Your 2023 Guide To A Victorious New Year Pt. 2

Joshua chapter 3 and remember. Now what we're talkin about is your 2023 guide to a Victorious New Year. So we're making us a New Year's resolution because we're facing a brand new year. We don't know what this year is going to bring And so we're just going to trust the Lord and we're going to follow him now. Last week, I don't have it. Three points of this sermon last week be covered Point number one in and that point is that God will guide us through the unknown places. God is going to guide us through the unknown places. So let's, let's read, Joshua, chapter three again. I'm on time, I'm going to read it quickly while going to explain anything as I as I read it. And then we'll just jump right in and start from where we left off. So Joshua chapter 3 than Joshua Rose early. In the morning, they set out from Acacia, Grove and came to the Jordan. He and all the children of Israel and Lodge there before they crossed over boat. Again, remember they getting ready to cross over Jordan? They wandered in the wilderness for 40 years and now Joshua is about to leave them over the Jordan River to go to the promised land. Was that the three days at the officers, went through the camp, and they commanded to people saying, when you see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, your God and the priests the Levites bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it yet. That should be a space between you. And in, about 2,000 cubic, by measure about a half a mile, do not come near it. That you may know the way by which you must go for. You have not passed this way before. So we're we're on the threshold of a new year. We don't know what's going to happen this year. We haven't traveled this way before have we we haven't experienced what we going to experience this year. So he says, you just watch that are can when you see it, move you go after. And of course the ark represents the presence of God verse five. Joshua said the People Sing by yourself for tomorrow. The Lord will do wonders among you mean Joshua. Spoke to the priests and take up the Ark of the Covenant crossover before the people. So they took up the Ark of Covenant went before, the people lord said to Joshua, this day, I will begin exalt you in the side of all Israel that they may know that. I was with Moses so I will be with you. You shall command the priest who bear the Ark of the Covenant say it when you have come to the edge of the water of Jordan you shall stand in the Jordan so he told him to get in the river. So Joshua said to the children of Israel come here and hear the words of the Lord your God underlying Lord your God and your Bible please and Joshua said buy this you shall know that the Living God underlying Living God in your Bible please is among you and that he will without fail drive out before you the Canaanites and all the other eye. You see right there verse lever. Behold the Ark of the Covenant the Lord of all the Earth is crossing over before you in the Jordan. Underlined that phrase Lord of all the earth now therefore take your sales 12in from the tribes of Israel. One man from every tribe, it shall come to pass. As soon as the soles of the feet of the priests to Bear the Ark of the Lord. The Lord of all the Earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan at the Waters of the Jordan. She'll be cut off the water that come down from the string they shall stand. And as a heat. So it was when the people set out from the camp to cross over the Jordan with the priest bearing, the Ark of the Covenant before the people and is Those Who Bore the ark came to the Jordan, the feet of the priests Who Bore the art dip in the edge of the water. But, look what it says for the Jordan overflows, all its banks during the whole time of harvest, it was a flooded River. They're not standing in a creek is a flooded flowing river. That the waters which came down from Upstream, Stood, Still in Rose and a heat, very far away and Adam, the city that is, besides ariton, so the waters that went down to the Sea of arable, the salt sea or the Dead Sea is what it's talking about dead sea failed, and were cut off, and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. Then the priests and more like a couple of the Lord, stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, all his real crossover on dry ground to all the people had completely crossed over Jordan. Well, let me get my breath after reading all that. So, what we're talkin about is, The Ark of the Covenant, the priests are carrying the art, the ark represents W. The presence of God in the Bible tells us that what he told the people to do. He says it's win. When you see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God and the priests bearing it. When you see it move then you said out and you go after it. So last week we said God will guide us into unknown places when we see God move, we follow him. Remember, there's two things that we can do wrong here. We can run in front of God, we can run ahead of God in when we run ahead of God, when we move before, he moves. When we move before. The art moves, what we do is cause chaos in our life and then everything starts going downhill. We don't understand why we get angry at God because we have run ahead of God. But then afterwards also we can do this, we can lag behind God, he said put 2,000 cubic between you and the art will, sometimes the art moves. But we are afraid to move and we lag behind God and what does that bring in our life fear and unbelief? That's what it brings. So we want to avoid those two extremes. We don't want to run ahead of God. We don't want to lag behind God and he gave them Specific Instructions. When you see the feet of the priest, who bear the ark, when you see that their feet, enter into the water, then all of a sudden that that River all of a sudden, it party just like the Red Sea did for the children when they cross that and it said the water stood as a heat. Well, what we need to understand is that God will guide us in the unknown places. We don't have to know where we don't have to know. When we don't have to know why. We just have to follow the art when you see the god move, then you go after it and pho. We don't want to run in front and we don't want to lag behind. Well that brings us to point number two today and starting and starting off.

