Trust me, Remember me, Live like me

Joshua 3-5:12

In Our weakness God is Glorified– Joshua 3-5:12

Please stand for the reading of God's word.

So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, 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 (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan. Those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho.

This is the word of the Lord.

Audience: Thanks be to God.

You may be seated.

Boon entered the world on a serene April 2, 1952, in a picturesque city in Laos. Born into a sprawling family with limited means, Boon faced financial hardships from the very beginning. His family, deeply committed to the practice of Buddhism, held strong expectations for Boon to embrace the life of a Buddhist monk once he came of age.

Academic challenges marked Boon's early years, and he encountered such difficulties that he had to repeat his first year of schooling. His teachers' discouraging words left him feeling inadequate and unintelligent. Despite these setbacks, Boon was determined to prove them wrong. His aspirations were lofty: he envisioned himself as a revered teacher, a position held in high esteem within Laotian society, and one that would bring honor to him and his family. However, alongside this ambition, he harbored a secret desire to become a singer and guitarist, influenced by the fact that, in his words, precisely “pretty girls liked singers.”

Boon faced a daunting challenge to gain entry into secondary school, enduring three extra years due to the intense competition within the Laotian education system. Against the odds, he defied expectations by excelling on the soccer field despite his small stature. However, tragedy struck during a match, leaving him temporarily paralyzed from the neck down for a grueling eight months. With unwavering determination, Boon fought to regain his strength, only to face further adversity when, while on crutches at the professor’s door, he was informed that his place in the school had been given away.

After finding himself with no school to return to, Boon found solace in drugs and alcohol as a means to cope with his emotional pain. He began working at a local club in town, where he would often consume the remnants of drinks and cigarettes left behind by club attendees, leading him further down into a profound state of depression. Boon felt utterly lost, believing he had brought disgrace upon himself and his family with no clear path ahead.

At his lowest point, Boon found himself walking home with a friend after a night at the bar. As they strolled through the dimly lit streets, they heard the distant voice of a Thai preacher carrying through the night air. Despite his deep-seated aversion to missionaries, churches, and Christians, Boon's attention was unexpectedly captured by the preacher's words in a language reminiscent of his own: "God loves you."

In a moment seemingly guided by a force beyond his understanding, Boon turned to his friend and suggested that they should stop and listen to what the preacher had to say. His friend, a devout Buddhist like himself, hesitated, expressing concerns about being seen entering a church. However, Boon reassured him, pointing out that it was the middle of the night and nobody would notice. With cautious steps, they entered the church and took their seats at the back. As the preacher spoke about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Boon felt an inexplicable connection to the words being spoken. It was as if the preacher's message was meant specifically for him, resonating deep within his soul. At that moment, Boon sensed that this was what he had been seeking all his life. Despite his years of searching, it felt as though it was not he who found God, but rather God who found him.

We have all heard the phrase that God works in mysterious ways, but if we are honest with ourselves, most of the time, God has a pretty ironic sense of timing and humor. His “mysterious ways " often come from the deepest depths of human despair and unlikely circumstances. More times than not, God shows up at the most crucial second when things look utterly hopeless. For our very own Tucker Duncan, through the power of the Holy Spirit, invoked by the prayer of our elders, his heart, lungs, and brain were miraculously healed, but only after Ty and Lottie had signed a DNR for their few-week-old Baby. Maybe he gave you that job when you were down to your last dollar. Maybe he led you out of an addiction when you had nothing else to turn to. Perhaps he gave you just the right person in your life at the exact right time that you needed them.

Perhaps you got the diagnosis but have lived long past what the doctors had estimated. Maybe you and your husband have tried over and over again, after miscarriage after miscarriage, and then he finally gave you a rainbow baby. Or perhaps a biological child wasn’t in the cards for you, and after years of praying, he allowed you to adopt a beautiful child of his. Maybe he sent the right mentor, counselor, or pastor to walk you through one of your darkest times. Perhaps he gave you one last chance to talk to your dad before he passed. Maybe your relationship with your mom has become a place of reconciliation after years of turmoil. Maybe your brother came to Christ when you thought there was no chance he would ever. Maybe God was there for you when your first husband informed you he was having an affair and leaving you and your young children. Perhaps God was there for you when your dad was thrown into jail. Maybe he was there for you after the abuse, or you son died, or you lost everything. God has interesting timing.

