Surveying the Promises of God
Moving From Spiritual Hesitation to Possessing Your God Given Inheritance
Sermon Summary
This sermon addresses the widespread spiritual problem of complacency and delay among God's people. By examining Joshua 18, it teaches that God has already provided comprehensive spiritual blessings in Christ, but believers must actively survey and possess them. Readers are challenged to abandon spiritual passivity and walk in confident, obedient faith.
Introduction
It is entirely possible to live within reach of God's abundant blessing yet experience none of its fullness. Many Christians settle into a spiritual plateau where major battles seem behind them, yet daily living remains marked by hesitation, powerlessness, and unmet spiritual potential. We become accustomed to spiritual camping when God has called us to spiritual inheritance. In Joshua 18, Israel found itself in this precise condition. The major Canaanite armies had been defeated, and the sanctuary of God was established at Shiloh, yet seven tribes delayed taking possession of their assigned lands. Joshua confronted their passive posture with a piercing question that echoes down to us today. Through this passage, God invites us to lift our eyes, examine the vastness of His promises, and take active steps of faith to possess all that has been purchased for us in Christ.
Main Scripture
Joshua 18:1-3
The whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled themselves together at Shiloh, and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The land was subdued before them. Seven tribes remained among the children of Israel, which had not yet divided their inheritance. Joshua said to the children of Israel, “ How long will you neglect to go in to possess the land, which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?
Joshua 18:1-3 serves as the critical turning point in the distribution of the Promised Land. It establishes Shiloh as the central sanctuary where God's presence dwells, emphasizing that all life and inheritance must flow from central worship. Furthermore, Joshua's rebuke exposes the contrast between divine provision and human hesitation, showing why active faith is necessary to realize God's promises.
Main Sermon Points
1. Center Your Life Around God's Presence
The whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled themselves together at Shiloh, and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The land was subdued before them.
Before dividing the remaining land, Israel established Shiloh as the national center for worship, ensuring that sacred assembly preceded territorial settlement.
Paul reveals that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, anchoring our inheritance in our union with Him.
Israel relocated their administrative and spiritual hub from Gilgal to Shiloh. By setting up the Tent of Meeting in the heart of the land, Israel declared that their unity, security, and future inheritance rested solely on God's indwelling presence rather than military strategy.
Believers must structure their personal lives, families, and churches around regular, heartfelt worship. Before pursuing career goals, financial plans, or life transitions, establish daily communion with Christ as the absolute center from which every decision flows.
Quick Insights
- True spiritual progress always begins at the place of worship.
- God's presence is the foundation of every spiritual victory.
- Settling your worship must precede claiming your work.
2. Confront the Danger of Spiritual Delay
Seven tribes remained among the children of Israel, which had not yet divided their inheritance. Joshua said to the children of Israel, “ How long will you neglect to go in to possess the land, which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?
Joshua directly rebuked the seven tribes for their lethargy in claiming the land that God had already granted to them.
The Hebrew word for neglect implies slackness, letting one's hands hang down, or spiritual hesitation. The land was subdued, yet seven tribes preferred temporary comfort over active obedience. Comfort and fear of residual resistance created an unfaithful delay.
Identify areas where spiritual hesitation has taken root, such as unfulfilled ministry callings, delayed reconciliation, or unappropriated peace. Repent of spiritual passivity and take immediate, direct action grounded in God's clear Word.
Quick Insights
- Hesitation in obeying God is a form of practical unbelief.
- Comfort is often the subtle enemy of spiritual inheritance.
- God's promises require active steps of obedient faith.
3. Measure the Full Scope of Promise
The men arose and went. Joshua commanded those who went to survey the land, saying, “ Go walk through the land, survey it, and come again to me. I will cast lots for you here before the LORD in Shiloh.” The men went and passed through the land, and surveyed it by cities into seven portions in a book. They came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh.
Joshua commanded twenty-one surveyors to inspect, document, and write down the full dimensions of the land so they could understand their inheritance clearly.
Faith does not ignore detailed practical effort. The survey team walked through the terrain, cataloging cities and boundaries in a written book. Surveying transformed abstract promises into visible, defined realities that stimulated the nation's faith.
Immerse yourself in Scripture to survey the specific promises God has made regarding your growth, freedom from sin, peace, and fruitfulness. Write down God's promises and systematically bring your daily living into alignment with them.
Quick Insights
- You cannot possess what you refuse to biblically explore.
- Diligent study of God's Word reveals the boundaries of your grace.
- Faith combines spiritual trust with practical, focused diligence.
4. Trust God's Sovereign Allotment for You
Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD. There Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.
By casting lots before the LORD at Shiloh, Israel submitted the final distribution of land entirely to divine sovereignty.
Casting lots at the sanctuary removed human pride, political rivalry, and territorial envy. It demonstrated that God knows exactly what each family requires and assigns every portion with perfect wisdom and loving care.
Guard your heart against comparison and envy toward others in the church or community. Cultivate contentment and gratitude for the specific gifts, opportunities, and ministry assignments God has tailored for your life.
Quick Insights
- God assigns your boundaries with perfect wisdom and grace.
- Contentment flourishes when you trust God's sovereign placement.
- Your divine assignment is perfectly suited for your eternal good.
Bottom Line
God has already secured immense spiritual riches for His people in Jesus Christ, but experiencing them requires abandoning spiritual hesitation, surveying His Word with diligence, and taking obedient steps of faith.
Memorable Quote
God does not just invite us to view His promises from a distance; He commands us to step forward and possess what grace has provided.
Theological Point
This passage highlights the doctrine of divine sovereignty and human responsibility in sanctification. While God sovereignly bestows covenant inheritance by grace, believers are called to active, energetic obedience to possess and enjoy those blessings.
Prayer Guide
- Ask God to expose any spiritual complacency or hesitation in our daily walk.
- Pray for eyes of faith to survey and understand the spiritual inheritance we have in Christ.
- Seek God's help to combine prayerful trust with practical obedience in taking steps of faith.
- Thank God for His sovereign provision and faithful guidance in every season of life.
Responding to God’s Word
Returning to our study, Surveying the Promises of God, we are reminded that God's grace is never meant to be admired from afar; it is meant to be inhabited. The tragedy of the seven hesitant tribes was not a lack of divine provision, but a lack of decisive faith. Today, Jesus Christ has subdued our ultimate enemies through His cross and resurrection, securing for us an imperishable eternal inheritance. He calls us away from spiritual lethargy, inviting us to center our lives around His presence, study His Word, and walk boldly into the fullness of His will. Let us no longer delay. Rise up, survey the promises of God in Christ, and step forward in confident obedience to possess all that God has graciously given.
