A FRESH ENCOUNTER WITH GOD
Two weeks ago, we opened the book of Joshua and found great promises that God had for us. Promises that would bring us through difficult days. We read of how Joshua was told by God to rise up and cross the Jordan. To cross that river that seemed like such a challenge. We read how God called on the people of Israel to trust Him and to move forward despite the loss of their leader, Moses.
In those words, we found the great promises that God had for Joshua and the nation of Israel. Even in the midst of their suffering, even in the midst of the trouble, God had a plan for them. God had a way out.
Last week, we continued in the book of Joshua and read how God promised them that they would cross that river on dry ground. Think about that, on dry ground. God promised them that as they faced that challenge, that river that was overflowing its banks, that He would deliver them. That he would stop those waters from flowing so they could cross unharmed.
We talked about HOW they would cross the Jordan. We focused on one phrase that gave us great hope, NOT I, BUT CHRIST. Within those words we find the answer to how we make it through the crises that we face in life. We find the answers to life’s problems, we find the path to cross that river. NOT I, BUT CHRIST.
Acts 16:31 “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” In Christ, we find all of the comfort, peace and deliverance that we could ever hope for. And those simple words, NOT I, BUT CHRIST, are all we need to cling to when we face our trials in life. I know this personally through the past few weeks, as I can assure you that there is no way I could have made it though these past few weeks without simply putting my trust in Him.
Today, we’re going to move a bit farther in Joshua. We talked about how God called them to cross the river, we talked about HOW they were to cross the river. Today, we’re going to talk about WHY? Why is it so important for us to move forward in God’s plan? Why is it so important for us to cross this river? Why is it important for us to trust God to take us through the valleys in our lives? We know that in Christ, we have the answer of how, but what is the answer to the question, WHY?
The answer to WHY is also found within this powerful book of Joshua. Turn with me to the 5th chapter of Joshua. Here, we begin reading of what happened once the children of Israel got to the other side of the Jordan. They had finally set foot in Canaan. The land of milk and honey, the land that God had promised to them for so very long. They were beginning to see the culmination of a 40 year journey.
A journey that many did not survive. A journey that only TWO of the men of fighting age survived! The only two people who survived the entire forty years were Joshua and Caleb, the two men who returned from the spy mission and told the Israelites that the enemy was strong, but that they could take them! (Numbers 13:30) They had seen so many of their brothers and sisters die in that wilderness. So many that had turned their backs on God had lost their lives in that wilderness. Moses had died. But yet, they forged ahead, ever trusting in God to deliver on His promise.
And now, that day had arrived. They were now standing in the land that God had promised them. They were now in the promised land. And what happened once they arrived in that promised land? What happened now that they were standing on the other side of the Jordan?
Josh. 5:10 Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. 11 And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. 12 Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.
Why is this significant? Because God now had a new provision for His children. You see, for 40 years, these people had been eating Manna.
Ex 16:35 And the children of Israel ate manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.
For forty years, God had been sustaining His children with Manna. That manna had done its job. All of God’s children had been fed. All of God’s children had been given the provisions that they needed to survive. But now, now that they had crossed to the other side. Now that Moses had been taken home, now that they had faced their challenge, faced their trial and crossed that Jordan. God now had a new provision for His people.
TWO things changed once they crossed over- MANNA and MOUNTAINS
1. They went from surviving on manna, to feasting on all the blessed foods of the Holy Land, and
2. They went from pressing toward their goal (the Holy Land) to claiming their mountains! This was a fundamental shift in their mindset-
In the Desert, they were pressing toward a goal they could only dream of;
In the Promised Land, they actually began to believe God for greater things!
They were no longer satisfied with survival…now they wanted to succeed.
I believe firmly today, that God has a new provision in store for us. I believe with all of my heart that God wants to pour out His blessings on us like we’ve never seen before. I believe has amazing things in store for us as a church, and I believe that God has amazing things in store for you.
Now understand, there was nothing wrong with God’s manna. In fact, it had been nothing short of miraculous. Something that all of the people of Israel knew was a gift directly from the very hands of God. They knew that God had done amazing things for them by providing that manna during their 40 year journey.
But now, God had a new miraculous provision for His people. Now, God wanted to do even more amazing things for them in the future. God had a new provision that would meet their new needs, their new situations.
What is one of the reasons WHY we must move forward and cross this Jordan? Because God has a brand new provision in store for each of us.
1. Because God has a brand new provision in store for each of us. PROVISION
2. Another reason WHY we must move forward is VISION
Look in verses 13-15.
