MERE STONES/Reminders-VIII—Joshua 4:1-24(:15-24)
Reminder/Recall/Memorial/Symbol/Post-it notes/String on finger
Boys hiking/Exploring cave/Deeper into cave/Bear!
Both tear out of cave in their hiking gear with bear close behind/As one is running he unzips backpack, pulls out tennis shoes, hits the ground, unties boots slams on tennis shoes/Partner screams at the one on the ground we don’t have time to put on shoes! Let’s get out of here!’
Partner says, ‘I’ve got plenty of time, All I have to do is outrun you!’
A reminder to his cave exploring buddy to pick up his pace!
Little Things can make all the difference in a person’s life!
& little things can make all the difference in your Christian life also!
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.f
What significance can spiritual reminders offer?
Achievements of spiritual reminders.
Previously we have found that...
Mere Stones/Reminders, little things, can transport us to a Position of...
1. UNIQUE ACCOMPLISHMENT(:3, 5)
2. BLESSING(:3)
3. IMMINENT DANGER(:5)
4. RESPONSIBILITY(:5)
5. INFLUENCE(:6)Envision
6. REFLECTION(:7-9)
7. COMPLETION/End(:10-11)
8. OPPORTUNITY(:10b)
9. COMMITMENT(:12-13)
10—Mere Stones/Reminders can transport us To a Position of...
PROMINENCE(:14)
Explanation:(:14)Exaltation/Notice
:14—“On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; & they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.”
So arrives the start/initiation of the fruition of God’s promise to Joshua in Josh. 3:7.
Josh. 3:7—“And the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.”.....
...Ex. 14:21-31—“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; & the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, & made the sea into dry land, & the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, & the waters were a wall to them on their right hand & on their left. And the Egyptians pursued & went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, & his horsemen. Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the LORD looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire & cloud, & He troubled the army of the Egyptians. And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; & the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.” Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, & on their horsemen.” And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; & when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Then the waters returned & covered the chariots, the horsemen, & all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, & the waters were a wall to them on their right hand & on their left. So the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, & Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, & believed the LORD & His servant Moses.”
Every Christian brother/sister wants to know that God will be with them in their ministries...That their every ministry move will be a blessing to God & man! The stones were a reminder of where our true strength & power lies.
—Outside of our fleshy ability & thus avoiding haughtiness.
*Prominence(in God’s eyes & among the godly) is always borne on the wings of positive respect!
—You cannot expect to receive positive respect in the community of godly faith until you fully commit all your ways to God thru Christ Jesus!
‘Prominence’ is relative & limited to what you perceive prominence to be....either worldly prominence or godly prominence.
Prominence & ‘success’ are corollaries/consequences of one another.
BUT...Secular society measures success, & awards prominence, by earthy/fleshly means. Sometimes these intersect with Christian values & success—Financial security/Thriving business/Recognized employer/Philanthropy/Town-City-County-State-Nation Builders. These successes mimic Christian values. Such actions may be righteous(right actions in God’s eyes), but not necessarily Christian...They can just as easily be driven by humanism, & spiritualism.
Secular ‘successes’ go largely unrecognized in Christian circles. Because Christians measure success by a person’s...a church’s, successful commitment to God’s will & serving God. Then Prominence among God’s people is awarded.
Prominence is never to be ‘EXPECTED’ by Christians or in Christian circles.
Mat. 20:25-28—“But Jesus called them to Himself & said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, & those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave--just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, & to give His life a ransom for many.”
“Exalted/Magnified”—ldg gaw-dal’—Piel(intensive/intentional/repeated/extended) Perfect—1) To grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise, magnify, do great things—1a) (Qal)--1a1) To grow up, 1a2) To become great, 1a3) To be magnified; 1b) (Piel)--1b1) To cause to grow, 1b2) To make great, powerful, 1b3) To magnify. Strong—a primitive root; properly--To twist [compare ldg ghed-eel'], i.e. To be(causatively--Make) large(in various senses, as in body, mind, estate or honor, also in pride).
