the Lord. No doubt Moses had talked to him on occasion about his encounters with the angel of the Lord. And Joshua worships. He falls to the ground. He accepts his position as under the commander of the Lord's army. How important that was. And he asks for his marching orders. He accepts the chain of command. He submits himself willingly. Possibly Joshua had been praying to God about Jericho and he realizes that the manifestation of the angel of the Lord is an answer to his prayer. He might say in his heart, thank you Lord for responding for my prayer. And he says to the commander in chief of the Lord's army, what are my marching orders? What does my Lord say to his servant? But once again, we have an unexpected answer. Joshua was possibly expecting indications for battle. when they should strike against Jericho. A battle plan. A strategy. And the commander of the hosts, the Lord's hosts, responds, take off your shoes. Before you go charging off, take off your shoes. Before you go out to battle, take off your shoes. The ground you're standing on is holy ground. What kind of battle plans are these? What kind of a strategy is this? Take off your shoes. Very important battle plans. And very important ones for us to understand as well. Boys and girls, I know that many of you are reminded of another person whom the angel of the Lord told that very same thing to. Remember who that was? Moses. On the burning bush? Sinai was no more holy in itself than was Canaan where Joshua met this angel of the Lord. But it was indeed the Lord's presence that made these places holy. You see, this warrior is divine. He is the same angel of the Lord that appeared to Abraham later to Moses, and now to Joshua as he begins his task of the conquest of Canaan. The appearance of this angel of the Lord seals Joshua for his work as mediator to Israel, as true prophet to Israel, just as he did to Moses. In chapter 1, God had commissioned Joshua apparently verbally, but here the Lord comes in person. And he seals Joshua for his task face to face. The angel of the Lord indeed was Jesus Christ pre-incarnate. Jesus Christ. The Lord of His people always with them. To lead them. To guide them. To protect them. To lead them to victory. We cannot miss the parallel that Jesus. Jesus' name was Joshua, the Lord saves. The Lord Himself, Jesus, seals Joshua for service in this encounter. For Joshua would represent God to his people in the name of Jesus Christ, the true mediator between God and His people. What is going on in all of this? The commander of the Lord's army, Jesus Christ, pre-incarnate is molding Joshua and through Joshua he is molding his people Israel to be conformed to God's image so that they would be fit to carry out their mission. The angel of the Lord was gently taking Joshua to the point of recognizing and accepting and committing himself to two great attributes of the Lord. God's sovereignty and God's holiness. You know, when Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the garden, they rebelled first of all against God's sovereignty, didn't they? They wanted to be autonomous. They wanted to seek their own future, their own way, their own happiness, their own way. And all of Adam and Eve's children to this day are born with that same rebellion in our hearts, including you and me, aren't we? When women today seek to find their happiness and fulfillment apart when wives, speaking about wives, apart from that place God has given you as helpmeets. in a fashion autonomously, we're showing forth that rebellion in our hearts against God's sovereignty. When men, husbands, seek to live their lives, seek to find their own fulfillment or happiness apart from their role of teacher, guide, and leader, They are rebelling against God's sovereignty. When you young people feel that rebellion well up in your heart against your parents' authority, it is nothing else than the same old rebellion of our parents, Adam and Eve, against God's sovereignty. As long as we live our lives seeking our own autonomy and not recognizing God's place as sovereign Lord, we are not fit for His kingdom nor for His mission. It was necessary for Joshua and for Israel to be conformed by the angel of the Lord, to be molded by Jesus Christ Himself into God's image in order to recognize and embrace God's sovereignty. The commander of the Lord's host is under neither Jericho nor Joshua, but over all of us. What do you think about that? The angel of the Lord molds Joshua into God's image also in order to accept and better understand God's holiness. Take the sandals off your feet. There was going to be a very important task ahead of Joshua, you know. At this stage of redemptive history, Israel was called to execute God's judgment. Capital punishment was falling upon the Canaanites. And it was necessary for Israel to be filled with a passion for God's holiness in order for them to hate the evil in that place and bring God's capital punishment upon the Canaanites. How was it possible for Joshua and the Israelites to enter Jericho and to slaughter men women, children, even the animals. How was that possible? Could you have done that? What we have here basically is what happens when a judge must condemn a murderer to the electric chair. The judge doesn't personally hate that person. He may not have even known him. But for the cause of justice, hopefully for the cause of God's righteousness, and justice, a sentence is given and executed. In the same way Joshua and Israel were to be filled with