WEBVTT 00:00:11.279 --> 00:00:23.679 You're surely familiar with the historical woman, Helen Keller, a very insensitive journalist some years ago, asked her a question. 00:00:24.559 --> 00:00:28.800 You know that she was stricken with blindness shortly after she was born. 00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:35.119 And that journalist said to her, Miss Keller, can you think of anything worse than being blind? 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:38.719 Without any hesitation, she said, Yes. 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:43.200 To have the gift of sight, but to have no vision. 00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:48.079 Proverbs 29 says, Without vision do people perish. 00:00:48.240 --> 00:00:49.359 They're unrestrained. 00:00:49.520 --> 00:00:52.479 Without leadership, we all struggle. 00:00:53.679 --> 00:01:01.840 I think it was on staff for about a year when I was asked to preach on the Memorial Day weekend. 00:01:02.159 --> 00:01:06.799 Emmanuel, of course, honors those that have served in the military on that weekend. 00:01:06.879 --> 00:01:20.480 And so I had worked hard in preparing my message, but I wanted to leave just a short season in that message for some interaction with the World War II veterans that were coming in town that year. 00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:26.000 That was the year, if you may remember, that the World War II Memorial down on the National Mall was dedicated. 00:01:26.079 --> 00:01:40.400 And so the Wednesday prior to that Memorial Day weekend, when I was going to preach the sermon, having completed most of the sermon with a clipboard and pen, I drove down, parked at the tidal basin, and walked across the street, and you couldn't miss them. 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:43.120 All these World War II veterans that had come back. 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:47.840 I mean, they're in their late 80s at the time, and some of them in their early to mid-90s. 00:01:48.159 --> 00:01:49.040 They were not alone. 00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:54.719 Most of them were with a large group of people, their wives, if they were still alive, their children. 00:01:54.879 --> 00:01:56.719 Many had grandchildren with them. 00:01:56.879 --> 00:02:00.239 A lot were in walkers or wheelchairs, others were shuffling. 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:02.319 It was not hard to miss them. 00:02:02.719 --> 00:02:09.120 And I simply walked up to them with my clipboard and pen, stuck out my hand, and said, Hi, I'm Tom Joyce. 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:14.000 I'm a retired Navy captain and I'm a pastor at a church in Northern Virginia. 00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:25.439 I'm preaching a sermon this Sunday to my congregation, and I'd like to be able to report back to them a little bit about your time serving the country in World War II. 00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:26.639 What can you share? 00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:30.240 Now, most of them, I grew up in a household of a father. 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:34.159 My dad was a CB and fought in Okinawa during World War II. 00:02:34.319 --> 00:02:38.080 Most of them had never opened up like my dad with their families. 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:46.159 But somehow they resonated with a retired Navy captain, or maybe they felt like they were given an order, I don't know, but they began to speak. 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:48.479 And they began to write. 00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:56.240 And their families were leaning in, their grandkids were leaning in, and people were listening to their stories, and they were powerful stories. 00:02:56.560 --> 00:03:01.439 And I'll be honest with you, as I was writing, I started to wipe away the tears. 00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:10.960 As I thought about what they were telling me, about what they had done for our nation during that global conflict. 00:03:11.120 --> 00:03:16.159 You and I would be speaking a whole different language were it not for those men and women. 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:18.719 Tom Brokaw wrote a great book about them. 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:25.680 Some of you perhaps have read his book called The Greatest Generation, thus the name of that generation, the greatest generation. 00:03:25.759 --> 00:03:37.360 And Tom Brokow's book is filled with stories of heroism and sadness and sacrifice and great victory as he recounts the global struggle we know as World War II. 00:03:37.759 --> 00:03:58.560 I remember my station at the Pentagon, I used to go out for a run every day, and one of the places I would run was up by the Iwo Jima, the Marine Corps Memorial, and just to honor my brothers and sisters in the naval service called the Marine Corps, we I would get down and do some push-ups and sit-ups right in front of that monument. 00:03:58.639 --> 00:04:01.599 It was just magnificent looking over the National Mall. 00:04:01.680 --> 00:04:08.400 And chiseled in the bottom of the granite is an expression that really describes that World War II generation. 00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:14.159 It says, when uncommon valor was a common virtue. 00:04:14.479 --> 00:04:21.519 When uncommon valor was a common virtue that describes the greatest generation, does it not? 