Call to Duty
Today, Pastor Jack Graham begins a powerful new series, “Forward: Experiencing God’s Presence and Provision,” examining the book of Joshua. We will discover that the Promised Land is really about the promised life we have in Christ.
Guest (Male): Welcome to PowerPoint with Jack Graham.
Jack Graham: There is no person that God cannot save. There is no promise that God will not keep. There is no problem that God will not solve. There is no mountain that God cannot move.
Guest (Male): On today's PowerPoint, Dr. Graham brings a message about how you can have victory over anything that comes your way. Now, here's Dr. Graham with his message call to duty.
Jack Graham: Turning your Bibles to Joshua, the first chapter. What we're going to find in the story of Joshua, the children of Israel, as they move into the promised land out of the desert and into the land of promise that God had provided. What we're going to discover is that the promised land is really about a promised life. It is the promised life that we have in Christ, all of it. And the theme of the book of Joshua is victorious Christian living. Don't you want to live a victorious life? No longer a victim to the circumstances of life, but victor in Christ over anything that comes your way.
And I know as we look to the future, there's a lot of uncertainty and there's a lot of pessimism today. But I believe we as Christians should be the most optimistic, faith-filled people in all the world. Because God has given us a promise and that promise is secure in Christ. And we are standing on this promise, but we're also stepping in to this promise. It's all about God's people moving forward and living this life that God has given us in Christ. Joshua, it means Jehovah saves or our God saves. And Yeshua, Joshua of the Old Testament, is named Jesus in the New Testament.
He is Jesus Yeshua. So, our Joshua, the Lord Jesus Christ, is leading us on and leading us forward in life. And God wants you to pursue this life of liberty, this life of freedom, this life of fruitfulness, this life of fulfillment. Jesus said, I've come that you might have life and have it more abundantly. And that could also be translated a life that is rich and full, prosperous. Because God has given us a life beyond our imagination. What does the scripture say that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly more? I am believing God for more in my life and in the life of our church.
I want more love, more joy, more peace. I want to pray more and love more and give more and serve more. I want to witness more. I want to grow more. I want to be more and more like Jesus. There is much much more for you and me. And that's the theme going forward with our lives, entering and experiencing and then expressing this beautiful wonderful life in Christ. So, let's begin reading in Joshua chapter one and verse one. After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua, the son of Nun, not the son of N-O-N-E, but the son of Nun, Moses' assistant.
Moses, my servant, is dead. You see, Moses was dead, but the mission was very much alive. Now, therefore, go arise and go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given to you. Do you see the tense of the verbs there? I have, not I will give to you, I want to give to you. No, I have given you. It's already done. The victory is already won, just as I promised to Moses.
And from the wilderness, and if you wonder who owns the land that is given to Israel and where it extends, the people of Israel have been given from the wilderness in this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory, all of it. And verse five, no man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.
God is faithful. He will not leave you or forsake you. So, be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to the fathers to give them. God stakes his very character upon this promise. I have sworn to your fathers, I am promising you that what I have given you will come to pass. And what was true for Joshua and the children of Israel because of our Yeshua, Joshua is true for us. Now, a little background is in order, of course. So, I want to give you a short version of the background.
It comes from the book of Exodus and it tells us that the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt for hundreds of years until God brought them out. He raised up a deliverer, the great leader, probably the greatest leader in all of history, Moses. And Moses, through the miraculous hand of God, the miracles that took place in the land of Egypt, the miracles that took place on their way out, they came out under the blood as the Passover lamb was first slain in Egypt and they put the blood on the door post here and here and here.
Does that remind you of anything? The blood here, the blood here, the blood here, it reminds me of the crown of thorns, the blood upon the face of our Lord Jesus, upon his hands as he was crucified, nailed to a cross for us, the lamb of God. They came out because of the lamb. They came out of bondage into liberty, into the life that God moving forward to the life that God had promised them. God brought them through the Red Sea. He parted the Red Sea and he led them forward toward the promised land. It was a it was a short 11-mile or 11-day journey from Egypt to the land of promise.