He has unfailing promises, not only will he leads you into unknown places, but he's going to Grant you. His unfailing promises. Now look at it here in verse 3, what this Ark is called they commanded the people saying, when you see the Arc of what the company, what's a company Why is it called ark? Why didn't Kevin can it be just called The Ark called the Ark of the Covenant? What does covenant mean? Covenant means a promise in France. When you get a promise from almighty God. That is a unfading unfailing promise. It cannot and will not fail in. Jesus, is our Ark of the Covenant. Remember what we read that, the Lord's Supper this morning. He took the cup filled with the wine, from the vine, he held it up and said this cup is the New Testament. In my blood. Jesus Christ is the Ark of the Covenant that we have and friends. Let me say this. Those promises that he gives these people here. They're good for All Saints. They're good for all seasons and they're good for all situations that look what it says in verse 7. Says and the Lord said to Joshua, this day, I will begin to exalt you in the side of all Israel that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you, you see, this is the Ark of the Covenant, the Ark of the promised and God is promising. These people, if you will cross over Jordan, I will be with you, but friends. Keep promises the same thing to us. You say what? Wait a minute. Now, this was this was like four, five, six, thousand years ago. And it doesn't matter how long ago it was. There are some promises in the Bible that was just for Israel in that. Is it? But there's General promises in the Bible like the promise of God's presence that all of God's people can claim those promises. They're good for All Saints. All Seasons in all situations. What was God saying to Joshua, Joshua? The promise did not die with Moses. And free. Is he saying the same thing to us. We need to understand the promises didn't die with Joshua either. You know what God says to me this morning. He says this Mike. Is I was with Joshua so I will be with you. He saying, John is, I was with Joshua, so I will be with you Katie, as I was with Joshua. So I will be with you doesn't matter that it happened, four, five, six, thousand years ago. Those promises we can claim today. Don't let 4,000 years keep you from a promise of God. Don't let it do it. You see the promises are for All Saints? All Seasons all situations. Don't think that somehow God bless those people, or he was with them at certain things, but God's not going to keep his Covenant with me. Yes, he will. He will keep his Covenant with you. And if you want God to be real in this new year, if you want his promises to be bright and vital to you friend, put your eyes on God zark and he will grant you, his unfailing promises because that Ark is the Ark of the Covenant. What has he promised to us in the New Testament? I will never leave you. Nor forsake you that's a promise that you can climb. I will stick closer to you than a brother. You can claim that promise something else he says, if you will confess your sins, I am faithful and just to forgive you, those sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness friend, that's a promise. You can plank. Now unto him, who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we can ever ask or think according to the power that worketh within us claim that promise because the holy spirit of God lives in you you can claim that promise in. So what we understand is this, as we start this New Year, we don't know what's going to happen. We've not been this way before. It's so in the art moves, we go after it. So as we stand on the threshold of this year, understand God will guide you and unknown places. And he's also going to Grant you. His unfailing promises. He says I will be with you in it. Good to know. That God is with you. Any good to know that God is present with you when you're going to have. A procedure tomorrow Vicky. Any good to know that he's there with me that he'll guide me in the unknown places and he'll grant me his unfailing promises. Yes it is. Good to know that. Well let's get to the last point in that is number three. God will guard you with his undeniable power. He will guard you. So my New Year's resolution is to follow the art wherever it goes. I'm going to go after it. And not only is he going to guide me in these unknown place? It's not only, is he going to grant me his unfailing promises, but I'll tell you what else he will do in. This is really exciting, he will guard you with his on the novel power. Now, let me tell you what happened here, Joshua says to the people, right? We have two million people here and we're all on the wrong side of the river. We have to get to the other side of the river, but on the other side of the river were Canaanites and hitchhikes and highlights and jebusites, and termites and Mighty Mikes and all the other lights was out there and they were afraid, I'm sure. Not only that, they're not crossing a little, a little creek, with a few little rocks in it. They're crossing a raging River. That is flooded. So you see where the fear may come in, but what he says, we're getting ready to move into the promised land, and here's what happened and he says it. And look at first three again, like I keep coming back to it. When you see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God and the priest levite bearing it, they're carrying it then you shall set out from your place and go after it. When the art move, you go after it, you watch it and you go and then what happens in verse 11. Look at verse 11, what it says, all the sudden, they muster up the courage. Behold