Developing A Series of Expositional Sermons

SOUTHEASTERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
WAKE FOREST, NORTH CAROLINA
DEVELOPING A SERIES OF EXPOSITIONAL SERMONS FROM JOSHUA TO
PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE MEN’S STUDY AT EDENTON STREET UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH, MEASURING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THAT
PREACHING BY TESTING THE MEN WHO ATTEND
SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE
DOCTOR OF MINISTRY
BY
JOHN R. B. ANDREWS
MAY 2019

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John R. B. Andrews
This Dissertation prepared and presented to the Faculty as a part of the requirements for
the Doctor of Ministry Degree at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake
Forest, North Carolina. All rights and privileges normally reserved by the author as a
copyright holder are waived for the Seminary. The Seminary Library may catalog,
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or in the future may be made available to researchers and library users.
PROJECT REPORT APPROVAL SHEET
Student Name: John Rushman Bunting Andrews Student ID # 000-202219
Ministry Project Title:
DEVELOPING A SERIES OF EXPOSITIONAL SERMONS FROM JOSHUA TO

PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE MEN’S STUDY AT EDENTON STREET
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, MEASURING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF
THAT PREACHING BY TESTING THE MEN WHO ATTEND
This Ministry Project Report has been approved.
Date of Defense: April 30, 2019
Faculty Supervisor/Chair: Daniel Akin

Dr. Daniel Akin
President
Professor of Preaching and Theology
Ed Young Sr. Chair of Preaching
Faculty Reader: Charles E. Harvey

Dr. Charles E. Harvey
Professor of Christian Education
Director of Doctor of Ministry Studies
Field Mentor: B. Tate Cockrell

Dr. B. Tate Cockrell
Associate Professor of Counseling
Assistant Director Doctor of Ministry Programs
iii
PROJECT REPORT PERMISSION FOR ACCESS
Upon acceptance, every D.Min. Ministry Project Report becomes the property of
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and is not to be published without the
permission of the Provost on the recommendation of the Director of the Doctor of
Ministry Program.
In some instances, highly sensitive material will have been used in Ministry Project
Reports; therefore, the student is required to choose one of the options listed below.
x 1) I consent to the use of this Ministry Project Report by any person entitled
to use the Library of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, so long
as quotations from it are not made without my permission.
2) Because of sensitive material contained in my Ministry Project Report, I

would like its use to be restricted to the Seminary Faculty and to such
other persons as may have my written permission to use it. I would
therefore like my Ministry Project Report to be filed on closed shelves.
I understand that this restriction expires twenty years from the date on
which the Ministry Project Report is submitted to the Library.
_____ 3) Because of sensitive material contained in my Ministry Project Report,

I desire that its use be restricted to the Seminary Faculty. I understand
that this restriction expires fifty years from the date on which the Ministry
Project Report is submitted to the Library.
April 30, 2019 John R. B. Andrews

Date Student’s Name
iv
This paper is dedicated first, and foremost, to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is also
dedicated to my wife, Creecy, who is my soul-mate and spiritual partner for all eternity.
Finally, it is dedicated to my two sons, Rushman and Smith and their wives, Neal and
Julianne, and my six grandchildren, Cabell, Thomas, Cross, Smith, Kathryn Grace, and
Graham. I love you all with all of my heart and soul. To God be the glory!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... ix
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1
Purpose ........................................................................................................................... 1
Project Objectives .......................................................................................................... 2
Ministry Objectives ................................................................................................... 2
Personal Objectives ................................................................................................... 5
Ministry Context ............................................................................................................ 6
Project Rationale ............................................................................................................ 8
The Decline in Church Membership in Mainline Denominations ............................ 8
The Invasion of Liberal Theology in Mainline Denominations .............................. 11
Assumptions ................................................................................................................. 24
Limitations and Delimitations ...................................................................................... 24
Definition of Terms ...................................................................................................... 26
Project Model ............................................................................................................... 30
Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 30
CHAPTER 2: BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS ............................ 34
Preaching Christ from the Old Testament .................................................................... 34
The Relationship between Promise and Fulfillment .................................................... 40
Scriptural Support for Promise-Fulfillment ............................................................ 44
vi
The Relationship between Type and Antitype ............................................................. 49
Scriptural Support for Type and Antitype ............................................................... 50
The Relationship between Covenant and Christ .......................................................... 53
Scriptural Support for the Relationship between Covenant and Christ ....................... 55
Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 58
CHAPTER 3: MINISTRY FOUNDATIONS .................................................................. 60
Historical Foundation for Preaching Christ From the Old Testament ......................... 60
The Early Church Period ......................................................................................... 60
The Middle Ages ..................................................................................................... 63
The Reformation ..................................................................................................... 64
The Modern Era ...................................................................................................... 65
Preaching Christ from the Book of Joshua .................................................................. 67
Review of David Helm’s Lecture............................................................................ 67
Other Key Links to the Gospel Found in Joshua ......................................................... 77
CHAPTER 4: PROJECT DESCRIPTION ....................................................................... 89
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 89
Synopsis of Sermons Given to TMS on Joshua ........................................................... 95
Introductory Sermons .............................................................................................. 95
Joshua 1 ................................................................................................................... 97
Joshua 2 ................................................................................................................... 98
Joshua 3–4 ............................................................................................................... 98
Joshua 5 ................................................................................................................... 99
Joshua 6 ................................................................................................................. 101
vii
Joshua 8:30–35 ...................................................................................................... 101
Joshua 10 ............................................................................................................... 103
Joshua 11–12 ......................................................................................................... 104
Joshua 13 ............................................................................................................... 105
Joshua 14 ............................................................................................................... 106
Joshua 20–21 ......................................................................................................... 107
Joshua 23–24 ......................................................................................................... 108
CHAPTER 5: PROJECT ANALYSIS ........................................................................... 110
Introduction ................................................................................................................ 110
Summary of Results ................................................................................................... 112
Strengths ..................................................................................................................... 117
Weaknesses ................................................................................................................ 118
Personal Reflections ................................................................................................... 119
APPENDIX A: PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST SURVEYS .......................................... 123
APPENDIX B: SERMON OUTLINES .......................................................................... 126
APPENDIX C: SURVEY RESULTS ............................................................................. 152
BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 162
VITA ............................................................................................................................... 168
viii
ABSTRACT
In this Doctor of Ministry project report the project director addresses the need for
gospel-centered, biblical-based, expositional preaching in unique settings. The project
director researched the decline in attendance at mainline denominations and the lack of
gospel-centered preaching in mainline denominations via national church attendance
statistics and confidential questionnaires or spiritual surveys with men who attend
mainline denominations. The project director included the questionnaires in the report to
support the need for gospel-centered preaching in unique settings and to demonstrate the
effectiveness of preaching the gospel from Joshua to the men who attend The Men’s
Study (TMS) at Edenton Street United Methodist Church in downtown Raleigh. The
project director developed fourteen expositional sermons on the book of Joshua. Each
manuscript included a title, the text of Scripture, the big idea of the text, three to four
division statements, illustrations, and a conclusion. The project director delivered these
sermons to TMS on Tuesday evenings, from 8 to 8:45 p.m., from September 12, 2017
through February 17, 2018. The final work provides preachers with a resource to assist
them in preaching the gospel through an Old Testament book and demonstrates the great
need for gospel-centered preaching in unique settings.
The project director gained experience and knowledge via this project regarding
the preaching of the gospel from the Old Testament. Furthermore, the project proved
effective based on the response as determined by the surveys. In response to hearing the
ix
gospel during the course of the seventeen weeks of the study of Joshua, forty-two men
indicated both their faith had increased and they had surrendered more to Christ; fifty-
three men rededicated their lives to Christ; fourteen men made a first-time decision to
surrender to Christ; and finally, twelve men indicated either their prayer lives had
increased or they had a renewed commitment to Bible reading.
x
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Purpose
The project director identified a lack of gospel understanding in the participants of The
Men’s Study (TMS), a men’s Bible study at Edenton Street United Methodist Church
(ESUMC) in Raleigh, North Carolina. In response to this need for proper understanding
of the truth of Christ, the project director, executive director of Finding Purpose, a
ministry to men, presented the gospel through an expositional series in Joshua to the
Bible study participants. TMS draws men from all walks of life, including but not limited
to men ages twenty to ninety from many different denominations, differing levels of
income, and actively employed to retired. The project director identified the gospel
threads in Joshua, developed a series of seventeen sermon manuscripts, and then
preached those sermons to TMS. Furthermore, he researched the need for gospel-centered
preaching via new and different means, and in unique venues and marketplace settings.
TMS is unique, as members of liberal, mainline denominations, as well as men
who do not attend church, participate. Some attendees are strong in their Christian faith,
while many others remain curious about a relationship with God and come to TMS to
learn more about Christianity. Although TMS meets in a liberal, mainline church, the
project director is an ordained Southern Baptist minister and has all authority and
responsibility to direct the theological teaching of the group. The project director uses
1
theologically conservative, evangelical study guides to study various books of the Bible.
The year 2018 marked the twelfth year of the study and about 350 men attended.
Project Objectives
Ministry Objectives
The first ministry objective was to identify the gospel threads throughout the book of
Joshua. The project director researched commentaries, homiletical books, and scholarly
articles related to this topic. Throughout his research, the project director gave careful
attention to the manner in which Joshua fits into the redemptive narrative of the Bible and
searched for links within the text to the gospel. The discipline known as biblical theology
aided the project director in his quest for these links. In Faithful Preaching, Tony Merida
explains, “Biblical theology helps us see the unity of the Bible, along with its historical
particularities, and its glorious finality in Christ.”1 Moreover, this discipline better
equipped the project director to preach the gospel from this Old Testament book. J. I.
Packer defines biblical theology as “the umbrella-name for those disciplines that explore
the unity of the Bible, delving into the contents of books, showing the links between
them, and pointing up the ongoing flow of the revelatory and redemptive process that
reached its climax in Jesus Christ.”2 Jesus provides the best example of teaching the
gospel from the Old Testament in that he taught about himself from the Old Testament
Scriptures (Luke 24:27).3 Merida again writes,
The purpose of integrating biblical theology to exegesis is to look for

redemptive themes and Christological connections that display the unity of
1
Tony Merida, Faithful Preaching: Declaring Scripture with Responsibility, Passion and
Authenticity (Nashville: B&H Academic, 2009), 42.
2
J. I. Packer, “Foreword” in The Unfolding Mystery (Colorado Springs: Navpress, 1988), 7–8.
3
All Scripture references are taken from the New International Version, 1985.
2
the Bible. Jesus said that the Scriptures testify about Him in some way
(Luke 24:27). To miss the redemptive connection is to miss an important
piece in interpretation. So, we must change lenses from a microscope
(considering the immediate passage) to a wide-angle lens (considering
where your passage fits within the entire story of Scripture).4
The project director sought to determine how this redemptive narrative runs through
Joshua and how the gospel can be preached from the Old Testament to a modern-day
audience.
The second ministry objective was to develop a series of seventeen sermons from
the book of Joshua with a focus on the gospel. Each sermon manuscript included a title,
the text of Scripture, the main idea of the text, and three to four division statements,
illustrations, and personal applications. Furthermore, each sermon included a link
between the text and the gospel, as Paul did when he preached. In 1 Cor 15:3–4, Paul
reminded the church in Corinth that he preached the gospel as of first importance. He
received the gospel directly from Christ, and his primary focus in preaching was to pass it
on to others. According to the Scriptures, Christ died for man’s sins, was buried, and was
raised on the third day (1 Cor 15). The gospel conveys the redemptive work of Christ,
and according to Bryan Chapell, every passage of Scripture has a redemptive focus. He
writes, “In its context, every passage possesses one or more of four redemptive foci.
Every text is predictive of the work of Christ, preparatory for the work of Christ,
reflective of the work of Christ, and/or resultant of the work of Christ.”5 The project
director sought to find these redemptive foci as he developed the sermon manuscripts.
4
Merida, Faithful Preaching, 71.
5
Bryan Chapell, Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon (Grand Rapids:
Baker Books, 1994), 275.
3
The third ministry objective involved preaching the series of gospel-centered
expository sermons from Joshua. As stated above, during the ministry project the director
divided Joshua into seventeen individual preaching passages based on the divisions
presented in the study guide given to participants. In each of these passages, the project
director put forth a link from Joshua to the gospel message found throughout the New
Testament; he constructed a figurative bridge linking Joshua to Christ and the cross.
Graeme Goldsworthy writes that if a preacher wants his preaching to be Christian, he
must adhere to the following principle:
The principle is simply this: Jesus says that the Old Testament is a book
about him … Jesus said to the crowds that witnessed his healing of a lame
man, “You search the scriptures (the Old Testament) because you think that
in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify of me. Yet you refuse
to come to me to have life” (John 5:39–40). And again, “If you believed
Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me” (John 5:46). Luke
records for us the extraordinary claim of the risen Christ that he is the
subject of all Scriptures (Luke 24:27, 44–45). These passages along with a
much broader range of evidence point us to the essential relationship of all
biblical texts to the central theme: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus
of Nazareth, the Savior of the world.6
Discovering the theocentric and Christological links in the biblical text is one of the key
principles and goals of biblical hermeneutics and exposition.7 In preaching through
Joshua, the project director developed key gospel links and directed the men of TMS to
the cross of Christ.
6
Graeme Goldsworthy, Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture (Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 2000), 20–21.
7
Danny L. Akin, Bill Curtis and Stephen Rummage, Engaging Exposition (Nashville: B&H
Academic, 2011), 50–51.
4
Personal Objectives
This ministry project began with the personal objective of enhancing the communication
skills of the projector director in preaching the gospel from an Old Testament book.
Through extensive study and research, the project director also worked to increase his
knowledge of preaching Christ from the Old Testament. He understands and appreciates
that the gospel is the only way to salvation, and the only means through which a man can
be justified in the sight of God (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Rom 1:16–17, 3:22–25). Moreover,
throughout the project director’s research and personal study of the redemptive path that
runs through Scripture, he desired to value the gospel more fully. Finally, the project
director aimed to measure his communication skills in preaching the gospel from Joshua
by measuring the effectiveness of his preaching via pre and post spiritual surveys of the
men.
The project director’s second personal objective was to gain a better
understanding of the gospel narrative in the book of Joshua. The project director
researched and studied books and scholarly commentaries to discover and understand the
gospel links contained therein. Furthermore, he interviewed Jonathan Akin, director of
young leader engagement for the North American Mission Board and an adjunct
professor at both The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) in
Louisville, Kentucky, and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS), to seek
his insight concerning gospel links in Joshua.8 Bridging the gap between an Old
Testament book to the gospel of Jesus Christ in the New Testament should be the goal of
8
Jonathan Akin is well known for his skill in doing Christ-centered preaching from the Old
Testament. He holds a Ph.D. in Old Testament and is the author of two books about Christ-centered
preaching from the Old Testament.
5
every preacher as the gospel is the only path to salvation. In How To Preach & Teach the
Old Testament for All Its Worth, Christopher Wright asserts, “However because all these
texts (in the OT) are connected together as part of the great journey that led to Jesus, you
certainly can and should help your congregation to understand that by making links with
Jesus and the New Testament gospel.”9 The project director sought to discover gospel
links and then effectively and powerfully preach the gospel from the Old Testament.
Ministry Context
Located in the Research Triangle Park, the city of Raleigh numbers 458,880 residents,
while Wake County numbers 1,046,791 residents.10 According to Forbes, since 2000, the
Raleigh metropolitan area ranked as the number one fastest growing area in the United
States.11 The area is home to thirty-three colleges and universities within fifty miles of
Raleigh, including: North Carolina State University (NCSU), Meredith College, Shaw
University, William Peace University, and St. Augustine’s University.12 Additionally,
Raleigh boasts forty-two private schools, such as St. David’s and Ravenscroft.13 Major
institutions and corporations occupy Wake County, including the State Government of
North Carolina, the Wake County Public School System, IBM Corporation, Wake Med
9
Christopher J.H. Wright, How To Preach & Teach the Old Testament for All Its Worth (Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 2016), 63.
10
United States Census Bureau, “State & County Quick Facts,”
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/raleighhillscdporegon,raleighcitynorthcarolina,US/PST04521
6.
11
Forbes, “The Fastest-Growing Cities in the U.S.,”
https://www.forbes.com/pictures/edgl45emig/no-1-raleigh-nc-metropolitan-statistical-area/#1d49c8e83e8e.
12
Collegesimply, “Colleges Near Raleigh,”http://www.collegesimply.com/colleges-near/north-
carolina/raleigh/.
13
Private School Review, “Raleigh Private Schools,” https://www.privateschoolreview.com/north-
carolina/raleigh.
6
Health & Hospitals, NCSU, Cisco Systems Inc., Rex Healthcare, SAS Institute Inc.,
GlaxoSmithKline, Duke Energy, Lenovo, and Wells Fargo. Combined, these institutions
and corporations employ more than 100,000 men and women.14 Given the city’s
proximity to the Research Triangle Park and to three major universities, NCSU,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), and Duke University, and given the
corporate environment, affluence and higher education characterize the citizenry of Wake
County.
As stated previously, TMS meets at Edenton Street United Methodist Church in
downtown Raleigh, one of sixteen places of worship found in the city.15 In 2006, a group
of men approached then senior pastor of ESUMC, Dr. Roger Elliott, and asked him to
approve the establishment of a men’s Bible study at the church to be taught by the project
director. After a meeting between the project director and Elliott, he gave his approval for
the establishment of TMS. The first meeting of TMS took place on a Tuesday night in
September 2006. The study began with about seventy men, and during the last ten years it
has grown to more than three-hundred men. TMS is an evangelical Bible study that offers
each participant a guide to lead them through individual books of the Bible. The study
guides contain approximately twenty to twenty-five weekly lessons. Each lesson
purposely divides into five days and typically covers a half chapter of a given Bible book.
The design of the study guide directs men to study the Bible daily. The questions in the
guides point the participants to Scripture to discover the answers to each question. Many
14
The Chamber: Great Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, http://www.raleighchamber.org/major-
employers.html.
15
Go Downtown Raleigh, http://www.godowntownraleigh.com/explore/services/places-of-
worship/churches.
7
questions contain cross-references, which teach participants how Scripture interprets
Scripture. The men then divide into small groups consisting of about fifteen to eighteen
participants, and they meet as small groups each week to discuss the lesson before the
preaching begins. The small groups meet for about forty-five minutes, and then all groups
convene for a time of worship and to hear an expositional sermon by the project director.
Project Rationale
The project director focused on the need for authentic, Bible-based, gospel-centered
preaching in a unique setting. Given the invasion of liberal theology in mainline
denominations and the dramatic decline in church membership and attendance in these
same denominations over the last one hundred years, the need has never been greater.
Thus, TMS offers a unique opportunity for men from various denominations to gather
together to hear the true gospel.
The Decline in Church Membership in Mainline Denominations
During an approximate period of fifty years, dating back to the mid-1960s, mainline
liberal denominations such as the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the United Methodist
Church, and the Episcopal Church have lost approximately 50 percent of their
membership. In contrast, the Southern Baptist Convention, a theologically conservative
affiliation, gained nearly 50 percent during this same period of time.16 According to Joe
Carter, editor for The Gospel Coalition, from 1966 to 2013 the Episcopal Church
experienced a decline in church membership of 62 percent, from 3,647,297 members to
16
Joe Call, “FactChecker: Are All Christian Denominations in Decline?” The Gospel Coalition,
March 17, 2015, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/factchecker-are-all-christian-denominations-in-
decline.
8
1,888,758; from 1967 to 2013 the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) experienced a decline of
47 percent in membership from 3,304,321 to 1,760,200; and from 1967 to 2012 the
United Methodist Church witnessed a loss in membership from 11,026,976 to 7,391,911,
which represents a decline of 33 percent.17 Meanwhile, from 1965 to 2013, the Southern
Baptist Convention experienced membership increase of 46 percent, from 10,770,573 to
15,735,640.18 Carter explains,
Mainliners may try to comfort themselves by claiming that every

denomination is in decline, but it’s not that simple. While conservative
churches aren’t growing as quickly as they once were, mainline churches
are on a path toward extinction. The mainline churches are finding that as
they move further away from Biblical Christianity, the closer they get to
their inevitable demise.19
Given the ongoing emptying of mainline churches, the need for unique venues through
which to share the gospel grows ever more rapidly.
This emptying of mainline churches is not a recent phenomenon. Chris Backert in
his article “How Much are Denominations Declining?” explains that the church has been
losing its influence over a period of decades.20 He reports that between two and three
thousand churches close their doors every year.21 Additionally, he says, “George Barna
projects that by 2025, only 30–35 percent of all Christians in the United States will have
their primary means of spiritual experience and expression through the local church,
17
Call, “FactChecker: Are All Christian Denominations in Decline?”
18
19
20
Chris Backert, “How Much are Denominations Declining?” Fresh Expressions, May 26, 2015,
http://freshexpressionsus.org/2015/05/26/just-how-much-are-denominations-declining/.
21
Backert, “How Much are Denominations Declining?”
9
down from 70 percent in 2000.”22 Again, the need for unique venues intensifies with each
passing decade.
The real problem with this ongoing decline in membership is the toll it takes in
the salvation of men and women. In his article, “Liberal Churches are dying. But
Conservative churches are thriving.” David Haskell writes,
Mainline churches are in trouble: A 2015 report by the Pew Research Center
found that these congregations, once a mainstay of American religion, are
now shrinking by about 1 million members annually. Fewer members not
only means fewer souls saved, a frightening thought for some clergy
members, but also less income for churches, further ensuring their decline.23
As membership declines, the financial situation of these churches deteriorates, further
exasperating the problem.
Given the invasion of liberal theology in mainline denominations, people in
attendance do not hear the true gospel. Instead, they hear a false gospel—one that leaves
them with a false sense of eternal security. Paul warned the Ephesian elders, “I know that
after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even
from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away
disciples” (Acts 20:29–30). This false or distorted gospel, which emanates from liberal
theology, penetrated many churches over the course of the last century both in Britain
and America.24 The penetration of liberal theology into mainline churches brings with it
22
Backert, “How Much are Denominations Declining?” Stanley Presser, “Data Collection Mode
and Social Desirability Bias in Self-Reported Religious Attendance,” American Sociological Review 63
(1998): 137–145.
23
David Haskell, “Liberal churches are dying. But conservative churches are thriving.”, The
Washington Post, January 4, 2017,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/01/04/liberal-churches-are-dying-but-
conservative-churches-are-thriving/?utm_term=.2b0b60459a90.
24
Bill Muehlenberg, “Theological Liberalism and ‘Progressive Christianity,” Culture Watch, July
15, 2017, https://billmuehlenberg.com/2017/07/15/theological-liberalism-progressive-christianity/.
10
the need for new and unique methods and venues for reaching people with the true gospel
of Jesus Christ.
The Invasion of Liberal Theology in Mainline Denominations
The project director asserts liberal theology has invaded mainline denominations
progressively, deceptively, and aggressively since the beginning of the twentieth century.
This trend traces back to Europe as it sprang forth from movements such as the German
Enlightenment, when human reason replaced Biblical revelation as the source of truth.25
In “Institutional Back Sliding: The Slippery Slope,” pastor Keith Graham writes,
Like eels and most slimy things, theological liberalism is hard to get a
handle on; it is not easy to define. Sometimes called “modernism” or “neo-
orthodoxy,” it is characterized by a denial of the essential, biblical, doctrines
of historic Christianity. It comes in like a deteriorating disease. First, the
doctrines are challenged and abandoned. In the wake of that wasting
pestilence, true Christian spirituality and ethics slowly erode as well. It robs
a church or denomination of the precious Gospel, and causes it to retain
only its outward form—its tradition.26
As a former member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the project director has
personally witnessed the impact of liberal theology. Its destructive invasion has left a
wake of confused, disheartened, and fleeing members.
Graham traces the beginning of the slippery slope of liberalism to what he calls
“A Tale of Two Charlies.”27 He refers to Sir Charles Lyell (1797–1875) and his fellow
Englishman Charles Darwin (1809–1882). Lyell and Darwin put forth two radical ideas,
uniformitarianism and evolution, respectively. Uniformitarianism held to the belief that
25
Muehlenberg, “Theological Liberalism and ‘Progressive Christianity.”
26
Keith Graham, Midwestern Outreach, Inc., “Institutional Back Sliding: A Slippery Slope,”
January 4, 2016, http://midwestoutreach.org/2016/01/04/institutional-back-sliding-the-slippery-slope/.
27
Graham, “Institutional Back Sliding: A Slippery Slope.”
11
the earth was millions of years old. The theory of evolution held to the belief that
everything that exists evolved over the course of these millions of years.28 Lyell calls
these two men “the fathers of the twin errors of pseudo-science.”29 He points out “that the
scientific establishment of today regards [these] twin errors as twin pillars and bulwarks
of truth.”30 He charges that these ‘twin errors’ led to the unbelieving masses rejecting
traditionally-held views of the Bible—that the earth was a few thousand years old and
that it was created by the God of the Bible.31 These newfound beliefs worked their way
into the church as rationalism and skepticism, replacing supernaturalism. Graham writes,
Like the little leaven that leavens the whole lump, theological liberalism
crept into many branches of the Church—the true pillar and bulwark of
truth—because of the way she reacted to the ideas of the two Charlies.
Instead of being willing to appear foolish for Christ, to stand for the truth of
Scripture though Mr. Worldly Wiseman lampooned and mocked, some
Christians compromised. They became willing to allow the Holy-Spirit
inspired, infallible, inerrant, fully authoritative Word of God to be judged
and distorted by the sin-corrupted, fallible mind of man. Compromising
doctrines such as “theistic evolution” were baptized and put forth as
orthodoxy, when in reality they are as far from orthodoxy as is a Christology
with no virgin conception and birth.32
Once liberalism became mainstream, the defeat of orthodox Christianity was just a matter
of time. Gradually, and with dire consequences, human reason replaced biblical
revelation as the source of truth. In “Theological Liberalism and ‘Progressive
Christianity,’” Muehlenberg writes, “Mankind, aided and abetted by science and
28
The project director does not engage in the debate between old earth and young earth adherents
in this project report. As Kenneth Keathley and Mark Rooker write, “Most scientists accept that the
universe is approximately 13.7 billion years old and that the earth is about 4.5 billion years old. A very
strong cumulative case can be made for an ancient universe.” Kenneth D. Keathley and Mark F. Rooker, 40
Questions About Creation and Evolution (Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic, 2014), 201.
29
30
31
32
12
rationality, became the final authority of all things—not Scripture … Thus the Bible was
criticized as being outdated and errant, and core doctrinal truths were downplayed or
denied. And the miraculous—including the resurrection of Jesus—was strongly
attacked.”33 As previously stated, the liberal invasion leaves in its path the growing need
for unique venues to reach the masses with the gospel.
The two main enemies in the ongoing battle for truth, fundamentalism and
liberalism, stand at opposite ends of theological debate—the main tenets of liberalism are
diametrically opposed to the main tenets of fundamentalism. In his book
“Fundamentalism” and the Word of God, Packer lists the following “characteristic tenets
of liberal faith in America.”
1. God’s character is one of pure benevolence … All men are His children
and sin separates no one from his love. The Fatherhood of God and the
brotherhood of man are alike universal.
2. There is a divine spark in every man. All men, therefore, are good at
heart, and need nothing more than encouragement to all their natural
goodness to express itself.
3. Jesus Christ is man’s Saviour only in the sense that He is man’s perfect
Teacher and Example. We should regard Him simply as the first
Christian, our elder brother in the worldwide family of God. He was not
divine in any unique sense. He was God only in the sense that He was a
perfectly God-conscious and God-guided man. He was not born of a
virgin; He did not work miracles … and He did not rise from the dead.
4. Just as Christ differs from other men only comparatively, not absolutely,
so Christianity differs from other religions not generically, but merely
as the best and highest type of religion that has appeared. All religions
are forms of the same religion, just as all men are members of the same
divine family …
5. The Bible is not a divine record of revelation, but a human testament of

