MERE STONES/Reminders-IV—Joshua 4:1-24
Reminder/Recall/Memorial/Symbol/Post-it notes/String on finger
Attention:
Little reminders can make all the difference in a person’s life!
And little things can make all the difference in your Christian life!
Need:
Joshua had twelve stones removed from the Jordan River as a memorial to the crossing.
Memorials or Spiritual Reminders hold a great deal of significance to God’s people.
What is significant about spiritual reminders?
The potential of spiritual reminders.
Mere Stones/Reminders can transport us to a Position of...
1. UNIQUE ACCOMPLISHMENT(:1-3a, 5b)
2. BLESSING(:3)
3. IMMINENT DANGER(:4-5)
4. RESPONSIBILITY(:5)
5—Mere Stones/Reminders can transport us To a Position of...
INFLUENCE(:6)
Explanation:(:6)Distance/Envision
:6—“that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ ”
The gathering of the 12 stones was to be a sign among the Israelites.
The stones held “meaning” for the generation that set them up. That meaning was intended to be shared with succeeding generations.
The sign was specifically provided for the sake of future generations; the children of those involved in the Jordan crossing. The crossing was to be publicly memorialized thru the stones being used as a monument(:20).
Our influence is passed on from faith to faith to faith. If one link in the chain is broken, the faith is failed.
Rom. 1:16-17—“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first & also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
*Our children are of first priority for Spiritual Reminders.
—Parents are responsible for that which makes them ‘parents’ in the first place...Our children!
*Future generations are also considered ‘your spiritual children.’
We are Responsible for keeping the real, the genuine, the unbiased, picture & INFLUENCE of Jesus Christ before others!
“Sign”—twa ‘owth—Noun Fem.—1) Sign, signal—1a) A distinguishing mark, 1b) Banner, 1c) Remembrance, 1d) Miraculous sign, 1e) Omen, 1f) Warning; 2) Token, ensign, standard, miracle, proof. Strong—probably from twa[to come, assent](in the sense of appearing); A signal(literally or figuratively), as A flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc..
“Memorial”—Nwrkz zik-rown’—Noun Masc.—1) Memorial, reminder, remembrance. Strong—A memento(or memorable thing, day or writing). Used 24X.
From—rkz—a primitive root; properly--To mark(so as to be recognized), i.e. To remember; by implication--To mention; also (as denominative from rkz)--To be male.
Argumentation:
NEGATIVE:
*1Kgs. 21:25-26—“But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up. And he behaved very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.”
*Gen. 3:9-13—“Then the LORD God called to Adam & said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, & I was afraid because I was naked; & I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, & I ate.” And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, & I ate.”
*Acts 13:50—“But the Jews stirred up the devout & prominent women & the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul & Barnabas, & expelled them from their region.”
POSITIVE:
1Tim. 1:18-19—“This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith & a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck,”
Rev. 21:7—“He who overcomes shall inherit all things, & I will be his God & he shall be My son.”
Jn. 1:12-13—“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
**Deut. 6:6-7—“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, & shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, & when you rise up.”
**2Cor. 5:19-20—“...God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, & has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.”
Who is “us”?
First of all, It is Paul & any of his co-workers in Christ as well as all other apostles, bearing the anointing of God as His “ambassadors.”
Secondly, “us” is all who are on the receiving end of the message of salvation by grace thru faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God & Son of Man. We who have received & accepted that message as true & factual must be influential in doing the same as we have received!
1Cor. 1:26-31—“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, & God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; & the base things of the world & the things which are despised God has chosen, & the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--& righteousness & sanctification & redemption-- that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”
1Cor. 7:10-17—“Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife. But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, & she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, & the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches.
Why are children in a spiritually mixed marriage considered “holy.” Because of the INFLUENCE of the Christian in the marriage!
Why are spouses of spiritually mixed marriages to remain together if at all possible? Because remaining maintains an INFLUENCE of Christian truth, to the degree that the unbeliever ‘may’ become a believer!
Jn. 12:35-36a—“Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”...”
Mat. 5:13-16—“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out & trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp & put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, & it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works & glorify your Father in heaven.”
Jn. 9:5-7—“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When He had said these things, He spat on the ground & made clay with the saliva; & He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went & washed, & came back seeing.”
God’s people are compelled of the Holy Spirit to maintain Jesus presence in the world!
