First United Methodist Church
Sudan, Texas
July 8, 2001
Rev. Monte Wike, Pastor
“First One in the River”
Leadership into untested areas.
Leadership #2
A study through Joshua
GREATER TEXT: Joshua chapter 3.
TEXT: Joshua 3: 4c, “...that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.”
TEXT: Joshua 3: 13, “And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.”
I. SANCTIFICATION BEFORE SERVICE
A. FOLLOWING THE ARK.
Joshua 3: 3, “And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.”
Leadership always is a product of follow-ship. Something to lead the leader. A goal, a dream, a vision, a plan, an idea, a mission, a need, a desire, a spoken word from God. Something to reach for, something to lead toward. Leadership without a plan is at best circular, and at worse, aimless. In essence, leadership without follow-ship is not leadership, but confusion. The most confused being at the head of the parade.
God made his plan indelibly clear to Joshua: “Go where the ark goes.” The ark was the physical presence of the Lord, but the ark had to be borne on the shoulders of dedicated and specialized priests. They had to be totally committed to obeying God without hesitation. What they were told to do, they did, where they were sent, they went. When God’s plan is not apparent to us, the Bible (our physical representation of the Word of God today) will speak in clear tones. Throughout its pages is the clear voice of God: “Follow Me.” (I Samuel 25: 27, Matthew 4: 19, 8: 22 and 9: 9 are just a few examples.) “This is the way, walk ye in it.” (Isaiah 30: 21) When we follow this directive, our lives will be straight and true. When we depart from the Word of God we depart from the blessings of God.
B. SPIRITUALLY PREPARED
Joshua 3: 4-5, “Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore. And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”
Leadership is based not only on following a vision, but on mental, physical and spiritual preparation. Training is essential, discipline mandated, receptivity is paramount.
Readiness in leadership necessitates a space of preparation, a place of preparation, and a grace in preparation. The space between the people and the ark indicates the separation of the mundane and the holy. We must stand in awe at the presence of God. We cannot encroach upon His holiness, even when we
“First One in the River”, p. 2
are invited into His presence. The place was at the bank of the river, the place of need and facing danger. The grace was to purify ourselves in the presence of God.
Sanctify means to be spiritually purified, sins confessed and forgiven, hatreds and prejudices laid aside, love and fellowship restored, anything that would block the flow of the ministry and grace of God completely removed from one’s life, and joy and enthusiasm firmly in place.
Spiritual renewal is the greatest tool for leadership. It makes the difference between drudgery and delight, between farce and force, and between happen and happy. Without spiritual energy, leadership becomes just another job, a more responsible position. With God’s Spirit burning within, guiding and warning and challenging, leadership becomes a team-effort of our resources and abilities as human, and the Divine powers.
II. SIGNIFICANT STEPS IN SERVICE
A. CERTIFICATION
Joshua 3: 7-8, “And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.”
The transition from the leadership of Moses to that of Joshua was carefully orchestrated by God. Moses was such an overwhelming figure, had been at the job so long and so forcefully, that it would be easy for Joshua to be intimidated and fearful. God in several steps is making sure that Joshua fully understands his role, and the power and authority of God in his life. The call to courage, the commissioning of spies to survey the land, and now the actual move into occupied territory. Without this continual confirmation, Joshua would have been powerless before the people.
The reason God chose to lead the people across the swollen Jordan was precisely to establish the transformation of leadership from Moses to Joshua. There had to be as dramatic an event as Moses faced in crossing the Red Sea, to establish Joshua as the new leader. They came out through dried-up water, they would enter the Promised Land in a similar fashion. This would be that day that the new leader is confirmed.
B. CONFIDENCE
Joshua 3: 9-10, “And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God. And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.”
When the leader is convinced, he can then convince the people. When the leader is led, he can expand that leadership to his followers. When the people have confidence that the leader is in touch with God, they are convinced to follow.