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:52.240 And when you think about that, the greatest generation and what they have done for this country or what they have done for us, the greatest generation literally is passing the mantle of leadership to us. 00:04:53.680 --> 00:04:58.480 And the question is, what will be said of us in the years to come? 00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:04.319 The greatest generation is passing the mantle of leadership to us. 00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:08.800 And what will they say of us in the years to come? 00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:12.000 If we don't lead now, who will? 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:17.839 And if we don't lead well, we are in deep, deep trouble. 00:05:18.240 --> 00:05:32.959 I believe that there is a model given to us here in Scripture that if we are smart and we hope to lead well, that we will follow that leadership model here given to us in the book of Joshua. 00:05:33.120 --> 00:05:34.800 Go to Joshua chapter 1. 00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:50.639 I asked Alex to read that account from Numbers chapter 13 and stretching into Numbers chapter 14 because it really gives us the background that we need to understand what's happening here right away in Joshua chapter 1. 00:05:50.720 --> 00:05:56.800 We see in verse 2, in Joshua chapter 1, Moses, my servant, God says, is dead. 00:05:56.959 --> 00:05:59.199 Now therefore, he's speaking to Joshua. 00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:09.920 Arise, go over this Jordan, the Jordan River, you and all of this people, into the land that I'm giving to them, to the people of Israel. 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:15.759 Joshua has been the one now that has been selected to lead the nation. 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:24.480 All of the ten spies that made the bad report to the nation of Israel and suggested that we go all the way back to Egypt. 00:06:24.639 --> 00:06:28.959 At least there we had three square meals and a place to lay our heads. 00:06:29.279 --> 00:06:32.319 They were worried about the Nephilim, about the giants in the land. 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:37.040 They even said we look like grasshoppers compared to these giants. 00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:42.399 Caleb steps up to the microphone and gives his report to the nation. 00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:45.120 We carried some of that fruit with you, remember? 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:46.240 We saw it. 00:06:46.480 --> 00:06:47.759 We saw those giants. 00:06:47.839 --> 00:06:53.360 Yeah, they are pretty big, and we do look like grasshoppers, but we're God's grasshoppers. 00:06:53.759 --> 00:06:55.680 And I think we should go. 00:06:56.560 --> 00:07:05.199 As a result of the lack of faithfulness of the ten, not a single man over the age of 20 of that entire generation. 00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:06.240 Think about that. 00:07:06.480 --> 00:07:12.319 Not a single man over the age of 20 of that entire generation is allowed to go into the promised land. 00:07:12.399 --> 00:07:14.000 It's allowed to cross the Jordan. 00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:21.279 Every single one of those men, of those men will die in the wilderness, including Aaron and eventually Moses. 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:31.600 We know at the very end of the book of Deuteronomy, God takes Moses up to the top of Mount Nebo and he has him look into the promised land and says, Moses, do you see it? 00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:34.959 But because your unfaithfulness, you're not going. 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:47.839 And so as they enter and begin this journey with the nation of Israel, as Joshua as their leader, it's just he and Caleb are the only two of that entire generation. 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:54.079 They are totally alone, but they have the Lord, and they have his direction. 00:07:54.800 --> 00:08:04.000 And look right here in chapter 1, we have the preparation or the preparing to lead, and God gives the direction straight to Joshua. 00:08:04.240 --> 00:08:06.800 This is how I want you to lead for me. 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:11.519 And I think we should apply this to ourselves today as well. 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:12.800 Look at verse 7. 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:15.439 This is God speaking to Joshua. 00:08:15.839 --> 00:08:17.920 Be strong, very courageous. 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:23.600 Be careful to do according to all that the law that Moses, my servant, commanded you. 00:08:23.839 --> 00:08:30.959 Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:43.279 Verse 8, this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. 00:08:43.440 --> 00:08:48.080 For then you'll make your way prosperous, and you'll have good success. 00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:54.320 He continues in verse 9 with a military command to Joshua. 00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:58.879 He says, Have I not commanded you? 00:08:59.919 --> 00:09:02.000 Be strong and courageous. 00:09:02.320 --> 00:09:08.879 Do not be frightened, do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:13.600 Joshua's thinking, it's just me and Caleb left in this entire generation. 