TAKE THE STEP
Joshua 3.1-4.24
S: Faith
C: Purpose of the Community – Stepping forward in Faith
Th: A People with Purpose
Pr: WE ARE TO MOVE FORWARD IN FAITH.
TS: Our study in Joshua will direct us on how to handle obstacles that are in the way of God’s promises.
Type: Inductive
The ____
I. PURITY (1-6)
II. PRESENCE (7-13)
III. PATH (14-17)
IV. PILES (1-14)
V. PASS OVER (15-24)
PA: How is the change to be observed?
• Be pure.
• Look for God’s presence.
• Move.
• Always remember – never forget.
Version: ESV
RMBC 25 June 06 AM
INTRODUCTION:
ILL Forget
An elderly couple, a husband and wife were having problems remembering things, so they decided to go to their doctor to get checked out, just to make sure nothing was wrong. The doctor explained to them that when you get too many things on your mind, you will have problems with your memory. He suggested that they might want to start making notes to help them remember things. They thanked the doctor and left.
Later that night while watching TV, the man got up from his chair and started toward the kitchen. His wife asked, "Where are you going?"
“I’m going to the kitchen to get some ice cream,” he answered.
She asked, "Will you get me a bowl of ice cream too while you are there?"
He said, "Sure."
She asked, "Don’t you think you should write it down so you can remember it?"
He said, "No, I can remember that."
“Well, I would also like some strawberries on top. You had better write that down because I know you’ll forget."
“No, I won’t forget,” he assured her.
"Well, I also want some whipped cream on top. I know you will forget that so you better write it down."
He was obviously irritated, but he managed to say rather nicely, "I don’t need to write that down. I can remember that."
About 20 minutes later, he returned with a plate of bacon and eggs.
She stared at it for a moment and then said, "I knew you were going to mess it up - You forgot my toast."
How is your memory?
Are you remembering the important things?
1. Do you remember how God has worked in your life?
Do you remember your initial steps of faith?
And do you remember how God has continued to do work in your life, encouraging you toward Christlikeness, always working for your good?
These are some of the themes that we will see in our study of Joshua.
Today is our third study, and as a matter of reminder and context…
2. In our first study in Joshua, God calls on Joshua to demonstrate the courage to possess the promise.
Over and over again, Joshua is encouraged to be strong and courageous.
He is to go forward and claim that which God has promised – the land.
He needs to never fear because God is with him.
3. In our second study, we discovered the importance of faith when the spies were introduced to an unusual ally.
Joshua sent spies to scout out the first city that would be their assignment to overtake.
Interestingly, when they arrived, they discovered that the people in Jericho knew they were doomed.
Yet, in spite of the overwhelming evidence that the Israelites were worshipping the true and living God, they refused to forsake their gods of wood and stone.
All, except one, that is.
All except Rahab.
So, what we discovered is that God sets up this meeting with Rahab in order to save the one that demonstrated faith in Him, even when no one else would in that city of Jericho.
The God that is evident here is the God we worship today.
He is a great God of compassion and grace.
This brings us to today’s study, so…
4. Our study in Joshua 3 - 4 will direct us on how to handle obstacles that are in the way of God’s promises.
OUR STUDY:
First, there was an issue of…
I. PURITY (1-6)
5. It was time to get ready.
When it is time for war, most military leaders would say, “Sharpen your swords, men! Polish your shields.”
It would be a matter of logistical readiness.
But not with this general.
And not in this case.
For these people, readiness was a matter of spirituality.
You see…
6. Being right with God was the ultimate priority.
(5) Then Joshua said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you."
The way of readiness was the obtaining of pure hearts.
It was confessing sin.
It was laying aside of hatred and hurts.
It was a lifting of hearts toward God.
It was trusting in the sovereign I AM.
It was being humble in God’s holy presence.
II. PRESENCE (7-13)
It is at this point that…
7. God determined to establish Joshua’s credibility.
God was going to clothe Joshua with glory.
He did this so the people would entrust themselves to his leadership.
The events that were about to happen would become Joshua’s credentials.
He was not only going to rule over them politically and militarily, he was going to be their spiritual authority as well.
So this was Joshua’s announcement to the people…
8. As always, God was going with them.
(10) And 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. (11) Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan.
As the people prepare to enter the Promised Land, Joshua reminded people of the promises God had made to them.
He was with them.
They were not alone.
He was going before them.
And He was omnipotent.
This task that was before them was not outside of His realm of doing.
And because this was so, they could trust and obey.
To give them that extra boost of confidence, the symbol of God’s presence and His promises, the ark of the covenant, was going to lead the way.
Now…
9. It was time to meet the water.
So the priests are carrying the ark of the covenant, leading the way to the banks of the Jordan.
Since it was rainy season, the banks were flooded, making the distance to cross from anywhere of 200 yards to a mile wide.
Let us be reminded…
There were no bridges.
There were no boats.
There was just a lot of water.
And this was a lot of people.
It is not just the army that has to cross.
It is the whole nation, women and children included, anywhere from 1 to 2 million people.