If we look at the Bible, this fact only becomes more accurate. This is God’s MO. This is how God operates; this is what he does. If we look at the Bible, this fact only becomes more accurate. This is God’s MO. This is how God operates; this is what he does. I mean, we have Abraham, an old man, who hasn’t produced his family an heir, and God promises to give him as many descendants as there are stars in the sky. Joseph, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, David Over and over again, God uses the craziest timing, with the lowest of the low of people, at the most inopportune time to move. God works in mysterious ways.

. Over and over again, God uses the craziest timing, with the lowest of the low of people, at the most inopportune time to move. God works in mysterious ways.

Last week, we started our new series in Joshua, and Lennie reminded us last week that we should be strong and courageous as we step into this new season of life here at this church. Just as God was with Moses, he will be with Joshua. Just as God was with us before, God will be with us now.

God works in mysterious ways, including Lennie getting away with that “punoagraphy” joke last week. Yet, as we flip over to this next section of text in Joshua, we are again thrown into the mix of God’s ironic timing.

Last week, Lennie spent considerable time investigating where the Israelites had come from and who had brought them there. The great rescue plan for God’s people started in Genesis 3:15 and continues through Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and then eventually Moses. The Promised Land that YHWH offered Abraham and his descendants was so close. So much has happened since then. Oppression by Egypt, the exodus, crossing the Red Sea, the Ten Commandments, endless amounts of manna, and honestly, a lot of disobedience by the Israelites. Yet God always follows through on his promises.

We are looking at chapters 3 and 4 and a little bit of five this morning, so Let me summarize what is happening real quickly here.

Right before this, Joshua sends some spies over to check out what the land is looking like, and they come back after being hidden by Rehab, which is a huge story within itself. But they return and proclaim, “Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands. And also, all the inhabitants of the land melt away because of us.”So Joshua knows it is a perfect time to move into the land God promised them. So he rises early in the morning and leads his people to the brink of the Jordan River. The promised land is here! It’s so close you can taste it! You can see it! But there is a river between where they are supposed to be and where they are currently.

After three days of camping next to it, the officers from each tribe went through the camp and instructed the people on how to cross the river. They say to the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. Yet there shall be a distance between you and it,”From my study, it doesn’t seem like this is because of possible face melting like Raiders of the Lost Ark style, but rather, simple instructions from God saying that he will lead them. The officers say, ‘You have not passed this way before.”, at this point, it wasn’t clear how they would get across, but what we know is that God wants all of the people to be able to see what he is about to do, and the path they are supposed to take.

When we get to this next section of the text we get a glimpse of the magnitude of God's promises about to be fulfilled by the Lord. There had to be a kind of tension in the air. This was it. This was the moment hundreds of years and generations of Jews had been waiting for. This was the land that God had promised Abraham. This is what all of our ancestors died thinking about under Egyptian oppression. This is what gave them hope. This is what our fathers were hoping for as they wandered in the desert for forty years. This is it! Can you imagine the pressure on Joshua? God knows this and reassures him, “As I was with Moses, I will be with you.” And then speaks through Joshua as he says to all of the people of Isreal, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out before you all of the cities and enemies who are currently in our promised land. “Behold, the ark of the covenant” (symbolizing my presense with you, the cloud during the day, and the fire by night, where I am making my resting place, my current tabernacle,” that ark, that symbolizes the God of the cosmos and all of creation, is passing over before you into the Jordan.” He is saying, I know you are worried, I know that this is the moment you and your grandparent's grandparents have been waiting for, and I want you to know that I am here. I am with you. And all you have to do is follow me. You have to not walk in front of me.Don’t go where you haven’t gone before. I have been here; I have created everything, this time, this moment, this land, and this river. Trust me.

Which is a perfect setup for what he says next. He says, “ Here is what I want you to do. I want the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to step into the brink of the Jordan River, and as they do, the river's water will stop flowing.”

Here is what we haven’t talked about yet. Here is the tension that none of us are even aware of at this point. I don’t know if you noticed, but you live in Amarillo, Texas. There ain’t no rivers around here. In fact, the only one slightly close to us is called the Canadian River, where a bunch of people take four-wheelers and bud-light..And we call that river “THE River.” We have no comprehension of what the Israelites are facing.

