ACCOMPLISHING THE TASK (PART 1)

ACCOMPLISHING THE TASK (PART 1) 

TEXT: Joshua 23:4-6 (KJV)
⁴  Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward.
⁵  And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto you.
⁶  Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;

In the book of Joshua chapter 1 the Lord gave Joshua a clear instruction about the assignment he is called to accomplish. His major task was to bring the children of Israel to the promise land. To be able to effectively accomplish this task the Lord gave him a clear description of the geographical boundary of the land and the possible challenge that he must overcome to accomplish the task.

Joshua was able to bring the children of Israel into the promise land but after many years and many battles, close to the end of his life Joshua saw that there is still many more lands to be conquered.  It became obvious that the task has not been accomplished and that there is little he could do to make that happen. By the time he was speaking in our text for today there was still much to be done about the assignment. With all his heart he has tried to accomplish the assignment but it was not for him. He had great victories but it was not good enough. Along the way, men like Achan who were greedy and self-cantered caused and irreplaceable loss and a major setback to the accomplishing of the assignment (Joshua 7). If any assignment must be accomplished in record time then we must be careful to ensure that the right persons are saddled with the right duty. It is so important to double check again and again. Examine the motives and intent of the heart of people by the help of the Holy Spirit. We must not be in a hurry to entrust the least of the assignment to just anybody. It is better to suffer a little delay than to jeopardize the whole assignment. No vision or dream is greater than the quality and character of the people who carry the vision. The speed with which any vision is accomplished can be determined by the degree of passion and commitment of the people who identify with the vision. So, what is your contribution to the vision you are identified with? Are you a blessing or a curse to the vision? Think about this.