Claiming Your Canaan–series Part 2 How To Get Past Your Jordan

As we open, the second part of our series there is a story about a man who was a rather rough man, uncultured man who and for some reason as he was window shopping he fell in love with a beautiful vase that he seen in a window. Eventually he bought the vase and put it on his mantelpiece in his room. As he looked at it; it became a judgmental piece of its surroundings. He began to clean up the room to make the vase worthy. As he looked at the vase, it was beautiful but the curtains looked dingy beside it. The old chair with the stuffing coming out of the seat would not do. The wallpaper and the paint needed redoing. Gradually the whole room was transformed. And I need to tell you this morning that when you put Christ on the mantel of your heart, your whole life is transformed and things can’t remain the same they must change.

This is the kind of transformation we witness here in the second chapter of the book of Joshua. As the Israelites were about to enter Canaan and claim their promised land, the first city they would have to face was the great walled city of Jericho. If they could take this city, they could easily split the country in two and then move from there to conquer the north and the south. But before they could go about their business of defeating Jericho, Joshua sends spies to the city to gage the mood of the people and to see whether or not they were ready for war.

When these spies entered Jericho, they went to the home of a harlot named Rahab. Why Rahab? Well, the reason that they went to Rahab’s house was because they knew that the sight of men entering a harlot's home would not attract too much attention.

But something happen when they entered this harlot house. What they found when they entered the home of Rahab must have come as quiet a shock to these two men. They found a woman who had been changed by the power of God. They met Rahab, but they found out that she wasn't the girl she used to be. She was no longer a call girl, but instead she was now a girl that had been called.

Now as we enter into the 3rd chapter we know that because of their unbelief, Israel was sentenced to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. But now those years of wandering have expired and the children of Israel are on the edge to enter into Canaan Land. They are ready to claim their inheritance in the land of promise. However, before they can enter Canaan, they must first get past one final and major obstacle: which was the Jordan River. Normally, this would not have presented much of a problem, since the Jordan was only 100 feet wide at Gilgal where they crossed. However, it seems that God always does things in such a way that no man can boast of having done them with their own strength and power, and this crossing would be no exception.

You see, God brought them to the Jordan River at the time of harvest. Those who have been there during the harvest time tell us that the Jordan swells to an impassable width of over 1 mile! It was over 50 times wider than it normally would have been when Israel arrived. There was no way they could cross this river on their own. They needed supernatural help and they could only get this kind of help from God.

And my brothers and sisters, we each have Jordan’s that we have to face from time to time. When we look at the obstacles that stands between us and our spiritual victory in our own Canaan, the one that makes us feel that we may will never be able to enter our Canaan of victory and enjoy the abundant life that Jesus promised His followers. And I don’t know what kind of obstacles that you are facing in your life, but I do know a God who specializes in overcoming the overwhelming issues that burden us down and he knows how to lead his children to victory.

This morning, I would like for us to look into this account of Israel as they got past their Jordan. As we do, I would like to offer you some post human advice, and to tell you, that the things that worked for them over 3000 years ago, will still work for us today. Allow me to show you from chapters 3 and 4 of Joshua How to Get Past Your Jordan.

There are few steps that we must take to guarantee that we will be able to get past that obstacle that blocks our way and enter our Canaan. Let me share these steps with you this morning.