religion; and Christian doctrine is not the God-given word which must
33
Muehlenberg, “Theological Liberalism and ‘Progressive Christianity.”
13
create and control Christian experience … In so far as there is a
permanent and unchanging Christian message, it is not doctrinal, but
ethical—the moral teaching of Jesus.34
Herein lies the key difference between theological conservatism and theological
liberalism. Conservative theologians believe the Bible to be inerrant, while liberal
theologians do not. This battle for truth ultimately lies with one’s view of Scripture.
One’s view of the Bible determines his doctrine, view of God and man, view of salvation,
and view of Jesus Christ.
In “Christianity, Liberalism and the New Evangelicalism,” Carl Trueman,
professor of church history at Westminster Theological Seminary (WTS), offers helpful
insight regarding the growth of liberal theology into mainline denominations. In this
article, he reflects upon the thoughts of the founder of WTS, J. Gresham Machen.35
Machen studied under Wilhelm Herrman, a German theologian at the University of
Marburg. He was captivated by this man’s brilliance and by his apparent passion for
Jesus, and yet, at the same time, he was confused by his liberal theological views.
Machen was convinced Herrman was a true Christian. However, he later changed his
opinion. Trueman writes, “Machen came to realize that the theology of the German
liberal schools, passionate though it may be, was not the theology of the Bible and that
their Christ was not the Christ of Paul.”36 Although Machen had wavered in his faith, his
orthodox roots remained strong and his belief in the inerrancy of Scripture remained
intact.37
34
J. I. Packer, “Fundamentalism” and the Word of God (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2016), 25–26.
35
Carl Trueman, “Christianity, Liberalism and the New Evangelicalism,” The Theologian, 2005,
http://www.theologian.org.uk/doctrine/liberalism.html.
36
Trueman, “Christianity, Liberalism and the New Evangelicalism.”
37
14
Machen returned to America and began to teach New Testament at Princeton
Theological Seminary (PTS), which at the time was theologically conservative. However,
with the death of B. B. Warfield, president of PTS, the seminary reorganized and with
this reorganization came a radical shift toward liberal theology. Thus, Machen left and
founded Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.38
In 1923, Machen wrote Christianity and Liberalism to defend the importance of
Scriptural doctrine and to put forth the contrasts between liberalism and orthodoxy in the
following areas: doctrine, the nature of God and man, the Bible, Christ, salvation, and the
Church.39 In essence, Machen sheds light on the importance of doctrine, the nature of
God, the seriousness of sin, the person of Christ, and a biblical view of man.40
Doctrine
Machen begins his treatise against liberalism by emphasizing the importance of true
Christian doctrine. The church’s “verbal declaration of what it actually believes to be
true” forms the basis and underlying theme for the rest of his work.41 Machen contends
that liberalism subtlety rejects the teachings of these very creeds. They do so by
“reducing Christianity to a code of ethics, a form of religious self-understanding.”42
Machen writes, “‘Teachings,’” it is said, “are unimportant; the exposition of the teachings
of liberalism and the teachings of Christianity, therefore, can arouse no interest at the
present day; creeds are merely the changing expression of a unitary Christian experience,
38
39
J. Gresham Machen, Christianity & Liberalism (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1923), vii.
40
41
42
15
and provided only they express that experience they are all equally good.”43 He points out
that liberals uphold certain doctrines as tenaciously and intolerantly as any that are found
in the historic creeds.44 He offers the example of the liberal doctrines of the universal
fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of men.45
Machen explains the importance of traditional doctrines. He asserts, “According
to the Christian conception, a creed is not a mere expression of Christian experience, but
on the contrary, it is a setting forth of those facts upon which experience is based.”46 The
importance of doctrine lies in the creed’s connection to true historical events. An event
provides the historical account, and doctrine provides its meaning. Machen writes,
“‘Christ died’—that is history; ‘Christ died for our sins’—that is doctrine. Without these
two elements, joined in an absolutely indissoluble union, there is no Christianity.”47
Modern liberalism, in rejecting certain accounts in Scripture, ultimately rejects orthodox
doctrine. According to Machen, “the chief modern rival of Christianity is ‘liberalism.’”48
A simple examination of the main tenets of liberalism proves his contention at every
point.
God and Man
Machen puts forth that modern liberalism is not biblical Christianity, and that the two are
diametrically opposed.49 The examination of the liberal view of God and man make this
43
Machen, Christianity & Liberalism, 16.
44
45
46
47
48
49
16
claim clear. Moreover, Machen contends that a proper understanding of who God is
forms the foundation of the Christian faith and is necessary for men to have an accurate
understanding of Jesus.50
To understand who Jesus is, man must have an accurate concept of who God is.
According to Machen, “For unless there be some idea of God independent of Jesus, the
ascription of deity to Jesus has no meaning. To say, ‘Jesus is God,’ is meaningless unless
the word ‘God’ has an antecedent meaning attached to it.”51 Machen contends that at the
root of Christianity is a God man can know personally; whereas, the liberal theologian
has no concept of this. Additionally, while liberals believe that God is the father of all,
the Bible asserts that God is father only relationally to the redeemed. Therefore, men are
not born God’s children (John 1:12–13; Rom 8:14–17). Machen writes, “the modern
doctrine of the universal fatherhood of God is not to be found in the teaching of Jesus.”52
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, liberalism does not hold a high view of God’s
transcendence and the gulf that separates humanity from God. Liberalism’s faulty view of
God naturally leads to a faulty view of man. While liberalism holds to a low view of God,
it holds to a high view of man in that it contends man is basically good. Furthermore,
liberalism asserts that sin does not really exist.53 And this, according to Machen, lies “at
the very root of the modern liberal movement—the loss of the consciousness of sin.”54
The liberal’s distorted view of both God and man ultimately leads to Machen’s assertion
that liberalism is not true Christianity.
50
51
52
53
Machen, Christianity & Liberalism, 54–55.
54
17
The Bible
Mankind’s view of Scripture determines whether or not the Bible is ultimately his source
of truth. For centuries, the battle between Christianity and liberalism waged over this
very issue—the inspiration of Scripture and what this term means. Inspiration means the
Bible contains the very words of God and no error can be found therein. Man was the
human agent, while God was the divine agent. God used the differing personalities and
writing skills of individual men, and the Holy Spirit guided them along in what they
wrote (2 Pet 1:20–21). Machen contends,
Before the full authority of the Bible can be established, therefore, it is

necessary to add to the Christian doctrine of revelation the Christian
doctrine of inspiration. The latter doctrine means that the Bible not only is
an account of important things, but that the account itself is true, the writers
having been so preserved from error, despite a full maintenance of their
habits of thought and expression, that the resulting Book is the “infallible
rule of faith and practice.”55
Liberalism rejects the doctrine of verbal-plenary (complete, unlimited) inspiration. In
fact, they offer respect for the Bible akin to any other ordinarily trustworthy book.56 The
real authority for modern liberalism “can only be ‘the Christian consciousness’ or
‘Christian experience.’57 In contrast, the real authority of Christianity is the Bible.
Christ
As stated previously, orthodox Christianity and liberalism are two very different
religions. The project director has established that evangelical Christians and theological
liberals have very different views of God, man, and Scripture. Therefore, one should not
55
56
57
18
be surprised that their views concerning Christ are not only different, but diametrically
opposing. The early church viewed Jesus as God in the flesh (John 1:14; 1 Tim 3:16) and
made him the object of their faith and worship. However, liberalism does not hold to this
view. Machen explains,
But by modern liberalism He [Christ] is regarded in a totally different way.

Christians stand in a religious relation to Jesus; liberals do not stand in a
religious relation to Jesus—what difference could be more profound than
that? The modern liberal preacher reverences Jesus; he has the name of
Jesus forever on his lips; he speaks of Jesus as the supreme revelation of
God; he enters, or tries to enter, into the religious life of Jesus. But he does
not stand in a religious relation to Jesus. Jesus for him is an example for
faith, not the object of faith. The modern liberal tries to have faith in God
like the faith which he supposes Jesus had in God; but he does not have faith
in Jesus.58
This quote is the ultimate condemnation of liberalism and reveals why it is so dangerous.
For true believers, Jesus is the object of their faith. The witness of the New Testament
reveals that Jesus viewed himself as the Savior of the world (John 4:25–26).59 Liberalism
holds up Jesus as a great example, but Jesus claimed to be much more.60 Jesus is God in
the flesh—a truth liberals find difficult to accept.61 Trueman explains,
At the end of the day, it is not about sin and redemption as orthodox, historic
Christianity understands those terms; it is rather about seeing in Christ the
embodiment of the good man, the one who lives for others, the one who is
ultimately to be admired and, if possible, emulated; not the one in whom
faith is to be placed because of the qualitative uniqueness of his person and
work.62
58
59
Trueman, “Christianity, Liberalism and the New Evangelicalism,” 10.
60
61
62
19
Both Machen and Trueman put forth the idea that modern liberals and orthodox
Christians adhere to very different belief systems, and this idea becomes abundantly clear
in the examination of their views of Christ.
Salvation
Given the opposing views of Christianity and liberalism, one should not be surprised that
the two have vastly differing views of Christ and salvation. Liberalism asserts that
salvation is a work of man; Christianity asserts that salvation is solely a work of God.63
These opposing views regarding the nature of salvation lead to other differences between
Christianity and liberalism.
Of all the claims of historical, orthodox Christianity, the one liberals object the
most vehemently is the claim that Christ is the only way to salvation.64 Trueman, in
agreement with Machen, points out that the earliest followers of Christ not only believed
that salvation came by way of the gospel, but they strongly asserted that all other ways
should be absolutely rejected. The Enlightenment brought forth people who questioned
these views.65
As stated above, the liberal’s low view of God and Christ has resulted in an
entirely different religion than that of historical, biblical Christianity. Liberal theologians
reject Christ as the only way to heaven because they resent the exclusivity and
narrowness of this claim.66 Machen asserts, “Salvation, in other words, was not merely
63
64
65
66
20
through Christ, but it was only through Christ.”67 This word, only, brought strong
objection from liberal theologians.68 Machen contends, “The Christian way of salvation is
narrow only so long as the Church chooses to let it remain narrow … If, therefore, this
way of salvation is not offered to all, it is not the fault of the way of salvation itself, but
the fault of those who fail to use the means that God has placed in their hands.”69
The project director believes the fact that this path to salvation is open to everyone does
not seem to matter to modern liberals. Moreover, the failure of liberals to see Christ as
the only way naturally leads to their diminished view of the gospel and their lack of
commitment to missions and evangelism.
Liberalism’s faulty view of sin and salvation leads to another misunderstanding—
the rejection of the doctrine of God’s wrath. They fail to see that God’s wrath is not
contrary to his love but proceeds from it.70 Machen contends that if a man really sees the
depravity of his soul, “he will have little difficulty with the doctrine of the Cross.”71 Most
importantly, liberals fail to see that actually God himself died in their place. Machen
explains,
The fundamental thing is that God Himself, and not another, makes the
sacrifice for sin—God Himself in the person of the Son who assumed our
nature and died for us, God Himself in the Person of the Father who spared
not His own Son but offered Him up for us all. Salvation is free for us as
the air we breathe; God’s the dreadful cost, ours the gain. “God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son.” Such love is very different from
the complacency found in the God of modern preaching; this love is love
that did not count the cost; it is love that is love indeed.72
67
68
69
Machen, Christianity & Liberalism, 105
70
71
72
21
God has many characteristics and attributes. At the same time, he is a God of love and a
God of wrath, and these two attributes come together in the crucifixion. Moreover, it is
only through the atoning death of Christ that sinners are declared righteous in God’s
sight.73
The Church
The Church is the most important institution of Christianity as it represents, and is
synonymous with, the universal body of believers.74 Machen asserts, “When, according
to Christian belief, lost souls are saved, the saved ones become united in the Christian
church.”75 The project director contends the purity of the Church is necessary for its
ongoing health and that it will exist to the extent that the visible church mirrors the true
universal church. The universal Church consists of all true believers regardless of their
church membership, whereas the visible church consists of all members of all
denominations whether or not they are true believers. According to Machen, herein lies
the problem with liberalism: “The modern liberal doctrine is that all men everywhere,
regardless of their race or creed, are brothers.”76 All men do have the same Creator;
however, only true believers belong to the family of the redeemed, over which God is
Father (Rom 8:9, 14–15). Moreover, only the redeemed belong both to the true and
visible Church, and thus, are part of the brotherhood of the Christian Church.77 Machen
exposes the problem with liberalism as it relates to the Church:
73
74
Josh Etter, “The Most Important Institution in the World,” desiringGod, December 8, 2011,
http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-most-important-institution-in-the-world.
75
76
77
22
And the Church invisible, the true company of the redeemed, finds
expression in the companies of Christians who constitute the visible Church
to-day. But what is the trouble with the visible Church? What is the reason
for its obvious weakness? There are perhaps many causes of weakness. But
one cause is perfectly plain—the Church of to-day has been unfaithful to
her Lord by admitting great companies of non-Christian persons, not only
into her membership, but into her teaching agencies … Such persons,
moreover, have been admitted not merely to the membership, but to the
ministry of the Church, and to an increasing extent have been allowed to
dominate its councils and determine its teaching. The greatest menace to the
Christian Church today comes not from the enemies outside, but from the
enemies within; it comes from the presence within the Church of a type of
faith and practice that is anti-Christian to the core … A separation between
the two parties in the Church is the crying need of the hour.78
The hour Machen refers to has arrived. Liberalism is firmly entrenched in the modern
Church. Given the diametrically opposing views concerning the critical doctrines of
Christianity, it is the opinion of the project director that liberalism and Christianity cannot
coexist.
Machen remembered Paul’s warning found in Acts 20 when he came to realize a
false theology had invaded the Church. As stated previously, Paul warned the Ephesian
elders that “savage wolves” would surface from within the church and distort the truth of
the gospel. Paul’s fear has come to life in today’s Church. Savage wolves, disguised as
kind shepherds, have invaded the modern Church.79 Their message has proved appealing
to the masses. As Paul explains in 2 Tim 3:3–4, “For the time will come when men will
not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around
them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will
turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” Liberal theology disguised as
78
Machen, Christianity and Liberalism, 135-136.
79
Albert Mohler, “Preachers Who Don’t Believe—The Scandal of Apostate Pastors,” March 18,
2010, https://albertmohler.com/2010/03/18/clergy-who-dont-believe-the-scandal-of-apostate-pastors/.
23
truth has arrived in full force. Now is the time for new and different venues to reach those
blinded by liberalism’s lies. The Men’s Study offers a unique venue through which to
reach men and rescue them from the claws of liberalism.
Assumptions
Two key assumptions formed the basis for the ministry project. First, the book of Joshua
contains links to the gospel found in the New Testament. With the help of Jonathan Akin,
the project director identified these links. Secondly, the project director focused on
preaching the gospel given his assumption and belief that everyone needs to hear the
gospel message to be saved. Paul writes in Rom 10:17, “Consequently, faith comes from
hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” As men who
attend TMS heard the gospel through the preaching of God’s word in Joshua, the project
director hoped many would come to faith in Christ.
Limitations and Delimitations
In this project, the director limited his teaching to the book of Joshua. The purpose of
TMS is to draw men from various denominations to the study to engage them with
Scripture. The project director adheres to expository preaching80 as the best means of
sermon delivery to engage men with God’s word. Thus, Joshua served as the book from
which to deliver expository sermons to TMS with a focus on the gospel.
80
Akin, Curtis and Rummage define biblical exposition: “Expository preaching is text driven that
honors the truth of Scripture as it was given by the Holy Spirit. Its goal is to discover the God-inspired
meaning through historical-grammatical-theological investigation and interpretation. By means of engaging
and compelling proclamation, the preacher explains, illustrates and applies the meaning of the biblical text
in submission to and in the power of the Holy Spirit, preaching Christ for a verdict of changed lives.”
Daniel L. Akin, Bill Curtis and Stephen Rummage, Engaging Exposition (Nashville: B&H Academic,
2011), 2.
24
TMS meets in Kerr Hall, a large fellowship room at Edenton Street United
Methodist Church. Designed to draw men who attend many different types of churches,
TMS is limited to the number of available seats in Kerr Hall, which can seat about 400
people. Additionally, the study guide prepared for TMS by Disciplers Bible Studies
divides Joshua into seventeen teaching units, therefore the project director preached
seventeen sermons.
TMS meets on Tuesday nights from 7 to 8:45 p.m. Furthermore, TMS follows a
typical public-school calendar and limits the study to seventeen weeks. The first meeting
was held on September 12, 2017. Then, TMS took a Christmas break from November 29,
2017 to January 2, 2018. The remainder of the weekly meetings ended on April 10, 2018.
One of the project director’s objectives for TMS was to ascertain the effectiveness
of the preaching of the gospel from Joshua. The project director provided a spiritual
evaluation test at the beginning of the study to determine where men stood in their
journey to God. The project director focused on one particular group of men through this
study—members of liberal, mainline churches. The project director identified four liberal
denominations: the Episcopal Church, the Catholic Church, the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. The project director gave the spiritual
evaluation test to the entire group of men at the beginning of the study, and again, at the
end. Then he divided the responses according to denominational affiliation. Finally, the
project director conducted an evaluation of their responses to determine the spiritual
impact of the project.
25
Definition of Terms
To provide clarity to the ministry project, the project director defined certain key terms.
Throughout the ministry report, the project director used the following terms to explain
the rationale for the project: evangelical theology or orthodox Christianity versus liberal
or mainline theology. Evangelical theology consists of certain essential key Christian
beliefs: the inerrancy of Scripture, the virgin birth of Christ, the deity of Christ, the
physical resurrection of Christ, and the necessity of salvation through faith in
Christ alone.81 The project director believes orthodox Christianity is easier to define than
liberalism because it clearly defines its major tenets. In an interview with Frontline, a
television program broadcast on PBS, John C. Green, author of Religion and the Culture
Wars,82 says,
The easiest way to explain the differences between evangelicals and

mainline Protestants start with evangelicals, because evangelicals have a
clearer set of beliefs that distinguish them than mainline Protestants do...It
could be summarized, I think, with four cardinal beliefs that evangelicals
tend to hold, at least officially. One belief is that the Bible is inerrant. It is
without error in all of its claims about the nature of the world and the nature
of God. A second belief is that the only way of salvation is through belief
in Jesus Christ. A third belief, and one that is most well-known, is the idea
that individuals must accept salvation for themselves. They must be
converted. Sometimes that’s referred to as a born-again experience…Then
the fourth cardinal belief of evangelicals is the need to proselytize, or in
their case, to spread the evangel, to evangelize …
Mainline Protestants have a different perspective. They have a more

modernist theology. So, for instance, they would read the Bible, not as the
inerrant word of God, but as a historical document, which has God’s word
in it and a lot of very important truths, but that need to be interpreted in
every age by individuals of that time and that place. Mainline Protestants
tend to also believe that Jesus is the way to salvation. But many mainline
81
Norman Geisler, Systematic Theology: Volume One Introduction Bible (Minneapolis: Bethany
House, 2002), 15.
82
John C. Green, James L. Guth, Corwin E. Smidt, and Lyman A. Kellstedt, Religion and The
Culture Wars: Dispatches From the Front (London: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 1996).
26
Protestants would believe that perhaps there are other ways to salvation as
well…Mainline Protestants are much less concerned with personal
conversion. Although they do talk about spiritual transformation, they’ll
often discuss a spiritual journey from one’s youth to old age, leading on into
eternity. So, there is a sense of transformation, but there isn’t that emphasis
on conversion—on that one moment or series of moments in which one’s
life is dramatically changed.83
The project director asserts that the vagueness of liberal theology is part of Satan’s
strategy to blind people to clear truth of Scripture (2 Cor 4:4).
John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue define liberal theology as “Any movement
that is open to redefining or changing the traditional doctrines and practices of
Christianity.”84 As stated previously, liberal theology stands in direct opposition to
evangelical theology. Its adherents believe that the Bible contains errors; they believe
there are many ways to God and that to believe that Christ is the only way is too
exclusive and too narrow. Their main virtue is one of tolerance, and they believe the most
important teaching of the Bible is to love your neighbor.85 The project director believes
liberalism has sacrificed truth on the altar of tolerance.
Liberal theology has ushered into the modern church the idea that rationalism
forms the basis of truth, a popular concept to the intellectual elite. As Gary Dorrien, an
Episcopal priest and professor at Union Theological Seminary, explains:
Specifically, liberal theology is defined by its openness to the verdicts of

modern intellectual inquiry, especially the natural and social sciences; its
commitment to the authority of individual reason and experience; its
conception of Christianity as an ethical way of life; its favoring of moral
83
Frontline: “The Jesus Project: Evangelicals vs. Mainline Protestants,” April 29, 2004,
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/jesus/evangelicals/evmain.html.
84
John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue, Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth
(Wheaton: Crossway, 2017), 932.
85
S. Michael Houdmann, “What is liberal Christian theology?” Got Questions Ministries,
https://www.gotquestions.org/liberal-Christian-theology.html.
27
concepts of atonement; and its commitment to make Christianity credible
and socially relevant to modern people.86
Liberalism adheres to the idea that truth comes from the mind of man rather than
revelation revealed in Scripture. Conversely, orthodox Christianity looks to God’s word
as its source of truth and puts forth the tenet that only one way to salvation exists,
namely, by faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).87
In 1993, a team of sociologists including Dean R. Hoge, Benton Johnson, and
Donald A. Luidens, published an article titled, “Mainline Churches: The Real Reason for
Decline.” In this article, the authors reveal the difficulty in defining liberalism because its
adherents vaguely explain their core beliefs:
We have named this pattern (people who pick and choose their beliefs in
unorthodox ways) the theology of lay liberalism. It is “liberal” because its
defining characteristic is the rejection of the view that Christianity is the
only religion with a valid claim to truth. It is “lay” because it does not reflect
any of the theological systems contained in the writings or seminary lectures
of today’s post-orthodox Christian intellectuals … Most lay liberals
“prefer” Christianity to other faiths, but they are unable to ground their
preference in strong truth claims … Some believe that a common thread of
truth runs through all the world’s major religions and that at base all
religions teach the same thing … Lay liberalism … is not an empowering
system of belief but rather a set of conjectures concerning religious matters.
It supports honesty and other moral virtues, and it encourages tolerance and
civility in a pluralistic society, but it does not inspire the kind of conviction
that creates strong religious communities.88
Liberal theology is vague. Moreover, it bases its authority on man’s thinking such that
rationalism has supplanted supernaturalism as the foundation of truth. Conversely,
orthodox Christianity bases its authority on revelation revealed in Scripture. Biblical
86
Kevin DeYoung, The Gospel Coalition, “What is liberal theology?”,
https://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/kevindeyoung/2013/04/05/what-is-liberal-theology/.
87
Packer, “Fundamentalism” and the Word of God, 75.
88
Benton Johnson, Dean R. Hoge, and Donald A. Luidens, “Mainline Churches: The Real Reason
for Decline,” March 1993, accessed July 26, 2017,
http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9303/articles/johnson.html
28
Christianity looks to Scripture for its truth claims. Al Mohler, commenting on the above
article, writes,
Lay liberals have a high regard for Jesus, but they do not affirm that He is
God’s only Son and that salvation is available only through Him. The title
of their report points to the quandary of liberal Protestantism. As the
boundaries between liberal Protestantism and the secular culture vanish,
there is little reason for anyone to join one of these churches.89
As stated previously, liberalism is a different form of religion than that of orthodox
Christianity. The two differ concerning God, man, Christ, salvation, Scripture and the
church.
One final word which needs defining is fundamentalism. Norman Geisler writes,
“The term ‘fundamentalism’ covers a wide variety of beliefs regarding inspiration…Both
evangelicals and fundamentalists trace their roots back to Charles Hodge, A.A. Hodge,
B.B. Warfield, and J. Gresham Machen, who were part of a group in the late nineteenth
and early twentieth centuries called historic fundamentalists.”90 Geisler provides an
excellent definition of the fundamentalist’s view of Scripture. He writes,
The Bible is the inspired, infallible, and inerrant written Word of God, and
inspiration is both verbal and plenary. In brief, the Bible is both God’s
Word and man’s words. Errors exist only in copies, not in the originals.
Everything the Bible affirms, whether in theology or in science and
history, is without error.91
Although the project director holds to this view of the verbal and plenary inspiration of
Scripture, he, like MacArthur and Mayhue, prefers to refer to himself as a biblicist92—
89
Albert Mohler, “Vanishing Christianity—A Lesson from the Presbyterians,” February 11, 2010,
accessed July 26, 2017, http://www.albertmohler.com/2010/02/11/vanishing-christianity-a-lesson-from-the-
presbyterians/
90
Norman Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume One, Introduction, Bible (Minneapolis: Bethany
House, 2002), 429.
91
Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume One, Introduction, Bible, 428.
92
John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue, Biblical Doctrine, A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth
(Wheaton: Crossway, 2017), 26.
29
one who adheres to a complete trust in God’s inerrant and infallible Bible. The project
director believes that an understanding of these terms become critically important for one
to recognize the battle taking place in the church and seminaries concerning the authority
of Scripture, the path to God and the way of salvation.
Project Model
The project director used a ministry skill enhancement model for the project. The project
director determined he needed skill improvement in the area of preaching the gospel from
an Old Testament book. As stated previously, to measure the effectiveness of his
preaching from Joshua, spiritual surveys were given to the men who attend TMS.
Analysis of these surveys is provided in the conclusion of this paper.
The skill enhancement model addressed many needs for TMS: a strategy to reach
the men from mainline churches with the gospel, the need to equip these men to share the
gospel, and extensive research during the project director’s study of Joshua to equip him
to effectively communicate the gospel. The progressive redemptive narrative that runs
throughout the entire Bible reaches its fulfillment in the New Testament in Jesus Christ.93
Therefore, the project director desired to effectively communicate the gospel from Joshua
and link it to the New Testament and Christ.
Conclusion
The project director has seen an increase in the ongoing battle between liberalism and
orthodox Christianity for many years. One could trace this battle back to the time of the
93
Sidney Greidanus, The Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
1988), 112.
30
apostle Paul and Jesus Christ. Liberalism is diametrically opposed to biblical Christianity.
Furthermore, the project director believes that liberalism puts forth false doctrine. Paul
and Jesus both encountered false doctrine by the religious leaders of their day (Matt 23;
Acts 14–19). Paul experienced this battle virtually every time he entered a new city and
made his way to the local synagogue to proclaim the gospel (Acts 13:50; 14:2, 19; 17:5,
18:6, 12: 19:9). Often, the Jewish religious leaders rejected him (Acts 13:44–52; 14:4–5,
19–20; 17:5–9). Thus, Paul had to find new and unique venues through which to preach
the gospel, sometimes in the countryside (Acts 14:6–7), sometimes by a river (Acts
16:13), sometimes in someone’s home (Acts 16:31–34; 18:7–8; 20:8), sometimes in the
marketplace (Acts 17:17), sometimes in the meeting place of city and religious leaders
(Acts 17:22), and sometimes in a great lecture hall (Acts 19:9–10).
Jesus also encountered the theological liberals of his day who stood in opposition
to the truth (Matt 23). Jesus progressively and purposely exposed the falsity of the
teaching of the Jewish religious leaders. The project director believes the good news that
Jesus put forth was too simple and costly for the religious Jews to accept. Furthermore, in
their spiritual blindness, they could not understand that Jesus truly was God in the flesh
(1 Cor 2:14). Thus, their vehement rejection culminated with the crucifixion.
The project director argues that liberalism is a polite word for false teaching.
Machen writes,
The movement designated as “liberalism” is regarded as “liberal” only by