Josh. 5:13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” 14 So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” 15 Then the Commander of the LORD’S army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Here we read of Joshua lifting his eyes and looking towards Jericho. Jericho, which was the next great challenge they would face. And as he lifted his eyes, he saw a MAN. No ordinary man. This was the Lord Himself in all His glory. And here, Joshua heard the same words that Moses heard back in Exodus chapter 3 at the burning bush when God told Moses to remove his shoes for he was standing on holy ground.
In this situation, Joshua was looking upon the very face of God. This was, as theologians describe, a Christophany. This is a temporary vision of Himself to give His people the encouragement they need to carry on.
Every time a CHRISTOPHANY took place in the OT, God was about to move the children of God beyond their greatest expectations. In each and every case, He called them…beyond the confines of their limited faith…and out of their comfort zones.
He was the Fourth Man in the furnace in Daniel-and Shadrach, Meeshach and Abendego became fire proof…
He was the Burning Bush that was not consumed in Exodus-and Moses went from being a hired hand in hiding to the liberator of Israel
Here, Joshua must have been asking the question, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO NOW? I’ve lead these people across this river, but now, I’m looking at this place called Jericho. This place that seems so protected, so safe. How are we going to conquer it? And so, God in all His wisdom, decides that Joshua needs a bit of pep talk. Joshua needed a BRAND NEW VISION.
The next reason WHY we must carry on is that God wants to give us a BRAND NEW VISION in our lives. He wants to give us that encouragement that we need to carry on. He knows we’re asking questions of ourselves. Questions like HOW? WHY? WHAT DO I DO NOW? He knows exactly what we’re going through, and He doesn’t want us to go through it alone.
God appeared to Joshua here to give him encouragement, to give him direction, to help him see how and why to carry on. God gave Joshua the comfort of knowing that God would deliver Jericho into their hands. That He would deliver them through the days ahead. And, God wants to do the same for us.
For 51 years, we’ve seen the vision. We’ve seen where God has led us. Many times, it’s been through the wilderness. We’ve been delivered from bad times. And, we’ve had many mountain-top experiences as well. God has brought us so far and we’ve seen God at work in more ways than we could have possibly imagined. And yet, God today wants to give us a BRAND NEW VISION for the future.
Why do we need to carry on? Why do we need to move forward? Why do we need to cross? Because God is standing just on the other side, waiting to encourage us to greater heights, greater miracles, greater accomplishments. God is waiting to give us that brand new vision.
I believe that God wants to call us as a church to a greater work. He wants us to reach out as we’ve never done before. He wants us to help the hurting. To share the hope of the Gospel with the lost like we’ve never done before. He wants us to be there for others when they have no where to go in the midst of their problems. God is calling TRBC to reach this community, to reach this state, to reach this nation and to reach this world with a bigger vision than the one that has brought us this far.
God wants us to give us a brand new vision of reaching across this city to bring the Gospel to those who have not heard. He wants to give us a brand new vision of helping plant churches all across this land to spread the Gospel. He wants to give us a brand new vision of sending missionaries all over the world to tell people everywhere that Jesus loves and that He died for them.
God has a BRAND NEW VISION for our future.
The third reason WHY we must carry on is found within these same verses that we’ve just read. You see Joshua was standing there and all of a sudden, he was standing in the presence of God. Yes this was an opportunity to get a brand new vision, a chance to see what God had in store. To see where God would take them next.
But also, it was a BRAND NEW ENCOUNTER. He was standing in the very presence of God. He was in the midst of a FRESH ENCOUNTER WITH GOD. Oh how Joshua must have felt. He had heard Moses talk about that day when Moses approached that burning bush. I’m sure that Moses shared with him what it was like. How it felt. How it changed him.
And here and now, Joshua was encountering that same God. Here, Joshua was now in the midst of that FRESH ENCOUNTER. I am sure that Joshua’s heart was beating faster than ever. I’m sure that Joshua started to break out in a cold sweat. He was as nervous as he’d ever been. His breathing had picked up to an overwhelming pace. Here he was in the presence of God.
WHY DO WE NEED TO CARRY ON? Why do we need to cross this Jordan? Why do we need to continue on in our journey? Because God is calling us to a FRESH ENCOUNTER with Him. Oh we’re not going to have Him show up in the middle of the road talking to us as Moses and Joshua did. We’re not going to have him appearing like that. We’re not going to see a burning bush or an angelic, glorified Man standing before us. But we will have a Fresh Encounter all the same.