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:17.200 Everybody else, all the young people, are gone. 00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:22.720 We've got to be able to lead all these, and God says, I'll be with you wherever you go. 00:09:23.679 --> 00:09:30.480 Three quick leadership principles, I think we see as God prepares Joshua for leadership right here in the first chapter. 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:31.519 Look at verse 8. 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:35.279 He says, This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth. 00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:41.440 In other words, he says, You shall meditate on it day and night. 00:09:41.840 --> 00:09:45.360 You'll be careful to do according to all that is written in it. 00:09:45.679 --> 00:09:48.240 He says to Joshua, I want you to know my word. 00:09:48.399 --> 00:09:51.039 I want you to know what I expect of you. 00:09:51.279 --> 00:09:54.799 I want you to know what I expect of the nation as well. 00:09:55.200 --> 00:09:58.399 Verse 8 says, God wants us to know his word. 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:01.120 It still applies to us today. 00:10:01.440 --> 00:10:04.080 God wants us to know his scripture. 00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:11.600 Secondly, he says, not only do you want us to know it, but he said, be careful to do according to all that is written in it. 00:10:12.480 --> 00:10:20.320 So we need to not only know the word, that's our quiet time, our personal quiet time, our personal study of the word of God, our memorization. 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:28.000 Alex just talked about this, the students down in the gym that are memorizing and reciting the scriptures that are hidden in their heads and their hearts. 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:32.320 He says, I want you to know the word, but I want you to live it out as well. 00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:35.759 That we let our lights shine before men. 00:10:36.960 --> 00:10:42.639 If you want to lead for God and his economy, this is how we do it. 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:46.159 We need to know the word of God and we need to live it out. 00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:52.559 But then in verse 9, he reminds Joshua: remember who you report to. 00:10:53.519 --> 00:11:01.919 Joshua had been the military leader for the nation of Israel, serving under Moses, but now he's been elevated to be the national leader for Israel. 00:11:02.159 --> 00:11:12.799 But God is reminding him by using this military term and reminding Joshua there's a chain of command, and you're responsible for me, he says, Have I, God, not commanded you? 00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:18.720 And remember at this time, the nation of Israel is the most powerful in the known world. 00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:29.519 All the other kings will eventually run and hide as a result of Joshua making the campaign that he will settle the nation of Israel and the tribes in their assigned land. 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:39.679 He's the most powerful man in all of the known world at this time, but God is reminding him, you still report to me, Joshua. 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:46.799 You need to know the word, you need to live it out, and remember that you report to me. 00:11:47.519 --> 00:12:01.440 And it seems like when Joshua gets this right, when he knows the word of God, he understands that, and he's living it out, and he remembers that he reports directly to the to God the Father, then he gets the command. 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:06.000 That's what verse 10 says, and then Joshua commanded the officers of the people. 00:12:06.320 --> 00:12:10.480 And by the way, Joshua demonstrates servant leadership right from the start. 00:12:10.799 --> 00:12:15.840 Because rather than getting all of his deputies together and say, hey, where's my servants? 00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:17.200 Where's my coach? 00:12:17.360 --> 00:12:19.279 Where's my golf clubs? 00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:25.279 He says, make sure all of our people have all the provisions that they need. 00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:29.360 He's already thinking about the people and not about himself. 00:12:29.440 --> 00:12:30.960 That's leadership. 00:12:31.919 --> 00:12:40.639 And so in preparing to lead, he says, you need to know the word, you need to live out the word in your life, be that example. 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:43.120 But remember who you report to. 00:12:43.600 --> 00:12:49.039 There's accountability and leadership, and we will be held accountable by God Himself. 00:12:49.200 --> 00:12:52.720 God says, Have I not commanded you? 00:12:54.639 --> 00:12:59.200 I learned this quickly in my own time serving in the military. 00:12:59.360 --> 00:13:09.600 I used to meet with a group of believers from different fighter squadrons out in San Diego and Naval Air Station Miramar when I was stationed out there for many, many years. 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:16.000 And we often say that a fighter squadron is not a haven of Bible thumpers. 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:24.000 In fact, we often used to call ourselves fighter squadrons were really kind of government-sponsored motorcycle gangs. 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:31.440 Guys that really were living life with the knives in their teeth and kind of running crazy. 