a sense of God's holiness so that they could execute faithfully God's judgment on Canaan. It's awful quiet in here. Some of you are looking at me a little worried. Well, thankfully, the church today is not called to execute God's judgment on unbelievers. Thankfully, God will take care of that later on. But, we are still called to be just as full of a sense of God's holiness as was Joshua. If we aren't, we will not be fit for our mission here. What do you feel? When God's name is taken in vain so lightly. Or jokes about God. Or frivolous movies about God. What about when the holy things of the Lord, like the values and His law that He would have us live by, are so easily made fun of? Are we indignant or have we become passive, accustomed to the Canaanites, short-sighted with regard to God's holiness? Joshua and Israel needed to be molded into God's image in order for them to be fit for God's mission. The image of God includes recognizing, recognizing and embracing God's sovereignty and God's holiness. You know, Achan wasn't interested in either one of these things. And you know the story. If you don't, you can read about it in Joshua chapter 7. God's mission through Joshua and Israel was to recreate Canaan as a new land where righteousness and holiness would abound. But God's first step was to recreate Joshua. The recreation of Canaan started with the recreation of Israel first. And it's just the same today. The recreation of God's new Canaan begins with the recreation of you and me, God's people. This passage prepares us to understand how Jesus today continues to mold you and me, His people, in God's image. Jesus in His earthly ministry, just as He did in the days of Joshua, Jesus in His earthly ministry provided many, many proofs that God was sovereign. That's what His miracles tested to. He walked on the water. He expelled demons. He raised the dead. He was raised Himself from the dead. He freed Peter from prison. He appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus. Jesus showed in person His absolute sovereignty over all. And if we attempt to live our lives without taking into account God's sovereignty, we have not yet been molded into God's image. Joshua indeed needed to accept God's sovereignty in order to exercise courage for the terrible battles that faced him. And even though today we don't have the same kinds of physical battles with swords as Israel did, nevertheless, our mission today requires courage. It requires valor. The kingdom of God will not move forward on the basis of cowardice nor apathy. When Jesus was born, the New Testament shows that he was born for conflict. The old man Simeon, as he held Jesus in his arms, prophesied, this child is set in Israel for the falling and the rising of many. Herod destroyed the lives of many innocent babies seeking to destroy our Lord. All through his ministry, Jesus was pursued by His enemies and finally crucified by those who hated Him. This is how Christ's kingdom began in the midst of spiritual and even physical conflict. And Jesus said that His followers would suffer for His cause as well. In the Beatitudes, Jesus said, Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Jesus' evangelistic call to the multitudes was whoever wants to save their own life, whoever wants to find your own life, as Adam and Eve did in the garden, we'll lose it. But whoever loses their life for My sake in the Gospel will find it. Take up your cross, deny yourself daily, and follow Me. Paul says to the Philippians, chapter 1, I only want to know one thing about you. I only want to hear one thing about you, that your conduct be worthy of the Gospel of Christ, for to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake. people of God, just as the Israelites were not able to enjoy Canaan until after they had been faithful in their righteous calling to fight, so it is with the church today. You should all have Romans 8.17 underlined in your Bibles because Paul is talking exactly about what we're talking in this passage. He's talking about inheriting. He's using the imagery of Joshua and the Israelites ready to inherit Israel. And he says, if you are children of God, then you are heirs. Heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. If indeed we suffer with Him, that we also might be glorified together. We are not here to enjoy this world as if that were the goal of our lives. We have a mission that is called spiritual warfare. when the angel of the Lord appeared to Joshua he appeared as a warrior and in the last vision that we have of our Lord in our Bibles Revelation chapter 1 how does the Lord appear to John as a warrior priest with that two-edged sword coming out of his mouth my dear friend in Christ are you willing to receive Jesus as captain of the Lord's host? Are we willing to be molded into God's image as God desires to mold us? Once I was sharing these things with a sister in Costa Rica. And at this point she said, well, my Jesus isn't like that. My Jesus doesn't ask those kinds of things. Well, maybe her Jesus doesn't. But that's always been our temptation, hasn't it? To mold Jesus in our image rather than to humbly accept His molding us in His image. Today, most of us recognize that the so-called gospel of health and wealth is a heresy that will render the church impotent in this world. But it's always possible for any and every sort of version of a gospel of comfort to be invented. Are we ready to accept Jesus as commander-in-chief? Are we ready for our orders, no