Cross The River
Joshua 3
God has a gift for each of us. For some the gift is the gift of salvation. For some the gift is peace of mind. For some the gift is the ability to forgive another person. For some the gift is guidance about a decision.
In our text we find that God’s people, the Israelites, were preparing to cross the Jordan River and enter the promised land. This is the special land God had promised them. This land is representative of the special gifts God wants to give His people regardless of the time, situation or circumstances. Whenever God desires to give people his blessed gifts it requires adjustments on their part.
Regardless of your need or the gift the steps are the same. What are they? We can learn the proper response to God’s gift by examining this text. We find four steps to follow in this text.
Step one- Recognize and accept the Gift of God.
Ill- In the movie Sergeant York, which details the life of the famous hero of World War I, Alvin York is given a farm by the State of Tennessee. Gracie, Alvin’s girl friend, had the job of convincing Alvin that the gift was real. It was hard for Alvin to comprehend that he was given such a gracious gift.
Even so, you and I must realize that we are special and that God has a gift for us. As a part of recognizing and accepting God’s gift is realizing that God did not create us to live in a desert. In Joshua 3 (our text) the Israelites had just overcome 40 years of Wilderness Wandering. God did not create them to live in a wilderness. He created them to live in a promised land. Regardless of your situation or your pain. You must come to realize that God did not create you to live in a waste-land.
Ill- This is the story of man’s struggle from the beginning of time. Adam and Eve were created to live in a sinless garden. It was God’s gift. However, they did not recognize and accept God’s gift. Instead, they chose to live under the influence of sin.
Ill- While preparing this message there was an article in our local newspaper about the spiritual awakening taking place in Eastern Kentucky. Amidst severe economic circumstances and trials many people turned to drugs and alcohol to relieve their pain. However, that relief was an illusion and now many are turning to Christ. The paper interviewed one individual who shared his story. He indicated there came a time, after being released from prison when he hit the bottom. As an ex-con he had no where to turn. This man indicated he spent a cold Kentucky night in a portable toilet after being released from prison. During that time he realized that God did not purpose him to live in that condition. God never created anyone to live in a waste land.
Step two- Make sure God is first in your life.
Notice the context of this passage. Chapter 2 closes with the two spies reporting their findings. They report that the people in the land of Canaan were afraid of them. They gave a positive and encouraging report that God was going to give them the land of Promise. The Israelite people must have been pumped. When you get a group of people pumped and motivated you would tend to think, this is the time to move forward. There is an old saying “Strike while the iron is hot.” That would seem to have applied to this situation. That did not happen. The Bible tells us the Israelites arrived at the Jordan River only to spend 3 days camping. The people were pumped. The promise was given. However, God told them to wait. What was God teaching them? What was God trying to accomplish? He was seeking to focus the people on Himself. He told the people, “When you see the priests carrying the Ark of God, follow them.” The ark represented the presence of the Lord. Thus, he was teaching them to put God first in their lives. They were not to do anything until God was at the forefront of what they were doing.
This is the essence of conversion. A person must be willing to turn from a self focused life and place Jesus at the center of his life. You must be willing to remove self from the throne of your heart and put Jesus in that position.
As believers mature in the Christian life they must go through a process of learning to put Christ first in every decision. Why is this important?
1. He knows the proper timing in all situations. He knows when it is time to cross the rivers of life!
2. He knows the proper game plan in every situation. He knows the proper steps to follow.
3. He knows the challenges we face before we get to them.
Ill- If you are driving down a highway and come to a detour sign, why is it important to respect that sign? The sign warns you of dangers you are facing. Even so, God is aware of challenges you face. In putting Him first you turn to a power that helps you face challenges.
Step three- Check your Heart (vs. 5). This is my way of saying, Check your Commitment. Notice in verse 5, Joshua told the people to “consecrate" themselves. Some translations translate this phrase as “sanctify.“ When you consecrate or sanctify something you set it aside. You dedicate it. You commit it. Thus, the Israelites needed to check their level of commitment.
Ill- I have a lawn mower that is eleven years old. Each time I use this mower I check the oil. There has been enough wear and tear on the engine that the oil level drops easily. If I do not check the oil and refill the crankcase on a regular basis I could burn up the engine of my lawn mower. A check up is vital in that situation.
The word consecrate comes from two words. One word means together. The other word means sacred. Thus, you set something aside as sacred. When you consecrate something you check to be sure that the object or issue is dedicated to God. There are certain questions you might ask yourself. Am I relying on Him? Am I really committed to Him?
Am I submitting my character to Him? Many people have an “iffy” commitment to God’s will.
Sometimes a persons commitment may be weak. I will never forget an occasion when our family went to Six Flags over Texas when I was a boy. A number of my mother’s family members went with us. Even the grandparents went. On one particular ride we decided the whole family would ride together. This was a ride where you walked into a large room that was shaped like a barrel. After everyone got inside you were asked to strap yourself to the wall. The ride was designed to spin round and round at a high speed, somewhat like a merry go round. Once the ride got to full speed the floor would drop from under your feet. The centrifugal force would hold you against the wall. After the family got inside my grandfather decided he did not like the looks of the ride so he got out. Sometimes people start following the Lord Jesus but quickly decide they do not like the looks of things.
On April 21st, in the year 1519, the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez sailed into the harbor of Vera Cruz, Mexico. He brought with him only about 600 men, and yet over the next two years his vastly outnumbered forces were able to defeat Montezuma and all the warriors of the Aztec empire, making Cortez the conqueror of all Mexico. How was this incredible feat accomplished, when two prior expeditions had failed even to establish a colony on Mexican soil? Here’s the secret. Cortez knew from the very beginning that he and his men faced incredible odds. He knew that the road before them would be dangerous and difficult. He knew that his men would be tempted to abandon their quest and return to Spain. And so, as soon as Cortez and his men had come ashore and unloaded their provisions, he ordered their entire fleet of eleven ships destroyed. His men stood on the shore and watched as their only possibility of retreat burned and sank. And from that point on, they knew beyond any doubt there was no return, no turning back. Nothing lay behind them but empty ocean. Their only option was to go forward, to conquer or die. (Semon Central Illustration)
Step four- Move forward in Faith.
Notice how events unfolded as described in vs. 13 and 14. God told the Israelite people the waters would not open until the priests, who were carrying the ark, moved toward the river. That required faith. The principle: when facing an obstacle, move forward in faith. We must always remember that the river belongs to God. The Jordan River represented an obstacle for these people. There will always be obstacles as you seek to live by faith. God wants us to move toward these obstacles in faith.
Recently I prepared to make a mission trip to the Ukraine. I knew I would have very little money to go toward the trip. However, I knew that if God wanted me to go he would provide the necessary resources. He did prove faithful and show His grace toward me.
Ill- Many stores have electric doors at the front of the building as a service to their customers. Those electric doors do not open while you are getting out of your car. The electric eye triggers the door when you move toward it. That is the principle of faith. You must move toward your challenges in faith trusting God to deal with the challenges. The river belongs to God.
