Please find below Pt. 2 of the teaching series, “Promises, Promises,” THE TIME HAS COME.  (c) 2014, Terry Broadwater.

“Promises, Promises” series- what is God’s promise and where do you get God’s promise?  Last week- God is a Promise Maker and a Promise Keeper.  The Bible- Did you get a reading plan?  Have you been asking God to show you his promise for you this year?

The theme today: Getting STARTED- the TIME is NOW to pursue God’s promises (God’s WORD/BIBLE) for your life.  “The time has come for me to go after what God wants for my life.  The time has come for me to obey the Bible.  The time has come for me to have a plan, set some goals, move forward!!”

Resolutions are for people without any goals!

Look at Joshua 1:2 “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. (Joshua 1:2 NLT)

Notice the first thing God told Joshua: “Moses my servant is dead…”  That means new expectations and experiences!

The Application: What has God PRONOUNCED DEAD in your life that you need to move past to take hold of what God has promised you?  Many people can’t PURSUE something because they can’t move PAST something!

We can’t move past a PERSON, a PROBLEM, a PAIN…. SEASON OF LIFE, a SENTIMENTAL MOMENT, a SPIRITUAL situation.  Many times you can’t pursue God’s promise for today until you pronounce something dead from yesterday!  

“Moses is dead!”  For Joshua, that meant that the season and the setting of the Wilderness was over- no more circling the wilderness, coming to same river…

What do you need to MOVE PAST to MOVE FORWARD in God’s promise?  What is, or has God pronounced DEAD that you need to accept?  This is the crucial first step in EXPERIENCING different EXPECTATIONS and EXPECTING different EXPERIENCES!!  Here’s the second key thing God told Joshua…

“Therefore, the time has come for YOU…”  This is all about purpose and priority!

The Application: What has God PROMISED in your life that you need to PURSUE now?

You can let life happen to you, let your schedule dictate your life, or you can live it on purpose by prioritizing what’s important- GOD’S WORD!!

WHAT’S IMPORTANT is WHAT GOD PROMISES YOU!   What will YOU do?  How will YOU move forward??  Consider that every day we should PURPOSE and PRIORITIZE moving forward in PURSUING God’s PROMISE for our lives!

Sometimes you enter into it in big steps and sometimes very small steps.  And yes, sometimes it doesn’t seem like you’re moving forward at all, but that’s when you need to be “STILL and KNOW HE IS GOD!”

Critical to Know: You’ll never gain any new ground in life without letting go and leaving behind where you’ve been!

Whatever God is speaking to you right now from the Bible, this teaching, a new or renewed promise, the key NEXT STEP is to make it YOUR PURPOSE and PRIORITY every day- set the course and stay the course!

SO HOW DO YOU DO THAT??  Again, Josh. 1:2 notice what God says to Joshua and you- 3 PRACTICAL STEPS:

1.  THE TIME HAS COME FOR YOU TO LEAD  “…the time has come for you to lead these people…”

This is all about RESPONSE and RESPONSIBILITY!  RESPONDING with OBEDIENCE and taking RESPONSIBILITY to LEAD!

We will never enter the “Promised Land”- God’s PROMISE for our lives without OBEDIENCE, which in many ways, is LEADERSHIP.  Because when we obey God’s Word, do what we know he is telling us, pursue his promise, we are…

LEADING OURSELVES by taking the necessary steps we need to take!  For example: If you said you were going to read the Bible every day, have you set aside time to do so??

In my case, when God gave me Acts 20:24 “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God” I had to begin to take responsibility for that and pursue full-time vocational ministry.

What do you need to do to LEAD YOURSELF right now as it relates to God’s PROMISE?

LEADING OTHERS through our influence and how we are living/acting differently!  For example: If God told you to give financially to the church or to serve others in some way, are you doing it?  Because those things not only make a difference in your life, but in the lives of others!

In my case, when God gave me 2 Sam. 7:13 “He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name” I knew I needed to start building the next generation who would build the church!

Sometimes God’s Promise is about how you will lead and influence others, being responsible to help others enter God’s promise for their lives!

HERE IS THE 2ND PRACTICAL STEP GOD GAVE JOSHUA… 

2.  THE TIME HAS COME FOR YOU TO CROSS OVER “…the time has come for you to… (go) across the Jordan River…”

The scene: Joshua and Israel could see the Promised Land.  But between where they were and where they needed to go, was the Jordan River, and it was flooding!  But when you know God has spoken to you, given you HIS WORD, what does that give you?  Confidence and Courage!

I noted earlier you’ve got to move PAST some things, ACCEPT some things are now DEAD.  But, you will also have to OVERCOME, cross over some challenges that are between where you are now and where God’s Promise will take you!

Guess what??  CROSSING OVER often mean GOING THROUGH!  I don’t know what you’ll have to “go through” in order to “cross over” into the new place/promise God has for your life, but I do know, YOU WILL HAVE TO!!

But again, whether it was Joshua, me, or you, when God says it’s time to possess your promise, God also promises to go with you, to make a way.

Joshua had to step into the flooded Jordan before it parted AND had to stand in the middle until everyone crossed over, but he, and Israel made it into the Promised Land!  And so did me and Jo Ann.  And so will you!!

I don’t know what challenge you need to cross over to enter God’s Promise for your life, but I do know God will make a way for you and you will GO THROUGH it to the other side!!

WHICH IS THE 3RD PRACTICAL STEP GOD GAVE JOSHUA …

3.  THE TIME HAS COME FOR YOU TO MOVE INTO …”the time has come for you to… (move) into the land I am giving…”

WHAT’S THE “PROMISE” GOD WANTS YOU TO MOVE INTO?  What has God said to you?  What have you read in the Bible?  You’ll never see it realized without ACCEPTANCE and ACTION!

The KEY dynamic here is MOVE INTO!  You lead, you cross over, and you MOVE INTO!  Perhaps God has “promised” you something like he did me, right from the Bible: Ex. 31:3 “I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills…”

For Example: That’s one of the Promises, right from the Bible, God has given me that he wants me to MOVE INTO in 2014!  The time has come!  I believe it means that this is going to be a very strategic year, a very focused year of moving into what God has destined for GCC!  The time has come!

What is the PROMISE of God you need to MOVE INTO?  Because the time has come!  So, if you haven’t already, GET A PROMISE!  Read the Bible.  Ask God.  Be attentive to what God will say to you, where it may come from.  And make sure, it’s right there in the Bible!

Use this hashtag- #GCCPromises to share a “promise” from the Bible God has given you.

What is God PROMISING you right now?  What is God saying is DEAD?  How do you need to be more RESPONSIBLE?  How do you need to LEAD?  What do you need to CROSS OVER?  What do you need to MOVE INTO?