matter how difficult they might be? Jesus molds us into God's image so that we love and honor His holiness. Take off your shoes. You are in God's presence. You know, a love and a zeal for God's holiness should burn in our hearts above all other things. God's honor should be our highest goal. We should weep when our Lord's honor is betrayed. Oh, how often we weep because we feel betrayed. No? When was the last time you wept because your Lord's honor was betrayed? Jesus Christ molds us in God's image so that we hunger and thirst for a new creation. Israel could not inhabit Canaan full of idolatry and rebellion against God. God had to make a new Canaan by expelling the pagans so that His name could be worshipped in Israel. And God will one day cleanse this world of the idolatry and the wickedness that we see around us. Does your heart long for that new creation? Does your heart long for that world where the glory of the Lord will cover the earth? Where is your treasure? Where is your heart? Unless our hearts burn with a desire to see God's holiness fill His creation at Christ's return, we will be of little use to God's mission here before Christ's return. When John saw Jesus in his vision on Patmos with the sword that came out of his mouth, where was Jesus standing? You remember? He was standing among the lampstands, wasn't he? Those lampstands representing his churches. That's where Jesus is. He's among us. He's in the midst of his churches. He's here. And He's calling us through His Word to be remade in His image, to renew vows with our Lord, to renew covenant with Him. You remember that I asked you to note that this call to Joshua came after the crossing of the Jordan River, after circumcision, after the Passover. That's very important, you know. It doesn't come before. God has already sovereignly introduced His people into Canaan. They have already celebrated circumcision which pointed to that great covenant of grace that God had made with Abraham. They have celebrated the Passover. A supper of communion with their Lord celebrating redemption from Egypt. They have eaten of the first fruits of the land. you see people of God this call is a call of grace this call isn't a call to go and march in order to get saved the people were in the land having celebrated the signs of grace and as redeemed people recognizing and having celebrated God's grace they are called now to fight and to go forward with courage and to fulfill the mission that God gives to them. This is a call to faith. And if there is anyone here this evening who has not looked to Jesus in faith and received His grace, do so. A life of autonomy will not last. The inhabitants of Jericho thought they were safe on their own. The inhabitants of Jericho thought that their human construction were going to keep them safe forever. And they were wrong. Jesus Christ is the only captain. The only Savior. And on the basis of His life and death, He calls us to faith and He calls us to follow. Are there tasks that God has given you that you have been avoiding? what challenges have you been afraid to face? Jesus is here tonight. And He says to each of us, I am the sovereign commander of God's army. Follow me. Do not be faint-hearted. Fight the good fight. Be courageous. Fulfill your orders. Lift high God's sovereignty. Honor God's holiness. I'm taking you to the new creation, the new Canaan, to the place of true and eternal rest. In a paraphrased form, that's what the angel of the Lord was telling Joshua that day near Jericho. And God fulfilled His promise in that stage of redemption, didn't He? God took them to victory. The walls of Jericho fell down. and they possessed the land. Let us today, in a different stage of redemptive history, let us today renew our faith, renew our commitment to the mission that God has given to us. As we think about Latin America, there are open doors. And as I mentioned before, we don't know how long those opportunities will be there. Let us go forward with vigor. Let us go forward as fast as we can, as urgently as we can. I'd like to make a call this evening to any young people who are considering their vocation. Is God calling you to labor in the cause of foreign missions, not just young people? Anyone here. Some are called to stay and send, And others are called to leave and to go. The fields are white unto harvest, Jesus says. Pray to the Lord that He send forth reapers. If God is calling you, if He is stirring your heart, say yes to the call and prepare yourself and go. The angel of the Lord has appeared to us tonight through God's holy word. Jesus Christ Himself has called us, His church, to rest in our God's control, in our God's sovereign rule. He's called us to be courageous based on who He is. He's called us to go forward with a zeal to honor God and His holiness in this world. Are you willing to follow, my friend? Are you willing to persevere? Amen. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, Thank you for calling your people by grace. Thank you that, having redeemed your church, you call us to follow Jesus Christ even in the midst of conflict, even in the midst of spiritual battle. Lord, grant us that we might honor you, that we might faithfully reflect Jesus Christ, our Lord, who has redeemed us. Thank you for this congregation, for every person here present, Lord. And we pray that in the lives of each of us, you will allow us to work out your call to us that you've given to us in this evening. In Jesus' name we ask it. Amen.