its friends; to its opponents it seems to involve a narrow ignoring of many
relevant facts … But manifold as are the forms in which the movement
appears, the root of the movement is one; the many variations of modern
liberal religion are rooted in naturalism—that is, in the denial of any
31
entrance of the creative power of God (as distinguished from the ordinary
course of nature) in connection with the origin of Christianity.94
The religious Jews of Jesus’ day witnessed miracles, and yet, denied any supernatural
explanation. For example, in John 9, the Jews questioned the blind man to determine if he
had really been born blind. Liberalism, as previously stated, rejects all forms of
supernaturalism upon which true Christianity is based.
It is the conclusion of the project director that liberal, progressive theology has
served as one of Satan’s most effective tools to blind people, particularly in the West, to
the reality of their lost condition. Christian leaders today should expose liberalism as
false teaching put forth by false teachers.
The project director asserts that liberalism is not orthodox Christianity. Machen
again argues, “It may appear that what the liberal theologian has retained after
abandoning to the enemy one Christian doctrine after another is not Christianity at all, but
a religion which is so entirely different from Christianity as to belong in a distinct
category.”95 The project director’s passion is to lead men out of the grasp of liberalism
into the light of truth. He desired to show what real Christianity is while at the same time
exposing liberalism for what it is not. Machen contends,
In setting forth the current liberalism, now almost dominant in the Church,
over against Christianity, we are animated, therefore, by no merely negative
or polemic purpose; on the contrary, by showing what Christianity is not we
hope to be able to show what Christianity is, in order that men may be led
to turn from the weak and beggarly elements and have a recourse again to
the grace of God.96
94
95
96
32
The project director has been called by God to confront modern liberalism in the
church. This conviction is his passion. This passion is his calling, which this
project supports. TMS offers a very unique setting in that many men from
mainline denominations attend. Liberalism and secularism have them firmly in
their grip. Preaching the gospel from an Old Testament book such as Joshua
offers an incredible opportunity to “set the captives free” (Isa 61:1; Luke 4:18).
33
CHAPTER 2
BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS
Preaching Christ from the Old Testament
In Chapter One the project director gave the rationale for preaching the gospel to the men
who attend TMS at ESUMC. In this chapter he develops the biblical and theological
foundation for preaching Christ from the Old Testament. In the first chapter of Sidney
Greidanus’s book, Preaching Christ from the Old Testament, he points to confusion
concerning the meaning of preaching Christ.1 The complication arises in that Christ is
both the eternal Logos and Christ incarnate.2 For some preachers, preaching Christ means
linking every text to the cross, whereas others broaden this link to include both his death
and resurrection. Still others seek to link the text to the eternal Logos.3 Greidanus directs
the reader to look to the apostles to see how to preach Christ from the Old Testament.
Preaching Christ includes more than just the gospel or the cross. Greidanus writes,
“The New Testament church preached the birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and
exaltation of Jesus of Nazareth as the fulfillment of God’s old covenant promises, his
presence today in the Spirit, and his imminent return. In short, ‘preaching Christ’ meant
preaching Christ incarnate in the context of the full sweep of redemptive history.”4 Given
1
Sidney Greidanus, Preaching Christ from the Old Testament: A Contemporary Hermeneutical
Method, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999), 2.
2
Greidanus, Preaching Christ from the Old Testament, 3.
3
4
34
that the Old Testament contains nearly 75 percent of the Bible necessitates its inclusion in
preaching redemptive history. Greidanus says Christ included the preaching of the
apostles who preached from the Old Testament about the crucifixion, the resurrection,
and the kingdom of God.5 He explains,
On a time-line, the cross is but a point in the sweep of redemptive history

from creation to the new creation. But exactly in the sweep of redemptive
history, the cross is such a pivotal point that its impact echoes all the way
back to the fall of humanity and God’s penalty of death (Gen 3:19), even
while it thrusts kingdom history forward to its full perfection—when all
the nations will come in, there will be no more death and tears, and God
will be all and in all (Rev 21:1–4).6
Greidanus adds, “More specifically, to preach Christ is to proclaim some facet of the
person, work, or teaching of Jesus of Nazareth so that people may believe him, trust him,
love him, and obey him.”7 In preaching Christ from Joshua, the project director attempted
to link each text to the overall redemptive narrative that begins with Gen 3:15 and
concludes in Rev 22, from the first garden to the final garden.
Christopher Wright also explains the importance of preaching Christ in How to
Preach & Teach the Old Testament for All Its Worth. He says that when Jesus and the
apostles referred to the Holy Scriptures they spoke of the Old Testament because the New
Testament had not yet been written at the time of their preaching and teaching. Wright
points to three reasons the apostle Paul gives in 2 Tim 3:14–4:2 for preaching from the
Holy Scriptures (the Old Testament).8 He begins by declaring that Christians lead others
to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ from the Old Testament. Moreover, given that
5
6
Greidanus, Preaching Christ from the Old Testament,5–6.
7
8
Wright, How to Preach & Teach the Old Testament for All Its Worth, 18–19.
35
the Scriptures of the Old Testament were “God-breathed” or “inspired by God,” then they
too are the very words of God. He adds, “Although they (Holy Scriptures—Old
Testament) were spoken and written by ordinary human beings like us, what was said and
written down was as if it had come from the mouth of God.”9 Finally, the Old Testament
Scriptures are “useful” for “teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”
(2 Tim 3:16–17). Wright’s point that the Old Testament is the word of God means that it
carries God’s authority and is useful for teaching the church how to live.
Wright asserts that the Old Testament lays the foundation for the Christian faith
regarding creation, God, humanity, sin, and the over-arching plan of God.10 He writes,
The New Testament gives us God’s final answer, but it is the Old
Testament that tells us both the scale of the problem and the scale of
God’s promise. So, we will understand the gospel in a far more full and
comprehensive way when we see it first in the Old Testament.11
Modern preachers should preach from the Old Testament because of its divine authority
and because it lays the foundation upon which the New Testament arises. Finally, pastors
should preach the Old Testament because it was the only Bible Jesus knew and from
which he preached. Wright explains, “His whole understanding of himself—his life, his
mission, his future—was rooted in his reading of the Scriptures, the Old Testament.”12
The teaching of Jesus is an indispensable component for preaching Christ

from the Old Testament, for the Old Testament was Jesus’ Bible, and he
based his teaching on it. Jesus’ teaching includes not only teachings about
himself (Son of Man, Messiah), his mission, and his coming again but also
teaching about God, God’s kingdom, God’s covenant, God’s law (e.g.,
Matt 5–7), and the like.13
9
Wright, How to Preach & Teach the Old Testament for All Its Worth, 19.
10
11
12
13
36
On the road to Emmaus Jesus taught the two disciples exclusively from the Old
Testament. In Luke 24:25–27 Jesus says, “‘How foolish you are, and how slow of heart
to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things
and then enter his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained
to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” Robert Stein writes, “‘In
all the Scriptures’ can be interpreted in two ways: the third section of the OT called the
writings (cf. Luke 24:44) or the Law and the Prophets, i.e., the whole of the Scripture (cf.
16:16). The second interpretation, which understands the word ‘Scriptures’ as a synonym
for ‘Moses and all the Prophets,’ is to be preferred.”14 These three verses reveal that Old
Testament prophets foretold the sufferings of Christ, as well as his glory.15 Jesus
preached from all the Scriptures about himself. The New Testament writers used the Old
Testament by following the paradigm established in Jesus’ teachings following his
resurrection.16
Another important text supporting the assertion that Jesus used the Old Testament
to teach about himself is Luke 24:44. In this verse he says, “This is what I told you while
I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of
Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Stein writes, “For Luke the OT was a Christian
book from beginning to end.”17 Greidanus concurs, saying, “Notice, Jesus refers to the
three main sections of the Old Testament; not just a few prophecies but the whole Old
14
Robert H. Stein, Luke, NAC 24 (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 1992), 612.
15
Frank E. Gaebelein and Walter L. Liefeld, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Luke (Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 1984), 1053.
16
Gaebelein and Liefeld, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Luke, 1053.
17
Stein, Luke, 619.
37
Testament speaks of Jesus Christ.”18 The project director, like Jesus, believes the Old
Testament provides sufficient truth from which to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Not only did Jesus use the Old Testament to explain to his disciples who he was
but the apostles, in like manner, preached Christ from the Old Testament. In Acts 8,
Philip, commissioned by an angel of the Lord, traveled down from Jerusalem to explain
the gospel to an Ethiopian eunuch. When Philip met him, he heard him reading Isaiah the
prophet and asked if he understood the text. The eunuch replies, “How can I unless
someone explains it to me?” (Acts 8:31). The eunuch was reading this passage from
Isaiah: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is
silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who
can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth” (Acts 8:31–33). The
eunuch then asks Philip, “Tell me please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or
someone else” (Acts 8:34)? Philip explained that very passage of Scripture and then
shared the good news about Jesus (Acts 8:32–35). John Sailhamer asserts, “Just as
Stephen had drawn the message of the gospel from a thorough review of the OT
Scriptures (Acts 7:1–50), so Philip began with the words of Isa 53 and “told (the eunuch)
the good news about Jesus” (Acts 8:35).19 Sailhamer told the project director during his
time at SEBTS that all one needs to preach the gospel is the Old Testament.
Greidanus and Wright along with Jesus and the apostles provide ample reasons
for preaching Christ from the Old Testament. Equally important is an understanding of
how to preach Christ from the Old Testament. Sinclair Ferguson in Preaching Christ
18
19
John H. Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 501.
38
from the Old Testament asks, “How do we legitimately preach the text of the Old
Testament as those who stand on this side of Pentecost?”20 Ferguson warns against
“leapfrogging over [the] historical realities as though the Old Testament Scriptures had
no real significance for their own historical context.”21 He suggests that preachers should
take into account both the historical context of a given text and its link to Christ.22 He
writes, “Fulfilling [this] task drives us back into the basic hermeneutical question for the
Christian exegete: How do we relate the Old Testament to the New Testament?”23
Ferguson suggests that learning how to do this requires instinct and a lifetime pursuit.
For preachers desirous of learning how to preach from the Old Testament,
Ferguson offers a very important principle to follow along with four subordinate
principles.
The most general principle is one for which we might coin the phrase
fillfulment: Christ fulfils or ‘fills full’ the Old Testament. He came ‘not to
abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfil them’ (Matt 5:17). As
Christians standing within the light of the New Testament revelation and
looking back on the Old Testament, Christ himself acts as a hermeneutical
prism. Looking back through him, we see the white light of the unity of
the truth of Jesus Christ broken down into its constituent colours in the
pages of the Old Testament. Then, looking forwards we see how the multi-
coloured strands of the Old Testament revelation converge in him. When
we appreciate this, we begin to see how the constituent colours unite in
Christ and are related both to each other and to him. In this way we see
how the Old Testament points forward to him. We see how sometimes one
‘colour’, sometimes another, or perhaps a combination of them, points
forward to Jesus Christ, is related to Jesus Christ, and is fulfilled by Jesus
Christ.24
20
Sinclair Ferguson, “Preaching Christ from the Old Testament,” Monergism, 2017,
https://www.monergism.com/preaching-christ-old-testament.
21
Ferguson, “Preaching Christ from the Old Testament.”
22
23
24
39
Ferguson offers four ‘colours’ or subordinate principles for which to look when exegeting
an Old Testament passage:25
1. The relationship between promise and fulfillment in the kingdom-conflict-

conquest-victory theme that runs through the entire Bible.
2. The relationship between type and antitype.
3. The relationship between the covenant and Christ.
4. Proleptic participation and subsequent realization.
The project director will consider the first three principles and provide biblical support.26
The Relationship between Promise and Fulfillment
The Old Testament is essentially a book filled with God’s promises awaiting fulfillment.
Moreover, Wright suggests that the Old Testament is “a journey with a purpose and
point.”27 He writes, “The coming of Jesus was not just the end of the journey but the
whole purpose of the journey. He was not only the destination but the fulfilment…And
when Jesus came, God kept his promise. The Old Testament declares the promise that
Jesus fulfils.”28 Greidanus suggests that “Jesus Christ is the link between the Old
Testament and the New … The Old and New Testaments are related, therefore, not as
law-gospel but as promise-fulfillment (a person).”29 Preaching from the Old Testament
requires an awareness of the promise-fulfillment pattern of the ancient text.
Wright provides an important distinction between a promise and a prediction. A
prediction, he suggests, is straightforward in that it predicts something that will happen in
the future—it either comes true or does not. A promise, on the other hand, involves a
25
26
27
28
29
Herman Bavinck quoted in Greidnaus, Preaching Christ from the Old Testament, 49.
40
commitment on the one who makes the promise. Wright explains, “It’s not just a matter
of whether my promise ‘comes true’ or not. Rather, it’s a matter of whether I can be
trusted or not. My integrity is involved. My reputation is at stake. My word is being
tested. A promise changes things.”30 The Old Testament promises bring God into the
picture. These promises point to God’s integrity. The fulfillment of these promises in the
New Testament lead to the conclusion that his word is trustworthy. Preaching from the
Old Testament shows the faithfulness of God to keep his word. God is a promise-keeper!
The whole Bible projects one great story.31 Wright explains, “It has a beginning
(creation), an ending (new creation—which is really a new beginning), and a middle (the
long redemption in history, centered on Christ).”32 Wright offers symbols that portray this
journey from beginning to end in six stages: ↓ X → ┼ → ↓.
Stage 1: Creation ↓
Stage 2: Fall X
Stage 3: Promise →
Stage 4: Gospel ┼
Stage 5: Mission →
Stage 6: New Creation ↓
The modern exegete should keep this journey, or story, in mind when preaching from any
particular text in the Bible. Furthermore, according to Greidanus, proper biblical exegesis
involves New Testament presuppositions.33
30
31
32
33
Greidanus, Preaching Christ from the Old Testament, 191–203.
41
God progressively works out his redemptive plan in history
Greidanus offers a model similar to Wright’s:
New Testament Principles for Preaching Christ from the Old Testament34
C C
R R
E N E
A E A
Adam Israel Remnant CHRIST Apostles Church Humanity
T W T
I I
O O
N N
Because God works out his historical redemptive plan both progressively and in regular
patterns, preachers can proclaim Christ from the Old Testament as “the culmination of a
long series of redemptive acts.”35 Moreover, one can detect “correspondences between
God’s act in Jesus and God’s redemptive acts in the past.”36 Greidanus writes, “Thus God
acting in redemptive history also becomes the foundation for New Testament typological
interpretation.”37
Jesus inaugurated the Messianic Age or Kingdom Age
The writers of the New Testament were convinced that the coming of Christ marked the
beginning of “the last days.’38 R. T. France writes, “The coming of Jesus is that decisive
act of God to which the Old Testament looked forward, and in his coming all the hopes of
the Old Testament are fulfilled; the last days have come.”39
34
35
36
37
38
39
R. T. France, Jesus and the Old Testament (Vancouver, British Columbia: Regent College
Publishing, 1998) 161.
42
Jesus is Eternal God
John the apostle saw Christ at work in God’s creative activities in the very beginning
(John 1:1).40 Jesus told the Pharisees that he was present at the time of Abraham and
referred to himself as ‘I Am’ (John 8:56–58). Greidanus points out that the divinity of
Christ functions not as a particular way of preaching Christ from the Old Testament, but
rather as a way of interpreting the Old Testament.41
Corporate Personality
According to Earle Ellis, the idea of corporate personality was for Jesus and the New
Testament writers “determinative for the proper understanding of Scripture.”42 Wright
mentions the Servant Songs in Isaiah as an example given the endless debate as to
whether they refer to the nation of Israel or an individual person.43 This concept makes it
possible for Jesus to identify himself with the Suffering Servant: Jesus is the individual
Suffering Servant and he represents faithful Israel.44
Reading the Old Testament from the Reality of Christ
Ferguson writes, “Christ is the prism where all light converges. As Christians standing
within the light of New Testament revelation and looking back on the Old Testament,
Christ himself acts as a hermeneutical prism.”45 Greidanus concurs, “We can only
40
41
42
Earle Ellis as quoted in Greidanus, Preaching Christ from the Old Testament, 197.
43
44
45
43
understand Christ in the light of the Old Testament, and we can only understand the Old
Testament in the light of Christ.”46
Scriptural Support for Promise-Fulfillment
As stated previously, the Old Testament essentially functions as a book of God’s
promises which reach fulfillment in the New Testament, primarily in Christ’s birth, life,
death, and resurrection. In preaching from the Old Testament, one should look for the
links between the promise and the fulfillment. Genesis 3:15, according to Ferguson, is the
most basic text in the whole Bible.47 Moses writes, “And I will put enmity between you
and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you
will strike his heel.”48 In this verse, God declares war between the seed of the woman,
Christ, and the seed of the serpent, Satan. Ferguson confirms this:
Romans 16:20 and Revelation 12:9 both make crystal clear from the
perspective of Christ completed work that Genesis 3:15 promises the
ultimate cosmic conflict between our Lord Jesus Christ and Satan and the
powers of darkness…Of course Satan is not mentioned by name in
Genesis 3—a point of some hermeneutical interest in itself—but when
Paul writes that ‘the God of peace will bruise Satan under your head
shortly’ (Rom 16:20), and John sees in Revelation 12:9 that the serpent
has grown into a dragon, it is clear that the New Testament writers thought
of Genesis 3:15 as a reference to the coming Messiah, and to his conflict
with Satan. The war about which the book of Revelation speaks then
merely climaxes an antithesis and antagonism that has run through the
whole of Scripture. It is a Library of Military History, with Genesis 3:15
and Revelation 12:9–20:10 as the bookcase.49
This link between God’s declaration and promise of war appears in both New and Old
Testament passages, but the project director focused on the links to the New Testament.
46
47
48
All Scripture references are from New International Version, 1985.
49
44
He noted the hermeneutical concept of multiple fulfillments that point forward.
Greidanus asserts, “The Old Testament acquaints us with the concept of multiple
fulfillments or progressive fulfillment, that is, the initial fulfillment may hold the promise
of further fulfillment.”50 The promise of war in Gen 3:15 points forward to Matt 16:18,
which addresses this on-going conflict. In Matt 16:18 Jesus says, “And I tell you that you
are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not
overcome it.” Ferguson writes, “Everything between Genesis 3:15 and Matthew 16:18
can, in one way or another, be tied to the fulfilment of that promise; every twist and turn
in redemptive history following Matthew 16:18 expresses that conflict, flows onward to
its denouncement and to that extent can be pinpointed on the map of redemptive
revelation.”51 This theme of kingdoms in conflict runs throughout the entire Bible and
becomes an important framework for Biblical interpretation. Ferguson writes,
This kingdom-conflict-conquest-victory theme can be traced in all kinds

of narrative perspectives and dimensions of Old Testament revelation. The
central point is to see the Old Testament as intimately connected to this
fundamental idea that there is a radical antithesis driving the whole of
redemptive history, between building of the kingdom of God by his king,
and the efforts of the powers of darkness to destroy that kingdom.52
The building of God’s kingdom finds its beginning with another Old Testament promise
that finds multiple fulfillments along the path of redemptive history. In Gen 12:1–3 God
makes several promises to Abraham that find fulfillment in the New Testament. The
promises found in these verses form the Abrahamic Covenant (promise). The author
writes,
50
51
Ferguson, Preaching Christ from the Old Testament.
52
45
The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your
father’s household and go to the land I will show you. “I will make you
into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and
you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever
curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through
you” (Gen 12:1–3).
This covenant with Abraham links back to Gen 3:15 in this ongoing story of two
kingdoms in conflict and forward to its primary fulfillment in Christ. The journey of the
Old Testament story not only has a destination in Christ but also a purpose. All that God
promised in the Old Testament finds its fulfillment and accomplishment in the New
Testament.53 The link backward was noted by Paul in his letter to the Galatians.
The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does
not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”
meaning one person, who is Christ. What I mean is this: The law,
introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously
established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the
inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise;
but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. What, then
was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until
the Seed to whom the promise referred had come (Gal 3:15–19).
John MacArthur explains how Paul could interpret this word, seed, in the singular and
point to Christ as the Seed.
Both the Greek term sperma, (seed) and the corresponding Hebrew term
(zera) are like the English seed in that they can be either singular or plural.
Apart from inspiration by the Holy Spirit, Paul could not have established
such a crucial interpretation on the basis of grammar alone. Hebrew
gramma, like Greek and English, allows but does not necessitate, the
singular.
In numerous Old Testament passages the term obviously applies to but

one person. In Genesis 4:25 (“offspring”) it refers to Seth alone, in
Genesis 21:13 (“descendant”) to Ishmael…But in interpreting His own
53
46
Word through the apostle, the Holy Spirit makes clear it is singular,
referring…to one.
In an even earlier promise, (Genesis 3:15) a clearly singular use of seed

