One More River to Cross
Sunday, May 02, 2010 – AM
By Pastor James May
There’s an old song that goes like this:
I’ve had a lot troubles and trials in my little life span,
When I’m standing alone and the battle gets hot I’m always doing the best I can,
I’ve crossed a lot of high mountains; shed a million tears,
But when I come to the river Jordan, hallelujah,
Then I’ll have no fears, then I’ll have no fears.
Chorus:
One more river to cross, one more mountain to climb,
One more valley that I got to go through leaving my troubles behind,
One more battle with the devil and I know he’ll understand,
I’m going through with Jesus hallelujah,
Holding to his nail scarred hand, holding to his nail scarred hand.
All of us have our own Jordan to face. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27 … it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: That simply means that none of us will escape that appointment with God when we will be called upon to cross over that river for one last time.
In consideration of that fact I think it would be helpful for us to examine the story of Joshua and the Children of Israel as they prepare to cross over the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Everything that happened to Israel in their journeys through the wilderness have a correlation to your life and mine as we travel this journey of life towards the fulfillment of God’s covenant with man and the inheritance that He has prepared for all them that love Him.
Before we begin let me give you a quick list of the characters in this story. First there is the leader of the People of God whose name is Joshua. He has taken over that position after the death of Moses.
Moses is a type of Jesus’ ministry while on this earth. Just as Moses confronted Pharaoh who held the Jews captive and would not let them go free; Jesus confronted the devil face-to-face and overcame him through the miracle of the resurrection. Just as Moses was buried and passed the torch of leadership on Joshua; Jesus died and was buried, then rose again and ascended into Heaven while Peter, James and John stood and watched him rise.
But before Jesus left this world he gave them some instructions. Go and wait in Jerusalem, for I won’t leave you without a leader. The Comforter will come. One the Day of Pentecost, just 40 days later, the Comforter came in the form of the Holy Ghost entering into the Upper Room and filling 120 Born Again Christians with the awesome power of the Holy Ghost and fire. Suddenly there was another leader among God’s People. It was the Holy Ghost; God the Spirit representing the presence of God the Son to us on a whole new level, and the Holy Ghost is still the leader in the church today. If we aren’t being led by the Spirit then we are being jerked around by the powers of hell.
Joshua became a type of the Holy Spirit; the Spirit of Christ if you will, as he led the Children of Israel into a new world. Everything was about to change as they entered into that Promised Land. They would no longer be wanderers in a dry and thirsty land where there was no water. They had been pilgrims on a long journey, but now they had finally come home.
In the life of a Christian, when we are born again, the Bible says that we are changed; not when we enter Heaven; but the instant that we are born again. Behold old things are passed away and we have become a new creation in Christ Jesus. Sure there is another change coming; on that day when we rise to meet Jesus in the air, we will be changed to a glorious body, just like Jesus; but we are also changed right now. You are still clothed in the same body of flesh that you had before you were born again, but that man who lives in that body is not the same man that was there before. There’s something different about you now. You think different. You act different. You talk different. You go to different places. And even the flesh on the outside will reflect that change that has come on the inside. Where there was once a frown; there is a smile. Where there was once worry and doubt; there is peace and faith. Where once there was the mark of sin and you were identified with that old taskmaster, the devil; now there is a definite mark of grace and you bear the mark of Christ. Not only do you know there’s a change, but everyone around you knows there has been a change as well. That’s because you have a new leader down in your heart. Your spiritual Joshua is giving the orders and you are marching to the beat of a different drum.
Now if you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, then you have to look back to the days of Moses when the law of God was all they had. You cannot fulfill every law of God, any more than Moses did. And though Moses was type of Christ, you have to know that he was still a man who had sinned and was not worthy in his own body to receive the promise of God. That’s why Moses’ leadership came to an end before he could take the Children of Israel across. Because Moses, the man, had failed God, he died and was buried before he could represent the perfect leader in taking the people across the Jordan River.
Jesus was that perfect man; and there has never been another man who could make that claim. So as Moses died and Joshua took over; we can see in that act that sinful flesh cannot enter God’s promised Land called Heaven, but that we must be born again and be led by the Holy Ghost for that to happen. So today, if you don’t know Jesus; then you must come to know Him as your Lord and Savior through repentance of sin and surrendering your heart and life to him as the Spirit of God draws you.
Other characters in this story are the Levites, or the priests. These represent those men and women of God who are called and anointed to be the ones who carry the message of the gospel and who are to live above reproach and lift Jesus and the promise of the covenant before all the people. They are, in reality, guilty of the sin of Adam just as every other member of the Children of Israel; but they have a special place; a calling and that calling requires a higher level of sanctification and service to God than the ordinary member of the tribes.