the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the Earth is crossing over before you in the Jordan. And and then look and verse 13 and she'll come to pass. As soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the art show, rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the Waters of the Jordan, she'll be cut off the water that come down from up string and they shall stand as a heat spot. Just like I said last week, you don't heat water You can eat dirt. You can eat wheat. You can eat corn. You can't keep water. You go out here and try to build, a mound of water will be here all day and night and all next year and forever. You can't do that. You can't keep water, you can't do it friend. This is this is something extraordinary. This is the power of God here. We have a River flooded and then about 15 miles away. All of a sudden the water starts just going straight up in the air and it's like it's like there's a big sink there and it can't go on a big wall there and it can't go over the top and all the sudden there's dry ground here for about 15 miles. There's nothing but I just saw two million people can walk through that. That's what God can do. Nothing is impossible with God. He can do what he says he will do. And if he says go and when the feet of the priest, hit the water then you cross over friend. That's what we need to do. We don't need to ask why we don't need to ask how we don't need to ask. Where, or when this wasn't ordinary time, you see, sometimes the Jordan River is not as wide. Is this Sanctuary right here in the water is low. But as we continue to read here, we see that the water was up to the brim and it was floating the ground there. So can you see it? The children of Israel went through. Because they were guarded by God's power, they didn't heat the water. All they did was. Look, that said, there's no way we can cross through that. Flooded River to me, and people going to know, what would God say? He didn't tell him how he was going to do it. He just said, when you see the feet in the water, you go after it. When the art moves, you got in that way, God does sometime to give us something to do this. Very scary. That we don't think that we can do that. There's no way. It just seems like it would take a miracle. And then what does he do? He performs the mirror. If he tells you to do something, you can bet he will grant you. His unfailing promises and he will guard you with his undeniable power. Amen. That's what he is going to do now. Do you know that? Why some of us don't follow God? You know why? Some of us never get into the River. Jordan when he tells us to go stand in it because we don't believe God, I mention this last week, some people don't try because they don't believe God is going to bless him. Like he says he will in Malachi 3:10. We don't believe the God will do what he says he will do. And we never get into the Jordan when he commands us. And you know why we don't we don't believe him in the reason we don't believe in is because we don't trust him and the reason we don't trust them. Is because we don't know it. And I'm talking to Christian, we don't know God. We just don't know him. So are you going to trust somebody? You don't know. Dating Kevin. You going to you going to take Bentley and leave him tomorrow to someone that you've never met in your life and you don't know. You would never do that. You would never leave your child with a stranger that you don't know. How could you keep my child? I got to go to work, know you're not going to do that. You say, you don't trust someone that you don't know, you must know them first. And the reason that when Joshua was asking these people to step in the River, Jordan, the reason he did that is because he knew that that was going to take courage and so to get them to do it, you know, what he does. He start, he starts explaining to them about God, he tells them something about God, you say, what does he tell her what? Look at number one. He says that he's The Sovereign Lord. I look at it first, nine, you should have underlying this Joshua said to the children will come here and hear the words of what the Lord your God. He says, not just some God out there. He says, he's your guy. He's The Sovereign Lord. He has the right to command you. Why? Because he's your God. He's yours. This is a personal God, we're talkin about. You don't have to ask why it's not for us to reason and say to God. Because why do you want me to do this? Why you asked me to do something, but I'm not comfortable doing? Why would you do that? We just do it. Why? Because he's the Lord, Our God, it's ours to a bay and friends. If he tells you to go into the Jordan You know what he'll do? He'll tell the River Jordan to get out of your way. Is what he'll do. If the river is flooded and it's raging and God says mike, You Go In this River. The next thing he's going to do is tell the river to get out of my way. He's always going to make a way. And we don't have to say, Lord, I'll get in the river when you stop it or I'll start tithing. When you add a little bit more money to my bank account, I'll start or Lord. I won't be anxious and nervous and things like that. If you'll just show me something, I need to see. No, he says, you do what? I tell you to do, and I'll make sure I will remove all the obstacles. You see, it's up to us to say he's the Lord. My God. He is my father, Lord, and he is a personal God. He is your god. So he tells the people, he's your god. What he tells him? Something else. In verse 10, he says he's the Living. Lord, look at it first 10. Joshua said by this, you shall know that the what Living God is among you. And I want you to notice something here.