also refers to Christ.54
Henry Morris concurs with MacArthur in asserting, “The primary seed of the woman is,
of course, the Lord Jesus Christ; and it is not the seed of the serpent, but Satan himself,
who battles and is destroyed by this Seed, according to verse 15” (Gen 3:15).55
Recognizing this ongoing conflict in Scripture and linking it to Christ’s victory at the
cross is essential to understanding the biblical narrative that begins in Genesis and finds
ultimate victory at the cross (Col 2:15).
The Abrahamic covenant not only points back to Gen 3:15, but finds its ultimate
fulfillment in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul alludes to this in Gal 3:8 where he informs
the reader that Abraham was made aware of the gospel in advance of its fulfillment. Paul
writes, “The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and
announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you’”
(Gal 3:8).
Walt Kaiser recognizes Gen 12:3 as one of the most important verses in all of
Scripture. He writes, “If I were to choose a text of the Old Testament that most succinctly
states the divine mind and brings together all the multiplicity of themes, I would choose
Genesis 12:3. It reads: ‘In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed’ (Kaiser’s
54
John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Galatians (Chicago: Moody
Press, 1987), 84.
55
Henry Morris, The Genesis Record, A Scientific and Devotional Commentary on the Book of
Beginnings (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1976), 121.
47
translation).”56 Kaiser asserts this verse is “the organizing plan of the whole Bible,” as
well as, “the promise plan of God.”57 God’s plan was to form a nation from which to
bring the Savior of the world, the Messiah. This theme, constantly found in the
redemptive narrative of the Bible, should remain in the preacher’s mind when preaching
from any text in Scripture.
Greidanus’ presupposition that God progressively works out his redemptive plan,
as seen in the links established between Gen 3:15, 12:1–3 and Gal 3:8, 15–19, shows the
final and ultimate fulfillment lies ahead. Proper exegetical interpretation involves moving
forward in the redemptive narrative of the Bible to the final fulfillment of God’s promise
to bless all nations through Abraham’s seed. In Wright’s model he begins with Creation
and ends with the New Creation where people from all nations are gathered before the
throne of God:
Where does the gospel end, asks Wright? The Bible’s great drama takes us
right on to Stage 6 (the New Creation), when the good news of God’s
great salvation project reaches its triumphant finale—mission
accomplished … The whole Bible story of salvation—that is, the
redemptive history that runs through Stage 3 (the OT promise), Stage 4
(the gospel), and Stage 5 (the mission of the church)—is what fills the gap
between the great rebellion (Stage 2) and the great restoration (Stage 6).
Once we grasp this whole story … we come to see that “my personal
salvation,” precious as it is, fits within God’s much bigger plan that
includes the healing of the nations and the reconciliation of all creation to
God.58
Links along the redemptive narrative of Scripture run from Gen 3:15 through Gen 12 to
Gal 3, and find their ultimate destiny and fulfillment in the New Creation of Revelation
56
Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Preaching and Teaching from the Old Testament: A Guide for the Church
(Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2003), 32.
57
Kaiser, Preaching and Teaching from the Old Testament, 32.
58
48
where people of every tribe, nation, and language will be united in worship of God (Rev
7:9–17; 21–22). Furthermore, the conflict that God declared in Gen 3:15 comes to a final
end in Rev 20 where “the devil … [is] thrown into the lake of burning sulfur where the
beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever
and ever” (Rev 20:10). The redemption plan handles the power of Satan in the final time
of fulfillment.
The promises of God fill the Old Testament and find their fulfillment in the New
Testament, in Christ’s ministry, his work on the cross, his resurrection, and ultimately, in
his second coming when he will fully and completely bring God’s kingdom to a new
heaven and new earth (Rev 21:1–5). When preaching from the Old Testament, modern
preachers should keep in mind the progressive nature of these promises and determine
where they fit in the historical-redemptive narrative of the Bible.
The Relationship between Type and Antitype
Embedded in this unfolding drama of redemption are illustrations that provide hints of
future fulfillment. Ferguson refers to these hints as types and antitypes, “types that will be
fulfilled in the work of Christ the antitype.”59 Similarly, Wright refers to these
illustrations as “patterns” and “similarities.”60 Wright refers to things in the Old
Testament that correspond to people and events in the New Testament. He suggests that
these similarities or patterns reveal a God who is consistent, and this consistency leads to
proper interpretation. He writes,
Those who encountered Jesus in the New Testament clearly saw all kinds
of ways in which the God they knew so well from their Old Testament
59
60
49
Scriptures was ‘Godding’ (being consistent) again … [and] they used
those Old Testament things in order to explain many aspects of the
meaning of Christ’s birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension.61
Wright also uses another word, analogies, to interpret things that happened in the Old
Testament. He explains, “An analogy is where you use one well-known thing to explain
some new thing that has some similarities … In the Bible we find analogies that can be
drawn between Jesus Christ and events, persons, institutions, themes, and images that are
found in the Old Testament.62 Modern preachers should look for types, patterns,
similarities, and analogies in formulating sermons to link the Old and New Testaments.
Scriptural Support for Type and Antitype
Paul used Adam as a type of Christ because he saw a correspondence between the two. In
Rom 5:17 he writes, “For if, by the trespass of the one man (Adam; cf. Rom 5:14), death
reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant
provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus
Christ.” Ferguson writes, “Paul views the relation between Adam and Christ as the
supreme illustration of this patterning: Adam, viewed as a real historical figure, is the
tupos of the coming one (Rom 5:14, albeit the analogy of both positive and negative,
Rom 5:12–21).”63 In Romans 5, Paul highlights both a similarity and a contrast between
Adam, type, and Christ, antitype. The actions of both Adam and Christ affected many
people. Adam’s sin brought death to all men (v. 12) while God’s grace through
61
62
63
50
Christ’s death overflowed to many (v. 15). However, Paul points to a contrast in the
effect of both actions, Adam’s sin and Christ’s death. Gaebelein and Harrison explain,
“Christ’s effect on men is seen as totally different from that of Adam, and vastly superior.
Note the repeated expression ‘how much more.’”64 Paul’s recurring use of grace and gift
points to the reality that Christ’s death had a far greater impact in that it not only
cancelled the effects of Adam’s sin, but by grace, the gift includes both righteousness and
eternal life.65 The one sin of Adam brought death to all people, while the one death of
Christ followed many sins and brought life to all who believe.
Hebrews provides an ample supply of examples of types in the Old Testament
that correspond to antitypes in the New Testament. In chapter 7, Melchizedek, the priest
of God from Salem points to Jesus, the High Priest of the New Covenant:
This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He
met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and
Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of
righteousness;” then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”
Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or
end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever…Unlike the
other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first
for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their
sins once for all when he offered himself (Heb 7:1–3, 27).
Kaiser writes, “There can be little doubt that the high priest is a type of Christ. Not only
is our Lord the victim in the antitype of the sin-offering in its New Testament setting, but
he is also the priest who presented the victim. ‘He offered himself’ (Heb 7:27).”66
Sailhamer concurs, “His priesthood is that prefigured in the OT narratives and prophecies
64
Frank E. Gaebelein and Everett F. Harrison, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Romans
through Galatians, Volume 10 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976), 63.
65
Gaebelein and Harrison, Romans through Galatians, 63.
66
Kaiser, Preaching and Teaching from the Old Testament: A Guide for the Church, 151.
51
about Melchizedek.”67 Jesus serves as the great antitype to the many priests found in the
Old Testament.
Moses represents another example of typology found in Hebrews. He typified
Jesus in the Exodus from Egypt. The writer of Hebrews compares Jesus to Moses but
declares him superior:
Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your
thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was
faithful…just as Moses was faithful…Jesus has been found worthy of
greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor
than the house itself…Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,
testifying to what would be said in the future. But Christ is faithful as a
son over God’s house (Heb 3:1-6).
Sailhamer explains, “Moses established the high priesthood of the house of Aaron, but
Jesus, by his incarnation and resurrection to the right hand of God, became a high priest
‘of the same family’ (2:11) as all humanity.”68 Moses was faithful as a servant of God.
Jesus, as high priest, can claim superiority to the priesthood of Moses, as the “builder of
everything” including the house of God (Heb 3:4, 6).
The Passover Lamb (Ex 12, 29:38; 2 Chron 35:11; Isaiah 53:7) points to Christ
(Mark 14:12; Luke 22:7; John 1:19; 1 Pet 1:18–19). The Temple worship found in the
Old Testament links to Christ in Hebrews 9:
When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here,
he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-
made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means
of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once
for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption” (Heb 9:11–
12).
67
Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 567.
68
52
Sailhamer confirms, “Just as in the old covenant the high priest continually offered the
blood of sacrificial animals as redemption from sin, in a once and for all act as High
Priest of the new covenant, Christ offered his own blood as a sacrifice in the Holy of
Holies of the true tabernacle, the heavenly one.”69 The lamb of the Old Testament
sacrificial system serves as the type pointing to Jesus, the antitype.
Links to Christ exist all throughout the Old Testament in events (Creation,
Exodus, gift of land, the anointing of King David, the return from exile); in persons
(Adam, Noah, Abraham, Melchizedek, Aaron, Moses); in Old Testament realities
(Joshua, David and Solomon, Esther), and in institutions (Passover, the Temple, the
priesthood, the sacrifices, Jubilee).70 Familiarity with these correspondences aid the
modern preacher in linking Old Testament texts to Christ and His gospel.
The Relationship between Covenant and Christ
The covenant between God and Moses set a challenging standard of living. A covenant,
as defined by Grudem, “is an unchangeable, divinely imposed legal agreement between
God and man that stipulates the conditions of their relationship.”71 Grudem notes that
although covenants are “unchangeable,” one may supersede or replace one covenant with
a new and different covenant.72 Several covenants exist in the Old Testament: the
Adamic, the Noahic, the Abrahamic, the Mosaic, the Davidic and the New.73 The Old
Covenant does not refer to the whole of the Old Testament but to the covenant that God
69
70
71
Grudem, Systematic Theology, 515.
72
73
Grudem, Systematic Theology, 515–521.
53
made with Moses at Mount Sinai.74 Moses declares this truth: “He declared to you his
covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote
them on two stone tablets” (Deut 4:13). This Old Covenant was an “administration of
detailed written laws given for a time to restrain sin and to be a custodian to point people
to Christ.75 God never intended for the old covenant to bring salvation. Hebrews 8:7
states, “For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have
been sought for another.” No one could keep the Mosaic laws (Rom 3:10–11, 23). In
Hebrews 8:8–9 the author writes, “But God found fault with the people and said: ‘The
time is coming, declares the Lord when I will make a new covenant with the house of
Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their
forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not
remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declared the Lord.” Due to
God’s people failing to keep the Old Covenant, a New Covenant was needed—one that
would replace the old. The writer of Hebrews points backward to Jeremiah, the prophet,
who declared the coming of the New Covenant (Jer 31:31–34).
This new covenant came through Christ, the mediator of the New Covenant by his
blood. Luke 22:20 states, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out
for you.” God promised a New Covenant even while the Old Covenant stood. The
prophets, who lived under the Old Covenant, foretold of a time when God would
establish this New Covenant—a covenant based not on works, but faith. Paul explains the
problem with attempting to keep the law. Romans 3:20 states, “For by works of the law
74
75
54
no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of
sin.” The Israelites failed to keep the Mosaic covenant because of the impossibility of
keeping God’s laws outside of Christ. Thus, the need for a new covenant arose. This New
Covenant promised forgiveness of sin and restoration of fellowship with God based upon
Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus Christ, the mediator of the New Covenant,
set in motion this promise by and through His death (Heb 9:15).76
Ferguson suggests that the “scaffolding in the Old Testament” is built around the
person and work of Jesus Christ.77 Christ and the relationship that exists between him and
these covenant promises in the Old Testament shapes this scaffolding. Ferguson explains
how the covenant works: ‘I will be your God; you will be my people.’ Moreover, he
suggests that “the shape of Christ’s work is expressed in the covenant of blessing and
cursing.”78 The gospel is based upon Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (1 Cor 15:2–
4). Man’s faith in Christ, expressed by his obedience to Christ, activates God’s blessings.
Moreover, The Old Covenant pointed to and was fulfilled by the coming of Christ (Matt
5:17–18). Preaching from the Old Testament requires an understanding of how a
particular text fits into this scaffolding that shapes the relationship between Covenant and
Christ.
Scriptural Support for the Relationship between Covenant and Christ
In one of Moses’ final addresses to the Israelites before his death, he alludes to a time
when God would give his people a ‘new heart,’ a reference to the coming New
76
77
78
55
Covenant.79 Moses writes, “Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to know,
nor eyes that see nor ears that hear” (Deut 29:4 NASV). The Old Covenant was based on
outward obedience while the New Covenant involved a changed heart that leads to
spiritual understanding (1 Cor 2:14).80 Moses looked forward to the coming time of
restoration when God would change the hearts of his people. Moses says, “The Lord your
God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love
him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deut 30:6).81 Paul makes this abundantly
clear in writing, “No a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is
circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code” (Rom 2:29). Paul links
the Old Testament promise of a “new heart” to the indwelling Holy Spirit offered in the
gospel of Jesus Christ (Eph 1:12–13).82
The prophet Jeremiah also predicted this coming New Covenant. He writes, “‘The
time is coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant’” (Jer 31:31). This
passage in Jeremiah links with Ezek 36:26–27 and both point forward to the New
Covenant established by Jesus Christ.83 Ezekiel writes, “I will give you a new heart and
put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart
of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be
careful to keep my laws” (Ezek 36:26–27). Ezekiel lists several aspects of this New
79
S. Michael Houdmann, “What is the New Covenant?” Got Questions Ministries,
https://www.gotquestions.net/Printer/new-covenant-PF.html.
80
John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary 1 Corinthians (Chicago: Moody
Press, 1984), 63–65.
81
Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 169–170.
82
John R. W. Stott, The Message of Romans (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 92–94.
83
F.B. Huey, Jeremiah–Lamentations, NAC 16 (Nashville: Holman Reference, 1993), 284.
56
Covenant: a new heart, a new spirit, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and true holiness.84 As
stated in Rom 3:20, the Mosaic Law failed in providing these things because no human
could meet its demands. Paul writes, “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his
sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin” (Rom
3:20). However, in Christ, all these things are offered to those who truly believe the
gospel.85
The Old Covenant was given to lead people to Christ as Paul explains in Gal 3:24:
“So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.”
The New Covenant was superior to the Old Covenant because where the Old Covenant
failed, the New Covenant succeeded.86 This is the covenant I will make with them after
that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their
minds. Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more” (Heb 10:16–
17). The New Covenant accomplished what the Old Covenant was not designed to
accomplish.87
God promised this New Covenant through the Prophets of the Old Testament.
This Covenant promised a “new heart” and a “new spirit.” Ferguson states, “This
principle of Christ as the heart of the covenants of God, with respect to their blessing and
cursing, helps us expound and apply the Old Testament as a covenant-focused message in
the light of the fulfilment of both blessing and cursing in Christ.”88 In preaching Christ
84
S. Michael Houdmann, “What is the New Covenant?” Got Questions Ministries,
https://www.gotquestions.net/Printer/new-covenant-PF.html.
85
86
87
88
57
from the Old Testament, modern preachers should keep in mind this scaffolding that
shapes the relationship between Covenant and Christ. The Old Covenant promised
blessing through obedience. However, it lacked the power to enable people to obey. The
need for a New Covenant arose. With the Holy Spirit, believers receive the empowerment
to obey God and receive his blessings.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned principles offered by Ferguson should not serve as a formula on
how to preach Christ from the Old Testament—they serve only as a guide. Preaching
from the Old Testament requires both instinct and a life-long pursuit.89Jesus and the
apostles serve as the best examples of how to preach Christ from “all the Scriptures.”
Importantly, modern preachers should note that one should not simply leapfrog from a
given text in the Old Testament to Jesus, or the cross, and in the process miss the
historical realties of the text. Preaching should be Christ-centered without artificial
allegories and wild interpretations. The Old Testament text must first be seen in light of
the author’s original intent for his contemporary readers. Dennis Johnson writes,
“Christians need to be shown how to read each Scripture, first in the context of its
original redemptive-historical epoch, and then in terms of the focal point and climatic
‘horizon’ toward which the particulars of God’s plan always pointed, namely Jesus the
Messiah, who is the second and last Adam, seed of Abraham, true Israel, royal
descendant of David, and obedient and suffering Servant of the Lord.”90 Then, and only
89
90
Dennis E. Johnson, Him We Proclaim: Preaching Christ from All the Scriptures (Phillipsburg:
P&R, 2007), 49.
58
then, can one ascertain the text’s place along the historical-redemptive path in order to
point to the gospel message of Jesus Christ and his teachings.
All preaching should be Christ-centered. Christ and the apostles established this
Christ-centered pattern. However, Christ-centered preaching does not mean finding Jesus
in every text, but it does mean treating every text in light of the whole canon of Scripture.
Greidanus defines preaching Christ “as preaching sermons which authentically integrate
the message of the text with the climax of God’s revelation in the person, work, and/or
teaching of Jesus Christ as revealed in the New Testament.”91 Ferguson adds,
If these principles hold good, then it must be possible along different lines,
sometimes using one, sometimes using a combination, to move from any
point in the Old Testament into the backbone of redemptive history which
leads ultimately to Christ, its fulfillment and consummation. In this way,
the context and destination for all preaching will be Jesus Christ himself,
Saviour and Lord.92
The principles offered by Ferguson provide a helpful guide for biblical hermeneutics and
exegesis with the goal of faithful, text-driven, Christ-centered preaching.
91
Greidanus quoted in Tony Merida, The Christ-Centered Expositor (Nashville: B&H Academic,
2017), 54.
92
59
CHAPTER 3
MINISTRY FOUNDATIONS
Historical Foundation for Preaching Christ From the Old Testament
The Early Church Period
Both Jesus and the apostles preached Christ from the Old Testament. This tradition, or
pattern, continued with some variations, throughout church history. This pattern of
preaching can be found among the apostolic fathers, to the Reformers, and to more
contemporary preachers such as Charles Spurgeon and Wilhelm Vischer. According to
David Baker, a problem developed within the early church in relating the life, death and
resurrection of Jesus to the Old Testament.1 The validity and relevancy of the Old
Testament came into question once the New Testament was complete. This problem
reached its pinnacle within two decades of the New Testament Church, when Marcion’s
heretical beliefs, disassociating the God of the Old Testament with the Father of Jesus in
the New Testament, moved him to eliminate the Old Testament from his Bible.2 A battle
ensued over the importance and significance of the Old Testament in theological
formulation. Bakers sees “the beginning of a move towards recognizing the two
Testaments as one Bible” in the writings of the apostolic fathers.3 In interpreting
1
David L. Baker, Two Testaments, One Bible: The Theological Relationship Between the Old and
New Testaments (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, USA, 2010), 35.
2
Baker, Two Testaments, One Bible, 36.
3
60
Scripture, Justin Martyr continued the apostolic tradition of using the Old Testament as a
witness to Jesus Christ.4 Greidanus writes, “To detect Christ in the Old Testament, Justin
relies not only on promises and typology but also on the fact that Christ is the preexistent
Logos.”5 He adds that Christ, as the pre-existent Logos, shut Noah in the Ark, came down
to observe the tower of Babel, and spoke to Moses from the burning bush.6
Others, such as, Irenaeus, Origen, and Clement of Alexandria defended the Old
Testament against the teachings of Marcion. Baker writes, “Irenaeus considered Jesus
Christ to be the link between the Testaments, and was probably the first to use the terms
‘Old Testament’ and ‘New Testament.’”7 Furthermore, he used “promises and types to
uncover the witness of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament” and “utilized the view that
Christ as the eternal Logos is present throughout the Old Testament.”8 Clement arose
from the School of Alexandria, a school known for allegorical interpretation of Scripture.
Clement taught that Scripture has a two-fold meaning: a literal meaning, as well as a
hidden or spiritual meaning.9 Origen continued this idea of a hidden (allegorical)
meaning in the text. Jerome reveals Origen’s affinity for the Old Testament as he credits
Origen with 444 published sermons on Old Testament texts and 130 on New Testament
4
Sidney Greidanus, Preaching Christ from the Old Testament: A Contemporary Hermeneutical
Method, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999),74.
5
Greidanus, Preaching Christ from the Old Testament,74.
6
7
8
9
Allegorical interpretation is a method of biblical interpretation that attempts to find a deeper
meaning than the literal. MacArthur recommends “a grammatical-historical interpretation to all areas of the
Bible, including its prophetic sections. This approach seeks to understand the original meaning of the Bible
writers and what the original readers would have understood. It views the Bible as having a single meaning,
not multiple, hidden, or allegorical meanings.” MacArthur, Biblical Doctrine, 832.
61
texts.10 Moreover, Origen created the classical form of preaching known as a homily. He
would read the text, and then preach through it verse by verse, offering a literal
interpretation followed by a spiritual one.11 Spiritualizing the text is evidenced in the
following:
Origen begins his series of sermons on the book of Joshua with an

introduction on the significance of this book: “This significance is not so
much to tell us the deeds of Jesus (Joshua) the son of Nun as rather to tell
us the mysteries of Jesus my Lord. For it is he who after the death of
Moses took over the leadership, he who commanded the camp and who
fought against Amalek; and what was indicated there on the mountain,
with those outstretched hands, he actualized on the cross, on which in his
own person he triumphed over the powers and dominions.”12
Origen’s allegorizing of Moses’ outstretched hands at the battle against the Amalekites
shows the error with this type of interpretation of the Biblical text. As suggested by
Greidanus, Origen’s interpretation does not represent the writer’s intent.13
Additionally, in preaching Joshua 6, Origen shows the fallacy of allegorizing this text.
Preaching on the battle of Jericho (Josh 6), Origen says that “Joshua
stands for Jesus, and Jericho for this world. The seven priests carrying
trumpets represent Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, James, Jude and Peter.
The prostitute Rahab stands for the Church, which consists of sinners; and
the scarlet cord which she displayed to save herself and her household…
stands for the redemptive blood of Christ.”14
Allegorizing of the text became a well-established tradition through the influence of
Origen and Clement.
10
Paul Wilson, A Concise History of Preaching (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992), 36.
11
12
Lucas Grollenberg, A Bible for Our Time: Reading the Bible in the Light of Today’s Questions
(London: SCM Press, 1975), 64.
13
Greidanus, Preaching Christ from the Old Testament,84–85.
14
Arthur Wainwright, Beyond Biblical Criticism: Encountering Jesus in Scripture (London:
SPCK, 1982), 89.
62
Theodore of Mopsuestia and Augustine of Hippo continued the push towards the
important linkage between the two Testaments. In contrast to Clement, Theodore was
influenced by the Antiochian school of interpretation which emphasized a literal
interpretation. Although Theodore viewed the two testaments from a historical
perspective, “he also saw Old Testament events as types of New Testament ones.”15
While not always consistent in his hermeneutics, Augustine drew from both schools like
his contemporaries. He famously expressed his theological view in the following
statement, “To the Old Testament belongs more fear, just as to the New Testament more
delight; nevertheless, in the Old Testament the New lies hid, and in the New Testament
the Old is exposed.”16 This view became the foundation for theological formulation in the
West.17
The Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages, theological interpretation generally followed that of the
apostles, who saw unity between the two Testaments that points to Christ. The views of
Bernard of Clairvaux, Thomas Aquinas, and Nicolas of Lyra represent this era. They used
a fourfold interpretation—literal, allegorical, moral, and anagogical. During this period of
time, the New Testament was considered superior to the Old Testament.18
15
Baker, Two Testaments, 37.
16
Jared Jenkins, “How Does the Old Testament Relate to the New?”, copyrighted 2012–2016,
http://www.entrustedwiththegospel.com/2016/03/how-does-old-testament-relate-to-new.html.
17
18
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The Reformation
The Reformation ushered in an era of separating Biblical interpretation from the
“shackles of ecclesiastical tradition.”19 Martin Luther’s “whole theology was erected on
the foundation of sola scriptura.”20 Allowing the Scriptures to speak for themselves
became the driving force. This emphasis on Scripture alone represented a break from the
medieval pattern of understanding Scripture according to church tradition. Moreover, the
uniqueness of Luther’s doctrine was its radical Christocentric basis.21 In many of
Luther’s writings, he states his conviction that the Old Testament, too, is about Christ.22
Luther writes, “The entire Old Testament refers to Christ and agrees with Him.”23
Reformers such as Luther and John Calvin emphasized both a literal interpretation and an
understanding that the whole Bible was Christocentric.24 However, where Luther
emphasized the differences between the two Testaments, Calvin emphasized their
similarities or continuity. In Luther’s writings he pointed to the differences between law
and gospel and emphasized the unity only in its witness to Christ. Conversely, Calvin saw
unity on a broader front: one God, one Savior, one redemptive history, one covenant of
grace, and even one law.25 In spite of Luther and Calvin’s agreement concerning
Scripture, they approached hermeneutics differently. Luther’s emphasis on salvation and
justification by faith alone in Christ alone led him to focus on Christ in the Old
Testament. However, Calvin held a broader view. Although he agreed with Luther
19
20
Timothy George, Theology of the Reformers (Nashville: B&H, 1988), 80.
21
George, Theology of the Reformers, 83.
22
23
Martin Luther, On the Bondage of the Will (London: T. Bensley, 1823).
24
25
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concerning justification by faith alone in Christ alone, he focused more on the
sovereignty and glory of God. Calvin held a more theocentric view of Scripture than
Luther. Calvin’s messages concentrated more on God’s redemptive history and
covenants, without always pointing to Christ. Calvin at times used promise-fulfillment to
preach Christ from the Old Testament, as well as typology where he thought
appropriate.26
In summary, from the Apostolic era through to the time of the Reformers,
preaching Christ from the Old Testament progressed from Alexandria’s allegorical
interpretation which overlapped with the Antiochian school of literal/typological
interpretation, to the Medieval period with its emphasis on the fourfold interpretation, to
Luther’s Christocentric interpretation, and finally, to Calvin’s theocentric interpretation.
The Modern Era
Charles Spurgeon believed that from every text a road to Christ exists. Lewis Drummond
writes, “The preaching of Christ stood at the very heart of his preaching ministry.”27 This
Christocentric focus shows in his instruction to a young preacher,
Don’t you know, young man, that from every town and every village and
every hamlet in England, where it may be, there is a road to London. So,
from every text of Scripture there is a road to Christ. And my dear brother,
your business is, when you get to a text, to say, now, what is the road to
Christ? I have never found a text that had not got a road to Christ in it, and
if every I do find one, I will go over hedge and ditch but I would get at my
26
27
Lewis Drummond, Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1992),
288.
65
Master, for the sermon cannot do any good unless there is a savor of
Christ in it.28
Spurgeon impressed upon his students to preach Christ from every text. In sermon
preparation, Spurgeon’s method of interpretation utilized two aspects: the literal sense, or
the plain meaning of the text, and the spiritual sense. Moreover, he often employed an
allegorical interpretation reminiscent to that of the Alexandrian school. In his devotional
Spurgeon reflects on Josh 2:21, “She bound the scarlet line in the window … ” by saying,
“This act of Rahab sets forth a yet more solemn lesson. Have I implicitly trusted in the
precious blood of Jesus? Have I tied the scarlet cord, as with a Gordian knot in my
window, so that my trust can never be removed?”29 In this devotional he uses the scarlet
cord as symbolic of the blood of Christ. Finally, Spurgeon used other methods of
preaching Christ from the Old Testament, such as, promise-fulfillment and typology.
Wilhelm Vischer, according to Greidanus, brings readers almost to the present
time. Vischer, unlike Spurgeon, was well-educated and produced a particularly important
volume of work entitled, The Witness of the Old Testament to Christ. Baker judges this
work as “a turning-point in the history of the interpretation of Scripture.”30 Vischer
argues for the unity of the Old and New Testaments via the name of Jesus Christ.
Greidanus writes, “The two main words of the Christian confession ‘Jesus is the
Christ’—the personal name ‘Jesus’ and the vocational name ‘Christ’—correspond to the
two parts of the Holy Scriptures: the New and the Old Testaments. The Old Testament
28
Charles H. Spurgeon, “Christ Precious to Believers,” sermon at Music Hall, Royal Surry
Gardens, London, March 13, 1859. Accessed on January 2, 2019,
http://www.romans45.org/spurgeon/sermons/0242.htm.
29
Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening: Daily Readings by C.H. Spurgeon (Ross-shire,
Scotland, UK: Christian Heritage, 1994), 232.
30
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tells us what the Christ is; the New, who he is.”31 Vischer used several methods of
Christological interpretation of the Old Testament: typology, link to a New Testament
text, link to the story of Jesus, and Christ the eternal Logos.32 Vischer’s use of the Old
Testament from which to preach Christ takes one back to the preaching method of Jesus
and the apostles.
Preaching Christ from the Book of Joshua
Review of David Helm’s Lecture
David Helm is executive director of the Charles Simeon Trust, serves as lead pastor of
the Hyde Park congregation of Holy Trinity Church in Chicago, and is a member of The
Gospel Coalition Council. On November 5–6, 2010, he gave a lecture entitled Preaching
Christ from Joshua. In this lecture, Helm offers two warnings on preaching Christ from
Joshua and points to errors that preachers make trying to force the gospel upon the text.
He also suggests three key underlying truths or patterns that come to light in Joshua.33
First, Helm warns against generalizing the text. As an example, he points to the
verse which states, “Go in and take possession of the land” (Josh 1:11). The modern
preacher should not generalize or universalize this to mean believers today should “take
some territory,” referring to a job, or mission field, or anything else. This particular verse
means only that Joshua was to specifically go in to the land of Canaan and take
possession of it.34
31
32
33
David Helm, “Preaching Christ from Joshua,” Princeton Regional Conference on Reformed
Theology at Miller Chapel at Princeton Theological Seminary, November 5, 2010, accessed January 2,
2019, https://simeontrust.org/preaching-christ-from-joshua.
34
Helm, “Preaching Christ from Joshua.”
67
Second, Helm warns against allegorizing. He specifically, in contradiction to both
Spurgeon and Jonathan Akin,35 says the scarlet cord does not point to the blood of Christ.
He asks, “What if the cord had been another color?” Interestingly, Robert Hubbard
connects the scarlet cord to hope. He writes, “The word ‘cord’ (tiqwah) may play on the
same-sounding word ‘hope’ (tiquah), as if—besides guiding Israel to her house—the
dangling rope symbolizes Rahab’s expectant hope of survival.”36 Nowhere does Hubbard
connect the scarlet cord to the cross or the blood of Christ. Greidanus concurs, writing,
“If the symbolism of an Old Testament incident or person is not perceived, or does not
exist, no line of typology can be drawn. Nor can the event be a type in a sense different
from its symbolic function in its Old Testament setting.”37 According to Greidanus, this
rule helps to eliminate illegitimate types. He writes,
For example, since the scarlet cord Rahab hung out her window in Jericho
did not function in the Old Testament as a symbol, this traditional ‘type’
cannot function as a type of the blood of Christ. On the other hand, the
blood of the Passover lamb did function in Old Testament times as a
symbol of God’s protection from the angel of death, and so it can
legitimately be understood as a type of Christ, our Passover Lamb, who
protects us from eternal death.38
Martin Woudstra supports Greidanus’ view.
Some of the Church Fathers considered the red cord that Rahab used as a
sign whereby she and her family would be spared from death to be a
symbol of the blood of Christ. Rahab herself was considered a symbol of
the Church, since she by her faith and kindness secured the safety of her
family. Typological connections of this sort must be handled with great
35
Jonathan Akin in email dated, August 9, 2017, writes “Scarlet thread is a type of the cross, not
because of the red only, but also because it is in the context of the first Passover observed in the land (Jos
5) and thus calls attention to the first Passover and the blood on the doorposts to avoid the death angel
which was about to pass through Jericho, but will pass over the house with the red cord.”
36
Robert L. Hubbard, Jr., The NIV Application Commentary: Joshua (Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
2009), 126–127.
37
Clowney quoted in Greidanus, Preaching Christ from the Old Testament, 258.
38
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care. Indeed, a real typological connection between the Testaments should
be recognized in the light of the Bible’s own consciousness…No mere
coincidence such as the sameness of the color or other externalities will
suffice.39
One must draw a real line of connection between the ‘type’ and that to which it typifies.
Helm also points to Josh 8:28–29, another text often abused by preachers: “So,
Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolate place. He hung the
king of Ai on a tree and left him there until evening … Joshua ordered them to take his
body from the tree and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And they raised a
large pile of rocks over it, which remains to this day.” Helm says that modern preachers
make the mistake of linking this text to Christ and his work on the cross: Jesus hung on a
tree, was taken down at sunset, and thrown into a rock with stones rolled in front of it.
They mistakenly declare this link the gospel from Joshua, failing to see that Joshua, the
Savior-Leader kills the king of Ai. Helms says, “It isn’t enough to read the Old
Testament and say, where is Jesus and how fast can I get to the cross?”40 Biblical
theology requires discipline on the part of the reader. One can’t merely ask, ‘Where is
Jesus?’”41 Wright concurs. He says that preachers should be very careful not to allegorize
a story from the Old Testament and turn small details into the main idea. Concerning the
defeat of Ai in Josh 8, Wright suggests connecting this story with Deut 21:22–23 that
anyone hung on a pole after being found guilty of sin was under God’s curse.42
According to Wright, this story needs to be placed in its preceding Old Testament context
39
Marten H. Woudstra, The New International Commentary of the Old Testament: The Book of
Joshua (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981), 75.
40
Helm, Preaching Christ from Joshua.
41
42
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to fully understand its meaning.43 Moreover, he adds, one may rightly connect this story
to Gal 3:13 where Paul states, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He did not
hang on a tree for his own sin, but to bear God’s wrath and judgment in man’s place.
Wright warns that Joshua 8 should not be treated as merely an allegory that is all about
Jesus.44 Modern preachers must avoid the danger of allegorizing small details of Old
Testament texts.
Helm puts forth two key questions the reader should ask the text to avoid
improper allegorizing: What difference does the Gospel make to my understanding of this
text? How does the death and resurrection of Jesus fulfill this text? He adds,
The Gospel can still be preached from Joshua 8:29, but not by putting the
cross forward in an exemplary way, but by putting forth the cross in an
ironic way: The enemies of God are killed and destroyed. And while in
Joshua, the Savior-Leader does that to the king of Ai, in the Gospel, it is
Joshua (Jesus) who fulfills both ends of this. He is the righteousness of
God through His obedience and victory, and He is the One who takes the
wrath of God and buries it. That is preaching the Gospel from Joshua.45
Helm suggests three key underlying truths or principles in Joshua. First, God keeps his
promise of land. God, the initiator, leads the effort. Helm says, “Whatever it means to
gain the inheritance of God’s promises, comes as a consequence of God’s work. All
God’s work!”46 The phrases, “I will give you the land,” “I will give them (your enemies)
into your hand,” and “I will fight for you” appear in various forms in Joshua 1:2–4; 8:7;
10:8, 14, 30, 42; 11:23; and 23:3. Similar to the Antiochian school, Helm encourages
preachers to read Joshua for what it says, on its own terms. He points to the literary
43
44
45
46
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tension found in the book. The writer speaks of fulfillment and completeness, yet
includes a tone of “not done yet!” Joshua did not defeat all of his enemies. Anakites
survived in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod. In Joshua 13:1–7, the Lord told Joshua “there are
still very large areas of land to be taken over.” In 15:63, the reader learns that “Judah
could not dislodge the Jebusites.” All the promises appear to be fulfilled, and yet, a need
still exists. Helms says,
There is a literary tension because the meta-narrative of the whole Bible is