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:36.240 The guys you'd like to go into combat with, but not necessarily want to marry your sister. 00:13:37.200 --> 00:13:44.080 But there was a few of us who were believers, and we would meet for Bible study and prayer every Tuesday morning right there on the flight line. 00:13:44.159 --> 00:13:48.799 The chaplain had an office that he allowed us to use right there on the flight line. 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:51.360 And every Tuesday morning at 6 a.m. 00:13:51.519 --> 00:13:51.919 we'd meet. 00:13:52.000 --> 00:14:01.279 There were five of us, and we'd do some scripture study and we just pray for one another, an hour witness in the different squadrons that we were reporting to. 00:14:01.759 --> 00:14:05.440 And I remember one Tuesday morning I showed up and there was a sign on the window. 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:12.720 It said, We've gone to Fighter Squadron 111's commanding officer's office this morning for Bible study and prayer. 00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:14.480 Please meet us over there. 00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:19.440 And so I drove over to that hangar, and the petty officer let me in. 00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:21.120 That squadron was on deployment. 00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:22.639 They were gone for seven months. 00:14:22.799 --> 00:14:29.519 And so the building was opened by the petty officer, and I could see the light was on in the commanding officer's office upstairs. 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:33.600 This was the squadron I was actually going to command. 00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:42.639 And I came into that room, and my four friends who I met with every single week, these were my brothers in Christ, my accountability brothers. 00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:55.759 They sat me down in the commanding officer's chair in that office, the place I was about to take over as command as soon as they got back from deployment, and they prayed Joshua chapter 1 into my life. 00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:59.440 God, may you hold this man accountable to the word. 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:02.000 May he know the word of God. 00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:03.679 May he live it out. 00:15:03.840 --> 00:15:06.960 May he never forget that he reports to you. 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:20.000 It was a powerful moment in my military career, a powerful moment in leading into my time and serving with those men as we were getting ready for go on yet a next combat deployment as well. 00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:24.399 So there is a preparation for leadership that God brings us through. 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:28.480 And I believe if we follow that, we will indeed serve successfully. 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:31.840 Second, move to your right in Joshua chapter 5. 00:15:32.480 --> 00:15:40.080 Not only is there a preparing to lead, but a reminder that we're often serving on what's called holy ground. 00:15:40.559 --> 00:15:41.840 Holy ground. 00:15:42.159 --> 00:15:46.480 Now we know that Joshua actually did take charge of the nation of Israel. 00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:50.639 He sent some spies himself into the city of Jericho. 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:55.679 That was one of the places that God had sent them to take down the walls of Jericho. 00:15:55.840 --> 00:15:58.080 These were massive walls in Jericho. 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:07.120 We know they were massive because the woman Rahab, who actually helps out the spies, she and her family lived in the walls, within the walls of that city. 00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:11.759 So it must have been massive walls that were there, and the city was massive. 00:16:12.159 --> 00:16:25.200 And now Joshua, a good leader, decides before he's going to send any of his men in to attack that city, as God had directed them, he's going to do some reconnaissance on his own. 00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:35.519 And the scripture tells us here in Joshua chapter 5, starting in verse 13, it gives us the scenario where we find Joshua right outside the city of Jericho. 00:16:36.240 --> 00:16:46.080 Scripture says, when Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his sword drawn in his hand. 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:52.799 Joshua went to him and said to him, Are you for us or for our adversaries? 00:16:53.200 --> 00:16:58.320 And he, the man, said, No, but I come as the commander of the army of the Lord. 00:16:58.480 --> 00:16:59.840 Now I have come. 00:17:00.320 --> 00:17:07.440 And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, What does my Lord say to his servant? 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:17.920 And the commander of Joshua's of the Lord's army said to Joshua, Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy. 00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:20.640 And Joshua did so. 00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:25.519 Remember, Joshua is the most powerful man now in the known world. 00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:36.079 But somebody has come before him that causes Joshua to fall to his face and follow commands quickly to remove his sandals, for he's on holy ground. 