The last time this nation faced this task, Moses was in the lead.
Of those that are present, only Joshua and Caleb were eyewitnesses to that event.
But Joshua is not going to be like Moses.
He is not going to raise his arms and watch the water part.
No…
Instead, he tells the priests carrying the ark to lead the way into the water.
I see a bit of humor at this point.
I can see the priests looking at each other, and saying, “You go first; I was first last week!”
After all, these are smart guys.
The ark is made of gold, and gold does not float.
But in they go, because this is the…
III. PATH (14-17)
…set out before them.
You see…
10. To move the obstacle, a first step was required.
(15) …and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water…, (16) the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho.
They took the step.
It was a step of faith.
They went into the water, and God honored that faith.
All of sudden, the water stops flowing.
In fact, twenty miles upstream the water stops, and creates this huge wide path that this huge amount of people can cross.
The priests led the way.
As they marched in, the waters dissipated, and they kept going – right into the middle of the river bed.
And picture this…
They stand.
They take this motionless stance.
It is a statement to the people.
They were staying there in harm’s way, with the presence of God, so the people could go.
For…
11. It was cross over time.
It was time for these people to cross.
Even if they did not feel safe.
Even if they felt exposed and insecure.
They were to cross.
And cross they did.
But while they are crossing, Joshua is really into…
IV. PILES (1-10)
As they are crossing, Joshua gives the instruction.
12. They were to collect 12 stones from the river to commemorate the event.
(8) And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the LORD told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there.
Now I imagine, these were no small stones.
I imagine these were big.
Perhaps there was even a contest between the 12 tribes about who had the biggest.
So, these 12 big stones are carried to the side.
And they will be piled high upon the other to be an eloquent testimony to God’s miraculous working.
He had exposed the river bed as dry land by holding back the waters.
But like I said before, Joshua is into piles, and he…
13. Joshua made an extra pile in the river bed.
(9) And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day.
We are not given a specific reason why he makes the second pile of rocks in the river bed.
I think that perhaps it was to honor the priests who had the faith to step forward into the water.
It too, would serve as a testimony of God’s tremendous work in their presence on their behalf.
Now it is time to finish the…
V. PASS OVER (11-24)
Let’s note first of all that the first ones in were the last ones out.
The priests that were responsible for the ark of the covenant did not give up.
They did not give in.
They did not give out.
They were faithful and stood their ground.
And when they made their way to the other side, God finished the miracle by putting the river back.
Now…
14. This event was a lesson that was to be remembered for successive generations.
God had done the great thing for them!
God had saved them forty years ago, and they called it, appropriately, Passover, as the spirit of death passed over their homes.
Now God saves them again as they pass over the Jordan.
It is another act of deliverance to a new generation that was to be taught over and over again.
(21) And he said to the people of Israel, "When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ’What do these stones mean?’ (22) then you shall let your children know, ’Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’
Their assignment was to never let the children forget.
Leaving this pile of stones on the side of the river was like writing it down.
They were left there to pique the natural curiosity of those born in the land.
Another point of significance that was to be taught was the name of the place.
It was called Gilgal, which meant, “the reproach has been rolled away.”
The crossing of the Jordan ended forty years of spiritual defeat and failure.
Graciously, this event was even bigger than for successive generations.
15. This was news for all people.
This miraculous crossing was testimony of the existence and nature of the one true God.
It was the testimony of these people that He was a Living God.
He was sovereign – Lord of all the Earth.
He was the Mighty Lord that could not be opposed.
This, in every way, was a day of victory that was to be shared with all the world.
APPLICATION:
So…
16. What kind of Jordan River are you facing today?
Perhaps the river you are facing is one of bitterness, or of anger…
And you are not getting over to the other side of peace and rest…
Perhaps there is an addiction…
Or you are discouraged or depressed…
Maybe it is an unconfessed sin…
Or God seems far away…
Let me suggest to you that today is the day you need to cross over that Jordan.
Today, though small you might seem, is the day that you show the courage and take that first step.
ILL Courage
In the first installment of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Christian author J. R. R. Tolkien portrays the classic conflict between good and evil set in a mythical land called Middle Earth. After a great battle in ancient times, the Dark Lord Sauron was temporarily defeated and his most dreaded weapon, the Ring of Power, was lost for many ages.
But, a character named Bilbo Baggins found the ring and, unaware of its true identity, passed it on to his nephew Frodo as part of an inheritance. Frodo Baggins plays the central role in the story – and he is an unlikely hero. Full of humility and hesitation, he embarks on an epic quest to destroy this most powerful tool of the Dark Lord.
At one point the representatives of the many peoples of Middle Earth have gathered in a council to decide what to do with the ring, which sits before them on a stone pedestal. The fate of the world hangs on their decision. Under the strain of the decision and the seeming impossibility of the task, bitter infighting breaks out in the council.
"The ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom," says the head of the council. "Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from which it came. One of you must do this."
But one council member objects, "One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just (orcs) our enemies. There is evil there that does not sleep, and the great eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust. Not with 10,000 men could you do this. It is folly!"