that this is a pattern, yet to be fulfilled in complete rest, in complete
inheritance, that comes through Ephesians 1:9–12 given by Christ, where
you have the inheritance, or Hebrews 4 where if Joshua had given them a
rest there would not have been the need for the future rest.47
The modern preacher should read Joshua in the context of the whole Bible. When so
doing, these two threads, ‘fulfilled,’ but ‘not yet,’ come into focus, and reveal that Joshua
is part of the progressive revelation of God that finds its fulfillment later.
The second key principle in Joshua, according to Helm, is the Savior-Leader who
secures the fulfillment of the promise. The means by which the Israelites secure the land
comes down to the obedience of the one man, the Savior-Leader, Joshua. Joshua is the
one who secures God’s blessings by his obedience. The pronouns used throughout Joshua
are singular, not plural. In Rom 3:20 Paul writes, “Therefore no one will be declared
righteous in his sight by observing the law … .” Joshua is the one who through his own
obedience must secure the blessings of inheritance and rest. Here, Joshua is a type of
Christ. He provides a pattern or kind fulfilled in Christ. In Joshua 8:2, 3, 9, 10 and 18,
Joshua is the one who secures the victory over Ai. As Helm states, “The Divine-Warrior
47
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is the one who secures the rest.”48 Akin points to the name Joshua as a link to the Savior
King, the Deliverer found in the gospels, Jesus.49 ‘Iēsous is a transliteration of the
Hebrew, “Joshua,” meaning “Jehovah is salvation,” i.e., “is the Savior.”50 Jesus is the
One who delivers and saves his people and gives them their inheritance and their rest.
Akin links Joshua in Josh 1 to Christ. He says, “The Torah-meditating leader who drives
out nations is the one who gives home/rest to the people.”51 Akin goes on to connect the
man who meditates on Psalm 1 to the Messianic King of Psalm 2. The nations rage
against the Messiah of Psalm 1 and are dashed to pieces in Psalm 2. The Messiah is doing
this as the Savior-Leader-Warrior.
Akin points out that Joshua 3–4 serve as a link to Jesus. In these two chapters,
Israel crosses the Jordan from the east side to the west side. Jesus does the same at the
beginning of his saving/judging ministry in the Promised Land (cf. John 1:28—John
baptizing on east side). Jesus replays the movements of Israel to show he’s the new
Joshua.52
Helm warns that Joshua should not always be connected or equated to Jesus. For
example, in Josh 5:13–15, the people are ready to take the land, but Joshua is not. He is
not prepared to lead. The Scripture states:
Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing
in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and
asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”
48
49
Jonathan Akin, as stated in an email to the project director, August 9, 2017.
50
W. E. Vine, Merrill, F. Unger, and William White, Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary
(Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1996), 333.
51
52
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“Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have
now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence and
asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”
The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals for the
place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so (Josh 5:13–15).
The problem with Joshua in this text is that he does not know before whom he stands.
Who is this man with a drawn sword? Helm says he is a complicated figure in the Old
Testament because he is a man, he is the commander of the Lord’s army, he evokes
respect and he demands worship.53 Helm links this text back to Exod 23:20–33, “See, I
am sending an angel ahead of you …” (Exod 23:20). The Angel of the Lord appears
numerous times throughout the Old Testament, such as, Gen 16 (with Hagar), Gen 22
(with Isaac), Gen 32 (with Jacob), Exod 33:1–3 (the Lord speaks to Moses), Judges 6
(with Gideon) Num 22 (with Balaam), 1 Chron 21 (with David), and here in Josh 5.
Wayne Grudem teaches that these theophanies indicate appearances of God in the Old
Testament.54 In Gen 12:4, 7; 15:3, 17; 17:1; 22 and 26, the Lord makes several
appearances. Helm describes this one as “the prefiguration of the incarnate Christ.”55 He
is both distinct from God, and yet, he is at unity in essence with God. As the commander
of the Lord’s army, he is personally distinct as the ruler of God’s army, and yet, demands
worship and allegiance. In Josh 5, Joshua stands before the preincarnate Christ. Joshua
does not see him as a baby in a manger, but as a ruler bearing a sword. Helm links this
appearance to that of Jesus’ appearance in Rev 1. His appearance causes John to fall
down as though dead. This should remind the reader of Joshua’s response as he fell on
53
54
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1994), 189.
55
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his face and worshipped this one bearing the sword. And the Lord responds, “Take off
your sandals for the place where you are standing is holy” (Josh 5:15). Helm links this
back to Exod 3:5, where the Lord commands Moses similarly. One should read Joshua,
like any book or text in the Bible, with the whole Bible in mind.
The third pattern seen in Joshua, according to Helm, is that outsiders are the first
to inherit the fulfillment of the promise. In summary, God leads, the Savior secures, and
the outsider will inherit before the insider. Hubbard biblically defines “an ‘outsider’ as
someone who stands outside Israel (in the Old Testament) or the kingdom of God (in the
New Testament). They do not belong to God’s inner circle of special relationship—his
chosen people—and hence are not party to what he is doing with the latter.”56 In Josh 1,
the reader learns that God plans to destroy all the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, and
in turn, give the land to his people. In Josh 2, the gentile prostitute, Rahab, is included in
the promise ahead of the Hebrews. In Josh 13 and 14, after the two and a half tribes have
received their allotment of land, Caleb, a Kenizzite, is the first to be given the land west
of the Jordan. In Gen 15:9, the reader discovers that the Kenizzites were included among
the people of Canaan, the enemies of God. Helm says, “Caleb, the outsider, is the first to
inherit the land.”57 Somewhere, Caleb’s ancestors found their way into the family of God.
Not only does Rahab and her family, as outsiders, receive the land first, and not
only does Caleb and his clan inherit the land first; but now, in Josh 9–10, the Gibeonites
receive the inheritance of the land. A subtle hint points to this in Josh 8:35: “There was
not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole
56
Hubbard, Joshua, 134.
57
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assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the aliens (‘strangers,’ KJV;
‘sojourners,’ ESV) who lived among them.” These aliens—Egyptians—came out of
Egypt with the Hebrews at the time of the exodus (Exod 12:38). God had not yet driven
out all the enemies of the Israelites, and he included some as heirs of the promise.
Hubbard writes, “Moses’ teaching authorizes the participation of aliens in Israel’s
worship life—Sabbaths (Ex 20:10), Passover (Ex 12:19, 48, 49), and other major festivals
(Deut 16:10-14; 26:10–11).”58 Nelson adds, “This shows—as does the story of Rahab—
that Israel’s faith was not a closed system; it was open to outsiders.”59 Later, these same
aliens will receive protection in the cities of refuge.
The Gibeonites discover a loophole in Deut 20 where God instructs Joshua to sign
a peace or covenantal treaty with those outside the land if they are willing. God had
marked the Gibeonites for judgment because they lived inside the land. Hubbard writes,
“Like Rahab, they stand condemned—not under herem for being Canaanite, of course,
but under God’s eternal judgment for their sin and rebellion.”60 The Gibeonites, however,
use deception to move Joshua to sign a treaty of peace. How do these people who have
been marked out for judgment save themselves from God’s wrath? They cut a covenant
with God’s Savior King and Ruler. In Josh 9:15 one reads, “Then Joshua made a treaty of
peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.” In
light of this, Helms writes that hope exists for those marked for judgment. He exclaims,
58
59
Richard D. Nelson, Joshua (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1997), 118.
60
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“Yes! Make a covenant with the Savior King!”61 Hubbard points to Eph 2:11–13 for the
answer:
Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and
called ‘uncircumcised’ by those who call themselves ‘the circumcision’
(that done in the body by the hands of men)—remember that at that time
you were separate form Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and
foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God
in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have
been brought near through the blood of Christ.
The ministry of Jesus reached outsiders, Gentiles like Rahab, and brought them into the
Kingdom of God. In John 4, Jesus offered living water to the Samaritan woman. In Luke
4, Jesus mentions that there were many in Israel who suffered from leprosy, but Elijah
was sent to a Syrian woman from Zarephath. In Matt 15:21–28, Jesus showed mercy to a
Canaanite woman’s prayer and granted her request. In Matt 21:31, Jesus says, “I tell you
the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of
you.”
In Joshua 19, the reader learns that Joshua himself is the last one to get his
allotment of land. He writes, “When they had finished dividing the land into its allotted
portions, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among them as the Lord
had commanded” (Josh 19:49–50). After everyone else has received his allotment,
Joshua, the one responsible for securing the land, finally has the joy of his own
inheritance.
61
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Other Key Links to the Gospel Found in Joshua
Joshua 1:13, a key verse in Joshua, declares that “The Lord your God is giving you
(Joshua) rest and has granted you this land.” Hubbard writes, “The language of ‘rest’
evokes for the Transjordanian tribes the hope that all the tribes cherished and which
Deuteronomy nourished (i.e., Deut. 12:30; 25:19). To ‘enjoy rest’ means finally to settle
in peace and security—truly to be serenely ‘home’ at last—after years of migration,
struggle, and war.”62 Joshua offered an incomplete rest to which the writer of Hebrews
alludes: “For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about
another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God …” (Heb 4:8–9).
The Hebrews text serves as a reminder of one of the patterns that runs throughout the
Bible—promises fulfilled, but not fully yet. Hebrews 11:13 adds emphasis to this truth:
“All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the
things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.” Akin
reiterates that Jesus is the one who gives true rest in a new home.63
In Joshua 2, the reader confronts one of the most fascinating characters in the
Bible—Rahab. As earlier alluded, Rahab, the prostitute, serves as an example of
egregious sinners who find themselves included in the family of God. Hubbard links
Joshua 2 to Matthew 1, Hebrews 11, and James 2 where Rahab is included in the lineage
of Christ and where she serves as an example of faith, obedience, good works, and
righteousness.64
62
63
Akin, as stated in an email to the project director, August 9, 2017.
64
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Joshua 3 and 4 should be linked as they both deal with the crossing of the
Jordan.65 In Chapter 3, the ark of the covenant comes to the forefront as the Lord instructs
Joshua and the people not to come near it. Hubbard writes, “Here it symbolizes Yahweh’s
royal presence with Israel and his sovereign leadership of the coming invasion.”66
Tremper Longman and David Garland expound on this truth, writing, “The repeated
mention of the ark of the covenant is significant. It highlights the presence of Yahweh in
the midst of his people during this miraculous event and serves as a constant reminder of
the covenant he established with his people at Mount Horeb (Sinai).”67 The ark’s
centrality, mentioned nine times in this chapter, to the Jordan crossing reminds the reader
of God’s presence, of his witness to the people and serves as a ‘divine compass.’68
Moreover, the ark serves as a link to Jesus in the New Testament who promised: “And
surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt 28.20) and to God who
said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Heb 13:5). “Already during the
OT period their (the Israelites) minds would be ‘raised to Christ,’ who, typically, had
accompanied them on their trek through the desert (1 Cor 10:4) and who, in the symbol
of the ark, had stood by them in the death-like experience of Jordan’s crossing until they
were safe on the other side.”69 One cannot overemphasize the importance of the Ark as a
significant type of Christ in the book of Joshua.
65
Woudstra, The Book of Joshua, 77.
66
67
Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Numbers–
Ruth (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012), 875–876.
68
Longman, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Numbers–Ruth, 878.
69
Woudstra, The Book of Joshua, 88–89.
78
The warning to “keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the
ark; do not go near it” (Josh 3:4) serves as a link to Exo 19:12, 21 and 22, where Moses
warned the Israelites not to come near the mountain of God. Further, the text points to the
holiness of God which explains why Joshua instructs the people to “Consecrate
themselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you” (Josh 3:5).70 That
Yahweh will soon do marvels “among you” promises the close proximity of his holy
presence, and that puts sinful Israel at great risk. The threat is that “the Lord will break
out against them” (Ex. 19:22).71 Not only were the Israelites to consecrate themselves,
but they were to set up stones of remembrance. They erected these stones to cultivate the
fear of God and motivate the Israelites to obedience (Josh 4:24b).72 This, to some, may
bring about a theological conflict between the angry God of the Old Testament and the
loving God of the New Testament.73 However, the fear of God is a basic theological
expectation found throughout both Testaments. God tested Abraham to see if he truly
feared Him (Gen 22:12). Jesus warned his disciples, “Do not be afraid of those who kill
the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul
and body in hell” (Matt 10:28). Moreover, Peter commands Christians to “fear God” (1
Pet 2:17).
The twelve stones erected by the Israelites at Gilgal were to remind future
generations of what God had done there. James Hamilton explains,
The display of Yahweh’s power in Israel’s crossing of the Jordan is

marked with twelve memorial stones to this mighty act of Yahweh (Jos
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71
72
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4:1–9). These twelve stones will help the Israelites pass down the story of
Yahweh’s power when the children ask what they are (4:6, 21), and there
is an explicit comparison to what Yahweh did at the Red Sea (4:23).74
The command to remember the mighty deeds of the Lord appears throughout Scripture.75
Moses commanded the Israelites to “remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the
Lord your God redeemed you” (Deut 15:15). Joshua continues this tradition and instructs
Israel to remind future generations of the miraculous crossing of the Jordan. Longman
writes, “In the same manner, Christians must never forget the mighty works of the Lord
and the miracles God has performed on their behalf. They are responsible to teach them
from one generation to the next, until the end of time.”76 At the Last Supper, Jesus
declared, “This is my body given for you; Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).
Hubbard explains, “In short, the observance of the Lord’s Supper is the prime way in
which we remember the ‘amazing things’ God has done.”77 Finally, Paul instructed future
generations to remember what Christ had done (1 Cor 11:24).
In Chapter 5, the Israelites find themselves camped at Gilgal, apparently prepared
to attack and conquer Jericho. However, two ‘militarily strange,’ but necessary,
preparations, or ceremonies, must precede the attack: circumcision (Josh 5:2) and
Passover (Josh 5:10).78 The Israelites must be prepared spiritually for the coming attack
of Jericho.79 Preparation begins with the circumcision ceremony reminiscent of the rite
established by Yahweh as the sign of the covenant with Abraham’s descendants (Gen
74
James M. Hamilton, Jr. God’s Glory in Salvation Through Judgment (Wheaton: Crossway,
2010), 147.
75
Longman, Numbers–Ruth, 888.
76
Longman, Numbers–Ruth, 888.
77
78
79
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17:10–14) and the symbol of Israel’s unique identity as the people of God.80 This ritual
marks this new generation, who were not yet circumcised, as God’s covenant people and
prepared them spiritually to take the land. That they are ready becomes evident when the
Lord says to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you” (Josh
5:9). The observance of Passover marks the second necessary religious rite. Passover
points back to the Exodus when the death angel passed over (Exod 12). This Passover
points to a new beginning for their national life in the Promised Land.81 Furthermore, this
Passover provides a foreshadowing of the Cross and the Lord’s Supper.82
In Joshua 5:13–15, as Joshua wanders toward the city of Jericho, suddenly, a
mysterious man appears bearing a sword. Joshua must determine if he is friend or foe.
What he discovers moves him to worship as before him stands the “commander of the
Lord’s army.” This text represents a theophany, or appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ.
Akin links this to Genesis 3 where the angel with a sword blocks anyone from entering
Eden.83 This man with the drawn sword stands to the east of the land, at its entrance,
creating an intriguing connection between the land Israel is crossing over to possess, and
the land from which Adam and Eve were expelled.84 As the commander of Yahweh’s
army, he no longer bars the way to Eden. Instead, he commissions Joshua to lead his
people into the land. Akin states, “Jesus is the true re-entry to paradise because at his
death the veil to the holy of holies, which has Cherubim woven into it to signal block
80
81
82
Akin, in an email to the project director, August 9, 2017.
83
Akin, in an email to the project director, August 9, 2017.
84
Hamilton, God’s Glory in Salvation Through Judgment, 148.
81
from paradise/access to God is torn.”85 Hubbard points out the significance of chapter 5
in laying “out Israel’s transition to the land and preparations for doing Yahweh’s war.”86
Chapter 5 ends with the arrival of Yahweh and his invisible army. This sets the stage for
the coming battles ahead.
In chapter 6, the reader learns the details of the first victory in their new land, the
destruction of Jericho. One should note the repetition of the phrase “things devoted to
destruction” (herem). The Hebrew word, herem, used in this chapter six times (Josh 6:17,
18, 21), refers to “a city, [or things], devoted to destruction. It was destined to be in ruins,
in a poor habitable condition, until Yahweh allowed its rebuilding. The ruin may have
served as a memorial of God’s judgment on the sins of the Canaanite’s.”87 This utter and
complete destruction may appear to some as unjust. However, Hamilton argues,
The theological center of the Prophets is the glory of God in salvation

through judgment … The total destruction of the inhabitants of the land is
just only if the deity who calls for such a measure is worthy of all honor
… But Yahweh’s policies are not like those of mere men, whose
importance does not warrant the slaughter of their opponents. Nor is this a
kind of immature self-centered phase that Yahweh eventually grows out of
when he decides to be nice and send his Son, Jesus. Rather, the ban on the
Canaanites heralds the infinite majesty of the justice of Yahweh, whose
holiness demands perfect loyalty, whose worth is such that anything less
than absolute allegiance defiles unto death. The conquest of Canaan enacts
the glory of God’s justice against those who look to worthless things to be
for them what only God can be for them.88
Hubbard links this physical battle for Jericho to the spiritual battle all Christians face:
The final theme which Joshua 5–6 speaks to us concerns the unpleasant
fact that we are not at peace but at war, the Jesus war … The enemies of
the gospel comprise a vast, truly cruel and truly tyrannical foe with vast
85
Jonathan Akin, in an email to the project director, August 9, 2017.
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Longman, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, 899.
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Hamilton, God’s Glory in Salvation Through Judgment, 140–142.
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strength (Eph 6:12). They are spiritual powers that cruelly enslave human
beings and which, if unconquered, doom their captives to terrible eternal
punishment.89
Paul alludes to this spiritual battle in Ephesians 6. Jesus, the Warrior-King was sent into
the world to defeat our enemy, Satan, which he accomplished at the cross. Hubbard
writes, “The cross and the resurrection mark Jesus’ most decisive victory … At Calvary
and the empty tomb God through Christ decisively defeated humanity’s bitterest enemies,
sin and death (Col 2:15).”90 Moreover, as the Israelites required spiritual preparation,
before entering the battlefield of Canaan, so too do Christ’s followers. Circumcision and
Passover were two stages in their spiritual preparation. The physical circumcision of the
Israelites points to the spiritual circumcision of the New Testament (Rom 2:25–29).
Passover points to the cross where Jesus Christ bore the wrath of God in the place of
sinners (Isa 53; 1 Cor 5:7; Heb 9). With circumcised hearts and with the covering of the
blood of Christ, Christians are prepared to engage in this great cosmic war.
Achan’s sin, in Joshua 7, reveals how sin, even hidden sin, affects others. In
Achans sin, the Israelites sinned: “But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the
devoted things; Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of
Judah, took some of them. So, the Lord’s anger burned against Israel” (Josh 7:1).
Hubbard writes, “In response, Yahweh visits judgment on Israel at the hand of the
Canaanites (7:2–5) When Yahweh dried the waters of the Jordan, the hearts of the people
of the land melted (5:1). When the anger of Yahweh burns against Israel because of
Achan’s sin (7:1), the hearts of the men of Israel melted (7:5).”91 God sees Achan’s sin as
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the sin of Israel (Josh 7:11). God calls for the destruction of his people unless they
destroy whatever is among them that is devoted to destruction (7:12). Thus, Achan and
his entire family, along with all of his cattle and sheep, and all of his gold and silver are
stoned, burned and piled into a heap. Then, and only then, did the Lord’s anger subside.
Hubbard explains, “The stones … remind Israel that they are by nature not a collection of
individuals but a community—a fragile, carefully woven fabric in which disobedience by
one thread strains or tears at the integrity of the whole.”92 This truth points to the first sin
committed by Adam and Eve that brought death and guilt to the whole world (Rom 5:12).
God’s holiness and majesty makes this stoning just. Hamilton writes, “For this to be just,
the greatness of Yahweh must be such that trusting in what one can see, rather than what
Yahweh has said, is a crime that warrants forfeiture of life. The ancient Israelites were
not a barbaric, bloodthirsty people, but Yahweh is a God whose holiness is a consuming
fire.”93 Achan, from the tribe of Judah, dies to save Israel. He dies for his sins, but Jesus,
from the tribe of Judah, dies for the sins of the world to save his people.94 One final
thought, Achan’s secret sin, though unseen to the Israelites, was seen by God. As stated
by the writer of Hebrews, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything
is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb
4:13).
In Chapters 8 through 10, several important links to the glory and majesty of God
revealed through judgment emerge: the covenantal renewal at Mount Ebal points to the
importance of God’s word and its ultimate fulfillment; the Gibeonite deception reveals
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94
Jonathan Akin, in an email to the project director, August 9, 2017.
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how Gentiles experience the glory of God in salvation through judgment; and, the defeat
of the Amorite kings by Joshua, and the subjugation of the five kings, points to God’s
power and majesty in the destruction of evil. At the covenantal renewal in Joshua 8,
Joshua reads “all of the word of the law—the blessings and the curses—just as it is
written in the Book of the Law” (8:34). These words serve as a reminder that obedience
to God’s word brings blessings, whereas disobedience leads to curses. Moreover, God’s
judgment points to the fulfillment of his word and that it never returns void (Isa 55:10–
11). All of God’s Word must be fulfilled, and it is ultimately fulfilled in Christ. Jesus
said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come
to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear,
not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the
Law until everything is accomplished” (Matt 5:18–19). Woudstra comments concerning
the fulfillment of God’s word:
Again the author is concerned to stress the faithful execution on Joshua’s