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:41.359 And we know this to be none other than what we call the theophany. 00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:44.880 This is an appearance of God before Joshua. 00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:47.920 And more specifically, it's called a Christophany. 00:17:48.079 --> 00:17:52.880 This is an Old Testament appearance of a pre-incarnate Jesus Christ. 00:17:53.119 --> 00:17:57.759 And he's standing here before Joshua, giving him commands, telling him what to do. 00:17:57.920 --> 00:18:04.640 Take off your shoes, Joshua, for the place that you're standing here, right here, at sight of Jericho, is holy ground. 00:18:04.720 --> 00:18:08.720 In other words, wait till you see what I'm about to do through you. 00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:11.920 Joshua, this is holy ground. 00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:16.799 Take off your sandals, for this is the place. 00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:20.559 Friends, let me ask you a question. 00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:22.799 Where's holy ground for you? 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:26.400 Where does God have you right now? 00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:32.480 Not where you think you're going, where you were, but where does God have you right now? 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:37.440 And he says, I just want to work through you where you are right now. 00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:40.480 And you may say, hey Joyce, you don't understand. 00:18:41.119 --> 00:18:53.519 I'm the CEO, the commanding officer of a of a huge unit, or I'm the CEO of a major company, or it's just me, my wife, and we've got a bunch of little kids at home. 00:18:54.480 --> 00:18:57.920 Where's holy ground for you? 00:18:58.960 --> 00:19:07.839 Are you prepared to take off your moccasins and wait and see how God can possibly work through you? 00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:11.680 Where's holy ground for you? 00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:17.759 That you can demonstrate the leadership that God has called you to right now. 00:19:18.160 --> 00:19:19.839 Because you know his word. 00:19:20.480 --> 00:19:41.599 And because you're you're acting it out in your life, and you're constantly reminding yourself that I'm accountable to God for those little children he's given me, for that massive company he's given me, for all the troops that he's given me, or here at the church for all of the people who serve him so willingly. 00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:44.480 Where's holy ground for you? 00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:50.480 You know, I got orders to the Pentagon, which is the last thing that I wanted to do. 00:19:50.720 --> 00:19:56.000 Those people who serve in the military know that Pentagon for the military is kind of like Mecca. 00:19:56.240 --> 00:19:58.160 You have to go there once in your life. 00:19:58.240 --> 00:20:04.000 You don't necessarily want to go there once in your life, much less twice, but you have to go. 00:20:04.240 --> 00:20:07.359 And I wound up getting orders to the Pentagon. 00:20:07.680 --> 00:20:14.400 In my mind, I thought, well, at least when I get to the Pentagon, they will have heard of me. 00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:21.359 In my mind, I was thinking, when I get to the Pentagon, they will probably know my background. 00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:23.039 I flew fighters for the Navy. 00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:29.279 I mean, the movie Top Gun, and all of that stuff, I'm thinking, in my mind, I'm thinking, surely somebody's heard of me there. 00:20:29.359 --> 00:20:32.400 I'm probably gonna get a top-notch job. 00:20:32.640 --> 00:20:36.559 And in my mind, also I thought I'd get a top-notch parking space. 00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:44.640 I figured right outside the river entrance, there would be the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and Joyce. 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:47.680 In that order, in my mind. 00:20:48.880 --> 00:20:55.359 Well, when I pulled into the parking lot of the Pentagon and looked at my assigned parking space, it was in row 72. 00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:59.119 You could barely see the Pentagon from where I was. 00:20:59.440 --> 00:21:02.319 You almost had to take a bus to get to the river entrance. 00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:05.839 Those of you who work in the Pentagon know exactly what I'm talking about. 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:10.640 But I said, okay, we'll skip the parking, but at least I probably got a really good job. 00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:12.880 I reported to the joint staff. 00:21:13.039 --> 00:21:17.680 I walked into the office, it was run by a one-star Air Force General. 00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:21.119 I walked in and he said, Joyce, we've heard of you. 00:21:21.279 --> 00:21:22.480 Welcome, good to have you here. 00:21:22.799 --> 00:21:23.359 Have a seat. 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:25.599 I thought, yes, I have arrived. 