The test at the Jordan was a graduation ceremony for Joshua, but a miracle necessary to convince the people that miracles had not stopped, and that God would keep His word to deliver the land into their hands. All the tribes that presently occupied the lands would be rolled back as easily as the Jordan stood still at flood stage. The future rests on history. What God once did, He can repeat. His miracles have not stopped. His hand is not stayed, His arm not shortened. When we hear today, we get the same response and encouragement that great Bible leaders did. There is no difference on God’s part, the difference lies with our acceptance of the truth of the Word of God.
The land was not claimed by angels that God sent, with man having no part, nor was it claimed by the heroic action of brave men, without the works of God, but by a combination of the two. God doing what He does best, knowing the plan and the future, and men responding with simple obedience and willingness.
“First One in the River”, p. 3
III. STEPPING INTO SERVICE
A. “GETTING YOUR FEET WET”
Joshua 3: 13-16, “And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap. And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.”
The Jordan was the barrier between the people and the goal or promise that God had for them. Joshua saw a vision of where they should go, God provided the way to get there. Every person in a leadership position will experience barriers. Often, as here, a flood of them. God could have suggested they wait for the dry season, that they send swimmers across the swollen current to anchor guide ropes for the soldiers to follow across, that rafts be built to float the troops across, or any number of other “logical” plans. Instead He did the illogical (to man) thing and just got rid of the waters completely. The barrier was not crossed, it disappeared! How farsighted and grand are the ways of God, compared to the abilities He has entrusted to man! Man can build bridges across the river, God can stop its flow!
The ark had to lead the way, the priest had to carry it, but the ark was never to touch the water. Nothing was to damage its sacred contents. The priests did not have to ford the river, they just had to enter it. How often have we focused on the flood, and failed to step foot into the fray. When their feet were “washed” by the river, God “dried” up the water below and dammed up the water above, until it stood above them “like a heap.” The water did not stop flowing, it just stopped flowing below them. The threat was getting greater by the moment from upstream.
B. STANDING YOUR GROUND
Joshua 3: 17, “And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.”
The people were crossing the Jordan from the east, facing west. The Dead Sea lay shimmering to their left, the rising wall of water to their right. As the waters dried up below their feet, the priest and the ark advanced on dry ground into the middle of the empty Jordan basin. I envision they then turned their backs to the wall of water above, looking downstream, and watched as the people passed in front of them on dry ground. They were the wall between the passing soldiers and the danger of flood if the waters were released. As they stood their ground, the water stayed in check.
Failure in leadership is the failure to stand one’s ground, to continue with the dream and plan that was revealed to you from the commission to leadership, and to turn your eye to the threat above. I imagine that Joshua was the first one to cross the river after the priests had entered with the ark. He did not stay to hold back the water. That was not his job. That responsibility was given to others. His was to lead the troops across and be ready to rescue the land.
If it becomes our task to stand in the middle of the empty river, with “our backs to the wall,” while everyone else is passing us by, know how important it is to stand your ground. Had they panicked and fled, they would never have made it to the other shore. The waters would have swept them away like matchsticks. Standing and waiting are as essential to winning the battle as marching and fighting, if that is what God has commissioned us to do. Fear must have mounted in their hearts as water mounted behind
“First One in the River”, p. 4
their backs. But as every person went through on dry ground because of their efforts, faith must have mounted, too. They longer they stood their ground, the easier it was to remain.
The first ones in the river were the last ones out. The waters were controlled by their willingness to obey. They stood their ground, because they had won that ground step by step as they advanced into the river. They stood their ground in spite of a growing threat behind and above them. They stood their ground when the parade of countless thousands of soldiers marched through by the tiring hour. They stood their ground until God said it is time to exit. They did not give up, give in our give out. They were faithful to their calling and it made the difference to their nation and to its new leader, Joshua. He stood victorious on the other side of the mighty Jordan because those that entered the water first remained steadfast at their jobs.
Has God challenged us to leadership? to obedience? to entering the flooded waters? to remaining steadfast in our moment of opportunity? to a thankless task when others get the glory? to surviving in the midst of growing danger? All tasks of leadership are not the same, but they all have a bearing on the final outcome.
