Moses had died and Joshua is in charge, They are at a critical point, they have been here before. (This is where you either breakdown or you breakthrough)
This is where you decide if the dream is worth it.
It’s one thing to dream it’s another thing to take possession of that dream.
Every dreamer will come to this place, it is here that dreamers either go over or go under
It is called Jordan
Jordan = the descender, Jordan = death Jordan the end
An entire generation had died at this very same place ( no they didn’t really die, but they quit dreaming).
Every dreamer will come to this place ( here there are only two choices (1) cross over into the promise or (2) settle down on this side of Jordan and give up your dream
Jordan is a place that is God ordained, It is a place of impossibility, it is a place of weakness, helplessness, It is the place where all self effort dies, it is where we come face to face with our carnal selves.
You may face your Jordan during a time of sickness, or a time of great financial difficulty, or a time of family turmoil.
God is not the author of sickness, and disease, and poverty, and hardship, but as we face these things we come to an end of ourselves.
So Jordan is a dividing line, it’s the place where we are forced to decide are we going to trust in the living God? or are we going to trust in the arm of the flesh and self efforts?
Jacob wrestled all night with the angel of the Lord, during that wrestling Jacob came face to face with his carnal self, he was forced to face himself, he saw himself as he was ( a deceiver, a sup planter, a manipulator, a usurper, )
Jacob cried out to be delivered from the power of the self life ( I won’t let you go till you bless me).
Don’t leave me like this, I can’t live like this anymore, I’m sick of my carnal self,
And the angel smote him in the thigh and the sinew or muscle of his self life dried up.
( That was a Jordan for Jacob)
What does it take to get across Jordan?
#1 Sanctification:
sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you
Anything that would offend the spirit of God in our lives can keep us from crossing Jordan,
So many have started across Jordan but because of some in ordinate affection, some hidden sin, some secret self love, they have come up short and were swallowed up by waves of despair, guilt, condemnation.
Circumcise the children of Israel again:
The application for us is that we must circumcise ourselves as often as need be, we must never reach the place of believing that we have once for all conquered the self life, but ever be watchful and quick to take the sharp edge of the word of God and cut away that which is of the flesh.
Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you:
How much of Gods power do we forfeit when we allow our lives to become cluttered with things of the flesh.
It is clear that the shortage and the failure is not on Gods part, he is ready, he is willing, he is able.
But we must clear the way, open up the channel, (Sanctify ourselves)
#2 We must have a vision of something greater:
No one will let go of what they have unless they have caught a vision of something greater.
Moses had a vision of something greater, Joshua had a vision of something greater
Joseph had a vision of something greater Jesus had a vision of something greater
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
#3 Total Dependence upon God:
This where we are holding onto the ark, the ark = the presence the power, the glory of God, we know that we can’t cross in our own power.
(Not by might nor by power but by my spirit sayeth the lord of hosts)
#4 Bare feet:
Bare feet means, no personal agenda ( every dream must have at it’s core the glory of God, the promotion of the kingdom) if it is selfish in nature it is not from God and it will drown in the Jordan.
Before God commissioned Moses to bring his people out of bondage, he first ordered him to take off his shoes,
When Joshua came into the presence of the captain of the lords host, he took off his shoes,
#5 Wet feet:
It wasn’t until the priests feet were dipped in the water that the waters began to recede, (nothing happened until they stepped in and got their feet wet, (they had to have enough vision of the promise, and enough faith in God to get them off the bank into the water).
Then as they walked the waters fled before them
One of our biggest problems is, we want to see victory before we ever get into the fight, We want to see the end before we ever start, The problem is God operates on a need to know basis, he only gives you what you need to know = (enough to get you started)
#6 Trusting Gods timing (waiting on God):
Jos 3:4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: don’t come near to it, that you may know the way by which you must go; for you have not passed this way heretofore.
This is one of the greatest tests of all, that 2,000 cubits sometimes feels like a hundred years.
Gods timing is critical, in Gods timing we have the full measure of Gods power working for us, in Gods timing things and people are perfectly positioned,
Gods timing usually doesn’t make sense from a natural perspective
It didn’t make sense to try and cross this river at flood stage, this season of the year the Jordan always floods ( didn’t God know this?)
Remember this ( Jericho is on the other side,) Jericho Is ripe for conquest,
Josh 2:9-11 And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
God knows when things are in position, to delay would allow Jericho to regain their courage.
It may not look like the time, or feel like the time or sound like the time, but God knows what we don’t know, he has inside information, so when he says do it, you can be sure his power will be available to bring it to pass.
And if we are willing and obedient we will eat the good of the land.
(We will cross the Jordan )