In chapter 3:14, “we see that the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest.” During this time of the year, the Jordan River is about 1 mile wide and 12 feet deep, with currents at about 60 miles an hour because it is on a slant. This ain’t the sandbar Lake Tanglewood. This ain’t the creek running behind your mom’s house. This is a river. It is no joke; this is a death trap waiting to happen. And God says, “Hey, don’t worry! I got it, just trust me.” Remember that conversation about God working in mysterious ways? Not only is this a raging river, but ancient Israelite cosmology (in their understanding of the universe) they placed the ocean and water as a place of chaos and uncertainty. They didn’t picture time on the beach as peaceful but rather standing on the brink of chaos itself.

Yet, if we take a step back…There is more to this. As one commentator mentions, there is a certain logic behind this. If God can tame a raging river, surely he can repel attacking those against us. If he can stop the Jordan, he can put down our enemies. This is the same God who delivered them from Egypt, the same God who would not let go of them in the wilderness; this is the same God who caused that split of the Red Sea. Joshua says, “ You will know that the living God is among you,” and because you are so forgetful, he will prove it to you again by helping us cross this river. But let’s focus on something here, something I think is essential. God didn’t have to lead them to the Jordan River when it was the highest and strongest it was during the season, yet he did. When did God lead the people to the Jordan? Precisely at the time when the idea of crossing it seemed impossible. So what happens next?

Our anchor text this morning, “So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, 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 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.”

Okay, okay. So God makes the river stop, which is amazing and awesome and super cool and 100% the purpose of this story, but I don’t want us to miss a small detail that you probably pass over every time you read this passage. It says, “The water the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam” Do you know how far Adam is from where they are standing? About 15 miles. Now, I and every other Bible college student have made this joke before, but ask me how many math classes I took at Ozark. 0. But earlier, we said that the river was flowing at about 60 miles an hour, which means that for the water in the river to dry up completely and for the Israelites to walk across, how long did it take?

If you said 3 hours, you are precisely correct. So here is Joshua, who God has just told that he will be with him as he was with Moses, standing at the brink of the Jordan River with the presets who step foot into the Jordan River, and they wait three hours for the river to dry up. I can picture the anticipation, everybody inhaling deeply, everybody getting quiet as they look forward, and see the priests stepping into the water, and then they stand there. Waiting. And waiting. The water has stopped flowing, but this forcefield of a dam is 15 miles away. So they wait. And wait some more.

And then it happens. The water flows by, and now no more comes after it. It starts to dry up, the priests wipe away some of their brow sweat, everyone exhales, and Joshua turns and smiles.

God has done it. He has fulfilled his promise.

People start moving and packing up their stuff. They wake up Grandma, who has been sleeping ever since they got here; despite her swearing, she never dosed off and saw it all. They tighten their sandals and start walking across the dried-up river bank. The exhaustion, the joy, the fact that they just saw another miracle of God, is causing everyone to run in haste! They have made it! They are on the other side! God has done it again! YWHW, the creator of the universe and the cosmos, and that we can see and not see, has proved to us once more that he never makes a promise he won’t keep. He is good at his word. He will always follow through. He knows what he is doing and has chosen us as his people. How undeserving are we? How wonderful is he!

Yet God knows that these are forgetful people. He knows that this is the same group of people that set up a golden calf at the bottom of the mountain as he gave Moses the Ten Commandments. This is the same people who complained about wanting to go back into slavery because at least then they had enough to eat and drink. Even Moses himself struck the rock to bring forth water when God had commanded him to speak to it, costing him to not be here today.

So God said to Joshua in chapter 4:-5-7

“And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”

God is doing something here. He is saying, look, I know that you are a forgetful people, so we will set up a memorial of this moment. I don’t want you to forget this moment. I don’t want you to forget when I showed up this way because things will get hard again, and you must remember who you serve. Don’t turn back to idolatry. I want your kids, kids, to look at these stones, and I want them to be able to tell them what happened here today.

