Back in the 1920’s the US Govt began talking about controlling the flooding of a river in the West called the Colorado. They intended to build the largest dam ever constructed in the US, and they also wanted this dam to supply electricity and a stable water supply to the growing population in the 7 states in that surrounded this river. Thus, in 1928 President Calvin Coolidge signed a bill authorizing the building of this dam … and work began in 1931. It took 5 years to build this huge project, involving 6.6 million tons of concrete (6.6 million tons of cement would be enough to pave a 16 foot wide highway from San Francisco to NYC). They also had to build a city from scratch just to house the 1000s of workers that were employed for the 5 years it took to complete the project. The Dam was such a monumental structure that it has stood for nearly 90 years and receives upwards of 7 million visitors every year.
What is the name of that famous dam? (Hoover Dam)
Now, remember … it took the US government 5 years, using 1000s of workers who laid 6.6 million tons of concrete to stop the flow the Colorado River. Do you realize, God could have done that in a single day. In fact, He did do something like that several 1000 years ago … at the Jordan River.
In our story today… the Israelites had been led by God to the edge of the Jordan. We’re told that when the priests carrying the Ark stepped into the flooded waters of Jordan the waters coming down from (upstream) stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam. The waters literally stopped. It was as if someone had built an invisible dam that created a wall of water towering over the Israelites as they crossed on dry ground. The waters backed up as far as a town named Adam which was about 10 miles North of them (the distance from here to Walton, IN). And they walked across the riverbed of the Jordan like walking on dry ground.
Now, what’s interesting is that they had to cross the Jordan at all. The first time Israel came to the edge of the Promised Land 40 years before, they came to the southern border of Canaan… and there was no river to cross. They could have just walked right on in. So why go all the way to the East of Canaan and then cross the Jordan? Well, they went there because God led them there. He wanted to show Joshua and the Israelites His power because, when they crossed the Jordan, they were going to go to war. For the next few months they’d be fighting Canaanite armies on their home turf, and Israel needed to be shown God’s power. So, God brought them to the Jordan river… for a little Show And Tell.
In Joshua 3:10- Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that THE LIVING GOD IS AMONG YOU and that he will without fail DRIVE OUT FROM BEFORE YOU the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan… and when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”
So, as soon as they’re at the edge of the Jordan, God leads them into the waters. The feet of the priests touch the Jordan, and the waters pile up in a heap on their right. Then, the Priests stepped out into the middle of the riverbed - and that’s where the priests stood until all the Israelites crossed the river and reached the other side.
Then a man from each of the 12 tribes picked up a big rock from the riverbed and carried it out of the riverbed to be set up as a memorial to God’s power. And another 12 huge stones were piled at the place where the priests had stood in the riverbed and THAT pile of stones was also a memorial. Then Israel made camp at a place called Gilgal not far from the mighty city of Jericho.
Now, that’s a cool story… but what difference does it make to us? Why should we care what God did there? Well, Romans 15:4 tells us that “whatever was written in former days (the Old Testament) was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” There some things here that God believes we learn.
So, what could God possibly have meant to teach us in this story of the crossing of the Jordan. (PAUSE)
Some of the most powerful songs of faith have been negro spirituals. Despite their enslavement in the Old South, they wrote the most powerful songs of hope and faith ever sung. And many of their songs spoke of crossing the Jordan River. Like the Israelites of old, these slaves dreamed of leaving their wilderness of slavery and crossing the Jordan River to enter into the Promised Land of Freedom.
They believed (as I do) that God was painting a picture for us. A picture where a man named Joshua (whose name – like Jesus) meant Savior, and this SAVIOR led God’s people out of the wilderness, and into a land flowing with milk and honey - the Promised Land.
ILLUS: One of my sources tells me that “baptism… was perhaps the most dramatic ritual in the slave’s religious life. One former Georgia slave said “De biggest meetin’ house crowds was when dey had baptizing. Dey dammed up de crick on Sadday so as it would be deep enough on Sunday.… At dem baptizin’s dere was all sorts of shouting and dey would sing ‘Roll, Jordan, Roll, and ‘De Livin’ Waters,’ and ‘Lord, I’se Comin’ Home.’” (Dr. Albert J. Raboteau is Henry W. Putnam Professor of Religion and chairman of the religion department at Princeton University. http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-33/secret-religion-of-slaves.html?utm_source=connection-html&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_term=7697495&utm_content=496926832&utm_campaign=email)
They understood that the Bible was not a slave book, but it was a book of freedom for all that were enslaved. Especially to those enslaved in sin. When God led Israel through the waters of the Jordan (following a SAVIOR named Joshua) He was painting a picture for us.
• We have all been enslaved by sin. Titus 3:3 says “we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.”
• We were slaves, but we followed a SAVIOR named Jesus who led us out of our wilderness of our past shame. And in the waters of baptism, we crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land of freedom. You see… that’s what Jesus came to do for us. He came to lead us out slavery and into freedom.
