Church Planting Principles From Joshua * Every new church begins in the heart of God. * Every new venture is first a vision given by the Spirit of God to a man of God! 1. God Calls a Leader to Take His People Into "The Land." (1:1-10) * Joshua was mentored by Moses. Young leaders need this ministry! * God wants to first reveal Himself to the leader before He reveals His call. God's mandate is undergirded by His promises. The call flows from God's character being developed in the heart of the leader. * God's leader must be a man of the Word! He must learn to live "promise to promise", not "problem to problem." The attitude of the leader makes all the difference. 2. God Compliments His Call By the Confirmation of Others. (1:11-18) * God calls a "Ministry Team" to support and follow the leader. No vision can be accomplished alone. * Different people will have differing roles in fulfilling the vision, but all are important. 3. Concentrate on "The Land"-Do Spiritual "Recon." (2:1-24) * Get to know people in the land-they know their area best! * See through God's eyes...find the "redemptive gifts" of the land and also the spiritual strongmen. * Thank God for the "first fruits" of your ministry. "Rahabs" are waiting for you to come! 4. Complete Consecration Brings Cleansing So We Can Fulfill the Call. (3:1-13; 5:1-12) * Pure hearts allow God to show His power. * When "you've never been this way before", complete dependence on God is vital. 5. Confirming Signs-God's Visible Affirmation of His Call! (3:14-4:24) * God presents a challenge-"a flooded Jordan"-and asks us to step out in obedient faith. * Our obstacles become God's opportunities! * God's first "confirming signs" to the leader and the people become an exciting part of their future "faith story." 6. Commence by Addressing Strategic Strongholds. (5:13-27) * Focus on worship before warfare. Strategic intercession is essential! * Get a fresh revelation of Jesus. Continually yield to His Lordship...do what He's blessing! * Even if God's leading appears "foolish", obey and watch God bring down the walls! 7. Courageously Deal with "Sin in the Camp." (7:1-26) * Overconfidence from past victories can breed prayerlessness. * Hidden sin in a leader's life affects the spiritual climate of the entire group. * Spiritual defeat can bring discouragement and doubt. * Joshua struggled with "the death of the dream." Most every leader reaches a similar point. * God will often allow the dream to "die" so He can resurrect it purified! * Spiritual leaders must be willing to deal decisively with sinful conduct. * Don't be afraid to lose some people to keep the dream pure. Never compromise eternal values for the sake of temporary expediencies. 8. Commit Again to Covenant Priorities After Difficult Circumstances. (8:1-29) * Make prayer a top priority again! * Get back to following God's plans. * Corporately restate the call and reinforce the primacy of God's Word. 9. Careful! Beware of Deception. (9:1-27) * Lack of prayer = lack of discernment. Satan can be very subtle in diverting our attention. * Seek good counsel from others before making major decisions. * Allowing ourselves to be deceived damages God's work. 10. Challenge Demonic Coalitions. (10:1-12:24) * Satan will sometimes come at you with a full scale frontal attack, seeking to overwhelm you. * Dedicate the situation to God. Go to God first....pray! PRAY! * Dare to try something different at God's direction. He often tailors His strategy to your specific situation. * Do what you can do, then expect Divine help. * Deal thoroughly with enemies...allow no demonized issues to remain. 11. Conquer "The Land" Geographically and Strategically. (13:1-14:5) * "See" the land as a divine inheritance! God has given it to you to extend His Kingdom! * Divide the land geographically. * Reduce it into manageable areas. * Assign leaders to care for each area. * Delegate authority. * Divide and conquer. * Don't try to take the land all at once. * Take good care of spiritual leaders. 12. Cherish and Nourish Pioneers and Faith-full leaders. (14:6-15) * Praise God for "Calebs!" They are far too rare. If God brings them, give them "mountains" to conquer! * Honor visionaries and warriors. * Respect women's requests-allow them to lead, especially when there are no men able or willing to do so. (15:17-19; 17:34) 13. Consistency and Faithfulness--the Keys to Long Term Ministry. (16-22) * You won't win everyone, but stay faithful to the task. (16:10; 17:12-17; 18:1-10) * Challenge people to keep taking ground for God. (17:12-17) * Always have "safe places"-cities of refuge. (20:1ff) * Keep looking to God and praising Him. (21:43-45) * Bless those who have served well. (22:1-6) 14. Conflict Resolution-Vital to Effective Leadership. (22:10-34) * Most conflict comes from misconceptions and miscommunication more than bad motives. * Don't assume and accuse-get the facts first! (22:11-20) * Get both sides of the story. (22:21-28) * Be willing to change your opinion. (22:30-34) * Keep the vision a central priority, not personalities. * Healthy conflict resolution usually brings stronger relationships. 15. Carrying On--Transfer Ownership of the Call and the Vision (23-24) * Remember, rejoice in and refocus on God-His call and His accomplishments. * Reissue the call and reconfirm the vision. * Renew covenant commitments. * Revere Godly leaders...heroes of the faith deserve our respect and honor. (Tim Roehl, 1998)