part of what the Lord had spoken to Moses. This is meant to endorse
Joshua’s leadership. It also indicates that the taking of the land must be
seen as the fulfillment of the divine word spoken to Moses.95
The promise of land, along with its taking, points to the promised eternal home, the better
country, and the coming new city (Heb 11:13–16).96
The fear of God combined with the fear of the Israelites provokes the Gibeonites
to subject themselves both to Israel and to the Yahweh. Hamilton suggests that in their
reading “all the words of Torah,” the people, including the Gentile Gibeonites, are
95
Woudstra, The Book of Joshua, 199.
96
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motivated to trust and obey and enjoy the blessing of Yahweh’s saving glory.97 These
Gentiles, saved through judgment, not only keep their lives, but are saved to serve at the
house and altar of Yahweh.98 The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 9:11);
Jesus uses the judgment of God to motivate men to salvation (Matt 10:28). Finally, the
enemies of God, represented by the five kings, are forced to kneel before Joshua, just as
the enemies of God will be forced to kneel before Jesus and confess him as Lord one day
(Phil 2:10–11).
Through these judgments on the enemies of God, God displays his power and
justice, salvation comes to Gibeon, the leaders of Israel make these very enemies their
footstool, and through it all, God is glorified.99 The book of Joshua reveals how God
fights for his people again and again. In Joshua 11, God tells Joshua not to fear, delivers
his enemies into his hands, and finally, announces that Joshua “took the entire land”
(11:16–23).
In Chapters 13–19, Joshua divides the land among the tribes of Israel. As Helm
noted earlier, the pattern seen in Joshua is one of fulfillment, but not fully yet. Hamilton
picks up on this same theme as he points to “a series of notes [that are struck] in an
ominous minor key. These dark elements of the music give a sense of foreboding to the
conquest of the land, and the unease created by these features is realized in the book of
Judges.”100 Several times in these chapters statements surface that point to the presence of
the enemies of God in their midst (13:13; 15:63; 16:10; 17:11–13). Joshua failed to drive
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them all out. Thus, near the time of his death (23:14), Joshua warns his people (23:7, 12)
concerning the polluting influence of the wicked enemies around them. Similarly, in the
on-going cosmic spiritual battle, Jesus warned his disciples that he was sending them out
like sheep among wolves (Matt 10:16). One of these wolves, Satan, comes in the form of
a roaring lion (1 Pet 5:8). Hamilton writes, “Just as Adam was tempted in Eden by the
serpent, so Israel will be tempted in the land by these seed of the serpent, the remnants of
the peoples of the land.”101 Christians find themselves engaged in a spiritual battle that
involves countless temptations, countless seed of the serpent, and a powerful force in
Satan. In Eph 6:16, Paul exhorts believers to “take up the shield of faith, with which you
can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
In Joshua 23, Joshua summons the elders and the leaders to remind them of all
God had done, to assure them that he will continue to fight for them, to charge them to be
strong and courageous, and to be careful to obey the Book of the Law of Moses.
Otherwise, they face God’s judgment.102 In Joshua 24, Joshua summons all the people to
present themselves before God at Shechem. There, as a prophet, he exhorts them to “fear
the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers
worshiped” (Josh 24:14). As prophet, he commands the people to “yield your hearts to
the Lord, the God of Israel” (14:23).
The Israelites crossed into the land in obedience to and by the power of the word
of God.103 God gave this land to them through the judgment of the inhabitants of the land,
the Canaanites. God receives glory in salvation through judgment in the past, present, and
101
102
103
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future. Paul writes of the present judgment of the world, “The wrath of God is being
revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress
the truth by their wickedness” (Rom 1:18). God receives glory as people come to Christ
by faith through this on-going judgment. This glory in salvation through judgment is
fulfilled now, but not fully yet. More is coming. John points to the coming glory of God
as judgment will be meted out against the wicked according to Revelation as the seven
bowls of God’s wrath unfold. John writes in Revelation: “Then I heard the angel in
charge of the waters say: ‘You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were,
the Holy One, because you so judged; for they have shed the blood of your saints and
prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.’ And I heard the altar
(Rev 6:9–10) respond: ‘Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments” (Rev
16:5–7). In Rev 19, the roar of a great multitude is heard in heaven shouting: “Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments”
(Rev 19:1–2). Hamilton writes, “the ending of the book (Joshua) points beyond itself to
more of the same.”104 The pattern of fulfilled, but not yet, points to the final and complete
fulfillment of God’s word in Revelation as the wicked are fully and completely judged,
and as God’s people take the land fully, and enjoy complete rest forever (Rev 21–22).
104
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CHAPTER 4
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Introduction
In this chapter the project director presents a comprehensive, step-by-step process for the
development of The Men’s Study (TMS) at Edenton Street United Methodist Church
(ESUMC), along with the study guide he used and the Christ-centered sermons on
Joshua. The project director followed five key steps. First, he located a site for TMS.
Second, he selected an assistant teacher, administrative staff, and mature believers to
serve as small group leaders. Third, he chose a Bible-based, theologically conservative
study guide to be used for the study. Fourth, he developed a series of seventeen
expositional sermons on Joshua that demonstrate how to preach the gospel from an Old
Testament book. Finally, he developed pre and post-test spiritual surveys to be given out
at the beginning and end of the study of Joshua.
In January of 2006, Robert Boone, board member of Finding Purpose and
member of ESUMC, approached the project director and asked if he would be willing to
lead and teach a men’s Bible study at his church. At the time, Finding Purpose, the
ministry the project director established shortly after graduating from SEBTS in May
2003, was about three years old. The primary ministry efforts consisted of several
morning Bible studies attended by local businessmen and led by the project director.
Additionally, the project director taught and led an evening co-ed Bible Study at Christ
Baptist Church that was attended by about 150 men and women.
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After prayer and consultation with the directors of Finding Purpose, the project
director informed Boone that he would lead and teach a second evening Bible study, the
proposed men’s Bible study at ESUMC. But first, Boone needed to secure the approval of
the senior pastor of ESUMC, Roger Elliott. At that meeting Elliott expressed an interest
in the development of this study and his willingness to host it at ESUMC. However, he
requested a meeting with the project director before giving his final approval. That
meeting took place in spring 2006. At the meeting, the project director and Elliott
discovered their primary theological beliefs were in line with each other. Moreover,
Elliott expressed his personal desire to reach men with the gospel at his church, ESUMC.
The Men’s Study was approved and began its first meeting in September 2006 with a
study entitled, “How to Be a Christian Without Being Religious,” on the book of
Romans. ESUMC offers an excellent venue for The Men’s Study given its location in the
heart of downtown Raleigh, its available parking, its numerous classrooms needed for the
small groups, and its sizeable conference room, known as Kerr Hall, with a seating
capacity of approximately 400.
Given the project director’s assertion of the need to reach men who attend liberal
denominations with the gospel, ESUMC serves as the prefect venue. Presently, forces
within the United Methodist Church push this denomination further and further away
from the truths contained in Scripture concerning the issue of gay marriage and the
inerrancy of Scripture.1 ESUMC, in essence, offers a safe place for members of other
1
Mary Jacobs, National Catholic Reporter, “United Methodists debate, lobby and worry in
advance of LGBT decision,” August 3, 2018, https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/united-methodists-
debate-lobby-and-worry-advance-lgbt-decision. (See Chapter Five Project Analysis, Summary of Results,
footnote 4, p. 118.)
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liberal denominations to attend. The project director believes God strategically opened
this door in order to reach men who might not otherwise be reached with the message of
the Gospel (Acts 16:6–10; 1 Cor 16:9).
After securing the location for TMS, the project director met with several men to
pray about who would best serve as the assistant teacher, the administrative staff, and the
small group leaders. The assistant teacher stands in for the teacher in his absence due to
sickness or for any other reason. Given this responsibility, it was paramount to select an
assistant with a sound, conservative theological understanding of Scripture. The project
director met with Jim Briggs, a man sound in his theological understanding due to his
many years studying the Bible via Bible Study Fellowship (BSF).2 The project director
spent twenty years in BSF before attending seminary at SEBTS. He used the BSF model
in developing TMS, which consists of the participants breaking up into small groups to
study the particular Bible text for a given week. Once the small group time concludes, all
participants gather in a large meeting room, such as a sanctuary, or fellowship hall, for a
lecture on the same text.
After selecting the assistant teacher, the project director, along with the assistant
teacher, chose four godly men to serve on the executive staff. The project director
charged these men with several tasks: keeping a record of attendance, sending out weekly
emails containing pertinent information to all participants, printing study guides,
collecting monies and paying bills, and other minor tasks. Next, the staff selected small
group leaders based upon their experience in previous Bible studies and their reputation
2
Statement of Faith for BSF, https://www.bsfinternational.org/about/statement-of-faith, 2019.
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as godly men (1 Tim 3:1–7). Finally, the project director chose a worship leader to lead
the men in worship when they gathered in Kerr Hall.
After prayerfully selecting the leadership team for TMS, the next stage in the
development of the study included the actual study guide. Given the project director’s
experience in BSF and his commitment to studying books of the Bible, he developed a
study guide to lead men through a book of the Bible verse by verse. For the first year
(2006–2007), the project director chose Romans as the book of the Bible to study, and he
developed the commentary and questions. As stated previously, the project director
desired to improve his skill in preaching from the Old Testament. Thus, for this project
(2017–2018), he chose Joshua as the book to study. Additionally, he chose the Disciplers
Bible Studies (DBS) as the source for the study guide on Joshua. Pearl Hamilton
developed DBS. Hamilton worked for years alongside A. Wetherell Johnson, the
commentator and developer of the BSF notes and questions. Like BSF, DBS offers
conservative, Bible-based studies.3 The study guide for Joshua contained seventeen
individual lessons that guided the men through the twenty-four chapters of the book.
The fourth stage of this project involved the development of seventeen
expositional sermons on Joshua’s twenty-four chapters. Tony Merida states, “Expository
preaching as a sermon form means to preach ‘verse by verse’ instead of preaching ‘verse
with verse.’ With this classification, only sermons that move through a particular passage
are considered as expository.”4 Merida goes on to define expository preaching: “[It] is the
3
Pearl Hamilton, Disciplers Bible Studies, http://www.disciplersonline.org/statement-of-
faith.html. 1994.
4
Tony Merida, Faithful Preaching (Nashville: B&H, 2009), 7.
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exegetical and Spirit-driven process of explaining and applying the meaning of a
particular text or texts for the purpose of transforming people into the image of Christ.”5
According to Jerry Vines and Jim Shaddix, “The road to exposition begins with careful
exegesis. This can be defined as the procedure one follows for discovering the Holy
Spirit’s intent in a Bible passage.”6 Vines and Shaddix explain that “careful exegesis”
(drawing out the right meaning) “leads to good hermeneutics” (interpretation of
Scripture); “Careful and good hermeneutics equip the expositor to practice homiletics”
(saying the same thing the text says); and finally, “When sermon delivery is added to this
whole process of exegesis, hermeneutics, and homiletics, the result can be described as
exposition.”7 The project director followed these guidelines in the development of his
sermons.
For proper exegetical analysis, the project director selected two primary
commentaries: Robert Hubbard’s Joshua and Michael Youseff’s devotional commentary,
Joshua. These two commentaries offered both a scholarly and pastoral perspective on
Joshua. Additionally, the commentary in the DBS guide on Joshua, developed by
Hamilton, provided another perspective on the text. After prayerfully reading the text
each week, the project director first determined the big idea of the text. Merida calls the
big idea of the text “the main point of the text (M.P.T.).”8 According to Merida, “The
M.P.T. is a past tense statement about what the text meant in its historical context. [On
the other hand] the main point of the sermon (M.T.S.) is the essence of the sermon in a
5
6
Jerry Vines and Jim Shaddix, Power in the Pulpit (Chicago: Moody, 1999), 27.
7
Vines, Power in the Pulpit, 28.
8
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sentence. [It] is a present or future tense application of the M.P.T. stated in a single
sentence.”9 For example, the sermon for Joshua 110 was entitled, “The Lord is our
Salvation!” a play on the word, Joshua, which means, “The Lord is our salvation!”
Around this big idea, the project director developed a skeletal outline from which to build
the sermon. The outline consisted of two commands and two promises:
Command 1: Get ready to cross over.
Promise 1: I (God) will be with you!
Command 2: Read my Word (the Bible) and obey it!
Promise 2: When you cross over, I (the Lord) will give you rest!
The project director followed the text in building the sermon around this outline.
He utilized illustrations, cross-references, rhetorical questions, applications, typology,
explanations and illustrations to develop an expositional sermon on Joshua 1. This
example typifies the manner in which the project director developed sermons each week.
The discovery of each chapter’s position along the redemptive narrative that runs
throughout Scripture became one of the primary goals. Additionally, the project director
attempted each week to find the link in Joshua to the gospel of Jesus Christ, to the
ultimate destination of every believer, reward in heaven, and to the ultimate destination
of every unbeliever, judgment in hell. In Joshua 1, the project director showed how the
redemptive narrative, found throughout the Old Testament, includes the promise of land.
This narrative began with the promise to Abraham and his descendants in Genesis 12, 15,
17, and 22. The project director linked this promise to Abraham to Joshua 1, and to its
9
10
See Appendix B.
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ultimate and complete fulfillment in Christ in heaven. In summary, prayerfully
determining the big idea, using the tools of exegesis, hermeneutics and homiletics,
building a skeletal outline around this idea based on the flow of the text, and then using
illustrations, questions, and applications to complete the sermon, provides the working
model for proper exposition utilized for this project.
The final stage of development for this project involved the creation of pre- and
post-tests. These tests, or surveys, served to evaluate the effectiveness of the project
director’s preaching to TMS. The pre-test was given at the very beginning of the study of
Joshua to evaluate the spiritual condition of each of the participants. Second, the post-test
was given at the end of the study of Joshua, after the final sermon had been preached, to
ascertain any changes in the spiritual condition of the participants. Then, the spiritual
tests, surveys, were divided into two groups: those participants who attend liberal
denominations, such as the United Methodist Church, the Catholic Church, the
Presbyterian Church, USA, and the Episcopalian Church. The second group consisted of
all the other denominations that adhere to a conservative, evangelical theology, such as,
the Southern Baptist Church. Chapter Five will report the evaluation data, provide an
overall evaluation of the results of these tests, address the strengths and weaknesses of
the project, and offer conclusions drawn from the experience.
Synopsis of Sermons Given to TMS on Joshua
Introductory Sermons
The study of Joshua began on Tuesday evening, September 12, 2017. The first two weeks
of the study required introductory messages to Joshua to give the men some background
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concerning how the Hebrews found themselves at the edge of Canaan. The first sermon
entitled A Man’s Last Words!, based on Deut 30:11–20, revealed how Moses, knowing
that his life was coming to an end, set before the Israelites a choice: obey God and enjoy
his blessings, or disobey God and face his wrath and judgment. Moses spoke to his
people and gave them a choice with consequences. The main sermon idea was that God
has spoken to the world and given us a similar choice with eternal consequences. The
project director built his sermon around three truths: 1) God has spoken, 2) God has given
us a choice, and 3) Our choice has eternal consequences. In the sermon, he showed how
the Israelites turned away from God and bore his judgment. In the conclusion, he linked
the text to 2 Peter 3:9 which reveals God’s patience and desire for all men to come to
repentance.
The second introductory sermon was entitled “Moses—A Great Man in the Eyes
of God!” In this sermon, the project director explained true faith by looking at the man
Moses. God had a purpose for Moses just as he does for everyone (Jer 29:11–13). The
first step in knowing God’s will for one’s life, and the first step in becoming a great man
in the eyes of God, is to seek God with all his heart. If a man surrenders his life to Jesus
and follows God with all his heart, he will be a great man, like Moses, in the eyes of God!
From Deut 34:1–2, the project director structured the sermon around two key qualities
that God wants to see in a man—a believing heart and an obedient will. The project
director used Moses’ faith as an example of Biblical faith and linked this to Hebrews 11.
Moses served as a great example of a man who exhibited genuine biblical faith. The
project director put forth nine aspects of genuine biblical faith exemplified in Moses:
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1) Biblical faith is evidenced by obedience!
2) Biblical faith is costly!
3) Biblical faith fears God more than man!
4) Biblical faith gives sight to the blind!
5) Biblical faith looks ahead to its reward!
6) Biblical faith is certain and confident!
7) Biblical faith rests upon solid evidence!
8) Biblical faith is a personal faith!
9) Biblical faith brings the certainty of eternal life!
Given the presence of so many men who attend liberal churches or no church, the project
director desired to establish the gospel message clearly in these opening introductory
messages. On the third week, September 26, 2017, he turned his attention to the book of
Joshua.
Joshua 1
The title and main sermon point for this chapter was “The Lord is Our Salvation!” The
project director’s outline consisted of two commands and two promises: Command 1: Get
ready to cross over! Promise 1: I (God) will be with you! Command 2: Read my Word
(the Bible) and obey it! Promise 2: When you cross over I (the Lord) will give you rest!
The big idea pointed to the truth that God desires to give everyone a permanent home
where his people have eternal rest forever. A link to the gospel came by way of a
question: How can you be ready to cross over into heaven? The answer is you must
receive Jesus into your heart by faith (John 1:12). If you are in Christ, this earth is not
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your home. Heaven is your home. The project director ended with the question, are you
ready to cross over (Rev 21:1–5)?
Joshua 2
The title and main sermon point for this chapter was the question, “What is Saving
Faith?” The project director developed an outline revealing four aspects of saving faith:
Saving faith begins with hearing; hearing leads to knowledge; knowledge must be
accompanied by trust; trust is always verified by action. He used Rahab as an example of
faith being born in her heart by hearing, knowing, trusting and acting. Additionally, the
project director offered several considerations concerning God’s judgment and
established a link between the wrath about to be poured out on Canaan to the coming
wrath at the time of the Second Coming. God’s wrath was getting ready to be poured out
on all of the people of Canaan because the sin of the Canaanites and Amorites had
reached its full measure (Gen 15:6). God watches the world and measures the sin of the
world. One day, perhaps in the not too distant future, God’s patience will run out one last
time. On that Day, God’s wrath will be revealed to the whole world at the Second
Coming of Jesus Christ (Rev 19:11–16).
Joshua 3–4
The title and main sermon point in these two chapters is “God—Who is He?” The big
idea is one cannot fully know God because he is beyond human understanding. A. W.
Tozer says, “God’s infinitude places him so far above our knowing that a lifetime spent
in cultivating the knowledge of him leaves as much yet to learn as if we had never
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begun.”11 The project director structured his sermon around the theme of six attributes of
the God of the Bible: First, the God of the Bible is a God who lives among us. God dwelt
in the Ark of the Covenant which was to always be with the Israelites. This Ark was
symbolic of God’s presence and it foreshadowed the coming Savior who would walk and
live among us (John 1:14). Second, the God of the Bible is holy. The people were to keep
a certain distance from the Ark. This explains why the people had to consecrate
themselves (Exod 19:10–12). The God of the Bible is a God who speaks! Joshua told the
Israelites to come and listen to the words of the Lord your God (3:9). God is never silent.
The project director linked this to Paul’s words in Acts, “Yet he has not left himself
without testimony” (Acts 14:17). The God of the Bible is a God who will judge (Deut
20:16–18). The God of the Bible is a God of power—he parted the Red Sea and he dried
up the Jordan River. The God of the Bible is a God to be feared. Verse 24 states, “He did
this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful
and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.” The project director concluded
with a warning: One day we will all have to stand before Jesus, the Judge (Heb. 10:31).
Therefore, consecrate yourselves (Josh 3:5). He closed with a connection to the gospel:
Repent and turn to Jesus so you won’t have to fear the coming judgment of the world.
Joshua 5
The title and main sermon point was “A Life Consecrated to God!” The focus of this
sermon was Josh 3:5, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing
things among you!” The Israelites were about to take the land, but first, they had to
11
Martin H. Manser, The Westminster Collection of Christian Quotations (Louisville:
Westminister John Knox Press, 2001), 134.
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ritually consecrate and purify themselves. The project director formed his sermon around
three aspects of a life consecrated to God. First, a life consecrated to God begins with a
circumcised heart. He asked the participants an important question: Why did God require
circumcision before entering the land and what does it mean spiritually? Circumcision
identified the people who belong to him. He then followed this question with another: If
God is more interested in the heart of man than his outward appearance, why did God
require circumcision? Everything that God required of the Israelites in the Old Testament
points to something that God requires in the New Testament. In other words, the OT
ceremonies link to spiritual realities in the NT (Heb 10:1). The second point of this
sermon was a life consecrated to God is a life protected from God’s wrath. The project
director linked this to Passover (Exod 12). God required the Israelites to be circumcised
and ceremonially clean before entering the land. These two ceremonies also link to
Christ. The physical circumcision of the Israelites marking them as God’s children points
to the spiritual circumcision marking people as God’s children in the NT (Rom 2:28–29).
In Passover, we find another OT shadow that points to a NT reality. Passover is a shadow
that points to the reality of the cross. At the cross, Jesus became our Passover Lamb.
Finally, a life consecrated to God is a life of worship! The project director put forth this
Question: What does it mean to live a life of worship? It means you live your life as the
man God created you to be—you live for God. You are God’s man. He concluded with
this warning: When you try to live for Christ, you will discover that you have an enemy
who will try to cause you to fail every day. Therefore, “Consecrate yourselves, and
watch, for the Lord will do amazing things among you” (Josh 3:5).
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Joshua 6
For Joshua 6 the project director titled the sermon “Devoted to Destruction!” He focused
the sermon on Heb 10:31: “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
The project director began this sermon by providing context: The sin of the Amorites;
Man is altogether sinful and wicked; God is holy and nothing unclean can come into His
presence (Ex 19:20–20:2). The sins of the Canaanites (Amorites) consisted of incest (Lev
18:6), homosexuality (Lev 18:22; Rom 1:26–27), bestiality (Lev 18:23), and child
sacrifice (Lev 18:21). He built his sermon around two key attributes of God: God is holy,
and his holiness demands justice, which brings judgment upon unbelievers. And, God is
gracious, and his grace offers mercy, which brings forgiveness to believers. He concluded
his sermon with six take-aways. First, God hates sin and one day he will once and for all
time destroy all that is evil. Second, the destruction of evil is a holy and righteous act on
the part of a holy and just God. Third, because God hates sin, we should have a profound
hatred of any sin in our lives. Fourth, the judgment of Jericho should remind us that one
day God is going to judge the world. Fifth, God is a God of grace and mercy. Finally, the
project director offered a gospel connection. The only people saved in Jericho were those
who chose to gather in the home that was marked by the scarlet cord. The project director
concluded that the only people who will be protected from the coming wrath of God are
those who have been marked by the blood of the Lamb.
Joshua 8:30–35
The chapters the project director planned to cover on Tuesday, November 28, 2017, at
TMS included Josh 8:30–9:27. Given the time constraint on Tuesday nights of
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approximately thirty minutes, the project director chose to focus on Josh 8:30–35 given
the importance of the covenant renewal at Mount Ebal and its spiritual implications. The
project director titled the sermon “God Has Provided THE Way!” He focused the sermon
on God’s path of redemption. The projector director began with four key stages along this
path: All we have to do is follow this path and it will bring us to heaven; The path of
redemption begins in Genesis, and then, it winds its way through every chapter of the
Bible, concluding in Revelation; This path to God begins in the garden and ends in
heaven. This path of redemption finds its way to the cross where Jesus paid the price to
set us free. The project director emphasized that God designed all of the sacrifices in the
Old Testament to reveal something—to teach something about us, and something about
himself.
The project director focused on two key events in these few verses: the altar and
all of the burnt offerings that were sacrificed to the Lord and the reading of all the words
of the law. The sermon built the case for why sacrifices were required throughout the OT
and to what they pointed in the NT. When Adam and Eve sinned by eating from the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil, the forbidden tree, death entered the world (Rom
5:12). With sin came guilt and shame, and Adam was our representative. When he
sinned, we all sinned in him (Rom 3:23). Death is our chief enemy (Rom 6:23). Sin
brings God’s wrath, but he has provided a way for his wrath to be satisfied (Gen 22:13–
14). Because of God’s mercy, He allows for a substitute—someone to pay the penalty for
us. The substitution of the ram, in the place of Isaac, was the shadow pointing to the
reality of the cross. When Jesus said, “It is finished!” the price had been paid. His work
was completed (John 19:30). All throughout the Old Testament, men can read about the
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thousands of sheep and goats sacrificed on the altar in the temple. What was the point?
God is holy and just, and because of this, he will not allow sin into his presence. God’s
righteous judgment requires the death penalty for sinners. God, in his mercy, allows for a
substitute, a perfect substitute, to pay the price for our sins. The path of redemption runs
right through the cross. When we draw near to God through faith in Jesus, God cleanses
us of all our sins, and he covers us with the righteousness of his Son. There is only one
way to heaven, and that is to enter this path of redemption. The project director linked
this text to the Gospel: God only requires one thing on our part: We must believe. We
must place our trust in Jesus Christ (John 3:16).
Joshua 10
The title of this sermon was “The Day the Earth Stood Still!” The main sermon idea is
that believers are in a spiritual battle. However, we should not fear because we serve a
God who will defeat our enemies. The project director structured his sermon around the
following outline: This is what the Lord will do for you if you will simply trust him.
First, the Lord will fight for you. Second, the Lord will defeat your enemies. Third, the
Lord will give you victory in the end! The project director highlighted other key points.
He put forth these questions: What did Joshua do when he realized time was running out?
He prayed. What did the Lord do? He caused the sun to stand still. What do we learn
from this? We learn that God listens to the prayers of His people (James 5:6; 2 Cor 10:4;
1 John 5:14-15). Moreover, he pointed to two truths regarding the battle we face against
an unseen enemy: The greatest tool in our arsenal is prayer. However, our prayers must
be according to God’s will (John 14:13). Finally, he made this connection to the Gospel:
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When Jesus died on the cross, and then, three days later, arose from the dead, He
conquered three of our enemies: Satan, Sin, and, Death (Rom 16:20; Col 2:13–15; Heb
2:14).
Joshua 11–12
The project director titled this sermon “Our God is an Awesome God!” The project
director pointed to several points, with the key point being: God hardened the hearts of
the Canaanites that he might destroy them and bring glory to himself in the process. The
project director structured his sermon around the following outline. The first main point
was that God is awesome in salvation! God, who is rich in mercy, reached down from
heaven and chose the Israelites to be his treasured possession. He led them through the
wilderness for forty years to the Promised Land. There he gave them rest from all of their
enemies. Israel is a picture of what God has done for every believer (Eph 2:1–5).
Secondly, God is awesome in destruction! The project director gave a warning:
The same power that is used to save can also be used to destroy. He them explained that
the God of the OT is the same God of the NT. We are born God’s enemies (Rom 5:10).
God exercises his patience and extends his kindness to lead us to repentance. However, at
some point, God’s patience runs out and he withdraws his mercy. When God hardens a
heart, the final decision has been made. The project director linked this to the gospel
connection found in Heb 3:15, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as
you did in the rebellion.”
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Joshua 13
The project director titled this sermon, “The Christian Life.” The big idea of this sermon
was that believers are in a spiritual battle; however, the Lord will fight our battles (Eph
6:12). The project director structured his sermon around the following outline idea that
the Christian life involves these three realities: First, you will battle spiritual enemies
until the day you die! Second, you will not fight them alone because the Lord will fight
for you! Finally, even though the battle will be intense at times and you may lose some
skirmishes, your inheritance is secure and it will make it all worthwhile in the end! The
project director asked a key question: Do you see how God was at work throughout the
OT? He raises up a man by the name of Abraham. From that man, he formed a nation—
Israel—a nation of 12 tribes. Jacob’s name was changed to Israel! God gave them a
land—the Promised Land. The book of Joshua is about God fulfilling his promise to
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that He would give them a homeland. All he required of them
was obedience. The project director linked this to the gospel found in Eph 2:1–3,
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you
used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler
of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are
disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the
cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.
The project director then issued a warning: We have three real enemies: Satan is enemy
number one (1 Pet 5:8). The world system is enemy number two (1 John 5:19). Our sinful
nature is enemy number three (1 John 2:15–16). Then, he gave a final exhortation from
John Owen: “Be killing sin or sin will be killing you!”
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Joshua 14
The project director titled this sermon, “Never Give In! Never! Never! Never!” The
project director developed his sermon around the following context: Men like Moses,
Joshua, and Caleb, were great men of God who understood war and battle and were
willing to fight for a cause greater than themselves. We need men like this today—men of
courage—men who understand the times in which we live and who are willing to fight no
matter the costs. In Numbers 13, Moses sends out the twelve spies. Joshua and Caleb are
the only two who trust God to give them the land. Unfortunately, majority ruled against
them. In Numbers 14, we learn that God is not happy. He tells Moses to turn around and
lead the Israelites back into the desert. Moreover, God declared, no one over the age of
twenty will ever see the Promised Land as they would all die in the desert. However, he
promised that Joshua and Caleb would be allowed to enter the Promised Land, because
they believed in God and trusted him. God even said of Caleb, “[He] has a different spirit
and follows me wholeheartedly!”
In Joshua 14, Caleb requests the land that Moses promised to give to him and his
descendants. Three times the Scripture states: “Caleb followed the Lord wholeheartedly!”
The project director built the sermon around the following question and outline: What
about Caleb made him great in the eyes of God? He trusted and believed in God with his
whole heart. He feared God more than he feared man! He attempted great things for God
knowing that God was with him! He looked forward by faith to the fulfillment of all of
God’s promises because he trusted in the One he could not see. The project director
ended his sermon by quoting Sir Winston Churchill during the time of Germany’s
invasion of the Soviet Union during WWII: “Never give in, never give in, never, never,
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never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to
convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently
overwhelming might of the enemy.”
Joshua 20–21
The project director titled this sermon, “The Lord is our Refuge!” The project director’s
main idea was that God offers a place of refuge from his wrath and judgment. He began
by linking this to Matt 11:28–30, where Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary
and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I
am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy
and my burden is light.” The cities of refuge point to Christ as our refuge! God gives us
shadows in the Old Testament that point to New Testament realities. When you see a
shadow, you should look for the reality that stands behind it (Col 2:17; Heb 8:5–6). The
project director asked a key question: What do we see in these cities of refuge that
becomes a reality in Christ? In Christ, we find a place of refuge, a place of safety, and a
place where God will protect us from the coming Avenger of Blood! He then structured
his sermon around the following outline: Mankind has a big problem. There is no one
innocent. We are all guilty before God. So, what is the solution to our problem? God
makes us innocent. We become innocent before God the moment He declares us
righteous. He only declares a man righteous who has put his trust in Jesus Christ. This
place of refuge is at the foot of the cross. There, at the foot of the cross, believers are safe
from God’s wrath, safe from Satan’s accusations, safe from eternal damnation, safe from
the roaring lion who seeks their destruction, and safe from sin and death!
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The project director concluded this sermon with an eschatological emphasis and a
gospel connection. One day, the Avenger of Blood, will appear in the sky and everyone
in heaven and on earth will see His glory (Rev 1:7; 19:11–16). The project director then
asked this question: Do you want to find safety from this coming Avenger of Blood?
Then run to the cross. Jesus is the only One who can rescue us from the coming wrath (1
Thess 1:10).
Joshua 23–24
The project director titled his final sermon, “Joshua’s Last Words!” The project director
began this sermon by pointing out that a man’s last words when he faces death are often
the most important message he desires to leave with his loved ones. In 2 Timothy, Paul
offers his last words. In these last two chapters, Joshua gives his last words to the people
he loves, the Israelites. The project director asked this question to provide a brief
summary: What message did Joshua want to convey to the Israelites? He wanted them to
remember all that God had done for them and he wanted them to love the Lord and
follow him obediently. Finally, he warned them that if they turned away from God, they
would come under God’s discipline.
Joshua loved his people very much, and all he wanted for them was to enjoy the
blessings of God: To live in peace. To find rest. To experience joy and contentment by
walking in the light of God’s will. The project director then structured his sermon around
the following message: The keys to a blessed life. First, we must remember all that God
has done for us and rejoice. Second, we must love the Lord our God with all our heart
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and with all our soul and with all our mind. And finally, we must obey his word and heed
his warnings.
The project suggested three ways to experience God’s protection and his blessings
in your life? Be strong in the Lord; Obey the Lord no matter what it costs; Do not
associate with unbelievers if they are going to pull you away from God (2 Cor 6:14).
He concluded his sermon with an exhortation to cling to Jesus, particularly when
life gets rough, because Jesus is the true anchor and hope (Heb 6:19–20). He encouraged
the men to pray, read God’s word, have fellowship with other believers, and always turn
toward God and not away from him.
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CHAPTER 5
PROJECT ANALYSIS
Introduction
The project director identified a lack of gospel understanding in the participants of TMS,
due to the many who associate with liberal, main-line denominations, such as the United
Methodist Church, the Episcopalian Church, the Catholic Church, and the Presbyterian
Church, U.S.A. In response to this need, the project director presented the gospel through
a series of fourteen expositional sermons from the book of Joshua. The main personal
objective of the project director was the enhancement of his communication skills in
preaching the gospel from an Old Testament book. To evaluate the effectiveness of his
preaching, he gave spiritual evaluation forms (pre- and post-test surveys) to the
participants at the beginning and end of the study. He distributed the pre-test spiritual
survey at the beginning of the study, September 19, 2017. He then distributed the post-
test spiritual survey at the end of the study, February 27, 2018. The participants heard the
gospel repeatedly over the course of seventeen weeks. The project director believes that
God uses the verbal and written communication of the Scriptures to produce faith. Paul
writes in Rom 10:17, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message and the
message is heard through the word of Christ.”
The pre and post-test surveys each contained nine questions. Five of the nine
questions were exactly the same on both surveys. The four other questions contained
variations. These variations enhanced the assessment of spiritual change in the

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participants. The other five questions also provided relevant information to inform the
project director of personal spiritual changes during the course of the study. The
following questions appear in both the pre-test and post-test.
2. How often do you attend church? (Check the one that applies)
• Never or only on special occasions, like Christmas and Easter
• Once a month
• Twice a month
• Every Sunday
5. How often do you read the Bible?
7. Explain in 2–3 sentences what you think it means to be a Christian?

