Crossing Jordan Possessing The Land

Joshua 3

Ex. 14:10-14

(Stafford CT, Mar. 16, 2006 Updated 12:05 PM) _ One person is dead, another is missing when a Stafford home explodes.

Investigators are sifting through the ashes of a house that blew up in Stafford yesterday afternoon. The house on Hopyard Road was loaded with fireworks. Fire crews had to let it just burn to the ground.

State Police Major Crime investigators are on the scene searching for a second body. Two people lived in the home and authorities say they believe a second victim is buried somewhere beneath the ashes. Family members have alerted the authorities that one of their family members is missing.

Smoke rising from smoldering debris -- that’s all that’s left of the home on Hopyard Road in Stafford.

"It was like the finale of fireworks."

It was explosion, after explosion, after explosion, of grade fireworks stashed in the house.

"The house was just totally demolished, there was just nothing left, but fire, it was incredible."

Stafford’s fire chief says the large number of explosives was alarming to even him. He pushed his crews back from the flames fearing for their safety.

"It was fairly chaotic when we got on scene, lots of explosions and secondary explosions," says Joe Lorenzetti, Fire Chief.

Nearly 24 hours later there are still live fireworks on scene. Authorities have marked the devices with orange cones -- landmines among the charred rubble.

- We need an explosion in our lives

- We need the old life to be vaporized

- We need the world to see the fireworks of God’s glory

- How different the two crossings are with Israel

- Comparing Jordan over crossing the Red Sea

- Salvation from Egypt was all of grace

- Possessing the land is all of faith.

- Do you long for more of Christ?

- If we stop longing for a fuller experience of the riches of God

- We stop growing in grace.

- Our own Jordan to be crossed before entering into the fulness of His blessing that are promised

- Jordan seems to be associated with death,

- Jordan’s death is death of ourselves

- Taking up our cross and following him is all of faith.

GOD WORKS THROUGH FAITH

I. Warning.

v. 3, 4. This warning is two-told.

1. They must follow when the ark moved.

- Ark symbol of God’s presence and covenant.

- Be prepared to follow the Lord anywhere and at any tune.

2. They must have a space between them and. it.

- v. 4 - 2,000 cubits = 1,000 yd.

- Reason"For ye have not passed this way heretofore."

- Make sure the Lord is before you

- It is He that is leading and not we ourselves

II. Preparation.

- v. 5 - Sanctify yourselves

I once heard about a man who worked with children who lived in sewers - somewhere in South America I think. He used to go into the sewers himself to try and help the children who were living there. Imagine you had been one of those children - virtually blind through living in the darkness underground. Filthy through living in the waste from thousands of homes. Maybe this man offers you a chance to leave. You jump at the opportunity, but has he leads you out, as your eyes become accustomed to the light at the end of the tunnel, you start to see the state that you are in. You start to see the excrement on your clothes and in your hair. And no matter how hard you try to brush it off, the stains will not go away. And of course, the nearer you get to the light coming in from the entrance of the tunnel, the dirtier you appear. Naturally you would shy away from ever coming out of the sewer until you’re fit to be presented to the outside world. The problem of course, is that you cannot be made clean until you come out of the filth of the sewer, and by coming out it’s inevitable that you will be made aware of your own filth.

If we are to see God’s holiness, it is certain that we will recoil at our own sinfulness.

- If God is to be glorified through us

- He must first be sanctified in us

- Put off the old man first

III. Encouragement.

- v.7 - Once sanctified God begins to honor

- When God is honored people will see & know

V. Obedience.

v. 8. - Obedience does not necessarily remove problems immediately

- It’s in our obedience that he works through us

- When Israel followed the ark of God’s presence

- They continued on in His presence

- Jn 1:20 - Jesus began his ministry at Bethabara

- When he the true Ark entered Jordan his work began for us