Now do you remember what Joshua ordered done the rocks of the Jordan? There was one group of 12 huge stones were picked up from the riverbed and made into a memorial on land… and there was another 12 stones set up in the middle of the Jordan – also as a memorial. And when this 2nd group of stones were placed IN the waters of the Jordan – when the waters were released by God those stones would be buried in water. And that part of the story bothered me. Why would God want 12 stones in the river as a memorial? You’d never see them there! That didn’t make any sense. And so that troubled me, until another preachers I meet with pointed out that when Israel crossed the Jordan… they left their past behind them. All the hardships of their former life were going be buried in the cold waters of the Jordan… just like those stones.
ILLUS: Years ago, a preacher named Rick Stacy baptized a man in Lake Superior. It was late October and about 9:00 PM. Rick had been talking with a man named Myron and his wife about accepting Jesus as their savior and sealing their decision with baptism into Christ. Myron hesitated for a long time and then finally said, “Yes, I want to accept Jesus – & I want to be baptized tonight – RIGHT NOW in Lake Superior.” In case you don’t know Lake Superior is a cold lake. Average temperature (year-round) is about 38 degrees AND this was late October. The waves were running 3 feet high. The water was very cold. They intended to walk out waist deep into the water, but only made it about knee deep. Rick laid Myron down and the waves washed over him. And Myron was baptized that night… into Christ. When they got back to Myron’s home for hot cocoa and a hot soak for their cold feet Rick asked Myron why it was so important that he wanted baptized that night in Lake Superior. Myron answered: “I was in the army, an officer in the infantry during Viet Nam. I saw and did things that no man should see or do. And I wanted my sins buried in the deepest and coldest place…”
That’s what God told us takes place in baptism. Romans 6:3-4 tells us “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
When we rose from the waters of baptism, our sin and shame stayed in the water. And that’s why the 12 stones were set up under the waters of the Jordan. All of Israel’s past REMAINED under the waters of that mighty river. So that made sense. That explained why the stones were set up in the middle of the riverbed and would be buried under its waters.
But then (the next question would be) why set up the other 12 stones on land? Well… Joshua told the 12 men who carried these stones: “take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, THAT THIS MAY BE A SIGN AMONG YOU. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel A MEMORIAL FOREVER." Joshua 4:5-7
So, what was the purpose of the 12 stones they brought out of the riverbed to set up on land? It was a Memorial. A place to remember what had been done that day at the Jordan. You know, Jesus gave us a way to REMEMBER what He had done for us. Paul wrote the Corinthians and told them that “The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’” I Corinthians 11:23-25
COMMUNION IS OUR MEMORIAL.
When we take of it each week, we are REMINDED of what Jesus did for us. When we eat of the bread we should remember that Jesus’ body was broken for us. His body was wounded and bruised, and His flesh and skin were torn. As Isaiah 53:5 tells us “he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace.” And the bread reminds us of that suffering.
And when we drink of the cup we should remember that Jesus’ blood was shed for our sins. As Isaiah 53:5 tells us – “with his wounds we are healed.” It’s the blood Jesus shed for us that heals us of our sins.
This is a memorial for us, and it’s our primary act of worship. You can worship every Sunday in your singing, and you can worship in your prayers, and in the words you hear in the sermon. BUT when you get right down to it, Communion is REALLY when we worship. This is where we remember WHY we’re here.
Then, there’s that phrase in Joshua 4 where Israel was told “When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them…”
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’ve been working hard at getting young children to come to church and many of them sit with me during worship. And when I take them up front when I go to take communion THEY GET CURIOUS. They want to know what it’s all about, and they ask why they can’t take of it. And so I tell them.
And - when you bring children to church and they ask you “What does the bread and cup mean to you?” Well... you should tell them. You should explain to them what Jesus’ death means to you. And their curiosity might lead them to want Jesus in their lives too.
I WANT TO CLOSE WITH THIS THOUGHT
Earlier in the sermon I talked about the powerful spirituals that were written by black slaves years ago, and how those songs often focused on the crossing of the Jordan. There was one thing that those singers saw in that story that I haven’t mentioned yet. They saw the Jordan as a symbol of death, and the Promised Land a promise for God’s people. And this is one of those songs:
“I am a poor wayfaring stranger, trav'ling through this land of woe. And there's no sickness, toil or danger, in that bright land to which I go. (Chorus) I'm going there to see my father - I'm going there no more to roam; I'm only going over Jordan - I'm only going over home.
“I want to wear a crown of glory, when I get home to that bright land. I want to shout Salvation's story, in concert with that blood-washed band. I'm going there to meet my Saviour to sing His praises evermore I'm only going over Jordan - I'm only going over home.”
You see those early slaves not only saw the crossing of the Jordan as a place of salvation. They also saw it as the promise that when they died they’d cross over the chilly waters of death and be at home with Jesus. And that is our promise as well.
INVITATION