That’s the way it is the ministry today too. If we are called to be leaders in the church; and we are anointed to lift Jesus up before the church and to carry the covenant of God’s grace before the people, then we must live in a sanctified manner. Too many preachers today have forgotten that without holiness no man shall see the Lord. How can we present a Holy God to people if we aren’t living holy before Him? God will not be mocked and that’s why the Bible says that judgment must begin at the House of God. God will not allow worldly preachers to remain in positions of leadership for long without revealing to those who are searching for truth what kind of man or woman they really are. Of course a lot of people choose to continue to follow them, even though God reveals their hidden agendas because people love to be entertained, and encouraged, and sometimes refuse to hear the truth because they don’t want to have to sanctify themselves. Without that sanctification; or purifying and washing of water of the flesh; there is not entrance into the Holy Place of God’s presence.
And how does that sanctification of the flesh work? Ephesians 5:26, That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. Then in 1 Timothy 4:5 we read that
We are sanctified by the word of God and prayer. Thus we sanctify the flesh for entrance into the presence of God through hearing and obeying the Word of God and allowing it change our hearts and modify our behavior to comply with the Word of God as we are led by the Holy Ghost through constant, daily prayer. That sanctification process will continue from the moment you are Born Again until the day that you take your final journey across Jordan into the presence of God in Heaven and lay this old body down for the last time.
That takes care of Moses, Joshua and the Levites, or priests. Now who does the Children of Israel represent? The answer of course is that the Children of Israel were God’s chosen people in the earth. A people who were given a special place in the plan and heart of God to be those who would reveal to the whole world just who God was and what He was all about. The nation of Israel represents the True Church of today; all of us who are Born Again and who walk by the Spirit are in that number; regardless of nationality, culture, creed or denominational affiliation. Among the tribes there were leaders who were called to a higher position, not that they were better, but that they had an anointing to lead those who would rather follow.
The vast majority of people in the church are not called to be leaders. Problems arise when those who aren’t called and anointed to do the job try to usurp, or seize that leadership on their own. A lot of people have be spiritually wounded and many have been lost completely because they tried to usurp positions of leadership where they were never called and anointed to be. It doesn’t matter what you think you can do; or how much you think you might do better than someone else. What matters is whether you are called and anointed; not whether you know and choose it yourself. A leader in a proper place will advance the ministry as God directs, while a self-appointed leader in the wrong place will tear the ministry apart.
God has to lead; and he alone chooses who he will use, and it often boils down to which man or woman will surrender to His authority and to the authority of those whom God places over them. God established government within Israel; and God establishes government within the church as well. If we want to prosper in his work; then we have to live in obedience and submission to His government. If we try to lead in our own way it is like an animal with two heads that are constantly going in different directions. Sooner or later, one or the other; or perhaps both, will break their neck and die, and only quick removal of the dead head will save the one that remains.
Now that we have established the list of characters in the story, lets take a look at what is happening in Joshua chapter 3 as the Children of Israel, under Joshua’s leadership, prepare to cross over Jordan into the Promised Land and experience the fulfillment of God’s Covenant with Abraham.
Joshua 3:1 And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.
I think it’s a beautiful picture of what Jesus has done to think of what is happening in this verse. Think about it – Jesus died on the cross; then early in the morning he arose from the grave. That word “Shittim” means “carrying”. Until his death upon the cross, Jesus had carried the sin of the whole world upon his shoulders. Now that burden of sin was laid down forever and Jesus carried it no more. The debt had been paid in full and he no longer bears the weight of sin. Joshua left Shittim behind and marched to Jordan; just as Jesus left the suffering of the cross and went to the grave; his own personal form of crossing the Jordan.
Not only did Joshua go, but all of the Jews went with him and they set up camp and stayed a while before crossing over. That’s where we are today. All of us, through the leadership of the Holy Ghost and because of the sacrifice that Jesus paid for our sin, are now living on the edge of Jordan, just waiting for our turn to cross. How long will we camp here? We are going to camp right here on this river’s edge until the Holy Spirit says it’s time to move on.
Notice now that the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day was no longer around. Once Moses, representing Jesus’ earthly ministry, had passed from the scene; there was no longer a need for the cloud and the pillar. Now the leadership was within the heart of the man called to lead. That’s a picture of the indwelling Holy Ghost leading us onward to the river’s edge.
