The Wonders of God

Text

Joshua 3:1–7 ESV

1 Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. 2 At the end of three days the officers went through the camp 3 and commanded 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. 4 Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.” 5 Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” 6 And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people. 7 The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

Introduction

I want to take my title for this message from verse 5 in our text.

Joshua 3:5 ESV

5 Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”

Joshua says you better get ready folks because God is about to do wonders among you, and that’s what I want to talk to you about today.

The Wonders of God

How many of you would be interested in seeing the wonders of God? I know I certainly would.

Peter Preached about a miracle worker that did wonders among them in

Acts 2:22 ESV

22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—

After he finished one of the greatest sermons ever preached, the Bible tells us that the Apostles did what Jesus, the wonder worker, did before them...

Acts 2:41–43 ESV

41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

John 14 Jesus told them we would do Greater things than HIM!!!

John 14:12–14 ESV

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

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When we finally realize that Jesus ascended on the mount of olives so that He could do wonders THROUGH us and not just FOR us... Nothing will be impossible for us. There is no other reason for His ascension. He could have just stayed here forever, but It was not God’s plan for us to just watch Him do wonders. His plan was to make you and you and you and you a temple of the Holy Spirit so that he could do wonders through us.

Wonder Blockers

I’ve read a lot of history of the Pentecostal church. I’ve read about the Azuza revival, I’ve read about the Welsh revivals before that and the brush arbor services where people had no choice but to have faith. I’ve heard countless stories of saints that were in situations where if God didn’t do a miracle, then they wouldn’t have made it.

If I passed around the mic today, no doubt many in the place would testify of seeing miracles and wonders take place in their lives.

I’ve listened to the preaching tapes and videos of men like Billy Cole and Lee Stoneking, and I’ve heard about the miracles that our missionaries have experienced, but I don’t want to just hear about them, I want to see them.. and I have seen them but just every once in a while.

I HAVE SEEN:

Blind eyes opened

my own back be instantly healed

my own addiction instantly gone

multiple financial miracles

my uncle walk out of CCU with double pneumonia from COVID

People in ICU, in this city, walk out miraculously healed, and then not come to our church.

Cancer Diappear

I’ve seen mental issues healed

And I could go on, and on.

I could pass the mic and we may hear of dozens of miracles witnessed by this group of believers, but Jesus said we would do greater… greater … greater!

‘if all the books in the world could not contain The miracles of Jesus, then we are more than a few miracles short of fulfilling the prophecy of Jesus to do more miracles ourselves.

I want to see a church rise up in these last days as a beacon of hope in a hopeless situation. A beam of light in the darkness and decay of this world.

I want to see wonders that the news anchors cannot ignore.

I want to see wonders that grabs hold of the attention of this world and they can’t look away.

Not for my glory, but for God. I’m hungry for a revival of miracles. I’m hungry for the Wonders of God.

So, one day I started studying this out to figure out what it is that keeps us from seeing the wonders of God as often as I think we should and I’ve come up with at least 3 things that will surely quench the wonders of God. I call them Wonder blockers. There are probably more if I could take the time, but I think if we take care of these three things we will start to see wonders of God more often. It isn’t anything profound. It isn’t something you’ve never done. It is just basic blocking and tackling. The fundamentals that get overlooked. It really is simple. So what are these three things that stop the Wonders of God… let’s call them Wonder Blockers.

Fear

The first one is tied to the story in our text. You see when Joshua took his people to the banks of the Jordan river, it would be their first time ever crossing over… but it was not Joshua’s first time. 40 years before this story took place, Joshua and 11 other spies crossed the Jordan to spy out the land. You can read this awesome story in Numbers chapter 13 and 14, but I’ll just give you the short version for the sake of time.

12 Spies

12 spies went into the land. When they got there they found that everything that God said was true. It was a land that flowed with milk and honey. They saw massive clusters of grapes there. They saw pomegranates and figs growing everywhere. They saw a good land for their people, but that isn’t the only thing they saw. They also reported that they saw two other things there.

Walled Cities and Giants

That’s right. Huge fortified cities and men of great statue. The sons of Anak were there and they were all giants. They had a choice when they gave their report. They could have gone directly to Moses and Aaron and told them about the good things that they saw and put emphasis on those things, but instead the Bible says in Numbers 13:25-28 that they didn’t just go to Moses, they went to all of the people and started spreading fear.

Numbers 13:25–28 ESV

25 At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. 26 And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there.

10 of these spies went on to talk about all the negative things they saw. You can sense the fear in their story especially when they compare themselves to grasshoppers.

Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before God and Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes. They made one last attempt to get the people to focus on the positive, but it was too late. The damage had been done. Fear had set in and fear is contagious.

Instead of seeing a land full of milk and honey they saw giants.

Instead of seeing the wonders of God like their children would see 40 years later in Jericho, they only saw walled cites.

They let their fear of walled cities and giants keep them from seeing the wonders of God. If they would have only listened to Joshua and Caleb they may have seen the walls of Jericho fall and they could have possibly have seen the battle where God caused the moon and the Sun to stand still, but instead they got to see their friends and relatives die off one at a time in the wilderness for the next 40 years. They even went so far as to pick up stones and attempted to kill Joshua and Caleb for the dreadful crime of having faith in the God that brought them out of Egypt.