The council members begin to protest, bicker, and accuse, standing and pointing at each other, until a small voice is heard that silences them all. Frodo stands and says, "I will take it. I will take it! I will take the ring to Mordor."
The members of the council are stunned into silence, and one by one they pledge themselves to be a team supporting Frodo. Thus is born "The Fellowship of the Ring."
Frodo, the smallest, least powerful, and humblest of them all emerges as the greatest, because he’s willing to do what must be done.
Are you so willing today?
You see…
17. WE ARE TO MOVE FORWARD IN FAITH.
ILL Comfort
Soren Kierkegard, the 19th century Danish religious philosopher, told a story about a town where only ducks lived.
Every Sunday the ducks would waddle out of their houses and waddle down Main Street to their church. They waddled into the sanctuary and sat in their proper pews.
The duck choir waddled in and took its place, and then the duck minister came forward and opened the duck Bible.
He read to them, “Ducks! God has given you wings! With wings you can fly! With wings you can mount up and soar like eagles. No walls can confine you! No fence can hold you! You have wings. God has given you wings and you can fly like birds.”
All the ducks shouted “AMEN!” and they all waddled home.
Most of us don’t like risk.
Do you realize this?
We are comfortable.
We enjoy our cushioned pews.
We desire predictability.
But cross over times can be frightening.
They are new, and different.
They can be difficult.
But when we trust God’s promise, it gives God greater opportunity to demonstrate His power, care, concern and activity.
Recognizing that we are to move forward in our faith, to be more deliberate and more missional, how do we do that?
First, let me suggest that we are to…
18. Be pure.
We are never to tolerate that which we know is unhealthy for us spiritually.
It is amazing what we will tolerate that is displeasing to God, and then we make weak excuses for our wrong behavior.
But if we want to see God at work in our lives, He expects us to call sin, sin – confess it – and repent of it.
It is then we have taken a true first step.
Second…
19. Find God’s presence.
This is not meant to be hard, for God is always speaking.
It is just that we are not always listening.
So often, we need to slow down, quiet ourselves, and realize that He is very much with us.
Finally, let me suggest that we…
20. Never forget history.
ILL History
Objects in my office:
1. M. Div degree
2. Blessed are the peacemakers
3. Baseball glove & ball
4. Rock from Paraguay
5. Café Monde hat
These items may not be meaningful to you, but to me they speak of God’s grace. They are my pile of stones that remind me that God has worked powerfully in my life in times past, and He will do so again.
When discouraged, remember that God has worked in your life before.
And if you think that God has never done anything for you, there is another pile of stones that we observe every month called communion.
It reminds us to never forget Jesus and what He has done for us on the cross.
Our final song today speaks of the kind of victory God has for us today.
He would have us know the victory of the cross.
He would have us know victory over brokenness.
He would have us know victory over death.
The step into the water is likely to be different for each one of us this morning as individuals.
The Lord has brought you to the bank of Jordan and is waiting for you to put your feet in the water.
Perhaps it is that first step of faith of committing to and following Jesus.
Perhaps it is a difficult issue that you know God wants you to confront.
Whatever it is, take the step.
It also applies to us, this step into the water, as a church.
There are three areas that I believe God would have us step into the water.
The first is being true community – to do more than just put up with one another, but to truly love one another and fully committed to do what is best for the other, even above our own interests.
This coming September and October, our study in Ephesians will connect with this.
The second is to be a truly missional community – that is we really move to reach our local communities for Jesus – our friends – Williamsville, Clarence, Amherst, Cheektowaga, Tonawanda – and stop waiting for them to come here.
Our mission has always been to “go”!
The third step I truly believe we need to take (and are taking) is to be better stewards of our building and property.
This we are doing with our newly formed Building Enhancement Team.
And finally, I believe that God would have us know the victory that comes with making that step into the water, a step of trust and obedience, which will unleash His power in our lives.
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are ]
Take the step…go into the water, so to speak, and be fully committed to following the Lord wherever He will lead you; it is a journey that you will never forget.
Take the step…go into the water, so to speak, and deal with those issues that God has brought to Your mind, and find out how God can powerfully help you.
Finally, let’s take the step as a church…go into the water, so to speak, going not where we want to go, but where God leads, not for our glory, but for His!
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
RESOURCES:
SermonCentral
Burnett, Bill Stepping into Your Dreams
Goins, Doug Crossing the Jordan
____ The Two Memorials
Hamby, John Stepping Out on Faith
____ Remembering What God Has Done
Richards, Tim Step into the Water: A Lesson in Faith
Wike, Monte First One in the River
Books:
Boice, James Montgomery. Joshua: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1989.
Campbell, Donald K. No Time for Neutrality. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1981.
Creach, Jerome F. D. Joshua Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, ed. James L. Mays. Louisville: John Knox Press, 2003.
Goslinga, C. J. Joshua, Judges, Ruth. Translated by Ray Togtman. Bible Student’s Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Regency Reference Library, 1986.