He says the Living God is among you. He's with you. He's in your meds. He's out in front, he's among you Just think about that for a second and because he's the Living, God, that means he's prep. That means he's with you. He's not some God up in heaven who just created this world and then just folded his arms out, they just do the back again. I know it's hard but just do the best. You can't know. He is a personal present. God, what he saying is is he saying he's the Living God. He's not just Sovereign, God telling you what to do, he's the Living God, who is among you and whatever he commands you to do, he will enable you to do. If he tells you to cross a raging River, he'll tell the river. So that you can get across every command of The Sovereign, God is a promise of the Living God that he will perform in and through you. The command that he tells you to do. He says the Living God is among you. Well, we got it better later. cuz the Living God is in, you He's not among us anymore, he's in US. When Jesus went back to Heaven, he put the Holy Spirit, God himself in US. He's not just present Among Us. God is living in the inside of us who know Christ as Savior. God is in us into these enemies. He's saying greater, is he that is with you than the folks over there in that land? Greater is he, who is with you? What is the promise for us? Greater is he that is in you? That's exactly right. Then the one who is in the world is in us. We've got something better than they had. The Lord was with them. He is in US friend. He is a present. God, he is the Living. God, he's not dead. He is present with us and in it. And number three. He had to tell him something else. he said he's the Lord of all the earth, look at it in verse 11, behold the Ark of the promise Of the Lord of all the Earth. You see not only is God the Sovereign. Lord not only is God present with us, not only is God, a personal God. our God is the only God He's the Lord of all the Earth and have heaven and everything else. So we have this Russian Mighty with River here. Do you know what Jordan stands for the name? Jordan, this was the River. Jordan. It stands for death and judgment and I think about this, the name Dan jordanne the name. Dan means judgment, Jordan is the river judgment. Where is it flowing to is that all the way down? The what the Dead Sea? What does judgement lead to eventually death? The Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea. And down there, it is 13. Ft below. Sea level or right? That's the one of the lowest places on Earth, everything that flows into the Dead Sea dies. It cannot live. There, here is a river of death that they're Crossing. River a judgment that they're Crossing that ends in death. I think about this now. You know, every time I study the Old Testament, I've got to see where Jesus is because it's always all about him. Who does the art? Picture. Presence of God. What are one, who died on the cross? Who went into the river of judgement and death for us. Didn't he? Hang on that cross and then when he entered and died on that cross and walked out of that tomb, in three days, the river cease flowing, the Bible says here, when they crossed over the Jordan River ceased all the way back. To the city of what Atom. Wonder why uses that city do the Bible says for in Adam all die. Even so in Christ All Is Made Alive. You see, Adam was the first center and he died in death and judgment was brought upon the human race and and the River Jordan is a river of judgment and it flows into the Dead Sea and everything in the Dead Sea. You see what we're saying? If Jesus had not have went to the cross at gone to the Cross? What would have happened to us? We would have died in our way to float, right? Where the river of judgement all the way down to the Dead Sea. This is a picture of Jesus Christ and all the way back to Adam. These Waters just pile up no longer. Are they Russian in judgment going down to the Dead? Sea Bass stopped right there and when Jesus walked out of that tomb friend all judgment stopped, And here was this little Hope Chest a blessing in that River bad and the people of God are passing through the promised land friends, you don't have to, you don't have to dread death. Because if you are a child of God, the moment you draw your last breath absent from the body present with the Lord, he will open up the hill, open up that River. Jordan. And we'll pass right on by the our Promised Land, which is heaven You see, this is what this is pointing to, Jesus went into the chilly Waters of death to stop judgement and death for us, so that we might pass through now. Do you think there's any accident? That the very same spot where these people crossed over was the very exact spot where Jesus was baptized. Do you know that? He was baptized in the Jordan River and the art went into the water. You see, when Jesus was baptized and his baptism is a picture of his death burial and resurrection, and it's because of that, that that stopped the river of judgement, that's what his baptism symbolized. And so, was God saying to us this morning? Was he teaching us at the threshold of a new year simply Liz? That if you'll keep your eyes on the ark, if you'll keep your eyes on Jesus, He will guide you this New Year through unknown places. He will grant you his unfailing promises, and he will guard you, with his undeniable power because he is the Lord, your God, he's a personal God, he is the Living God, he is the present God, and he is the God of all the Earth, he is the only God. So here's our resolution for this year and I close Lord, I'm going to keep my eyes on the ark. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith. I'm going to keep my eyes on him and when the art moves, I'm going to go after friends. It's one thing to have the arcanium. It's it's another thing to have the ark at your head leading and guiding you. It's another thing to have the art in you. Jesus knows what the New Year holds for you. So keep your eyes on the are they men? Let's pray. Father, we thank you and praise. You and love you today. Lord for your word Lord. We thank you that this as we come to a new year, Lord that we can start out. And what a New Year's resolution it would be that I'm going to keep my eyes on g.i. month when he moves. I'm on the move. I'm not going to move ahead of him. I'm not going to lag behind them. I'm going to wait until he gives me orders and when he commands me, I'm going to obey immediately, no no question know when where why how how come or whatever I'm going to a bank and I know if he asked me to cross a raging River, I know for me to do that. But he'll make the river go away just like he did for the children of Israel. Forcing Christ name. I do pray. Amen.