And so they are on their way. Until something happened. Though they were led and fed by the hand and faithfulness of God. And yet and yet as they neared the land of blessing, the land that God had given them, they rebelled against God. And in unbelief, they turned away. And as a result of their unbelief, even though they had come out of Egypt, even though God had said go and take the land, they spend the next 40 years, a generation, dying in the wilderness. Dwelling in the desert. Walking around, they were stuck. They were stalemated in the wilderness because of their unbelief.
And while they had come out of Egypt, they'd come in effect out of the world because Egypt is a picture of the world, Pharaoh a picture of the devil. And they'd come out of Egypt under the blood through the power of God, the miracle-working power and hand of God. Though they had come out, they did not go in because of their unbelief. And so they spent all these years, a generation, dying in the desert, murmuring and complaining. Though God sustained them miraculous manna from heaven, wonderful miracles along the way because they were breaking God's laws and because they were not entering into the promise that he had given them by faith, they were in the wilderness.
It was fear that kept them there. Because they felt that they could not take the land and they did not believe God. They came out of bondage, but they never experienced these who died, the blessing and the benefit and the bounty of the land of promise, the land that God had given to them. Now, let's get the illustration straight. The promised land is not heaven. There were battles to fight and victories yet to be won. There were giants in the land, opposition in the land. And so God said go and take this land. Look, he said, Moses, my servant, is dead.
Moses, because of his own failure, died in the desert and was buried in an unknown grave. And all this generation, the parents and the grandparents of the generation now standing at the brink of the blessing, standing at the border of the promised land, they all died out because they could not they would not believe God. And they would not go forward. Too many Christians have come out of Egypt, out of the world and are yet living for the world. They've gotten out of Egypt, but Egypt hasn't gotten out of them. And so too many are desert dwellers dwellers, wilderness wanderers.
They're stuck in the middle. They're sagging. They are stuck in the desert rather than embracing and experiencing the fullness of the promise of God because the the promised land was a land flowing with milk and honey and beautiful grapes. Perhaps you've seen the symbol of tourism in Egypt is Joshua and Caleb, the two faithful spies. Joshua, the very man that we meet here in the scripture by bearing the grapes of Eshcol. And those grapes were so heavy, they had to carry it on a pole. So, this land was was flowing with milk and honey. It was bountiful.
It was it was beautiful. It was wonderful. And this speaks of the promised life that God has for you and me. That it is an abundant life, a fulfilling life, a fruitful life. And therefore, we're to take it. Just as he has been faithful to us in the past, he is faithful to us to the finish. And the promises of God are not just for Joshua and the children of Israel way back then, but they are for you and me, a generation, a new generation moving forward into the future. And that's what God is saying to Joshua here in this very first verse.
He's saying Moses is dead. That's all done. The past is past. But now it's time to go forward. It's time to move. And because of Jesus, dear people, your future is so much better and so much brighter than you can possibly imagine. You were made for more.
Guest (Male): You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message call to duty. Did you know that you can join Dr. Graham for his daily devotion? It's a study of God's word that will help you grow in your faith, encourage you in your walk with Christ, and show you how to navigate through the challenges of life. To sign up, text devo, d e v o to 59789 and begin receiving Dr. Graham's devotional every day. Again, text devo, d e v o to 59789. Every day, people around the world are hearing the truth of Jesus Christ through PowerPoint's broadcast, podcast, television ministry, and digital outreach, often during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
And friends like you help make that ministry possible. That's why this month we want to say thank you for your gift of $10 or more by sending you Dr. Jack Graham's book Destiny. In this encouraging resource, Dr. Graham walks through the life of Joseph to show how God is always working even through painful and confusing circumstances to accomplish his greater purpose. To give your gift and request your copy, text oct, o c t to 59789. That's oct, o c t as in October to 59789. Now, let's get back to today's message call to duty.
Jack Graham: How do we live in this victory? Number one, you you must see it. That's what God was doing for Joshua so that Joshua could help the children of Israel to see it as well. He said, this land that I have given you, go and take it. It's yours for the taking. It's right in front of you. Go forward. He didn't say I will give it to you. I want to give it to you. He said go and claim your Canaan today. Go and take it now. Put your foot down. He said every place that the sole of your foot, the bottom of your feet shall touch is already yours.