In fact, the kind of encounter that God is calling us to is far more personal, far more powerful, far more meaningful than even Moses and Joshua had. Yes, this calling, this encounter is one that we can have on a continual basis.
Indeed, God is calling us to a FRESH ENCOUNTER that can continue throughout the rest of our lives. Why did God want Joshua to cross and to keep moving forward? Because God wanted to call Joshua unto Himself. He had a great plan in store for Joshua. He knew that Jericho would be conquered. He knew what the end result would be, and He needed Joshua to follow through. To encounter God, to experience His power, His encouragement, His presence. And then, Joshua would be ready for the task ahead.
In our lives, in our challenges, in our problems. We can be sure that God has a great plan in store for us. God knows what lies ahead for us. He knows the victories that we will experience. He knows what we will be able to accomplish in His power and in His presence. It’s just that sometimes we aren’t ready for that FRESH ENCOUNTER. We miss out on so much of what God has for us, because we’re not ready.
So how then do we make sure we’re ready? We prepare our hearts in order to be in the presence of God. We prepare ourselves by pursuing holiness. We talked about this last week. We read Joshua 3:5 And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” We know that we must prepare ourselves for that FRESH ENCOUNTER with Him.
Lev. 11:44 After all, I, the LORD, am your God. You must be holy because I am holy…..45 I, the LORD, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God. You must therefore be holy because I am holy.
We must be up to the challenge. We must be prepared to carry on. We must be prepared to face all that lies ahead as we walk through our valleys. Through our dark days. Through our struggles.
Why must we cross this Jordan? Why must we face this challenge? Why must we carry on in the face of adversity? Why must we never quit?
Today, there are people all across this room, and all across this land, that are facing great struggles. You are facing some dark days in your lives. I met this week with several people in our church who are going through what seems like insurmountable adversity.
We all stand in the face of these adversities and ask ourselves, WHY? Why is this happening? Why must I continue? Why must I walk on? Why must I face this challenge?
The answer lies in the promises we’ve read.
Because God has a NEW PROVISION for us. He wants to begin to provide for us in a new way. A way that we’re not used to. A way that we couldn’t have imagined. A provision that will meet every challenge, that will meet our every need.
He has a NEW VISION for us. He wants us to see Him in all of his glory and know that He will lead us, He will guide us. He will direct our steps. He wants us to see that God is not finished with us. He has great things in store for us, great victories in store, great days ahead.
And He has a NEW ENCOUNTER in store for us. A Fresh Encounter with Almighty God. He wants us to stand in His presence. To bask in His power. To grasp hold of His hand and allow Him to deliver us through any challenge we face.
Today, if you are here and you’re in a situation where you’re asking WHY? If you’re here today and you are facing one of those life-changing trials, one of those valley experiences that knock every bit of the air out of us then I hope you’ve listened to the words I’ve shared with you today.
God does have a plan for your life. God does have a way out. He does want to wrap His arms around you, to lead you through those trials, to give you the direction you need, to give you the comfort you need to bring you peace.
He loved you so much that he died on the cross for you. He was buried in a borrowed tomb and remained there for three days. Until, by His own power, his body began to stir and He walked right out of that tomb so that you and I can have victory over Satan, victory in our problems, victory over challenges, victory over sorrows and because of His love and His sacrifice we have VICTORY OVER SIN.
He is there for you today. Just as He was for Moses. Just as He was for Joshua. Just as He was for dad. He is standing there ready for you to gaze upon His amazing power and His amazing grace. Ready for you to experience a FRESH ENCOUNTER with Him.
SO, LET ME ASK YOU…
1. What is YOUR next step? Have you asked God to show you what your next goal…your next mountain…your next provision…will be?
2. Are you willing to stand before God and say
I am ready for a fresh touch…
I am ready for a fresh encounter…
I want a new vision
In reality, that is the key. You see, like my father said in 1971, when we started the university…
“The only limit to what God can do in the life of the believer,is how far that believer is willing to follow Him. GOD NEVER HESITATES. He is just waiting for a people who are ready.”
Are you willing to step out and trust God?
Are you willing to commit your new direction…your next choices…to Him?
Are you willing to step out in faith and SEIZE YOUR PROMISE?
THEN DO IT.
STEP OUT AS WE SING.
STEP OUT.
COME DOWN THESE AISLES
AND SHOW GO THAT YOU ARE READY AND WILLING TO RECEIVE YOUR FRESH ENCOUNTER
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God.