Your whole life, once you come to know Christ as your Savior, is spent on that river’s edge. How do I know that? The Bible tells us that life is like a vapor, here now and gone tomorrow. We are also told that we have no promise of tomorrow but that we could be called upon to cross over Jordan at any moment and that we must live in a state of constant preparedness; to be ready for that day and hour when the call will come. Some people will live on the edge of Jordan for 80 years or more while others may only be required to live there for a very short time.
That appointed time is in God’s hands. If we try to cross before the appointed time; we will drown in the river. That’s why we believe that suicide is so terrible. Though we can’t judge and we hope and pray that a suicide victim somehow makes peace with God, the chances are those most never have the chance. If they have gone far enough in faithlessness, doubt and despair to commit suicide, the chances are that they will be lost. There are always other circumstances that may come into play so we just have to leave that in God’s hands and pray that they made it. I can’t give people false hope for suicide victims, but neither can I make the judgment of where their soul is either. That’s God’s business; not mine. We can’t keep from going when he calls; and if we cross when He calls then everything will be all right.
Joshua 3:2,3 And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;
And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.
The three days coincide with the three days that Jesus’ body was in the grave while His Spirit was taking care of destroying the power of Satan and setting the captives free. During those three days, the church hung in limbo so to speak and no attempts were made at making converts or doing the work of ministry. The Bible gives us a picture of the disciples in hiding; praying; cowering in fear and wondering what would happen next. It wasn’t until resurrection morning that the disciples began to move in faith again; and even then it was in small steps until the Holy Ghost fell.
For three days the Children of Israel camped beside that Jordan River wondering what was going to happen next. When would we move again? Where was the cloud and the pillar? Moses is gone and a new leader has risen. What will he be like? Will he walk in the same power as Moses? There were a lot of questions, but no one was to make a move until the Levites stepped out, carrying the Ark of the Covenant.
This too, was different. Prior to this, the tribes of Reuben and Judah were ahead of the Ark as they marched along. Now the Ark was going first and everyone else was to follow. There were a lot of changes happening right here and I’m sure that it was source of confusion in the camps; so orders and instructions were in order to make sure that all was done according to God’s commands.
Why do you suppose the Ark was going first now? Let me give you an explanation. While Moses still lived and the law was in effect; the presence of the Lord in the camp was visible and unapproachable without following the laws of purification very strictly. Now that Moses was gone and Joshua had arisen; representing the passage from Old Testament Covenant of the Law to the New Testament covenant of Grace through the Blood of Jesus, the ceremonial law was fulfilled and God’s presence was no longer on the outside, but now He is on the inside of the heart of man. The covenant goes ahead meaning that Jesus has already paved the way to Heaven for us. The way has been made; and it is not made by man, but by God alone. All we need to do now is follow the covenant that Jesus has made. We don’t need to keep our eyes on the priests, but on Jesus alone. We don’t have to depend upon the ceremonial law, but only on the covenant of the cross of Christ.
Joshua 3:4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.
This is a representation of the position and calling of God upon the Priesthood as well as maintaining a respect for the things of God. In effect we are to ever remind ourselves that there is a place of reverence for all those whom God has called to lead his people. We must respect the position; if not the man; and we must be very careful not to usurp the authority that God has placed upon his priests.
The Bible says in 1 Chronicles 16:22 …Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
Likewise we are to reverence the place where God meets his people, represented in the Ark that the priests carried. That place is God’s House, where His Word is ministered and taught.
That space of separation is God’s space and time that he takes to move upon his ministers, pastors, preachers, teachers and leaders; giving direction and dealing with them on what to do next; what to say next; or where to go next. There has to be a separation and a respect between the people of God and the leadership of the church.
While I can be your friend; I cannot hang out with you all the time. I’ve seen it happen in the church all too often that the respect for the leadership is destroyed because there is no separation from the people. I have to get alone with God. I have to have a time of separation for preparation and direction. There is an old saying of man, “Familiarity Breeds Contempt”. If we hang out together too much, then we begin to see one another’s faults and to magnify them. We lose respect and the separation is gone. Then the leadership and ministry becomes completely ineffective. We must maintain that distance and reverence both the priests and the Covenant they carry.
Joshua 3:5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.
Now the leadership in the camp begins to speak to the people. Remember, Joshua is a type of the Holy Ghost. Just as he spoke to the Children of Israel to sanctify themselves; so does the Holy Ghost bring us under conviction for sin and constantly lead us into a deeper walk with the Lord. The Holy Ghost leads you into a life of sanctification before God if you listen to Him. Those who refuse to listen to the Holy Ghost, or follow his instructions; will never be ready to cross Jordan when the time comes. Either they will be left behind or they’ll cross Jordan only to face the wrath of God on the other side.