8. If you were killed tonight in an accident, do you know for certain that you would
go to heaven? (Circle the number that is most applicable: 1 No certainty—10
Absolutely sure)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
9. What would you say if God asked you why He should let you into heaven?
The four questions with variations included the following, with the pre-test first
followed by the post-test.
1. (Pre) Are you a member of a local church? If so, what denomination and be
specific: United Methodist Church, Southern Baptist, Presbyterian Church U.S.A.,
Episcopal, Catholic, etc.?
1. (Post) Have you changed church membership during the last year? If so, what is
the name of the church of which you are presently a member?
3. (Pre) Were you brought up in a religious home? Explain in 2–3 sentences by
answering the following questions: Did your family emphasize reading the Bible?
Did your family pray openly? Did you talk about spiritual matters?
3. (Post) What is the most significant change you’ve seen in your spiritual life over
the course of this study, if any?
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4. (Pre) Reflection on your past, was there a time when you definitely committed
your life to following Jesus Christ? Explain how and why this happened.
4. (Post) During our study of Joshua, have you surrendered your life to Christ and
become one of His followers, have you rededicated your life to following Christ,
and/or are you interested in meeting with me to discuss this?
6. (Pre) Have you ever shared your faith in Jesus Christ with anyone else? How often
to you do this?
• Never
• Once a week
• Once a month
• Once or twice a year
6. (Post) Have you made any changes in how often you share the gospel with others
since we began our study this year? If so, how often do your share your faith
now?
• Never
• Once a week
• Once a month
As stated above, the project director included these variations to ascertain spiritual
changes or developments in the hearts of the men who attend TMS.
Summary of Results
In response to hearing the gospel during the course of the seventeen weeks of the study of
Joshua, forty-two men indicated their faith both increased and they surrendered more to
Christ; fifty-three men rededicated their lives to Christ; fourteen men made a first-time
decision to surrender to Christ; and finally, twelve men indicated either their prayer lives
increased or a renewed commitment to Bible reading. Below is a chart that shows the
total response of all 147 responders. The columns divide the responders based upon the
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frequency of their church attendance: never, once per month, twice per month and every
Sunday.
Summary of Responses from 147 TMS participants
Church Attendance Never: 6 Once/month: 11 Twice/month: 45 Every Sunday: 85
Faith Increased 1 1 15 25
Rededication 0 5 12 18
First-time decision 2 2 2 8
More prayer and Bible 1 0 4 7

Study
Of particular interest to the project director is the variation among the
denominations, particularly the variation between conservative and liberal
denominations. The project director asserts that the following denominations, in general,
adhere to conservative, biblical theology: SBC, Non-Denominational, and Anglican.
Additionally, he asserts that, in general, the following denominations adhere to liberal,
non-biblical theology: UMC, PCUSA, and Episcopal/Catholic. The project director
calculated a weighted average of these two distinct categories in terms of their response
to his preaching of the gospel from Joshua:
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Percentage differences between Conservative/Liberal denominations
Denomination Conservative Liberal
Faith Increased 27 percent 19 percent
Rededication 14 percent 38 percent
First-time decision 2 percent 14 percent
More prayer and Bible 10 percent 9 percent

study
The project director was pleased to note the significant increase in the percentage of
rededications and first-time decisions on the part of those who attend liberal
denominations. In the opinion of the project director, these findings support the stated
rationale for the project:
The ministry project focuses on the need for authentic, Bible-based,

gospel-centered preaching in a unique setting. Given the invasion of
liberal theology in mainline denominations and the dramatic decline in
church membership and attendance in these same denominations over the
last one hundred years, the need has never been greater. Thus, TMS offers
a unique opportunity for men from various denominations to gather
together to hear the true gospel.
The sample size of the conservative and liberal groups was seventy-eight and fifty-seven,
respectively. The chart below, which shows the comparison of these two groups, does not
included the responses of the 12 participants who attend various denominations because
the churches in this group represent both conservative and liberal denominations.1
Although some of the findings of the data collected do not offer any help in
determining the effectiveness of the project director’s preaching, the data does offer
1
See Appendix C, Comparison of Conservative and Liberal Denominations
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important support of the rationale for the project. The data shows regular church
attendance among the liberal denominations drops dramatically compared to the
conservative denominations:
Summary by Denomination
Denomination SBC UMC Non- PCUSA Anglican Episcopalian/ Various

Den. Catholic
Attend Church 70% 54% 65% 29% 71% 17% 50%
every Sunday
Additionally, weekly church attendance correlates to greater regularity of Bible reading
and to greater assurance of salvation as seen below:
Bible Reading Increase and Assurance of Salvation for 147 participants
Church Attendance Never: 6 Once/month: 11 Twice/month: 45 Every Sunday: 85

Regularity of Bible 1.3 3.7 3.6 4.9
Reading
Weighted avg. #/wk
Assurance of Salvation 7.8 8.6 9.56 9.6
Pre-test
Assurance of Salvation 8 9.1 9.58 9.7
Post-Test
Another significant variation between the two categories, conservative and liberal,
is the practice of sharing one’s faith. Once again, the conservative denominations show
significantly higher regularity in sharing their faith compared to the liberal
denominations2:
2
See Appendix C, Answer Key.
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Regularly Sharing Faith
SBC UMC Non. Den. PCUSA Anglican Episcopalian/ Various

Catholic
59% 30% 55% 43% 64% 33% 83%
Finally, the data reveals that the conservative participants have a higher
understanding of biblical faith, and true Christianity, compared to the liberal participants
based on the answers provided to questions 7 and 9:
Biblical Response to Questions 7 and 9
SBC UMC Non. Den. PCUSA Anglican Episcopalian/ Various

Catholic
98% 81% 90% 78% 93% 67% 92%
In summary, although much of this data does not provide valuable information for
assessing the effectiveness of the project director’s preaching of the gospel from Joshua
to TMS, this data does support the foundational rationale for the project. As previously
stated, a great need exists for unique venues in which to preach the gospel as many
people no longer attend church, and many who do, attend liberal denominations where
they do not hear the gospel explained in a biblical manner. Paul writes in 2 Tim 4:3–4,
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit
their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what
their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn
aside to myths.” The world today has become as Paul described in this passage. TMS
offers a unique setting in that it meets in a liberal, main-line denomination, UMC. On
February 23–26, 2019, a Special Session of the General Conference of The United
Methodist Church will take place in St. Louis, Missouri. The purpose will be to receive
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and act on a report from the Commission on a Way Forward based on the
recommendations of the Council of Bishops. The Commission was authorized to examine
paragraphs in The Book of Discipline concerning human sexuality and to explore options
to strengthen church unity.3 This vote will determine for certain if the UMC will adhere
to biblical principles concerning sexuality or follow in the footsteps of two other
denominations which have clearly turned away from the teachings of Scripture, the
PCUSA and the Episcopal Church. The very fact that the UMC is holding this conference
to take this vote is significant. As stated in the NY Times, “The United Methodist Church
on Tuesday voted to strengthen its ban on gay and lesbian clergy and same-sex
marriages, a decision that could split the nation’s second-largest Protestant church.”4
Although this sounds good, many of the pastors of the UMC are taking a stand against
this ruling, including ESUMC. This will only serve to widen the divide that already exists
in the UMC.
Strengths
The project director believes the Lord has gifted him in a special way to serve in the
unique setting of ESUMC. Having grown up in the UMC; attending an Episcopal Prep
School, St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, Virginia; having been a member for
several years of a PCUSA church in Raleigh; having obtained an M.Div. from SEBTS;
and currently a member of an SBC church, Capital Community Church, the project
director possesses a unique qualification to serve in the capacity of the teaching leader of
3
The People of the United Methodist Church, 2019 Special Session of the General Conference,
accessed February 9, 2019, http://www.umc.org/topics/general-conference-2019-special-session.
4
Timothy Williams and Elizabeth Dias, New York Times, February 26, 2019,
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/26/us/united-methodists-vote.html.
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TMS. Furthermore, having witnessed firsthand false teaching in several liberal churches,
he possesses great passion to serve as the Lord’s servant in this unique setting at TMS at
ESUMC. The venue of a church such as ESUMC combined with the background of the
project director, proved a unique strength of this project. As stated previously, ESUMC
offers a ‘safe venue’ to draw men from liberal churches. The project director does not
believe such a study would be as effective in a denominational setting that has the
appearance of being extremely conservative. Finally, another strength of this project was
its emphasis on expositional preaching. The aim of the project was to lead men to Christ.
The project director adheres to the biblical truth that faith comes by hearing the word of
God. Thus, expositional preaching served this aim.
Weaknesses
In hindsight, the project director should have included a way for each of the 147 men
who participated in the spiritual surveys to identify themselves if the study of Joshua was
their first year of involvement in TMS. Many of the men who took the surveys have
attended TMS for years. Many made rededications and first-time decisions for Christ
during previous years. The project director could have better measured the effectiveness
of this sermon series through Joshua to the first-year participants.
Another weakness of these spiritual surveys is that they are inherently subjective.
Paul exhorts people to examine themselves to see whether or not they are in the faith (2
Cor 13:5). However, in assessing one’s spiritual condition, humans are prone to give
themselves the benefit of the doubt. Humans think more highly of themselves than they
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should. Thus, the project director believes that some, if not most, of the data is skewed in
a positive direction.
Another weakness of these spiritual surveys is knowledge. Again, many of the
men who attend TMS have attended for years. They have learned the right answers to
particular spiritual questions and have listened to the project director countless times
explain what it truly means to be saved. Thus, many may claim to be Christians and
express great assurance simply because they know the right answers.
Finally, the project director should have had his sermons evaluated by expert
preachers to ascertain constructive criticism for the purpose of improving his preaching
skills.
Personal Reflections
As the teaching leader of TMS, I understand the tremendous responsibility to which I
have been entrusted to preach the gospel precisely and clearly. I understand the necessity
of not wandering away from the text in my sermons, because my words will not save a
man. Only God’s Word, Jesus, can truly save. I have come to appreciate the importance
of keeping the main thing, the main thing. Paul considered the gospel to be of “first
importance” (1 Cor 15:3). Sound, biblical preaching of the gospel is the main tool that I
desire to use to give sight to some of the men who have attended TMS for years, but
remain blind (Matt 13:13–15). For more than thirty years, God has instilled in me a
passion to penetrate what I believe is Satan’s most effective and powerful stronghold—
liberal churches where false theology is presented week after week. These liberal
churches keep people from hearing the true gospel. For a man to feel secure that he is a
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child of God, when in fact, he is still dead, spiritually blind and lost, is exactly where
Satan desires to keep him. In a memorable sermon, David Jeremiah states, “The church in
America is leading the masses down the wide road.” I concur. He also states that the
church in Laodicea is the church of the last days. I believe he may be correct. In Rev
3:15–17, Jesus describes the modern, liberal, progressive church in America:
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were
either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor
cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have
acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you
are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
I have witnessed the men who attend TMS who also attend churches similar to the church
of Laodicea. I have personally observed how liberal theology has blinded so many of my
friends. In humility, and with no disparagement towards Jeremiah by comparison, I
believe that God has given me a similar calling to that of this great Old Testament
prophet. That calling is to confront liberal theology and false preaching/preachers. Jesus
offers the solution to this problem in Revelation 3:18–20:
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become
rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful
nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and
opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
During my time at SEBTS, I heard Paige Patterson explain that verse 20 is really not an
evangelistic invitation, even though he went on to say that he had no problem with it
being used in that manner. However, he went on to explain something I had never heard
before. This verse really shows where Jesus stands in relationship to many churches—on
the outside, trying to come in.
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I have to be careful not to despise these churches. Instead, I need to have the heart
of Jesus towards them. He longs to be in relationship and fellowship with those who
attend Laodicean churches, many, if not most, of which, I believe are being led by false
teachers. So, what is the solution? In essence, Jesus says they need to hear the gospel,
which is more valuable than gold, through which they can become truly rich, clothed in
righteousness, and given spiritual eyes to see.
To that end, I vigorously proclaim the truth of the gospel and the falsity of
modern, progressive, liberal theology. Jude 3 states, “Beloved…I felt the necessity to
write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all
handed down to the saints.” John MacArthur writes, “The powerful expression contend
earnestly translates a present infinitive (εραγώνιζομαι) and stresses the need to defend
the truth continually and vigorously (cf. 1 Tim 1:18; 6:12; 2 Tim 4:7).”5
I believe the passion I possess to hold up truth, and confront error, is the same
passion that both Jesus and Paul possessed in confronting the false teaching of the Jews
of their day. Paul writes in Gal 1:6–9,
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you
by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is
really no gospel. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion
and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel
from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to
you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I
say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you
accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
I consider it a great privilege to contend earnestly for the truth in a venue as unique as the
one God has opened for me—Kerr Hall in ESUMC where TMS meets each week. To
5
John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: 2 Peter & Jude (Chicago:
Moody Publishers, 2005), 155.
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think that a Southern Baptist-ordained preacher is allowed to preach in one of the largest
Methodist Churches in Eastern North Carolina is truly a miracle.
Finally, it has been my great delight to witness the veil removed by some of the
men who attend TMS, who once were blind, but now can see. One example is my friend
John. John moved to Raleigh from New Jersey where he grew up Catholic. He began
attending TMS about four years ago. Today, he is a new believer and member of The
Summit Church in Raleigh.
It is my prayer that God will continue to protect TMS and allow me the privilege
of preaching the gospel in this place at ESUMC for many years to come. I do not deserve
this because, along with Paul, I consider myself the chief of sinners. The only reason God
has chosen to use me is due to his incredible grace. When I come to the end of my life I
will have, like John Newton, just two things to say: “I’m a great sinner and Jesus is a
great Savior.” To God be the glory! Amen!
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APPENDIX A
PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST SURVEYS
Spiritual Survey: Name: ___________________________
1. Are you a member of a local church? If so, what denomination and be specific:
United Methodist, Southern Baptist, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., Episcopal,
Catholic, etc.?
• Once a month
• Twice a month
• Every Sunday
3. Were you brought up in a religious home? Explain in 2-3 sentences by answering

the following questions: Did your family emphasize reading the Bible? Did your
family pray openly? Did you talk about spiritual matters?
4. Reflection on your past, was there a time when you definitely committed your life
to following Jesus Christ? Explain how and why this happened.
6. Have you ever shared your faith in Jesus Christ with anyone else? How often to
you do this?
• Never
• Once a week
• Once a month
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Absolutely sure)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Follow-up Spiritual Survey: Name: ___________________________
1. Have you changed church membership during the last year? If so, what is the
name of the church of which you are presently a member?
• Once a month
• Twice a month
• Every Sunday
3. What is the most significant change you’ve seen in your spiritual life over the
course of this study, if any?
4. During our study of Joshua, have you surrendered your life to Christ and become
one of His followers, have you rededicated your life to following Christ, and/or
are you interested in meeting with me to discuss this?
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6. Have you made any changes in how often you share the gospel with others since
we began our study this year? If so, how often do your share your faith now?
• Never
• Once a week
• Once a month
Absolutely sure)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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APPENDIX B
SERMON OUTLINES
Sermon Schedule
1. A Man’s Last Word! Deut 30
2. Moses—A Great Man in the Eyes of God! Deut 34
3. Joshua 1—The Lord is Our Salvation!
4. Joshua 2—What is Saving Faith?
5. Joshua 3–4—God!
6. Joshua 5—A Life Consecrated to God!
7. Joshua 6—Devoted to Destruction!
8. Assistant Jim Briggs preached from Joshua 7—The Sin of Achan!
9. Joshua 8:30-35—God Has Provided THE Way!
10. Joshua 10—The Day the Earth Stood Still!
11. Joshua 11—Our God is an Awesome God!
12. Joshua 13—The Christian Life!
13. Joshua 14–15—Never Give in! Never! Never! Never!
14. Assistant Jim Briggs preached from Joshua 18—The Blessing and The Curse!
15. Joshua 20–21—The Lord is Our Refuge!
16. Joshua 23—Joshua’s Last Words!
17. Joshua 24—A Tribute to Billy Graham (in honor of his death)
A Man’s Last Words!

Deuteronomy 30:11–20
In Gen. 15:13–16, God said to Abraham: Know for certain that your descendants will be
strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four
hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward you will
come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be
buried at a good old age. In the 4th generation your descendants will come back here [to
Canaan—The Promised Land] for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full
measure.
Here is what I want us to think about tonight:

1. Why did God create you and me?
2. What is our purpose in life?
3. How can we know that we have eternal life?
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• God created you and me to know him and to have an intimate relationship with
him that He might bless us and give us eternal life.
John 1:12 states,
Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to
become children of God.
Three truths to think about:
1. God has spoken!
2. He has given us a choice!
3. Our choice carries eternal consequences!
How does He speak? Let me show you four ways:
1. Through creation!
Psalm 19:1-4 states, The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work
of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display
knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice
goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
2. Through our conscience!

Ecclesiastes 3:11 states, He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set
eternity in the hearts of men…
3. Through His Son!

John 1:14 (about 2000 years ago) “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling
among us.”
1 John 1:1–3 states, That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we
proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it,
and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to
us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship
with us.
4. Through His Word!

What is it at stake? LIFE AND DEATH.
15 See,I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.16 For I
command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his
commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will
bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
• Believe and you are choosing LIFE!

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John 3:16 states, For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 10:5–10 states, Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law:
“The man who does these things will live by them.” But the righteousness that is by faith
says: “Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?” (that is, to bring Christ
down) “or, ‘Who will descend into the deep?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
But what does it say: “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that
is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is
Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that
you confess and are saved.”
• Reject and you are choosing DEATH!

17
But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to
bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will
certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land…”
2 Peter 3:9 states, [God] is patience with you, not wanting anyone to perish,
but everyone to come to repentance.
Moses—A Great Man in the Eyes of God!

Moses’ life: Born during a time of great difficulty!
Exodus 1:22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every [Hebrew]
boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”
• God had a purpose for Moses just as he does for you and me!
Jeremiah 29:11–13 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
• The first step in knowing God’s will for your life AND the first step to
becoming a great man in the eyes of God, is to seek him with all your heart.
• If you surrender your life to Jesus and follow Him with all your heart, you
WILL be a great man in the eyes of God!
At the age of 40: Moses fled to Midian to hide.
At the age of 80: God spoke to Moses from the burning bush.
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Exodus 3:7–10 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in
Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am
concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the
hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and
spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites,
Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the
Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing
them. So now, go, I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites
out of Egypt.”
At the age of 120: Moses dies and is buried by God!
Two key qualities that God wants to see in a man:

• A believing heart!
• An obedient will!
OUR TRUST IN GOD IS EVIDENCED BY OUR OBEDIENCE!
• Following Jesus is costly!
John 15:18–19 If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged
to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I
have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
—Jesus Christ
• Live for the praise of God, not men!
John 12:42–43 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in [Jesus].
But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put
out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.
• Live with a healthy fear of God!
What is biblical faith?
In Matthew 10:28 Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill
the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Hebrews 11:24–28 By faith Moses’ when he had grown up, refused to be known as the
son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God
rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the
sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking
ahead to his reward. By faith, he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered
because he saw him who is invisible.
Biblical faith:
• Biblical faith gives sight to the blind!
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1 Corinthians 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from
the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them,
because they are spiritually discerned.
• Biblical faith is always looking ahead to its reward. Believers live with the
hope of eternal life.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not
see.
• Biblical faith brings the certainty of eternal life!
Hebrews 11:13–16 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not
receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.
And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such
things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of
the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were
longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called
their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
Revelation 14:13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead
who die in the Lord from now on.”
The Lord is Our Salvation!

Joshua 1
Two commands and two promises:
Command 1: Get ready to cross over!
• Joshua’s very name means: The Lord is salvation!

• Joshua was anointed by God to lead His people into the Promised Land.
• Jesus Christ was anointed (sent) by God to lead His people, true believers, into the
coming Promised Land, which is Paradise, the believer’s true home.
• One truth that you should take away tonight:
1. When God says something, He means it.

2. When God makes a promise, He will keep it.
3. If it is in God’s Word, you can believe it.
Luke 21:33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
—Jesus Christ
• God is faithful!
Lamentations 3:22–23 Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his
compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
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Promise 1: I (God) will be with you!
• Be strong and courageous!

Psalm 23… The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want…Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me… and I
will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Command 2: Read my Word (the Bible) and obey it!
Verse 8: Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and
night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be
prosperous and successful.
• The Bible was written by men as they were guided by God.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God breathed!
• God chose to use the human instrument to write the Bible; but, the Holy Spirit
guided these men as they put pen to paper.
• Behind the Bible is one Author—God.
2 Peter 1:20–21 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came
about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will
of man, but men spoke [and wrote] from God as they were carried along by the Holy
Spirit.
Promise 2: When you cross over I (the Lord) will give you rest!
• God wants to give us a permanent home where we can find rest for our souls
forever.
• Nothing in this world will ever satisfy the longings of your soul. Only God can do
that.
Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you
rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and
you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
—Jesus Christ
• How can you get ready?” You must RECEIVE Jesus into your heart by faith.
John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the
right to become children of God.
• If you are in Christ, then know this: this earth is not your home.
• Heaven is your home.
ARE YOU READY TO CROSS OVER?
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This is what awaits you if you are ready:
Revelation 21:1–5, the Apostle John gives us a glimpse of our coming promised land:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had
passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her
husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is
with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be
with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no
more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
He who was seated on throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write
this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Amen!
What is Saving Faith!

Joshua 2
1 Samuel 16:7
The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance,
but the Lord looks at the heart.
Four aspects of Saving Faith:
• Saving faith begins with hearing!
• Hearing leads to knowledge!
• Knowledge must be accompanied by trust!
• Trust is always verified by action!
2 Corinthians 13:5–6
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not
realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless you fail the test?
1. Saving faith begins with hearing. Verse 10. Rahab said, “We have heard!”
Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the
message is heard through the word of Christ.
2. This hearing leads to knowledge. Verse 8. Rahab said to the spies, I know that
the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear has fallen on us, so that all
who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.
James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe
that—and shudder.
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3. Knowledge must be activated by trust! You know with your mind; but, you must
believe with your heart, because it is in your heart where you decide what you
really believe.
How do we really know that Rahab really believed God with her heart? Three
reasons:
A. We know that Rahab really believed because of what she said. In verse 8,
when she said to the spies, “I know that the Lord has given this land to you!”
she was expressing complete trust in God.
Genesis 15:6 Abram[ham] believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as

righteousness.
B. We know that Rahab really believed because of what Scripture says about
her:
Matthew 1:5–6 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz
the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and
Jesse the father of King David—(who was the great ancestor of Jesus Christ).
• Hebrews 11:31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the
spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
C. We know that Rahab really believed because of what she did!
4. Trust is always verified by action. In other words, true salvation always leads to a
changed life. What did Rahab do?
A. She risked her life when she lied to the king about the spies’ whereabouts.
B. She put all of her ‘chips’ on the table, when she bargained with the spies for
the protection of she and her family.
C. She tied the scarlet cord in the window of her house and brought all of her
loved ones in where everyone would be safe from God’s wrath. Thus, she and
her family were marked and separated by the scarlet cord.
James 2:25 In the same way (as Abraham), was not even Rahab the prostitute considered
righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a
different direction?
Some considerations regarding the wrath of God:

• God’s wrath was getting ready to be poured out on all of the people of
Canaan.
• Why? The sin of the Canaanites and Amorites had reached its full measure!
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Genesis 15:6 In the fourth generation, your descendants will come back here, for the sin
of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.
• God is watching our world and he measuring the sin of the world.
• One day, perhaps in the not too distant future, God’s patience is going to run
out one last time. And on that Day, God’s wrath will be revealed to the whole
world at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 19:11–16 THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST!
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called
Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire,
and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but
He himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.
The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine
linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down
the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the
fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ON his robe and on his thigh he has this name
written:
King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
God!
Joshua 3 and 4
God’s infinitude places him so far above our knowing that a lifetime spent in cultivating
the knowledge of him leaves as much yet to learn as if we had never begun.
— A. W. Tozer
Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His
hands.
SIX ATTRIBUTES of the God of the Bible:

1. The God of the Bible is a God who lives among us! Joshua 3:1–4a
• The Ark of the Covenant:
Exodus 25:10 the Lord tells Moses, “Have them make a chest of acacia wood—
two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and cubit and a half high.”
(1) This box was overlaid with gold and was carried by two poles.
(2) No one was to go near it or touch it, accept the High Priest. And the
High Priest could only go near it once a year, and only after
thoroughly cleansing Himself.
(3) There was a cover for the box made of pure gold which was called the
Mercy Seat or the Atonement Cover.
(4) At each end of the box were two cherubim or angels who faced each
other.
(5) It was between these two cherubim, that the Lord said to Moses, “This
is where I will meet with you.”
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(6) One of the items that God told Moses to put in this Ark were the two
tablets upon which were written The Ten Commandments.
Exodus 25:22 There, above the [Mercy Seat] between the two cherubim that are
over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands
for the Israelites.
• What do we learn about God from this Ark? That God lives among us just as
He lived among the Israelites.
John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.
John 1:14 The Word became flesh and ‘pitched a tent’ or ‘tabernacled’ among
us.
• Why does God want to live among us? Two reasons:
(1) So that we might know Him!
(2) So that He might show us the way back to Himself!
2. The God of the Bible is Holy! Joshua 4b–8

• Why did God put a distance of 1,000 yards between the Ark and the people,
and why did God instruct the Israelites not to approach the mountain? Here’s
why?
(1) God is holy and we are not.

(2) God cannot and will not allow sin into His presence.
(3) God takes sin seriously.
(4) We do not.
• What does it mean that God is holy?
(1) It means that God is distinct, separate, in a class by Himself!

(2) It means that God is morally pure.
Psalm 24:3–4 Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy
place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to
an idol or swear by what is false.
Hebrews 9:22 Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Hebrews 10:22 Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of
faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and
having our bodies washed with pure water.
3. The God of the Bible is a God who speaks! Joshua 3:9–17

4. The God of the Bible is a God who will judge!
5. The God of the Bible is a God of power!
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Deuteronomy 20:16–18 However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God
is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes.
Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites
and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you. Otherwise, they will
teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and
you will sin against the Lord your God.
Joshua 4:24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the
hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your
God.
6. The God of the Bible is a God to be feared. Joshua 4

Matthew 10:28 Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but
cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and
body in hell.”
Hebrews 9:27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.
Hebrews 10:31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Joshua 3:5 Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things
among you.
A Life Consecrated to God!

