Crossing the Jordan

Intro

In my Bible reading I finally made it out of the first 5 books of the Bible and have gotten to one of my favorite books of the Bible Joshua. Joshua was a guy who had to be the guy who followed the guy. He was the leader after Moses. You never want to be the guy who follows the guy. You don’t want to be the Bulls shooting guard after MJ, you don’t want to be the coach that follows Bill Belichek, you dont want to replace the lead singer of a beloved band. Being the guy who follows the guy is hard. To succeed and do something that the first leader couldn’t do is nearly impossible, and yet that is what Joshua was tasked to do.

Joshua was tasked with conquering a land the size of New Jersey filled with fortified cities, giants, and strong kings but before he could do that he had to lead 2 million people across a flooded river without a bridge or any boats lets see what happens.

Joshua 3:1–5 NIV

Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between you and the ark; do not go near it.” Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

He tells them that tomorrow God is going to do amazing things through the people. That is what I want us to look at today. If we want God to do amazing things through us I believe that this passage gives us some principles and practical action steps for how we can get on board with the awesome things God is already doing and how we should respond to it.

1. Private Preparation Precedes Public Victory.

Joshua told the people to prepare by consecrating themselves. To consecrate themselves meant to set themselves apart. They had lived by themselves for 40 years and now they were crossing into a land full of other people, other gods, other worldviews. And Joshua is telling them before that happens spend the time to set yourself apart. For them they would have different ritual washings they would do this would prepare them for the contamination that was on the other side of the Jordan.

Its fascinating to me that the preparation was not physical. It wasn’t lets prepare to cross by building bridges or boats. It was spiritual. God wanted the people’s hearts right before their feet ever moved.

This principal of preparing privately before public victory is something we understand in all other areas of life. You watch an NBA player and you know they have practiced every move thousands of times, you watch a professional dancer and you know they have put thousands of hours in to hone that craft, you watch a master guitarist and you know the time they have practiced by themselves for years before they ever step foot on a stage, and yet when it comes to the things of God we act like we can never spend time with him, we can only pray at meals, and we can act just like our unsaved friends, and still expect God to do amazing things through us.

Prepare privately, set yourself apart, Christians consecrate themselves to God’s word, to God’s will and to God’s leadership. If you do that privately God will do amazing things through you.

Joshua 3:14–16 NIV

So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 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, 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 (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.

When God parted the red sea he just had Moses raise his staff and the waters parted. This time he does things differently. The priests had to step foot in the muddy rushing water holding the ark. If God did not part the waters they and the ark could have been swept down the river. But when they stepped in the water stopped flowing.

2. Step Faithfully

God did not move the water before their feet. It wasnt like how in Moana the water moved for her to walk out and grab the shell. They had to step out in faith first, then they got to experience the miracle. Then the supernatural happened. You want to know why I think God doesn’t give us the breakthroughs we want, he doesn’t use us the way we wish he would, he hasn’t started a revival at your school.

Because we stand on the shore waiting for God to move the water before we step. When the example in scripture is always obey me first. Trust me first, step first, and I will go before you to give you the victory.

God does amazing things when we are faithful to step forward where he’s leading, even in the uncertainty. If you think that the only time to step forward is when all the logistics are lined up, when you know whats going to happen, when there is no risk to you. Then you havent read the Bible. We obey and step first and then trust God with the results. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Daniel, Radshack Meshack and Abendigo, David, Elijah, Peter, Paul. All obeyed and stepped forward and trusted God would give them the victory because they were doing His will and they did.

God doesn’t use people waiting on the shore to do amazing things. He uses people willing to obey and step out before they can see where he’s leading.

Which type of person are you?

My encouragement to you is something I wish I had learned earlier. Focus on being faithful not the thing you really want to see happen. The primary call on your life is not have incredible amazing thing happen through you. God’s call on your life is for you to be faithful.

Faithfulness is not an avenue to get fruitfulness it is always the main goal. When we reach the end of our race Jesus is not going to say well done my good and fruitful servant, well done my good and victorious servant, well done my good and famous servant. If we have run our race well he will look you in the eyes and say well done my good and faithful servant.

Focus on being faithful, and God will do amazing things through you. But only when we don’t let what we do become more important to us than who we are. and who we are is all because of Jesus.

Joshua 4:19–24 ESV

The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

If God is going to do amazing things in you we need to prepare privately, Step faithfully, and

3. Remember Regularly

Joshua called them to be intentional about remember what they had seen God do. Why so they could get nostalgic or reminice on good times. no so that like it says in verse 24 everyone would know that God is powerful and so that you would always fear the Lord.

One of the worst things we can do is watch God do something amazing in our lives, the lives of our friends, the life of our church. Pray thank you God and then go forward never to think about it again. Joshua had them set up this altar so that every time they looked at they couldn’t help but remember, and kids seeing it for the first time would ask and they would hear the story of how powerful God is.

I remember leading student to Christ in gazeebos as souled out, I remember praying over Jim when he had a bad diagnosis with you all and him being healed. I remember how he brought me from death to life. I can think back at many things that God has done something incredible in my life and when I do it reminds me of how powerful he is and that I can trust him. But I need to be more intentional about putting up altars in my life so I remember.

Weather it is a physical object that when I see it I remember what God has done like a tshirt that I keep in my drawer that doesnt fit me from my first beach camp where I gave my call to ministry, or a baseball that I keep to remember the senior trip I went on with my youth pastor that made a big impact on me. Or it could be something digitial like a lock screen or reminders that go off on your phone. It could be a prayer journal. I have a five year prayer journal, I have kept a journal from a Bible study I did in highschool that I experienced a break through while doing, and now we do that same study with our seniors here.

Whatever it could be for you, don’t leave you remembering to chance. remember regularly, because past reflection inspires future faithfulness. the next time you are on the shore and nervous to step out faithfully you gain the strength to when you look back and remember all the Jordan rivers you have already crossed.

Prepare Privately, Step Faithfully, Remember Regularly. Repeat Until you hear your savior say well done my good and faithful servant.

Joshua 3, Joshua 4:19–24 “

1. Private Preparation Precedes Public Victory.

2. Step Faithfully

3. Remember Regularly

Questions.

In what ways do you prepare for things in your life (sports, tests, performances)? How does that compare to how you prepare spiritually?

2. Why do you think God wants us to step out in faith before we see His provision?

3. What is one moment where you clearly saw God at work in your life? How can you make sure you remember that in the future?