I like that phrase, “tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you. Listen to what Jesus said in John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. The power of the Holy Ghost is real. You are empowered today. The world seeks empowerment, while you have already have all the power you could ever want at your disposal. You have power, through the Jesus’ blood and the Holy Ghost, to heal the sick; raise the dead; deliver those that are bound in sin and set the captive free. Tomorrow has come for the church and God desires to do wonders among us if we will only make ourselves available to be used by God.
Joshua 3:8 And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.
Those priests were to stand still in Jordan. They weren’t leading the way; they were showing the way. I cannot save you; but I can show you the way to salvation. I can’t cross over Jordan with you; but I can be there to let you know that everything will be all right. My only job is to carry the message and point the way. It is Jesus, and the Holy Ghost that will take you through. That not only goes for crossing the Jordan, but for every little Jordan that you cross in life. I cannot go through the trials with you. I can’t take your test with you. But I can point to the Cross and lead you to the Word of God and help you to find the way that the Holy Spirit is leading. But don’t follow me. Follow God!
Joshua 3:9 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God.
Now Israel would never have crossed Jordan, nor would they have entered their Promised Land if they hadn’t been willing to come and hear what God had to say. Did God speak to them individually? No He didn’t. He used Joshua to carry the word and the priests to show the way. The Holy Ghost still speaks to each of, just like Joshua, and God still uses the priesthood to show the way. We must either do it God’s way; or try to do it our own way. I’m afraid that “our own way” just won’t be good enough.
Joshua 3:15 And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)
The harvest time had come; and with the harvest comes the latter rains in Israel. The rain had caused the Jordan River to rise above its banks and flood the area. According to the geologists, the Jordan River has a 700 foot drop from the Sea if Galilee to the Dead Sea. When the water is low, it moves fast, but is slowed by the twists and turns in the river, but at flood stage it rushes in a straight torrent of white water for long stretches and can be nearly a mile wide. That’s what the river must have looked like as they camped beside it.
I can only take you to the edge of the water, but no further. From there on, you must take hold of the hand of our Great High Priest and let Jesus lead you over to the other side. There is a limit to what an earthly priest can do. I can’t save you. I can’t heal you. I can’t carry you over Jordan’s tide. I will one day have to leave you and forsake you, but Jesus will be there will you all the way.
That’s a picture for you and I of the Jordan that lies before us, dark, foreboding, too hard to overcome and impossible to cross. I’ve read the story by John Bunyan many times called Pilgrim’s Progress and I bought the movie made from the book just yesterday. Perhaps if it’s worth the effort, we will have a movie night here at the church and let everyone who wants to, come and watch it. The story is great; but I haven’t seen the movie version.
One scene in that story is where Pilgrim and his friend Faithful come to the river of death and go into the waters. For Pilgrim the waters seem impossible to cross and he begins to fear that he will never see Heaven but die in those waters. Faithful crosses the same river but to him it seems shallow and much easier to cross. The key point is that the river is only as deep as your faith and trust is in God’s promises. If you live in doubt and fear, that day will not be a pleasant one for you. If you live in faith and trust; that crossing will be easy. Both Pilgrim and Faithful made it over because of their love for Jesus; but how they made that crossing was greatly different.
Look at God’s promise to his people found in Isaiah 43:1,2 …Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
Joshua 3:16 That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.
It is said in Jewish history that the whole region was struck by an earthquake that caused the steep banks of the Jordan, that were already beaten by the swift current of the flooded river, to collapse and form a natural dam that stopped the waters. But whether God chose to use natural means, or supernatural means, the water was stopped and began to pile up so that vast areas above where the Jews crossed were flooded while the river was dry below. Once again God parted the waters for his people to pass over; and he will do it again when our time comes to cross over Jordan.
Joshua 3:17 And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.
This is a great promise for all of us. Regardless of how you cross that river; if you trust in the blood of Jesus and keep the faith, we will all make it over. No one was lost in the crossing. The priest stood still and the waters were held back until every last one of the people were over.
Don’t be afraid of the Jordan that lies before you. Whether your Jordan is a hard trial, a strong test, or even the possibility of death itself, God will bring you through. He has never failed. He stands in the trial; in the test and in the river just waiting for you to reach out and catch his hand. Jesus will never leave you nor forsake, but will be with you all the way.
Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior this morning? Have you received the Baptism in the Holy Ghost? Are you walking daily by the Savior’s side? You can be among God’s people when the Saints go marching in. Give your heart and life to Jesus today and then let the Holy Spirit guide you into all Truth.