Illustration:
*Ministry of VBS(An influence)...Where does its funding come from?—The church(an influence)...Where does the church get money budgeted for VBS plus its overages?—Tithers & offerers(influencers)/INFLUENCE
Clearing the lot on the east side of the businesses at the corner of Tallahassee St. & Hwy 98/They neither leveled it nor kept the weeds down/Now it is beginning to get overgrown again as before the clearing!/INFLUENCE
Political candidates—Donald Trump(Nov. 8, 2016) is slated to be the 45th President of the United States/He will wield a great influence on the future of our country!—Presiding over the overall welfare of our country!/BUT...What will be that influence?!/INFLUENCE
People who throw trash out the windows of their car/Why do they do it?/What are saying, nonverbally?/What influence do they have on their children...On others & their children/INFLUENCE
Parrot curses/Owner puts it in freezer to teach it a lesson/Curses still/In freezer longer/Thaws & still curses/In freezer again/Telephone rings—Emergency/Gone for 5 hrs./Takes parrot out, Thaws/Says, ‘I promise, I’ll never curse again!’, but what I want to know is, ‘What did the turkey in there say?!’/INFLUENCE
Application:
?Do God’s ‘Reminders’ transport you to a position of Christian INFLUENCE?
?Where do God’s reminders transport you?
Its Little Things that make all the difference in a person’s life...
6—Mere Stones/Reminders can transport us To a Position of...
REFLECTION(:7-9)
Explanation:(:7-9)
:7—“Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”
Upon the questions voiced by the children about the memorial, an explanation was expected of the fathers that the waters were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. They were cut off as it crossed the Jordan.
WATERS—God’s Might/Ability
DRY LAND—God’s Promise/Way
12 TRIBES—God’s Family
NATION—God’s Unity
FAVOR—God’s Choice
OBEDIENCE—God’s Guidelines
REUBEN, GAD, & MANASSEH—God’s Commitment
SAFE LODGING PLACE—God’s Protection
*All Reflect on God’s goodness.
If our belief is built on that which is un-convincingly faulty, then those to whom we are witnesses will be unconvinced.
“Memorial”—Nwrkz zik-rown’—Noun Masc.—1) Memorial, reminder, remembrance. Strong—A memento(or memorable thing, day or writing). Used 24X.
From—rkz—a primitive root; properly--To mark(so as to be recognized), i.e. To remember; by implication--To mention; also (as denominative from rkz)--To be male.
“For”—de `ad—Preposition—1) As far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as—1a) of space—1a1) As far as, up to, even to, 1b) in combination—1b1) From...as far as, both...and(with 'min'-from), 1c) of time—1c1) Even to, until, unto, till, during, end, 1d) of degree—1d1) Even to, to the degree of, even like. Conjunction—2) Until, while, to the point that, so that even. Strong—(used as a preposition, adverb or conjunction; especially with a preposition); As far(or long, or much) as, whether of space--Even unto; or time--During, while, until; or degree--Equally with.
“Ever”—Mlwe o-lawm' OR Mle o-lawm'—Noun Masc.—1) Long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world. Strong—properly, Concealed, i.e. The vanishing point; generally--Time out of mind(past or future), i.e. practically--Eternity; frequentatively, adverbial(especially with prepositional prefix)--Always. Used 439X.
:8—“And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, & took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the LORD had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, & carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, & laid them down there.”
The twelve men were not acting entirely for themselves but were emissaries for their tribes, & for their new nation(Israel), & for their leader(Joshua), but mainly for their God.
They did as Joshua commanded, who did as directed by the LORD.
Israel carried the stones to the lodging place on the west side of the Jordan. They put them down at the lodging place.
“Did so”—hse `aw-saw'—Verb—1) To do, fashion, accomplish, make—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To do, work, make, produce—1a1a) To do, 1a1b) To work, 1a1c) To deal(with), 1a1d) To act, act with effect, effect, 1a2) To make—1a2a) To make, 1a2b) To produce, 1a2c) To prepare, 1a2d) To make(an offering), 1a2e) To attend to, put in order, 1a2f) To observe, celebrate, 1a2g) To acquire(property), 1a2h) To appoint, ordain, institute, 1a2i) To bring about, 1a2j) To use, 1a2k) To spend, pass. Strong—a primitive root; To do or make, in the broadest sense & widest application.
“Lodged”—Nwlm maw-lown’—Noun Masc.—1) Place of lodging, inn, khan. Strong—A lodgment, i.e. Caravanserai or encampment. Used 8X.
:9—“Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; & they are there to this day.”
Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan where the feet of the priest who were carrying the ark were. Those stones are there to this day(at the writing of this passage).
Now those stones have probably long since been washed away from their original position by the force of the water, thru ~3500 yrs. of flood stage & normalcy & drought & abundance, or they may still be there in their original position, having avoided detection by those archaeologists seeking them.