Joshua 5
Joshua 3:5 Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among
you!
Three aspects of a life consecrated to God:
1. A life consecrated to God begins with a circumcised heart! Joshua 5:1–9
A. Why did God put in place the practice of circumcision and what does it mean
spiritually? Genesis 17—The Abrahamic Covenant
• A conditional or bilateral covenant is an agreement that is binding

on both parties for its fulfillment. Both parties agree to fulfill certain
conditions. If either party fails to meet their requirements, then the
covenant is broken and neither party has to fulfill the expectations of
the covenant.
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• An unconditional or unilateral covenant is an agreement between
two parties, but only one of the two parties has to do something.
Nothing is required of the other party.
B. If God is more interested in the heart of man than his outward appearance,
why did God require circumcision?
• Everything that God required of the Israelites in the Old Testament
pointed to something that God requires in the New Testament. In other
words, the OT ceremonies are linked to spiritual realities the NT.
• Hebrews 10:1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are
coming—not the realities themselves.
• Circumcision was a SIGN to God that pointed to their obedience and
submission to Him, thus circumcision marked and identified these men
as belonging to God.
• Psalm 51:16–17 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burn offerings.
• Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I
will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
• Romans 2:28–29 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor
is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he
is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the
Spirit, not by the written code.
2. A life consecrated to God is a life protected from God’s wrath! Joshua 5:10–12
A. In Passover, we find another OT shadow that points to a NT reality. Exodus

12—The Passover!
• The blood was a sign that identified the Israelites as belonging to God.
Thus, they were shielded from His wrath.
• Passover is a shadow that points to the reality of the cross. At the
cross, Jesus became our Passover Lamb.
3. A life consecrated to God is a life of worship! Joshua 5:13–15
A. What does this mean?
• It means you live your life as the man God created you to be—you live
for God. You are God’s man!
• Whatever you do, you do it for His glory.
• Colossians 3:23–24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,
as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will
receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ
you are serving.
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3. A warning: When you try to live for Christ, you will discover that you have an
enemy who will try to cause you to fail every day.
In Matthew 10:34–42 Jesus said,

Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring
peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn
“ ‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’”
Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who
loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not
take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and
whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Consecrate yourselves, and watch for the Lord will do amazing things among you!!
Devoted to Destruction!
Joshua 6
Exodus 19:20–20:2
1. The sins of the Canaanites (Amorites):
• God forbade incest! (Lev. 18:6)

• God forbade homosexuality! (Lev. 18:22)
Romans 1:26–27 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their
women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also
abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another.
Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty
for their perversion.
• God forbade bestiality! (Lev. 18:23)

• God forbade child sacrifice! (Lev. 18:21)
JOSHUA 6
2. Two attributes of God:
• God is holy, and His holiness demands justice, which brings judgment upon
unbelievers.
• God is gracious, and His grace offers mercy, which brings forgiveness to
believers.
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3. Six Take-Aways:
• God hates sin and one day He will once and for all time destroy all that is evil.
• The destruction of evil is a holy and righteous act on the part of a Holy and
just God.
• Because God hates sin, we should have a profound hatred of any sin in our
lives.
• The judgment of Jericho should remind us that one day God is going to judge
the world.
Revelation 6:10
They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you
judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”
Revelation 11:15–19
• God is a God of grace and mercy.

• The only people who will be protected from the coming wrath of God are
those who have been marked by the blood of the Lamb.
1 Corinthians 6:9–11
God Has Provided THE Way!

Joshua 8:30–35
The Path of Redemption:
1. All we have to do is follow this path and it will bring us to heaven.
2. The path of redemption begins in Genesis, and then, it winds its way through
every chapter of the Bible, concluding in Revelation.
3. This path to God begins in the garden. It ends in heaven.
4. This path of redemption finds its way to the cross where Jesus paid the price to set
us free!
All of the sacrifices in the Old Testament were designed by God to reveal something—to
teach something about us and something about God, Himself.
The word redemption refers to the price that is paid to set a slave free.
Truths we learn from the Old Testament and the New Testament regarding the
Path of Redemption:
1. When Adam and Eve sinned by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil, the forbidden tree, DEATH entered the world.
Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death
through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.
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2. With sin came guilt and shame!
3. Adam was our representative! When he sinned, we all sinned in him.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
4. Death is our chief enemy!
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death.
5. Sin brings God’s wrath; but He has provided away for His wrath to be satisfied.
Genesis 22:13–14 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its
horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of (or,
in place of) his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this
day, it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
6. Because of God’s mercy, He allows for a substitute—someone to pay the penalty

for us.
7. The substation of the ram, in the place of Isaac, was the shadow pointing to the
reality of the cross.
John 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he
bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
8. When Jesus said, “It is finished!” the price had been paid. His work was
completed.
9. All throughout the Old Testament, we can read about the thousands and thousands
of sheep and goats that were being sacrificed on the altar in the Temple. What was
the point?
• God is holy and just, and because of this, He will not allow sin into His
presence.
• God’s righteous judgment requires the death penalty for sinners.
• God, in His mercy, allows for a SUBSTITUTE, a perfect substitute, to pay the
price for our sins.
10. The path of redemption runs right through the cross.

Matthew 11:28–30 Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you
will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
11. When we draw near to God through faith in Jesus…
• God cleanses us of all our sins

• And He covers us with the righteousness of Son.
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Isaiah 53:5–6 But He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are
healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and
the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
12. There is only one way to heaven, and that is to enter this path of redemption.
Matthew 7:13–14 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the
road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow
the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
13. God only requires one thing on our part: WE must believe. We must place our
trust in Jesus Christ.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever
believes in Him might have eternal life.
Do you believe? Have you truly placed your trust in Jesus for your salvation?
The Day the Earth Stood Still!

Joshua 10
In John 16:33, Jesus says, I have told you these things, so that in me you may have
peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
2 Chronicles 20:15 “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem!
This is what the Lord says to you: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast
army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s!”
Ephesians 6:12–13 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so
that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you
have done everything, to stand.
What the Lord is willing to do for you if you will simply trust Him:
1. The Lord will fight for you!

2. The Lord will defeat your enemies!
3. The Lord will give you victory in the end!
The Gibeonites were similar to Rahab:

• Like Rahab, the Gibeonites recognized that the God of Israel was the one true
God.
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• Like Rahab, they had become convinced as they heard of all the reports about
Israel’s success.
• Like Rahab, the Gibeonites used deception.
Verse 8: The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your
hand. Not one of them will be able to stand against you.”
Look at what the Lord did for Joshua and the Israelites:
• He threw the five armies into confusion.
• The Lord rained down from the sky large hailstones such that more were killed by
the hailstones than by the Israelites.
What did Joshua do when he realized time was running out? HE PRAYED!
What did the Lord do? HE CAUSED THE SUN TO STAND STILL!
What do we learn from this? We learn that God listens to the prayers of His people.
James 5:6 The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective!
2 Corinthians 10:4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the
contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and
every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive
every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
1 John 5:14–15 This is the confidence that we have in approaching God: that if we ask
anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever
we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him.
Two truths regarding the battle we face against an unseen enemy:

• The greatest tool in our arsenal is prayer.
• Our prayers must be according to God’s will.
•
John 14:13 “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring
glory to the Father.”
When Jesus died on the cross, and then, three days later, arose from the dead, He
conquered three of our enemies: Satan, Sin, and, Death.
Colossians 2:13–15 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your
sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins, having canceled
the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us;
he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities,
he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
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1 John 3:2–3 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet
been made known. But we know that when He [Jesus] appears, we shall be like him, for
we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as He
is pure.
________________________________________________________________________
Our God is an Awesome God!

Joshua 11
Psalm 47:2 How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!
God promised to give the land of Canaan to the descendants of Abraham:
• Genesis 12:7 The Lord appeared to Abraham and said, “To your offspring I
will give this land.”
• Genesis 15:18 “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abra[ham] and
said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the
great river, the Euphrates….”
• Genesis 17:8 “The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will
give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I
will be their God.”
REVIEW:
Joshua chapters 1–2: General Joshua sent spies into the land to size up the enemy. In
Jericho, Rahab, the prostitute, gave them valuable information in return for her life and
the lives of her family members.
Chapters 3, 4 and 5: The Israelites cross the Jordan River and begin to mysteriously
march around the city of Jericho over the course of 7 days.
Chapter 6: The Israelites march around Jericho 7 times in one morning, and then the
priests blow their trumpets and watch as the walls come tumbling down. Then, the
Israelite soldiers storm the city and completely destroy every living thing that breathes:
men, women, children and animals. Nothing is left alive.
Chapter 8: The key city of Ai is destroyed and all living creatures in that city are killed.
Chapter 10: The Israelites march through the night and deliver a swift and decisive blow
to all of the cites in Southern Canaan.
JOSHUA 11
Key Points:
• The north is in panic mode!
• All the kings come together with their armies in a huge show of force!
• The northern armies have horses and chariots!
• The Lord is on Israel’s side and delivers the enemy already slain!
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• God hardened the hearts of the Canaanites that He might destroy them and
bring glory to Himself in the process!
Take-aways:
1. God is awesome in SALVATION!
• God, who is rich in mercy, reached down from heaven and chose the Israelites
to be His Treasured possession.
• He led them through the wilderness of life for 40 years to the Promised Land.
• There He gave them rest from all of their enemies.
Exodus 19:4–6 [God is speaking to Moses about the Israelites]
You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagle’s wings
and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of
all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you
will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
• Israel is a picture of what God has done for every believer!
Ephesians 2:1–5: As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which
you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the king of
the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived
among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its
desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of
his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we
were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
2. God is awesome in DESTRUCTION!
• A Warning: The same power that is used to save can also be used to destroy
Verse 20: For it was the Lord Himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against
Israel, so that He might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the
Lord had commanded Moses.
• The God of the OT is the same God of the NT.
• We are born God’s enemies (Romans 5:10).
• God exercises His patience and extends his kindness to lead us to repentance.
• At some point, God’s patience runs out and He withdraws his mercy.
• When God hardens a heart, the final decision has been made.
Hebrews 3:15 “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the
rebellion.”
• A Positive Note: A coming day of rest!
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The Christian Life!
Joshua 13
Ephesians 6:12 For our STUGGLE is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
The Christian life involves these three realities:
1. You will have battle spiritual enemies until the day you die!
2. You will not fight them alone because the Lord will fight for you!
3. And even though the battle will be intense at times, and you may lose some
skirmishes, your inheritance is secure and it will make it all worthwhile in the
end!
Deuteronomy 7:1–2 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering
to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites,
Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than
you—and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated
them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no
mercy.
Do you see how God was at work?
1. He raises up a man—Abraham.
2. From that man, he forms a nation—Israel! A nation of 12 tribes. Jacob’s name
changed to ISRAEL!
3. God gives them a LAND—THE PROMISED LAND!
4. The book of Joshua is about God fulfilling his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, that He would give them a homeland.
5. All He required of them was obedience.
Joshua is going to divide the land among all the tribes:
1. The tribes of Reuben, Gad and the ½ tribe of Manasseh get the land east of the
Jordan.
2. Then, Joshua will divide the land west of the Jordan by lot to the remaining 9 ½
tribes.
Ephesians 2:1–3: As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which
you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the
kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us
also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and
following its desires and thoughts.
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We have three REAL enemies:
1. Satan is enemy # 1. 1 Peter 5:8
2. The world system, which is under the control of Satan, is enemy # 2. 1 John 5:19
3. Our sinful nature is enemy # 3! 1 John 2:15–16
John Owen said, “Be killing sin or sin will be killing you!”
Never Give In! Never! Never! Never!

Joshua 14–15
Numbers 13 Moses sends out the 12 spies! Joshua and Caleb are the only two who trust
God to give the land to them. Unfortunately, majority rules.
Numbers 14 God is not happy. He tells Moses to turn around and lead the Israelites back
into the desert. God declares:
1. No one over the age of 20 will ever see the Promised Land as you will
all die in the desert.
2. Only Joshua and Caleb will be allowed to enter the Promised Land!
“Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly!”
—God
Joshua 14 Caleb requests the land that Moses promised to give to him and his
descendants.
Three times the Scripture states: “Caleb followed the Lord wholeheartedly!”
Caleb, at the age of 85, tells Moses that he is still strong, and just as vigorous as when he
was 40, and that with the Lord helping him, he can and will take the land.
Joshua gives the great city of Hebron to Caleb.
What is it about Caleb that made him great?
1. He trusted and believed in God with his whole heart!

2. He cared more about the praise of God than the praise of men!
3. He feared God more than he feared man!
4. He attempted great things for God knowing that God was with him!
5. He loved the Lord with all of His heart!
6. He looked forward by faith to the fulfillment of all of God’s promises because
he trusted in the One He could not see.
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“Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God!”
—William Carey
“Be willing to take risks, to accomplish God’s work, here, at this time, and in this place,
in and through your life.”
—Russ
“Only one life, ‘twil soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last!”
—C.T. Studd
Hebrews 11—Men of great faith!
Ephesians 6:10–13:
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so
that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against
flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this
dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put
on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand
your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
The Lord is our Refuge!

Joshua 20–21
In Matthew 11:28–30, Jesus says, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden
is light.
A. What have we learned about God so far in our study of Joshua?
1. God is a God of justice who will one day be the Avenger of Blood!
2. God is a God of mercy who offers a place of refuge for those who run to Him in
their hour of need!
3. God is a God who goes before us and opens doors!
B. Cities of Refuge:
• Served as sanctuaries for the innocent!
• Of the 48 cites given to the Levites, six were designated as cities of refuge:
Kedesh, Shechem, Hebron, Bezer, Romath and Golan.
• In these sanctuary cites, the innocent were safe from the avenger of blood!
• The Levites were to serve as God’s emissaries of mercy.
• The Levites were to serve as mediators between God and the Israelites.
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C. OT shadows point to NT realities:
• These cities of refuge were types of Christ!
• God gives us shadows in the Old Testament that point to New Testament
realities.
• When you see a shadow, you should look for the reality that stands behind it.
Colossians 2:17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality
however is found in Christ.
Hebrews 8:5–6 They [the priests] serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow
of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned: “See to it that you make
everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”
D. What do we see in these cities of refuge that becomes a reality in Christ? In Christ,
we find…
• a place of refuge
• a place of safety
• a place where God will protect us from the coming Avenger of Blood!
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it
and are safe.
E. Our problem: There is no one innocent. We are all guilty before God!
Isaiah 53:6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own
way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Romans 3:10–11 There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who
understands, no one who seeks God.
F. What is the solution to our problem?
• God makes us innocent.

• We become innocent before God the moment He declares us righteous.
• And He only declares a man righteous who has put his trust in Jesus Christ
and Jesus Christ alone.
G. A place of refuge at the foot of the cross:
• Those, who are in Christ, are righteous before God, and innocent before His
throne.
• They run to the Lord, who is their strong tower, and there, at the foot of the
cross, they find safety.
• There, at the foot of the cross, they are…
1. Safe from God’s wrath!
2. Safe from Satan’s accusations!
3. Safe from eternal damnation!
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4. Safe from the roaring lion who seeks their destruction!
5. Safe from sin and death!
H. One day, the Avenger of Blood, will appear in the sky and everyone in heaven and on
earth will see His glory.
Revelation 1:7 Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even
those who pierced him; and all peoples on the earth will mourn because of him. So
shall it be! Amen.
Do you want to find safety from this coming Avenger of Blood? Then run to the cross.
RUN TO JESUS AND ESCAPE THE COMING WRATH OF GOD!!!
Jesus is the only One who can protect you from God’s coming judgment.
1 Thessalonians 1:9–10 They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living
and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—
Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath!
I. Open Doors—A Personal Testimony:

Revelation 3:8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that
no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and
have not denied my name.
• 1999 an open door to S.E.B.T.S.

• 2003 an open door—Finding Purpose—a ministry to men!
• 2006 an open door at ESUMC—The Men’s Study
• 2018 an open door at the Truth Network: Finding Purpose Radio Program
Joshua’s Last Words!

Joshua 23
A. What message did Joshua want to convey to the Israelites?
1. He wanted them to remember all that God had done for them!
2. He wanted them to love the Lord and follow Him obediently!
3. He wanted to warn them that if they turned away from God then they would come
under God’s discipline!
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B. Joshua loved his people very much, and all he wanted for them was to enjoy the
blessings of God:
1. To live in peace.
2. To find rest.
3. To experience joy and contentment by walking in the light of God’s will.
You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.
—Augustine
C. The keys to a blessed life:
1. Remember all that God has done for you and rejoice!
2. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your mind.
3. Obey His word and heed His warnings.
Moses’ Last Words: Deuteronomy 30:19–20
This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life
and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live
and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to Him. For
the Lord is your life, and He will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your
fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
D. Joshua begins by reminding them of all that God has done for them.
1. God promised to deliver them from their enemies.

2. God promised to give the Israelites a homeland where they would find rest from
ALL of their enemies.
3. God did everything that He said He would do.
E. The Lord YOUR God! Is He YOUR God? This is an expression of a personal

relationship!
Jesus said in John 10:14 and 27: I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my
sheep know me…My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
Matthew 7:21–23: Jesus warns that many people will stand before Him one day:
• They will be very familiar with His name and…

• They will talk about all the good things they have done.
• Verse 23: He will look at them and say, “I never knew you. Depart
from me!”
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In John 17:3 Jesus defines eternal life:
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom you have sent.
Do you know, that you know, that you know, Jesus? Heaven depends on it!!!
F. How to experience God’s protection and His blessings in your life?
1. Be strong IN the Lord!

2. Obey the Lord no matter what it costs!
3. Do not associate with unbelievers IF they are going to pull you away from God!
2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do
righteousness and wickedness have in common?
4. Cling to Jesus (particularly when life gets rough!)

Hebrews 6:19–20 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It
enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where, Jesus, who went before us, has
entered on our behalf.
5. Love Jesus with all of your heart!

Mark 2:17 It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call
the righteous but sinners.
G. WARNING: IF YOU TURN AWAY FROM GOD AND PURSUE THE THINGS
OF THIS WORLD and LIVE IN SIN, THEN EXPECT GOD’S DISCIPLINE.
Hebrews 12:5–6 “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline and do not lose
heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes
everyone he accepts as a son.”
1. Why does God discipline His children (believers)?
A. God disciplines us because it is just part of our upbringing in the family of

God.
B. God disciplines us sometimes, when we turn away from Him, and particularly,
if in turning away, we have some sin in our lives that we are not willing to
confess and turn away from (repent of).
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APPENDIX C
SURVEY RESULTS
Answer key:
1. Church attendance: Responses recorded from individual participants.
2. Grew up in a Christian home: Project director subjectively assigned a number of either
0 (no Christian background), 5 (somewhat), or 10 (significant). Weighted average was
calculated.
3. Past commitment to follow Christ: Responses recorded from individual participants.
4. Regular Bible reading: Average days per week.
5. Regularity of sharing one’s faith: Calculated as a percentage of those participants who
shared their faith either once/week or once/month.
6. Assurance of salvation: Average scale from 1 (no assurance) –10 (absolute assurance)
7. Responses to questions 7 and 9: Subjective rating of biblical/non-biblical based on
project director’s opinion.
8. Responses to gospel preaching from Joshua: Responses recorded from individual
participants.
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Anglican Church: 14 responders
Church Attendance Never: 0 Once/month: Twice/month: Every Sunday:

1 3 10
Grew up in a
Christian Home 10 6.7 4.5
Past commitment to follow Christ

Yes 1 2 10
No 1
Regular Bible Reading

7 3.7 4.4
Regularity of Sharing One’s Faith

Once/Week 3
Once/Month 1 5
Once/Year 1 1 2
Assurance of Salvation
Pre-Test 10 9.3 9.6
Post-Test 10 9.6 9.9
Responses to Questions 7 and 9

Biblical Response 1 2 10
Non-Biblical Response 1
Responses to Gospel Preaching from Joshua

Faith
Increased/Living 4
More Surrendered to
Christ
Rededication 2
First-time Decision to
Follow Christ
More Prayer and 2
Bible Reading
153
Episcopalian, Catholic Church, and Atheist: 6 responders
Church Attendance Never: 1 Once/month: Twice/month: Every Sunday:

(atheist) 1 3 1
Grew up in a
Christian Home 5 Catholic 5 Catholic

Yes 1
No 1 1 2
0 3 2 7

Once/Week 1 1
Once/Month
Once/Year 3
Never 1
Pre-Test 1 5 9.3 10
“I hope so!”
Post-Test 3 5 8.6 10
“I hope so!”

Biblical Response 3 1
Non-Biblical Response 1 1

Faith
Increased/Living “a little” 1
More Surrendered to
Christ
Rededication 1
First-time Decision to
Follow Christ
More Prayer and 1
Bible Reading
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Non-Denominational Church: 20 responders
Church Attendance Never: Once/month: Twice/month: Every Sunday:

1 6 13
Grew up in a

Yes 1 6 13
No
5 4.2 5

Once/Week 1 3
Once/Month 2 5
Once/Year 1 2 5
Never 1
Pre-Test 10 9.7 9.7
Post-Test 10 9.8 9.85

Non-Biblical Response 1 1

Faith
Increased/Living 3 4
More Surrendered to
Christ
Rededication 2 2
First-time Decision to 1
Follow Christ
More Prayer and
Bible Reading
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Presbyterian Church USA: 14 responders

1 2 7 4
Grew up in a
Christian Home 5 5 5 5

Yes 1 1 5 1
No 1 2 3
1 3 3.5 5.3

Once/Week
Once/Month 1 5
Once/Year 1 2 3
Never 1 1
Pre-Test 8 9 9.85 8.5
Post-Test 8 9.5 10 8.75

Non-Biblical Response 1 1 1

Faith
Increased/Living
More Surrendered to
Christ
Rededication 5 3
First-time Decision to 1 2 1
Follow Christ
More Prayer and
Bible Reading
156
Southern Baptist Church: 44 responders

2 1 10 31
Grew up in a
Christian Home 0 10 5 5.6

Yes 2 1 9 28
No 1 3
1 7 4.5 5.4

Once/Week 1 10
Once/Month 1 5 9
Once/Year 1 1 4 12
Never
Pre-Test 10 10 9.5 9.8
Post-Test 9.5 10 9.8 9.7

Biblical Response 2 1 9 31

Faith
More Surrendered to
Christ
Rededication 1 1 3
First-time Decision to 1 2
Follow Christ
More Prayer and 3 3
Bible Reading
157
United Methodist Church: 37 responders

4 13 20
Grew up in a

Yes 2 12 16
No 2 2 3
2.6 2.9 4.45

Once/Week 1 3
Once/Month 2 6
Once/Year 4 11 6
Never 1 3
Pre-Test 8 9.5 9.6
Post-Test 9 9.5 9.7

Non-Biblical Response 3 1 3

Faith
More Surrendered to
Christ
Rededication 4 3 6
Follow Christ
More Prayer and 1 2
Bible Reading
158
Various Denominations/No Church: 12 responders

2 1 4 5
Grew up in a
Christian Home 5 5 3.3 4.2

Yes 2 1 3 4
No 2
2.5 2 5 3.8

Once/Week 1
Once/Month 3 3
Once/Year 2 1 1
Never 1
Pre-Test 9 10 9.7 9
Post-Test 9 10 8.8 9.2


Faith
More Surrendered to
Christ
Rededication
Follow Christ
More Prayer and 1
Bible Reading
This chart includes non-church members, moderate Baptist churches, PCA, Disciples of Christ, Lutheran,
and Independent Baptists.
159
Complete Summary: 147 responders
Church Attendance Never: 6 Once/month: Twice/month: 45 Every Sunday:

11 85
Grew up in a 3.3 5.9 4.9 4.53
Christian Home*
Yes 5 7 37 73
No 1 4 9 12
Regular Bible Reading**
1.3 3.7 3.6 4.9
Once/Week 1 3 20
Once/Month 1 1 16 28
Once/Year 4 8 22 32
Never 1 1 4 5
Pre-Test 7.8 8.6 9.56 9.6
Post-Test 8 9.1 9.58 9.7
Responses to Questions 7 and 9***

Non-Biblical Response 2 5 5 5
Faith Increased/Living
More Surrendered to 1 1 15 25
Christ
Rededication 5 12 18
First-time Decision to 2 2 2 8
Follow Christ
More Prayer and Bible 1 4 7
Reading
*Weighted average
**Weighted average
***Total number in each column based on church attendance
160
Summary by Denomination
Denomination SBC UMC Non- PCUSA Anglican Episcopal/Catholic Various

Den.
Attended 70% 54% 65% 29% 71% 17% 50%
Church Every
Sunday
Grew Up in 5.3 5.6 1.8 5 5.4 3.3 4.2
Christian Home
Past 91% 78% 100% 57% 93% 17% 83%
Commitment to
Christ
Regularly 59% 30% 55% 43% 64% 33% 83%
Sharing Faith*
Assurance of Data was statistically insignificant
Salvation
Biblical 98% 81% 90% 78% 93% 67% 92%
Response to Qs
7 and 9
Response to Preaching from Joshua
Faith Increased 10 9 7 4 2 5
Rededication 5 13 4 8 2 1 1
First-time 1 4 1 4 1
Decision
More 6 3 2 1 1
Prayer/Bible
Study
*Only used data from once/week and once/month
Comparison of Conservative and Liberal Denominations
Response to Gospel Preaching from Joshua*

Denominations Conservative** Liberal***
Faith Increased 27% 19%
Rededication 14% 38%
First-time Decision 2% 14%
More Prayer/Bible Study 10% 9%
*Weighted average Percentage
**Conservative Denominations include SBC, Non-Denominational, Anglican (sample size 78)
***Liberal Denominations include UMC, PCUSA, Episcopal/Catholic (sample size 57)
161
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167
VITA
John Rushman Bunting Andrews
PERSONAL
Born: June 19, 1954, Bethel, North Carolina
Parents: Tom and Mary Wells Andrews
Married: Creecy Andrews (40 years)
Children: Rushman and Smith
Grandchildren: Smith, Cabell, Kathryn Grace, Thomas, Cross, Graham
EDUCATIONAL
Diploma, St. Christopher’s High School, Richmond, Virginia
B.S. Business Administration, UNC at Chapel Hill, 1976
M.B.A., Kenan School of Business, UNC at Chapel Hill, 1981
M.Div., Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2003
MINISTERIAL
BSF Participant and Small Group Leader, Raleigh, NC, 1981–2001
Executive Director of Finding Purpose—A Ministry to Men, 2003–present
168
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SOUTHEASTERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

WAKE FOREST, NORTH CAROLINA

DEVELOPING A SERIES OF EXPOSITIONAL SERMONS FROM JOSHUA TO

PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE MEN’S STUDY AT EDENTON STREET UNITED

METHODIST CHURCH, MEASURING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THAT

PREACHING BY TESTING THE MEN WHO ATTEND

SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY

Student Name: John Rushman Bunting Andrews Student ID # 000-202219

Ministry Project Title:

DEVELOPING A SERIES OF EXPOSITIONAL SERMONS FROM JOSHUA TO

This Ministry Project Report has been approved.

Date of Defense: April 30, 2019

Faculty Supervisor/Chair: Daniel Akin

Faculty Reader: Charles E. Harvey

Field Mentor: B. Tate Cockrell

2) Because of sensitive material contained in my Ministry Project Report, I

_____ 3) Because of sensitive material contained in my Ministry Project Report,

April 30, 2019 John R. B. Andrews

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1

Project Objectives .......................................................................................................... 2

Ministry Objectives ................................................................................................... 2

Personal Objectives ................................................................................................... 5

Ministry Context ............................................................................................................ 6

Project Rationale ............................................................................................................ 8

The Decline in Church Membership in Mainline Denominations ............................ 8

The Invasion of Liberal Theology in Mainline Denominations .............................. 11

Limitations and Delimitations ...................................................................................... 24

Definition of Terms ...................................................................................................... 26

Project Model ............................................................................................................... 30

CHAPTER 2: BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS ............................ 34

Preaching Christ from the Old Testament .................................................................... 34

The Relationship between Promise and Fulfillment .................................................... 40

Scriptural Support for Promise-Fulfillment ............................................................ 44

Scriptural Support for Type and Antitype ............................................................... 50

The Relationship between Covenant and Christ .......................................................... 53

CHAPTER 3: MINISTRY FOUNDATIONS .................................................................. 60

The Early Church Period ......................................................................................... 60

The Middle Ages ..................................................................................................... 63

The Reformation ..................................................................................................... 64

The Modern Era ...................................................................................................... 65

Preaching Christ from the Book of Joshua .................................................................. 67

Review of David Helm’s Lecture............................................................................ 67

Other Key Links to the Gospel Found in Joshua ......................................................... 77

CHAPTER 4: PROJECT DESCRIPTION ....................................................................... 89

Synopsis of Sermons Given to TMS on Joshua ........................................................... 95

Introductory Sermons .............................................................................................. 95

Joshua 3–4 ............................................................................................................... 98

Joshua 6 ................................................................................................................. 101

Joshua 10 ............................................................................................................... 103

Joshua 11–12 ......................................................................................................... 104

Joshua 13 ............................................................................................................... 105

Joshua 14 ............................................................................................................... 106

Joshua 20–21 ......................................................................................................... 107

Joshua 23–24 ......................................................................................................... 108

CHAPTER 5: PROJECT ANALYSIS ........................................................................... 110

Introduction ................................................................................................................ 110

Summary of Results ................................................................................................... 112

Strengths ..................................................................................................................... 117