I know we are to stand in faith and be steadfast in faith and stand on the promises of God and we do. But there comes a time that we need to step into the promises of God. There's a time in which we stop standing and we start moving. And all of this is available to us in Christ. All of these blessings. You're going to find as we work our way journey with Joshua through his book that it is akin to the book of Ephesians in the New Testament. Ephesians begins in Ephesians 1:3 with the bounty of all the blessings that says in verse three that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
Guest (Male): Amen.
Jack Graham: Not that he has or will when we get there, but already I have given this to you. First Peter 1:3 says that he has given us everything that we need, all things pertaining to life and godliness. The victory is yours. And what you need to do today first is to see it. It is the vision of God for our lives to see it, to see this victory that we have in Jesus and to see it. We see it through the lens of scripture. We see it as we come to the foot of the cross because our victory all this is true.
Because the victory was gained and won and given to us at the cross. When Christ died and rose again, Jesus won the victory for you and me. And because he won, because he died, we died with him. But here's the story. Here's salvation because he rose, we rise with him. And so death isn't the end of your story. It's just the beginning of your abundant and eternal life in Christ. And so Jesus won the victory for you and for me. And what we need to do is to see it. And because we rise with him, we rise to the occasion and give ourselves to his call to duty upon our lives.
I'm calling this sermon the call to duty. What God was doing in calling and commanding General Joshua to get up and go and lead the people forward is our call to duty as well. And that is to fight the good fight. Because there are battles to be fought. And this is not a time for weakness. This is a time for courageous Christians to move onward and upward to the glory of God and take the land that God has given us. It's time to move on. You say, well, how are we going to do that? You have the power of God with you.
Yes, we have enemies. Yes, there are those who hate us, starting with Satan himself. But we're positive. We have a different mindset. We have a mentality that is different than the world. We know because of our victory in Jesus that we cannot only see that victory, but we can seize that victory. And that's point number two, if you're taking notes, that we are to seize the victory. Why? Because First John 4:4 greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. We don't live in Egypt anymore. We're not bound. We're not dwelling in the desert.
We're coming out. We're moving on. We're taking what God has already given us. And we do it by faith because we know that we can trust in God. The same God who performed miracles in yesteryear is alive and well today. Do you believe that? There is no person that God cannot save. There is no promise that God will not keep. There is no problem that God will not solve. There is no mountain that God cannot move. There is no valley so deep that God cannot cover. There is no attic that God cannot redeem. There is no home or family that is broken that God cannot restore.
There is no church that God cannot revive. There is nothing that our God cannot do. And so that's why in Romans 8:37 Paul is thinking about talking about all the things that come against us in this life. And he said what could destroy us? What could take us out? Life or death or angels or principalities or demons or powers? No. For in all these things we are more than conquerors through our Lord Jesus Christ. Not just conquerors, more than super conquerors, supra conquerors in Jesus Christ. And if God be for us, who can be against us?
That's the mindset. If you're living in the desert, you see the obstacles, you see the circumstances, and you live in the desert, you stay in the desert, you just die in the desert. But if you see what God has promised all of us in Christ, and then you step out and you seize it because the victory has already been won. In this victory, we are claiming our Canaan because his presence, his promise is with us. We are more than conquerors. There's more victory to be won in Jesus. Amen. There's much more. And when it says we're more more than conquerors, it is not like winning in the last second with a field goal.
It's dominating. Dominating. We don't just barely win. We win big time. We win it all. And that's why God says not only are you to say it or seize it and see it, but one last thing you are to say it. Declare your victory in Christ. Speak it. You know what happened to those children of Israel in the desert? They were speaking defeat. They were murmuring and complaining and gossiping and whining and and just looking at their circumstances and dying. And they never experienced the fullness and the freshness and the fulfillment of the land of promise.
And too many today, just like that, you've got a negative mindset. You're just murmuring and complaining and criticizing. You've got a mindset that is toxic to yourself and everybody around you. It's death. But when you walk into the victory that you have in Jesus Christ, your mind changes. It's called repentance. And when you repent and receive what God has given you, then you seize and see and you say it, you declare your victory in Christ. They overcame him, the devil, by the word of their testimony. And when we speak the life of God, when we speak the word of God, when we speak the promises of God, then we live in the promises of God.