Regardless, they are unseen by you & the majority of people thru the centuries.
Yet by faith they remain as faith reminders in this word!
*And they are just as valid today as they were then!
“Set up”—Mwq koowm—Hiphil(causative) Perfect—1) To rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up; 1e) (Hiphil)—1e1)—To cause to arise, raise, 1e2) To raise, set up, erect, build, 1e3) To raise up, bring on the scene, 1e4) To raise up, rouse, stir up, investigate, 1e5) To raise up, constitute, 1e6) To cause to stand, set, station, establish, 1e7) To make binding, 1e8) To carry out, give effect to. Strong—a primitive root; To rise(in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive & causative).
“Midst”[See :3, 5]—Kwt taw’-vek—Noun Masc.—1) Midst, middle—1a) Midst, middle, 1b) Into, through(after verbs of motion), 1c) Among(of a number of persons), 1d) Between(of things arranged by twos), 1e) From among(as to take or separate etc). Strong—from an unused root meaning to sever; A bisection, i.e. by implication--The center.
Argumentation:
**Ps. 46:10—“Be still, & know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Gen. 6:22--7:1—“Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did. Then the LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you & all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.”
**Ps. 8:1-9[Heb. 2:6-8] <
Ps. 50:22-23—“Now consider this, you who forget God, Lest I tear you in pieces, And there be none to deliver: Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.”
**Php. 4:8—“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue & if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.”
Php. 3:1—“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.”
2Pet. 1:12-16—“For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know & are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease. For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power & coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.”
2Pet. 3:1-2—“Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, & of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord & Savior,”
Mal. 4:5-6—“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great & dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come & strike the earth with a curse.”
Mat. 6:24-34—“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one & love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one & despise the other. You cannot serve God & mammon. Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food & the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; & yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, & tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ “For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God & His righteousness, & all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Consider—katamanyanw—To learn thoroughly, examine carefully; To consider well, To note carefully.
Haggai 1:5, 7; 2:15—“Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider[place/set in your heart] your ways!”.....“Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider[place/set in heart] your ways!”.....“‘And now, carefully consider[place/set in heart] from this day forward...”
Illustration:
*Military Memorials:
*Twin Towers Memorial in New York City
*Tomb of the Unknown Soldier/Washington, D.C.
*Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington, DC/
*Andersonville Civil War Museum in Andersonville, GA
*Memorial Park in Carrabelle, FL/Every branch of the military is represented by the statuettes/Names of locals who have served in the military are on the pavers as a backdrop/These are a cause for Considering the sacrifices of others...To Consider the cost of freedom...To Consider our blessings as a nation...To Consider as Christians, that it is “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.”!(Zech. 4:6)/REFLECTION
*Pictures of family—Reminders of how God has blessed you in the circumstances of your lineage & how God has had his hand on you & them throughout your life/REFLECTION
Pictures of your spouse—Whether your spouse died 20 yrs. ago, or this year, or last month, or today, or lives still...Those pictures are cherished, because they transport you to those varied & beautiful times of your life with the one God brought into your life, the one you loved & who loved you!/They remind you of how God has had his hand on you throughout your life/REFLECTION
Pictures of your children—Reminders of how God has blessed you with children & how God has had his hand on you & them throughout your life/REFLECTION
Pictures of your friends—Reminders of how God has blessed you with dear friends who were & are honest & open & offer encouragement/Reminders of & how God has spoken to you thru them & thru you to them in Christ throughout your life/REFLECTION
*Voice recordings
*Home videos
*Church—Homecoming, Old Fashioned Day—Beard Day, Dress Day, Hat Day/These cause us to reflect on something other than the appearance/The act or objects give us cause us to Consider our heritage as Christians/REFLECTION
Application:
?Do God’s ‘Reminders’ transport you to a position of Christian REFLECTION?
?Where do God’s reminders transport you?
?You called upon to look deeply at your life?...
....To reflect on what God...
...Has done...Is doing...Wants to do...in your life
Its Little Things that make all the difference in a person’s life...
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Its the Little Reminders that can make all the difference in a person’s life.
Action:
Mere Stones/Reminders can transport us to a Position of....
5. INFLUENCE(:6)
6. REFLECTION(:7-9)
1. UNIQUE ACCOMPLISHMENT(:1-3a, 5b)
2. BLESSING(:3)
3. IMMINENT DANGER(:4-5)
4. RESPONSIBILITY(:5)
Presented 11/13/2016pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Presented 01/23/00pm to:
Providence Baptist Church
975 Providence Rd.
Whigham, GA 31797
