God will do Amazing Things!
Joshua 3:1-17
1 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. 2 After three days the officers went throughout the camp, 3 giving orders to the people: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4 Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it." 5 Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you." 6 Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people." So they took it up and went ahead of them.
7 And the Lord said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. 8 Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ’When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’" 9 Joshua said to the Israelites, "Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. 10 This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. 11 See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. 12 Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13 And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord--the Lord of all the earth--set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap."
14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground
Intro: Let me set the stage for you In Chapter one Moses had just died God told Joshua as I was with Moses I will be with you. The land I promised to Moses I am giving to you. God said to Joshua be strong and courageous.
In 2 you will find the story of Rahab the prostitute. A wonderful story of God’s Grace and Mercy. A wonderful sign can and will use any of us.
Now here we are, on the banks of the Jordan. A new generation of people, an opportunity to take what God was giving them… The Promised Land. The land their ancestors failed to receive because a lack of trust and faith in God. All their lives they had heard of the Promised Land… all their lives the heard from parents, “kids there are more out there than this, don’t be satisfied in the wilderness, because there is a promised land! Let me tell you about the Promised Land…. Let me tell you to trust God, he will take you where you have only heard about but have never been.
I Follow the Arc! Vs. 3
A. The Presence of God
1. You won’t get there following man alone.
2. You won’t get there following a program.
B. Don’t leave your positions until you are following the presence of God
C. Today we do not find his presence in a box but in accessing his throne through praise and prayer!
D. God will take you where you have never been before. There is a line in a song my brother wrote that says, “You wanna take me places that these legs can’t carry me. You opened up my eyes to things I have never seen.”
1. If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always got.
- I believe that it was Albert Einstein that said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expect different results.
- God wants to take us where we haven’t been. If we are going to go we have to be lead by his presence. We have to do something different. God is the ultimate when it comes to creativity! If you don’t believe me look at your neighbor and you will see how creative God is.
- Think about this… no 2 persons are a like yet look how many people God has created! No finger print or DNA is a like, I’m talking about with not just the 6 Billion plus in the world today but all those who have ever lived! No Snow flake is a like.
- God will take us places we have never been and we will have experiences, and results we have never dreamed of having.
II. Consecrate yourselves! Vs. 5
A. It speaks of purification
a. It is to be dedicated to a sacred purpose
b. God will not do the amazing things unless we are purified and dedicated
B. Notice it says yourselves
a. God forgive our sins and cleanse us, but do not be mistaken there is a role that you MUST play to be Consecrated.
b. There are some things you must do for yourselves. We often want God to do everything for us, and not want to put forth anything our selves
c. To be consecrated to see the amazing things God will do takes hard work.
i. We must decide to live a holy life.
ii. We must decide to be dedicated
iii. Don’t say God make me dedicated. God says make yourself dedicated. Dedication is a decision you and I must make.
C. When we are dedicated it does not mean that we will do amazing things.
a. The word says consecrate your selves and I will do amazing things among you!
b. You can’t do one thing that is truly amazing on an eternal scale. It must be God!
c. When amazing things happen and they will, always remember it is God and God alone.
D. Also notice that it says For Tomorrow
What you do today will move God’s hand to do amazing things tomorrow.
a. I believe that if the failed to consecrate them selves they would have had the same result as their ancestors who failed to obey God.
b. We must begin doing what we know to do today, and God will take care of our tomorrow.
III. God will exalt you!
A. Why? Not for our glory! But so that Johnson City will know that God is with us!
B. We need to be exalted and seen and noticed in our city, do the may know God is with us.
C. When Jesus is lifted up God says I will drawl all men to myself.
D. We maybe visible and noticed in the community for what God is doing, but it is ultimately pointing to the fact that Jesus is the answer for the world today!
E. It is up to God to do the exulting. If a horn is to be tooted, let God do toot the horn.
IV. Put your foot in the water and watch God remove the obstacles vs. 13
A. Once again notice the water did not part until the priest stepped into the water.
B. Let me say again, you decide to do your part then God will do his.
C. Receiving miracles and promises are always precipitated by faith. It is shown over and over again in the word of God!
D. The water did not move until the priest stepped in.
E. One again I pose the question what would have happened had they not taken the first step?
F. What rivers or obstacles are in your life? Obey God take the first step into the water.
Closing:
So today here we are not on the banks of the Jordan but here at Calvary Fellowship. Today I believe God is saying tomorrow I will do great things, great things in your life, family, sphere of influence, and other great blessings. God is saying to our church tomorrow I am going to do great things. Forget yesterday, forget Egypt, and forget the past for tomorrow I will do amazing things.
I am going to give a chance to respond to the word of God. I believe we all want God to do amazing things in our lives and our church. Everybody wants to see amazing things there is no question. The question is this are we willing to do today, right now, what it takes to see the amazing things God has in store. I believe God is saying consecrate your selves! YOU DO IT!!! Make the commitment to God, to the work of God, and to building has kingdom.