So, say it. Say it out loud. I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise will continually be what in my mouth. I shall make my boast in the Lord. The humble will hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me and come. Let us exalt his name together. Say his name. Satan cannot stand. All the enemies look, when the children of Israel went into the promised land, there were battles to fight, walls to fall down, more victories to be won. And that's what I'm praying God will do in me and you in the days ahead, that there would be more much more.
But you have to see it. Do you have a vision of victory for your life? A victory of his presence, a victory of his power and his promise to you. Seize it. Go and take it. Take what God has given you. Trust what God will do for you. If you will step into the promises of God upon your life because everywhere you walk, everywhere you go, you're walking in his word, walking in his will, walking and living in his victory. So, say it. Stop confessing your defeats and looking at your circumstances. Start living in the promise that God has given to each one of us.
Guest (Male): You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message call to duty. We want to tell you about an encouraging resource available this month from PowerPoint Ministries. It's Dr. Jack Graham's book Destiny. Have you ever wondered if God really has a purpose for your life or questioned what he might be doing through the seasons of disappointment, waiting, or uncertainty? In Destiny, Dr. Graham explores the life of Joseph to reveal how God's sovereign hand is always at work even when we can't see it. This powerful resource will help you trust God's plan, find peace in a difficult season, and move forward with confidence and hope.
And when you give a gift of $10 or more to help share the biblical truth around the world through PowerPoint, we'll send you Destiny as our thanks. To give your gift and request your copy, text oct, o c t to 59789. That's oct, o c t as in October to 59789. Let me remind you that you can join Dr. Graham for his daily devotion. It's a study of God word that will help you grow in your faith, encourage you in your walk with Christ, and show you how to navigate through the challenges of life. To sign up, text devo, d e v o to 59789 and begin receiving Dr.
Graham's devotional every day. Again, text devo, d e v o to 59789. Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today?
Jack Graham: Most every day I in my time of prayer, I make a declaration. My declaration says I am a child of God, chosen, loved, blessed, blood bought, redeemed, reconciled, and righteous in Christ. I am committed to his cause, to his church, to his kingdom. My faith is in Christ alone through grace alone. And my happiness is in him. My hope is in him. Lord, you are my provider. Lord, you are my protector. Lord, you are my master and friend, my healer and deliverer. My strength comes from you and my power from your presence. You are faithful and true and always, even in my darkest hour.
I choose to live in obedience to your word and dependence upon your spirit. I will do your will. I will walk in your love. I will serve you from my whole heart. I will believe that your favor is upon my life and family and church that you will bless all that I do in your name and for your glory. I believe your spirit is upon me and your anointing empowers and enables me to fulfill my calling with joy. You're working powerfully in my life. Fill me and use me to do great and mighty things beyond my human imagination.
Say the name in Jesus' name. And when you start declaring your victory in Jesus, you win.
Guest (Male): And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember, when you give a gift of $10 or more, we will send you Dr. Graham's book Destiny as our thanks. Just text oct, o c t to 59789. And join us again next time as Dr. Graham brings a message about how wonderful life can be when you live according to God's word. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.
