January 13, 2007
Morning Worship
Text: Joshua 3:1-17
Subject: Crossing Over
Title: Instructions for Moving Into New Territory
This has been an eventful week for this church. Sunday night we saw an unprecedented move of God’s Holy Spirit. I’m not saying that to try to get you to come back on Sunday night. Let me explain what happened. The song service was OK. I did not feel like it would have led anyone to the throne room but that was just me. I can say that because I was up here singing. I thought the preaching was just a shade above mediocre (maybe). Little Ethan was so cute as he walked up the aisle to sit with Charlotte. All eyes were on him and I knew no one was paying attention to the sermon. The message was a good one. I spoke about how God desires that we share the gospel but not in word alone – but with demonstration of the Spirit’s power. I was thinking, “It’s going to be a short night tonight.” In spite of all that God moved in a powerful way anointing His people with power and baptizing in the Holy Spirit. He orchestrated the whole night.
On Wednesday night and Thursday we said goodbye to our friend Casey Cassidy. There was much planning and praying that took place for the funeral dinner on Thursday afternoon. There was also much stress that rose to an ugly climax with me on Wednesday afternoon. No details needed. Casey’s funeral was one of the most beautiful experiences I have ever been involved with. And the dinner? Well, it came off without a hitch as once more the Holy Spirit was anointing servers and workers and cooks and choreographing the whole event. It was incredible because what look to us as a food shortage as the family began to file in turned out to be a surplus. I’m pretty sure there were about twelve baskets full left over.
Last night Charlotte and I were in O’Fallon, MO for a Prayer Summit. My sister Ruby asked me, “What do you do at a prayer summit?” “Pray”! As we were praying the Lord showed me something wonderful about this church. He has been preparing us for this week and has used it as the final test before He takes us into the land of promise that He has continually shown us and spoken to us about through the gifts of the Spirit. He has determined that we are ready for growth. Isn’t that wonderful? So since He was speaking that to me Friday Night He also gave me this sermon instead of the one that I had already prepared. This is the right one for today. I want to share with you today the story of Israel’s crossing into the promised land and give you what God gave Joshua –
Ten instructions for moving into the promised land.
1. Follow God’s direction. Vs. 3 - 2After three days the officers went throughout the camp, 3giving 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 If we would always wait for God’s direction we will never be led astray. Paul wanted to go and preach in Asia – the Holy Spirit wouldn’t let him go. Then he wanted to go into Bythinia – again the Holy Spirit prevented him. But when he moved where God led him he established a church that helped with financial support for the rest of his ministry. Revelation 7, 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” As a church that seeks to follow God’s will, we will never go in the wrong direction.
2. Set Yourself Apart from the World Vs. 5 - 5Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.” As I have been sharing with you the last two weeks God’s wants a people that is totally devoted to Him without the sway of the world in their lives. James 4:8,10, 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded… 10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. God will work signs and wonders among those who have set themselves apart from the world. Daniel 11:32, 32Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.
3. Let God show Himself through you. Vs. 7, And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. When this church is moving in God’s will we will not have to advertise in the paper what is going on. We won’t have to shout it from the rooftop. People will just simply know that we have been with Jesus. Acts 4:8-13, 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11He is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. 12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” 13When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
4. Step Out into the Water. 8Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’” Even though it was flooded the priests were told to go and stand in the river. Isn’t that what the Holy Spirit is asking you to do today. Ezekiel 47 0- the river flowing from the temple.
5. Pay attention to God’s word 9Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God. (Rhema and Logos)
6. Remember that God is a living God. 10This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. God is deeply concerned with your life here and now. He is the God of the living. He will drive out your enemies from before you.
7. Keep God First. 11See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. Just as the pillar of cloud and fire led Israel in the wilderness he will lead you now.
8. Establish your leadership roles – in the church and in your family.. 13And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”
9. Trust God to do what He said He would do. 14So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. He is still able. 18Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”£ 19Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
10. Step out in Faith 15Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea£ ) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17The 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. Faith is a scary thing. In one of my favorite movie series – the Indiana Jones Movies – the hero has to get from point A to point B – from one mountain to another across a great chasm and there is no bridge, no walkway – nothing. But his clues to the treasure tell him he has to take a step of faith. As he steps out into nothingness a walkway appears and then he takes another step and another appears and so on. Even though we may not see what lies ahead we can trust that God’s presence is going ahead of us and guiding us. 2 Corinthians 5:7, 7We live by faith, not by sight.
This is the Year of great change in this church. I shared with you before about how God has shown me that there are people in Palmyra who attend churches but are hungry for the Holy Spirit and don’t even know it. He showed me that many of those would begin to show up here. You know the vision from the back pew. Jim, go to that back pew and look. Does it look like what God showed you?
God also showed me that this is the year of discipleship in this church. Our number one priority for this year is to see people saved and then to disciple them in to rock solid Christians. That requires something from you. Are you ready for it. Are you ready to cross the river? Once you commit, you must cross because if you stop in midstream you will want to go back to the other side. It’s scary on the other side. The scenery is different. Your comfort zone is on the side you just left. If you are not living on the promise side of the river but have returned to where you were, turn around and begin to move forward again. God will open up the waters for you to cross over.
