Getting Cleaned Up For The New Year

Joshua 3: 1 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. 2 After three days the officers went throughout the camp,3 giving orders to the people: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4 Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it." 5 Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you." 6 Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people." So they took it up and went ahead of them.

17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

Introduction:

When we are going to a new and important place, we get cleaned up and put on new or clean attire. The year 2013 is new and I am sure we are all excited and look forward to not only seeing it but also entering and going through it successfully.

Joshua told the people "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you." I believe we all want to experience amazing things in 2013. If this is so then let us see what and how we can get cleaned up or consecrate ourselves today.

Consecrate – solemnly dedicate something or someone for a special purpose or service, usually religious.

Each time the Lord wants to do something wonderful or meet with His people He demands that they perform a consecration ceremony.

Why consecrate?

• Because He is holy and if we are to enjoy his presence, we must be holy,

1Pet 1: 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy.",

• His name is Holy; His abode is Holy, He associate with holy people and things.

Ezek 36: 22 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, ’This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name , which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone.

LK 1; 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name.

Hab 2: 20 But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him."

• God demand that we be holy,

Lev 11: 45 I am the LORD who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.

19: 1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ’Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

• Without holiness no one will see the Lord

Heb 12: 14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord

What are the things we need to be cleaned of and how:

• Sin

For as long as man live on earth the church will never stop talking about sin and repentance from sin and its consequences. The whole essence of God coming to earth in human is to teach man how to avoid sin and its consequences.

o Sin of disobedience/partial obedience to God’ s law, stealing, fornication, adultery, backsliding, backbiting, failure to do God’s work, failure to read and obey Gods word, etc

o Sin of inheritance, committed by our parents and grand parents

o Exo 20: 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

o Num 14: 18 ’The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.’

o Sin of man brought into the world, dis-ease, dis-order, dis-appointment, dis-agreement, de-pression, etc.

Isa 59: 1 Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.