00:21:25.680 --> 00:21:26.480 They have heard of me. 00:21:26.640 --> 00:21:29.359 The parking didn't work out, but I'm sure this will. 00:21:29.599 --> 00:21:36.319 And after a little briefing on, he told us what the office does there, he said, and I have a special job for you. 00:21:36.559 --> 00:21:42.079 Again, in my mind, I'm doing this, and he said, You make the coffee. 00:21:44.079 --> 00:21:49.359 But then he stopped his thought and he said, Actually, you don't make the coffee. 00:21:49.680 --> 00:21:54.400 I forgot, there's a Marine Corps colonel by the name of George Rector. 00:21:54.559 --> 00:21:59.839 He makes the coffee at 5 45 every morning, but you've got to come in at 5 45. 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:01.359 And get the water. 00:22:01.519 --> 00:22:07.200 He said the coffee urn is kind of big, so it'll take you a little while to find the water closet. 00:22:07.279 --> 00:22:12.000 You gotta fill it up, and then it takes just even that much longer to carry it back. 00:22:12.640 --> 00:22:22.000 I'm coming from commander of fighter squadron to the Pentagon, and I'm not even qualified to make the coffee, but I'm good enough to get the water. 00:22:22.160 --> 00:22:23.279 I thought he was kidding. 00:22:23.359 --> 00:22:25.599 He said, I'm serious as a heart attack. 00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:31.200 I walked out of that office and Colonel Rector met me and he said, Hey, you must be Joyce. 00:22:31.359 --> 00:22:32.559 I'm Colonel Rector. 00:22:32.640 --> 00:22:33.839 I make the coffee. 00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:35.119 You get the water. 00:22:35.359 --> 00:22:36.880 See you tomorrow. 00:22:38.319 --> 00:22:44.559 Next morning I got there, row 72, walked all the way to the Pentagon, got in my office. 00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:47.599 I got there at 525 early. 00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:55.279 I went and got that urn, went down two passageways over, filled it up as high as I could, and carried that thing back. 00:22:55.440 --> 00:23:00.480 It took me 12 minutes to go about 150 feet carrying that thing. 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:02.799 It weighed, I can't tell you how much it weighed. 00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:06.000 I put it down on clockwork at 5.45. 00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:10.319 Colonel Rector comes in, puts the coffee in, and says, I got it from here. 00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:12.079 Welcome to the Pentagon. 00:23:12.960 --> 00:23:16.240 I tell you what, that was incredibly humbling. 00:23:16.720 --> 00:23:18.640 I was not a happy camper. 00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:23.119 I'd go home at night, my wife would say, How was your day at the Pentagon? 00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:24.720 What did you learn today? 00:23:26.319 --> 00:23:28.799 I was not very sanctified back then. 00:23:29.680 --> 00:23:30.960 It was very difficult. 00:23:31.119 --> 00:23:32.160 I'll be honest with you. 00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:34.640 I had a really, really poor attitude. 00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:39.680 And after, and by the way, I didn't even mention this to this day. 00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:42.960 I've never tasted coffee in my life. 00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:44.720 I've never had any coffee. 00:23:44.799 --> 00:23:50.559 I'm schlepping water to make coffee for people that drink coffee that I've never tasted. 00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:57.839 And I'd go in and take my Bible and lay it down and start my quiet time, just kind of growling the whole time. 00:23:57.920 --> 00:24:00.079 And God was really dealing with me. 00:24:01.119 --> 00:24:08.400 That worked for a number of months, and we were building up right until about this time frame leading up to Easter Sunday. 00:24:08.480 --> 00:24:26.720 And I remember I was going through the Gospels to just see the accounts of leading up until the coming of the uh Palm Sunday, and then eventually the triumphant entry and the resurrection, all those things I was reading in the scriptures, and one morning I was camped in the Gospel of John, chapter 13. 00:24:27.680 --> 00:24:31.359 And you know they're familiar with that, that's the chapter about the Last Supper. 00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:37.279 And I'm reading about how Jesus was interacting with his band of brothers. 00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:44.799 And even though they were fighting among themselves, the sons of Zebedee, about, hey, who's he think is going to sit closest to him when we get to heaven? 00:24:44.960 --> 00:24:46.640 And I want to sit closest to him. 00:24:46.720 --> 00:24:47.920 No, I want to sit closer to him. 00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:49.119 Let's get mom involved. 00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:51.759 You know, all those things that were going on. 00:24:51.920 --> 00:24:59.039 And Jesus just got up, the scripture said, that he went and fetched water. 00:24:59.200 --> 00:25:01.839 I said, I've been doing that now for months. 00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:08.960 And the scripture says that he got down and he began to wash his disciples' feet. 00:25:09.680 --> 00:25:11.119 And can you think about that? 00:25:11.200 --> 00:25:18.480 How the Savior of the world would get down and wash those dirty, smelly feet. 00:25:20.480 --> 00:25:25.279 Eventually he got to Peter, the one that would deny him. 00:25:26.480 --> 00:25:32.799 Thomas, the one that would doubt him, and he even then washed the feet of Judas, the one that would betray him. 00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:35.279 And that's when it hit me. 00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:42.079 God didn't bring me just 3,000 miles here to serve on the joint staff. 