Cutting Away the Old, Stepping into Victory
Joshua 2025 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 2 viewsRenewing our covenant with God requires us to submit fully to Him by cutting away the sins and weights that hold us back. Just as the Israelites had to undergo physical circumcision before entering the Promised Land, we must undergo spiritual circumcision through repentance and transformation. Christ’s forgiveness empowers us to move beyond guilt and condemnation, allowing us to experience His provision and bear spiritual fruit. As the Commander of the Lord’s army, Christ calls us not to ask Him to take sides but to submit entirely to His leadership. Victory in our lives begins when we fall in humility before Him and walk in obedience.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
As we step into today’s message, I want to invite you to reflect on your relationship with God. Just as the Israelites stood on the edge of a new season in the Promised Land, many of us are on the brink of a spiritual breakthrough. But to move forward, we must first renew our covenant, purpose, and commitment to the Lord. God is calling us to lay down the burdens of the past, walk in His blessings, and fully surrender to His leadership. Through Joshua’s journey, we will see how obedience, transformation, and submission pave the way for victory. Today is the day to cut away the old, embrace God’s provision, and fall in step with the Commander of the Lord’s army.
Renew Your Covenant with God (vs. 2-3, 8-9)
Renew Your Covenant with God (vs. 2-3, 8-9)
Key Point: To move forward with the Lord, we must leave the past behind and remove the sin that hinders us from fulfilling His promises.
1 As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.
To move forward with the Lord, you must leave the past behind. The old generation of Israel did not keep the covenant of the Lord through circumcision, and they did not teach their young men to walk in covenant with the Lord. The new generation had to decide to submit to the Lord and cut away the flesh of the past so God could do a new thing in them.
Submit to the circumcision of the flesh
Submit to the circumcision of the flesh
2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt. 5 Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6 For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord; the Lord swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
You can’t go with God and live in the sin of your flesh
You can’t go with God and live in the sin of your flesh
11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
What sin did Jesus circumcise for you on the cross?
What sin did Jesus circumcise for you on the cross?
What sin are you still holding on to that’s keeping you from the promised land?
What sin are you still holding on to that’s keeping you from the promised land?
Take the 3x5 card you received when you walked in and begin listing the sin and the weight that easily beset you. What are the hurts, habits, and hangups that prevent you from living in the fullness of Christ? Allow the Spirit to reveal the things in you that you need to remove from your life forever.
Christ is our forgiveness and freedom
Christ is our forgiveness and freedom
13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
Whatever sins you are writing on your card Christ has already forgiven you.
Whatever sins you are writing on your card Christ has already forgiven you.
Ever person has the responsibility to lay down the sins of the past. We can’t let our sin keep up from the promise God has for us.
Ever person has the responsibility to lay down the sins of the past. We can’t let our sin keep up from the promise God has for us.
You must move from the children to the warrior of God
You must move from the children to the warrior of God
7 So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised. For they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.
Christ is our Healing from the circumcision.
Christ is our Healing from the circumcision.
8 When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. 9 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.
A wounded soldier is a liability on the battlefield.
A wounded soldier is a liability on the battlefield.
If you don’t heal from the wound of the past you will not be ready to fight in the strength of the Lord.
You must allow the power to the gospel to heal the wounds of your heart from the things of this world.
What does it take to heal from the past?
What does it take to heal from the past?
When God forgives you must forgive yourself.
Don’t keep yourself in condemnation with Jesus has set you free from condemnation.
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Change your ways to walk in the Spirit and not the flesh.
Supporting Insight: Spiritual “circumcision” through repentance and obedience prepares our hearts for God’s work.
Renew your purpose with God (vs. 10-12)
Renew your purpose with God (vs. 10-12)
Key Point: Christ is our Passover Lamb, leading us into a new season of blessing and provision.
10 While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho.
Christ is our passover lamb.
Christ is our passover lamb.
Christ is our passover lamb that takes away the sin of the world.
Christ is our passover lamb that takes away the sin of the world.
The gospel of Christ is our reason for taking the land.
The gospel of Christ is our reason for taking the land.
Walking with Christ is the doorway to blessing.
Walking with Christ is the doorway to blessing.
11 And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. 12 And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
God doesn’t want to just sustain you, but to bring you into blessing.
God doesn’t want to just sustain you, but to bring you into blessing.
God wan’t you to thrive in his goodness and blessing.
God wan’t you to thrive in his goodness and blessing.
The fruit of God is found in obedience.
The fruit of God is found in obedience.
Christ is the manna from Heaven.
Christ is the manna from Heaven.
31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
The fruit is walking in the Spirit.
The fruit is walking in the Spirit.
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Supporting Insight: God desires for us to thrive by walking in obedience and producing the fruit of the Spirit rather than just surviving on spiritual manna.
Renew your commitment to the Commander (vs. 13-15)
Renew your commitment to the Commander (vs. 13-15)
Key Point: True victory comes when we join God’s side and submit to His leadership as the Commander of the Lord’s army.
13 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?”
Christ doesn’t pick sides.
Christ doesn’t pick sides.
Joshua was asking the wrong question. The question must be reversed.
Joshua was asking the wrong question. The question must be reversed.
14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?”
Who’s side are you on?
Who’s side are you on?
15 And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Christ has come and is ready to fight for us.
Christ has come and is ready to fight for us.
Christ has sanctified this place with his presence.
Christ has sanctified this place with his presence.
It’s time for us to take off our shoes and fall on our faces before the Lord.
It’s time for us to take off our shoes and fall on our faces before the Lord.
Supporting Insight: We must humble ourselves, recognizing His authority and presence as holy and worthy of worship.
Call to Action
If you are ready to join the Lord as he takes this land, I want you to take off your shoes and come before the Lord. Circumcise your heart by taking the sin and weight that has kept you down and lay it at the feet of Jesus. Then fall on your face at this hallowed alter and place your trust in Him.
Follow-Up Questions for Small Groups
Renewing Covenant
1. What “weights” or sins are you carrying that God is calling you to cut away?
2. How can you practice surrender and repentance daily?
Renewing Purpose
1. How has Christ been your spiritual “manna” during difficult seasons?
2. What steps can you take to bear more of the fruit of the Spirit in your life?
Renewing Commitment
1. Are there areas in your life where you’ve been asking God to join your plans rather than submitting to His?
2. How can you regularly humble yourself before the Lord and recognize His authority in your decisions?