I think God is trying to say, “Hey, Look. I want you to set up this physical representation of my love for you because it won’t always be like this. There will be days that will be hard again, and I want you to remember me and what I did for you. He is saying, “Remind yourself that you can trust me.

He works in weird ways. Mysterious ways. Ways that we don’t understand. Ways that don’t make sense, but that doesn’t matter.

We at this church are stepping into a new season. I believe that the elders have done the right thing. This was not an easy decision; this wasn’t something that they just thought about overnight. This was a decision that was based upon years and years of prayer and discernment. This moment that we are walking in has been 75 years in the making. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for all the times that God has shown up again and again. But that’s the thing. He did it. Not us. He has done miracles in these buildings. He has brought people to salvation. He has brought people to healing. He has helped the single mom get some groceries for her family. He has brought families together. He has brought men out of addiction. He has reconciled a mother and a daughter. He has fed hundreds and hundreds of kids and the school down the street. He has dug wells in Africa. He has adopted children through CRF, fed them, and clothed them. He has provided Christmas gifts to children in need. He brought every single foot through this door. He has stopped the depression; he has relieved anxiety, he has healed, he has provided finances, he has provided a husband, and he has given the funds to build a new building for our young families. He has done it all.

My first staff meeting was on August 15th,2017. We met in our outdoor indoor playground then, and I plopped next to Jim. And he grabbed my knee, looked at me directly in the eye, and said, “Welcome to the family. We are all just as messed up as you are.”

I don’t mean to scare you, but the people here on staff…they are just people. Lennie, Shane, me…we are just three dudes. Just three guys. Who is broken and in need of a savior. None of us on staff are superheroes. None of us on staff are, in fact, Jesus. You are like duh jake I have met some of you.

Here is my point. Just like with Abraham, Joseph, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and now Joshua,

God’s glory is magnified in our weakness.

God’s glory is magnified in our weakness.

It’s not about Lennie, Shane, Jim, or even us.

It’s about him.

There is a strangeness to God’s mysterious ways. There is a confusing aspect to God’s method. Perhaps he brings us into impossible circumstances, situations that are so bleak and dark and utterly hopeless, for the very purpose of impressing upon us that we make it through, that if we can endure it, if we are not overwhelmed by our anxiety and turmoil, if we aren’t washed away with the current that is the brokenness of this world, it will only be because of his grace and power.

His way of teaching us that we are out of luck without him. We are incapable; we are helpless; we are dead without life. That his glory is magnified in our weakness.

Last but not least, we will look at the first 12 verses of chapter 5. God has done the miraculous and caused the Jordan River to dry up so that the Israelites could cross, and they have set up memorial stones to remember this moment forever.

Now, let’s talk about circumcision.

They always give me the weird one; I don’t get it.

Let me try and summarize it for you again.

They crossed the Jordan, and all of the hearts of the kings surrounding cities melted in fear because the Lord had provided a way for them to cross the river. And God comes to Joshua and says in verse 2, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel.” Now listen, God is not asking Joshua to circumcise the Israelites who had already been circumcised a second time. I don’t even know how that would be possible, and I don’t really want to think about it. No, God is asking that he circumcises this new generation of Israelites. All those who had been circumcised before had perished, for God had told them for their disobedience that they would not see the promised land. Note the irony. They were circumcised, yet they did not listen to the voice of Yahweh. You can have all the marks of the people of God but lack the response of the people of God. Which ultimately makes me think of Matthew 7.

Jesus says, “21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10 it’s possible to receive the sacrament, you can experience the exodus; you can eat the manna, you can drink the water from the rock and remind in unbelief. It’s possible to attend church every Sunday, do “all the right things,” and remain in unbelief.

Last week, Lennie said, “That all are called across the Jordan. All are welcome. Rich and poor and weak and lame.” And Jesus says, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, leading to life, and those who find it are few.”

We are all invited on this new journey; we are all invited to cross the Jordan into the promised land, but the gate is narrow and the way is hard, leading to life, and those who find it are few.”

By the account of the Acts of the Apostles, you don’t have to circumcise yourself to be a Christian, but what is required is a circumscsion of the heart.