00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:49.680 He brought me here to make coffee and to wash the feet of the people that I was called to serve with. 00:25:50.880 --> 00:25:53.359 About a week later, I got promoted. 00:25:53.839 --> 00:25:59.839 Not to captain, that was a couple of weeks away, but Colonel Rector left. 00:26:01.759 --> 00:26:04.640 I was promoted to chief coffee maker. 00:26:05.359 --> 00:26:08.400 I remember the new guy, my replacement, came in. 00:26:08.640 --> 00:26:11.759 He parked in row 72, made his way in. 00:26:12.079 --> 00:26:13.920 A general welcomed him in his office. 00:26:14.079 --> 00:26:15.599 Hey, good to have you on board here. 00:26:15.839 --> 00:26:17.680 Sit down, you got special stuff for you to do. 00:26:17.759 --> 00:26:20.000 And by the way, you make the coffee. 00:26:20.160 --> 00:26:21.920 Actually, you don't make the coffee. 00:26:22.160 --> 00:26:25.039 Commander Joyce makes the coffee, but you got to come in. 00:26:25.119 --> 00:26:29.680 And the whole spiel, that guy came out of the room like this, welcome to the Pentagon. 00:26:29.759 --> 00:26:32.319 I intercepted him and said, I got it. 00:26:32.559 --> 00:26:33.920 I'll get the water. 00:26:34.079 --> 00:26:35.200 I'll get the coffee. 00:26:35.359 --> 00:26:38.160 My wife was so sweet, she took me to the commissary. 00:26:38.319 --> 00:26:40.079 She showed me what coffee to buy. 00:26:40.160 --> 00:26:42.400 This is really, really good coffee. 00:26:43.119 --> 00:26:49.119 Because I realized that God had called me 3,000 miles from San Diego to come to the Pentagon. 00:26:49.359 --> 00:26:51.680 I wasn't making coffee for just anybody. 00:26:51.759 --> 00:26:55.279 I was making coffee representing the King of Kings. 00:26:55.920 --> 00:26:58.640 I made the best coffee in that building. 00:26:59.519 --> 00:27:01.759 That was holy ground for me. 00:27:02.720 --> 00:27:07.599 Every day I came in after that realized, take off your shoes, Joyce. 00:27:07.920 --> 00:27:15.519 You've been called to this position of leadership to wash the feet of people who drink coffee. 00:27:16.880 --> 00:27:19.279 My friends, where's holy ground for you? 00:27:20.079 --> 00:27:21.839 Where has God got you right now? 00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:27.680 You say, I don't necessarily love where I am, but I'm here to serve. 00:27:28.640 --> 00:27:30.400 I'm here to wash feet. 00:27:31.279 --> 00:27:33.680 This is what God has called me to, right? 00:27:33.920 --> 00:27:38.400 This is my position of leadership right here now, servant leadership. 00:27:38.720 --> 00:27:40.480 Where has God called you? 00:27:41.920 --> 00:27:57.759 Well, thirdly, not only are we we preparing to lead and serving on holy ground, but thirdly, I say we have to learn to lead with compassion for the people that God's called us to lead, but consistency to his word. 00:27:59.680 --> 00:28:02.240 Compassion for them, but be consistent to the word. 00:28:02.480 --> 00:28:06.160 Keep turning to the right for Joshua chapter 7. 00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:16.000 We know after this incident here that we read in the end of Joshua chapter 5, that they do take on the city of Jericho. 00:28:16.640 --> 00:28:18.960 Very unique approach. 00:28:19.039 --> 00:28:30.319 I don't think it's taught at the War College or at West Point, where they circle Jericho for six straight days, and then on the seventh day they circle and shout, and the walls go in. 00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:32.559 God had given the specific direction. 00:28:32.720 --> 00:28:35.359 Everything that's alive must be dead. 00:28:35.759 --> 00:28:38.880 Everything must be wiped out in the city of Jericho. 00:28:39.039 --> 00:28:43.759 And, and, all of the booty, all of the loot, take none of it. 00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:48.720 Nothing to put on eBay, nothing to put on marketplace, leave it all behind. 00:28:49.279 --> 00:28:50.559 Everything. 00:28:50.960 --> 00:28:52.559 Leave it all behind. 00:28:53.119 --> 00:28:56.079 Woe to the person that takes anything. 00:28:56.960 --> 00:29:05.759 And we know the story that they did go in and obliterate the city of Jericho, and they knocked out everything, killed everything, laid it out exactly what God had told them. 00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:08.480 But somebody took something that was under the ban. 00:29:09.599 --> 00:29:12.240 They decided to go to the next city, I. 00:29:14.079 --> 00:29:16.079 Joshua says, it's a really small city. 00:29:16.160 --> 00:29:17.599 We did so well in Jericho. 00:29:17.680 --> 00:29:21.279 I'm just going to send a small contingent of 3,000 men there. 00:29:21.440 --> 00:29:26.400 And they go up to I and they really get overturned by the people of I. 00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:29.039 And they lose 36 people. 00:29:29.599 --> 00:29:33.680 Joshua comes and tears his clothes before the Lord and says, Lord, what happened? 00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:35.519 I thought we were serving you. 00:29:35.759 --> 00:29:37.440 Joshua's the leader of the nation. 00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:39.119 I thought we were serving you well. 00:29:39.200 --> 00:29:40.559 We were on track. 