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Past Episodes
- A Life of Purpose
- A Life that Pleases God
- A New Year with Real Change
- A Real Christmas
- A Savior for All Seasons
- ABLAZE
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- All In
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- All Things New
- Angels
- At the Cross
- Awesome God
- Badge of the Believer
- Belief and Unbelief
- Best of 2007
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- Best of 2013
- Best of 2014
- Best of 2015
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- Breaking Free
- Building Your Life to Last
- Daniel
- Dare to Believe
- David: After God's Heart
- Destiny: God's Favor-Your Future
- Distinctives for Christians
- Distinctives for Disciples
- Don't Blink
- Far More
- Father Knows Best
- First Things First
- Fit for Life
- Forever Living
- Forward: Experiencing God's Presence and Provision
- Full Throttle Faith
- Generation Next: God's Future for the Family
- Gifts for a Lifetime
- Giving God Your Best
- God of Wonders
- God Still Moves
- God's Secrets
- God's Will - My Way
- Going the Distance
- Going the Distance Part 2
- Good Friday Special Message
- Grace and Mercy
- Growing In Faith
- Heart of a Champion
- Heaven
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- His Story, Your Story
- Home for the Holidays
- Home Team
- Hope and Future
- Last Words for the Last Days
- Leader Life
- Legacy
- Life in the Spirit
- Life Passages
- Life Together
- Lifeworks
- Living In Hope - Part 1
- Living in Hope - Part 3
- Living in Hope-Part 2
- Living Psalms "Sheltered"
- Living the Cross
- Making the Christian Life Work
- Making the Faith Connection
- Marriage By the Book
- Men of Honor
- Men Who Win
- Much More
- Real Life
- Real People... Real Stories... Real Faith
- Relentless Faith
- Relentless Faith Part 1
- Resolutions You Can Keep
- Restoring the Biblical Family
- Ruth
- Salvation… Now What?
- Say Thanks
- Signs of the Times
- Smart Homes, Wise Families
- Songs for the Savior
- Songs of Courage
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- Stories of the Bible
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- Taking the Gospel to Your World
- Tell Me the Story of Jesus
- Thanksgiving
- That You May Believe
- The Beginning of the End
- The Beginning of the End: Preparing for the Last Days
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- The Christ Centered Life
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- The Miracle of Christmas **New**
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- The Power of His Touch
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- The Power of Prayer
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- The Power of Your Words
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- The Victors
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- Waymaker
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- When Faith Gets Real
- Why Believe - Part 1
- Why Believe - Part 4
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- Why Believe: What Really Happened
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Video from Jack Graham
Featured Offer
Discover the significant life God has called you to live with Dr. Graham’s book ‘Destiny.’
About PowerPoint
PowerPoint Ministries is the radio and television broadcast ministry of Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church — a nearly 60,000 -member church with three campuses in the Dallas and North Texas region. Through PowerPoint Ministries, Dr. Graham offers practical, biblical steps on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.
About Jack Graham
Dr. Jack Graham serves as Senior Pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, one of the nation’s largest, most dynamic congregations.
When Dr. Graham came to Prestonwood in 1989, the 8,000-member congregation responded enthusiastically to his straightforward message and powerful preaching style.
Now thriving with more than 60,000 members, Prestonwood continues to grow, reaching throughout the North Texas region. In 2006, the church launched a second location, the North Campus, in a burgeoning area 20 miles north of the Plano Campus. Prestonwood also has a flourishing Spanish-language ministry, Prestonwood en Español, which includes members from more than 20 nations. And Prestonwood.Live, the online community, draws worshippers from all over the world.
Dr. Graham is a noted author of numerous books, including the latest The Jesus Book: Reading and Understanding the Bible for Yourself. Drawing from 50 years of ministry, Dr. Graham inspires readers to dive deeper into Scripture and foster a profound connection with God through His Word.
Other books include Reignite: Fresh Focus for an Enduring Faith; A Man of God: Essential Priorities for Every Man’s Life; Unseen: Angels, Satan, Heaven, Hell and Winning the Battle for Eternity; Angels: Who They Are, What They Do and Why It Matters; Powering Up: The Fulfillment and Fruit of a God-Fueled Life; and Courageous Parenting, written with his wife, Deb.
His passionate, biblical teaching is also seen and heard across the country and throughout the world on PowerPoint Ministries. Through broadcasts, online sermons and e-mail messages, Dr. Graham addresses relevant, everyday issues that are prevalent in our culture and strike a chord with audiences worldwide.
In October 2022, the Bible in a Year with Jack Graham podcast was launched in partnership with iHeartPodcasts and Pray.com, with a cinematic feel that brings the Bible to life. Within the first week of its release, the podcast reached the top spot on the Spotify religion list, and it has now surpassed 125 million downloads.
Dr. Graham has served as Honorary Chairman of the National Day of Prayer and has helped lead various national prayer initiatives. He served as President of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the country with more than 14 million members.
He and Deb have three married children and eight grandchildren.
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