Open yourself up. Allow God to remove the stains and the blemishes. Allow him to fill the cracks in the pot with the gold of his glory. Understand your place, understand his. He is God. You are not. Trust in him. Not just in words but in action. Not just in appearance but in dying to self. Not just intellectually, let it change your whole life. God wants into your heart, and you have to let him refine who you are. You have to understand that we are weak. We are broken. We are not enough. But Jesus, he is enough. And the mysterious ways in which the lord works is to prove to us his Holiness. He uses us because we are so utterly helpless.

We need a God to stop a river flowing so we can cross it. We need the creator of the universe to reconcile our families. We need the creator of the cosmos to remove addictions from our lives. We need our lord and Savior to help remove the shame in our lives. We need Jesus so that we can be with God the Father again.

Boon and his close friend sat in the back of a small church, their eyes fixed on the preacher as he passionately preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For Boon, every word felt as though it was directed specifically at him, igniting a spark within his soul.

In the following months, Boon dove deep into the pages of the Bible, immersing himself in its teachings. The profound impact of his newfound faith became evident as he dedicated his life to Christ, finding a renewed sense of purpose and shedding the burden of suicidal thoughts.

However, his unwavering commitment to his faith led to tumultuous times. As the grip of communism tightened around Southeast Asia, Boon found himself targeted and unjustly detained by the new regime. Faced with a life-altering decision, Boon relied on prayer and felt a calling to leave everything behind in pursuit of obedience to God.

In a daring escape, under cover of night in December 1975, Boon and a loyal friend embarked on a perilous journey across a freezing cold river into Thailand, evading communist patrols with only the clothes on their backs, copies of the New Testament in plastic bags, and a $100 bill.

Their journey led them to a Laotian refuge camp, where they clung to hope for a new beginning in America. Through the compassion of sponsors, Boon found himself welcomed into the embrace of a loving family in Kentucky, whom he fondly refers to as his "mama and papa."

Boon's journey continued as he fervently preached and shared his teachings, particularly focusing on guiding and supporting Laotian refugees. These milestones marked significant milestones in his ministry. His dedication culminated in the attainment of a doctorate in theology and ministry in 1995 from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Today, Boon stands as a beacon of hope and faith, leading a congregation of Laotian refugees in Amarillo, Texas, at the First Baptist Church of Amarillo. His impactful journey serves as a testament to the power of faith, resilience, and unwavering determination in the face of adversity.

Do you want to know why God works in mysterious ways?

Because, just like in Boon’s story, God is glorified through our weakness. God is made great in our lack of ability.

So let us, as we step further and further into this new journey, bring forth our weaknesses and offer them to the Lord. Just as he did with Joshua, he will do the impossible. He has given us this cross to remember him by and now asks us to follow the way.

Prayer

Thank you for spending time in fellowship with us here at Washington Avenue Christian Church, a place where Real People Find Real Grace For Real Growth.

If you need prayer or have questions about what it means to follow Jesus, please join one of our elders or staff members down here at the front after service.

If you’re new here, fill out a connect card and bring it to the Guest Connection Desk in the lobby. We’d love to meet you and give you a gift.

Our annual trunk or treat is right around the corner and we are asking for your help to serve our local community. You may have gathered this already, but in case you didn’t, we need trunks, and we need treats. Also, people serve hot dogs and Frito pies. This is a great opportunity to give of your time to serve and love our neighbors here. You may sign up for volunteer slots online at wacconline.org

Most youth groups are all about fun and games, and I’d say ours is about 99% Jesus and the Bible and about 1% games. But when we play, we play hard. So I wanted to show you some quick pictures of our Embassy Olympics we threw last weekend, where kids at baby food, Vienna sausages, and dove through a slip-and-slide of ketchup, mustard, and baby oil for the highly coveted golden toilet seat. If you or someone you know would like to attend our youth group, where we spend a lot of time talking about Jesus, and a little time eating marshmallows covered in soy sauce, come find me after service.

I just wanted to remind you that "Your dollar makes a difference through C4A$.” This week, their dollars helped a single dad hire an exterminator to debug his house so that he could provide a more healthy living environment for himself and his three daughters.

As always, more information, past services, and upcoming events can be found at our website (wacconline.org, also QR code on screen) or at our information desk in the lobby.

That’s all I have for you today.

Peace be to you. Be the light of the world to all that you see.