00:29:40.880 --> 00:29:47.680 God says, somebody from your tribes of people have taken what's under the ban. 00:29:48.160 --> 00:29:50.480 And you're responsible, Joshua. 00:29:50.960 --> 00:29:52.559 You're responsible. 00:29:53.119 --> 00:29:58.000 And God helps Joshua narrow down all of the tribes to find this man. 00:29:58.079 --> 00:29:59.839 We know his name is Achan. 00:30:01.119 --> 00:30:11.039 And Achan is brought before Joshua and before the entire nation of Israel to give an account for what he had done. 00:30:11.680 --> 00:30:14.319 Joshua has so loved these people. 00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:25.440 Remember, right from the start, when he was given leadership in chapter 1, the first thing he did was have his deputies go out and say, make sure everybody has everything they need. 00:30:25.599 --> 00:30:27.359 I want my people taken care of. 00:30:27.440 --> 00:30:28.799 That's servant leadership. 00:30:28.880 --> 00:30:31.119 And Joshua has loved these people. 00:30:31.920 --> 00:30:34.079 He's loved them greatly. 00:30:35.279 --> 00:30:39.680 And now one of them stands before him that he knows he must be punished. 00:30:41.039 --> 00:30:42.720 How difficult is that? 00:30:43.920 --> 00:30:50.400 Look what he says in Joshua chapter 7, specifically right to the task here in verse 19. 00:30:51.279 --> 00:30:55.119 Then Joshua said to Achan, Baini. 00:30:57.200 --> 00:30:59.119 It's Hebrew for my son. 00:31:00.160 --> 00:31:07.119 And by the way, Joshua would not say that to normally to a man unless it was his son. 00:31:07.359 --> 00:31:10.079 Unless it was really his firstborn son. 00:31:10.640 --> 00:31:13.519 In the Hebrew context, he would not say this. 00:31:13.759 --> 00:31:16.319 But he so loved these people as a leader. 00:31:16.559 --> 00:31:18.400 He was so connected to them. 00:31:18.640 --> 00:31:21.440 And they felt the same towards Joshua. 00:31:22.079 --> 00:31:27.839 That when Achan stands before him, it's killing Joshua what he has to do. 00:31:28.880 --> 00:31:35.680 Joshua said to Achan, my son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and give praise to him. 00:31:36.079 --> 00:31:38.640 And tell me now what you have done. 00:31:38.880 --> 00:31:40.799 Do not hide it from me. 00:31:41.920 --> 00:31:46.799 Achan loved Joshua so much that he instantly comes clean. 00:31:47.279 --> 00:31:54.640 He says, and Achan answered Joshua, Truly I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and this is what I did. 00:31:55.119 --> 00:32:05.440 I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, and I coveted them, and I took them. 00:32:05.839 --> 00:32:10.640 See, they're hidden in the earth inside my tent with silver underneath. 00:32:10.960 --> 00:32:14.480 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to that tent. 00:32:14.720 --> 00:32:18.400 Behold, it was hidden in the tent with silver underneath. 00:32:19.279 --> 00:32:27.680 They took them out of the tent, brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel, and they laid them down before the Lord. 00:32:28.079 --> 00:32:44.559 Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan, the son of Zirah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar and the gold and the sons and daughters, and his oxen and his donkeys, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had, and they brought up them up to the valley of Achor. 00:32:44.880 --> 00:32:48.319 And Joshua said, Why did you bring this trouble on us? 00:32:48.799 --> 00:32:51.519 The Lord brings trouble on you today. 00:32:52.160 --> 00:33:03.519 And all of Israel stoned him with stones, and they burned them with fire and stoned them with stones, and they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. 00:33:03.759 --> 00:33:06.720 Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. 00:33:08.720 --> 00:33:11.200 This was difficult for Joshua. 00:33:12.079 --> 00:33:13.759 He loved his people. 00:33:14.079 --> 00:33:19.359 He loved this man so much that he would violate his own culture and call him my son. 00:33:21.359 --> 00:33:23.599 He loved him with great compassion. 00:33:24.160 --> 00:33:30.160 But he knew he needed to be consistent to the word of God and to what God had told him to do. 00:33:30.480 --> 00:33:43.359 How difficult is that the squadron that I eventually went to command had gone through great difficulty. 00:33:44.960 --> 00:33:48.480 A non-Christian assignment officer called me from Washington. 00:33:48.640 --> 00:33:50.160 I was out in San Diego. 00:33:50.480 --> 00:33:55.359 He said, I'm sending you to this squadron because you're a Christian. 00:33:56.079 --> 00:34:04.640 And they are so morally corrupt that they need somebody who has some balance in their life to write that ship. 00:34:04.799 --> 00:34:05.839 Will you go? 00:34:07.200 --> 00:34:08.960 And I said, We'll go. 00:34:09.440 --> 00:34:13.599 That's when I had prayed about it, and we said we would go to that squadron. 00:34:14.079 --> 00:34:20.079 I I won't even describe for you what had been going on, the culture that had been built up in that squadron. 00:34:20.239 --> 00:34:21.360 It was rock bottom. 00:34:21.440 --> 00:34:26.079 It was an embarrassment to the fighter community, it would have been an embarrassment to the United States. 00:34:26.480 --> 00:34:29.280 And we went out there and just loved on those people. 00:34:30.320 --> 00:34:33.039 I remember we were leaving for deployment. 00:34:33.920 --> 00:34:38.000 For about a year, we I had been there before we left for deployment. 00:34:38.159 --> 00:34:44.079 And every Friday Deshua and my children would come and bring cupcakes or cookies for the men in the squadron. 00:34:44.159 --> 00:34:45.199