“Feared”2X—ary yaw-ray’—Qal Perfect & Qal Imperfect—1) To fear, revere, be afraid—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To fear, be afraid, 1a2) To stand in awe of, be awed, 1a3) To fear, reverence, honor, respect; 2) (TWOT) To shoot, pour. Strong—a primitive root; To fear; morally--To revere; causatively--To frighten.
Argumentation:
Deut. 8:16-20—-(concerning the LORD your God...)-“who fed you[Israel] in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you & that He might test you, to do you good in the end--then you say in your heart, ‘My power & the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD your God, & follow other gods, & serve them & worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. As the nations which the LORD destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the LORD your God.”
Prov. 21:4—“A haughty look, a proud heart, And the plowing of the wicked are sin.”
Rom. 16:1-16—“I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, & assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many & of myself also. Greet Priscilla & Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ. Greet Mary, who labored much for us. Greet Andronicus & Junia, my countrymen & my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, & Stachys, my beloved. Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodion, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. Greet Tryphena & Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, & his mother & mine. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, & the brethren who are with them. Greet Philologus & Julia, Nereus & his sister, & Olympas, & all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you.”.....
...A small space is dedicated to those of ‘negative’ prominence:
Rom. 16:17-18—“Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions & offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, & avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, & by smooth words & flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.”.....
...Then praise & thanks regarding Christian prominence resumes...:
Rom. 16:19-27—“For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, & simple concerning evil. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. Timothy, my fellow worker, & Lucius, Jason, & Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you. I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord. Gaius, my host & the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, & Quartus, a brother. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel & the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, & by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith-- to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.”
‘Prominence’ in Christian circles comes NOT from men—NOT from working your way up thru the ranks. For any Christian, accolades follow from obedience to Christ Jesus, first & foremost!
1Cor. 10:1-14—“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud & in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, & all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, & that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat & drink, & rose up to play.”-(Ex. 32:1-6)- Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, & in one day twenty-three thousand fell-(Num. 25:1-9)-; nor let us tempt Christ-(disdain His provision & salvation)-, as some of them also tempted, & were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, & were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, & they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.”
Illustration:
My Daddy—Dr. C. Foy Sherman—He was the only dentist in Granite Quarry, NC/Granite was a small town where most everybody knew one another/My Dad ran his dentistry humanely because he loved Jesus/He didn’t ‘gouge’ people for services rendered—He allowed some to pay in food—I can remember casseroles & chickens being brought to Daddy’s office or to the house(we never hurt for food anyway!)—Daddy knew they sincerely could not afford it before he even did the dental work on them/By his actions he ensured that those who could not pay, retained their dignity/Most, of course, paid their monetary debts promptly/There was one patient that I remember who could afford to pay but did not...Daddy had no respect for that person!/And by so doing, Dr. Sherman retained a Position of PROMINENCE--Respect in Granite Quarry, NC!...
...Among those who knew my Dad, I am not known as Byron, but as Doc Sherman’s son.
Application:
?You in a Position of PROMINENCE?
?Has your haughty spirit/high-mindedness prevented you from true prominence by the Lord?
Reminders can make all the difference in a person’s life...
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Two guys being chased by a bear--All I have to do is outrun you!
Action:
Mere Stones/Reminders, little things, can transport us to a Position of...
10. PROMINENCE(:14)
1. UNIQUE ACCOMPLISHMENT(:3, 5)
2. BLESSING(:3)
3. IMMINENT DANGER(:5)
4. RESPONSIBILITY(:5)
5. INFLUENCE(:6)
6. REFLECTION(:7-9)
7. COMPLETION/End(:10-11)
8. OPPORTUNITY(:10b)
9. COMMITMENT(:12-13)
Pt. 10-only! Presented 03/26/2017pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Presented 02/13/2000am to:
Providence Baptist Church
975 Providence Rd.
Whigham, GA 31797