Oh how quickly we forget the parting of the Red Sea when we come to a walled city or a giant in our lives.

The first guaranteed Wonder Blocker is Fear.

Fear seems innocent, but it is detested by God. When you get to the bottom of it, the real reason for fear is a lack of faith. Imagine for a moment how that makes God feel. He created the universe and everything in it. He spoke light into existence, he breathed the breath of life in you, he brings you out of Egypt with no less than 11 bonafide miracles. He sustains you in the wilderness on your journey and then the time comes for him to deliver his promise and his people don’t think that he can handle a few walled cities made out of the dirt that he created and a few giants that are like specs of sand compared to God’s pinkie toe.

You see, fear is more than just an innocent feeling. Fear is borderline idolatry. If whatever you fear is ever elevated above a promise of God, then you have also elevated that thing that you fear above God. You’ve now stated without using words that a Giant is bigger than your God. Sounds silly when you say it that way, but that’s what you are saying with fear.

I’ve come here to speak out against the spirit of fear today.

There is no-one or nothing bigger than my God.

There is Not ONE thing or One Person, or one Devil, or One disease that is bigger than My God.

Depression is not too big for my God

Your addiction is not too big for my God

Cancer is not too big for my God

The devil is not too big for my God

God’s little finger is infinitely bigger than any fear you have

Greater is HE that is within YOU that he that is in the world.

Their fear kept them on the East side of the Jordan river where they would wonder in the wilderness for 40 years until every single one of them except Joshua and Caleb died. You think fear is a small thing? It is a big enough issue that millions of people died without their promise. And the same is still true today.

Revelation 21:7–8 KJV 1900

7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

The fearful didn’t get their promise when they listened to the 10 spies instead of to Joshua and Caleb, and The book of Revelation tells us that the fearful won’t get their promise in the end either. IN Fact, of all the sinners listed the first ones in line for the lake of fire were the fearful. Fear isn’t just a Wonder Blocker, no it’s much more serious than that.

Don’t let fear keep you from seeing the Wonders of God.

Doubt

The second Wonder Blocker I want to cover is Doubt.

Doubt and Fear often go hand in hand. Fear ultimately leads to doubt, but you can also have doubt without fear. In the scripture I just read from the book of Revelation the lake of fire, the unbelivers were marching in line right behind the fearful.

Let’s look at a clear example of of when doubt was a wonder blocker. Go with me if you will to the book of Matthew.

Matthew 9:18–19 ESV

18 While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples.

This story is then interrupted by the woman with the issue of blood, and then continues down in verse 23

Matthew 9:23–26 ESV

23 And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went through all that district.

Now when you study this out you’ll find out like I did that there is more to this story than first meets the eye. First of all let me explain what these flute players were. they were paid pipers that came to mourn the loss of a loved one. They were professional grievers which was a common custom of the time.

The ones that were making the loud noises were a part of the show and they basically gave loud lamentations for the dead girl in return for money.

The fact that they were there means this girl was either dead for quite some time, or the professional grievers were standing by like vultures waiting to make some money because she was very ill. Either way, they had all long given up on this girl. All of them except her father.

Jarius left while she was sick and went to find Jesus. They were interrupted by the woman with the issue of blood, and this no doubt added time to their journey. Time that Jarius’ daughter did not have. However, Jarius didn’t give up. He was not one of the ones that Jesus kicked out of the room. It was the professional mourners that were kicked out. When Jesus said she wasn’t dead, they all laughed him to scourn.

It wasn’t their lack of faith. No, they had faith, but their faith was in the fact that she was dead.

They knew without a shadow of a doubt she was dead.

This faith in the wrong direction is called doubt. Doubt is faith in a negative outcome.

They had no room in their minds for the wonders of God.

They had no idea who Jesus was, and therefore didn’t realize that God in the flesh was about to do something they could never had imagined… but they did not get to see it the wonders of God.

No, they were sent outside. In fact, they were driven out.

the original greek is better translated as driven out, not just “put out”.

Why? Because doubt is a Wonder Blocker, and Jesus was about to show them the Wonders of God.

We live in a PC world now so I don’t think we will ever drive people out because of their doubt, at least not anytime soon, but let’s imagine for a second that we could go back to a simpler time when you could just speak the truth without beating around the bush.

Let’s say hypothetically there were some people in the church that didn’t believe there was a miracle working God in our presence.

Let’s just pretend that there were a couple of people that felt like giving up on their promise. Or decided that the prayer they really needed to be answered was already dead.

In this hypothetical situation, I wonder what would happen if God came in here to do a miracle but he saw too many doubters on the pews. Remember this is just hypothetical,

I know everyone here has faith that we serve a God that can move mountains.

We serve a God that is a miracle worker,

a way maker,

a promise keeper,

He’s got all the power,

he can meet any need in this place.

I just wonder if sometimes he comes to do that, but we just have one person too many that forgot to check their doubt at the door.

Since we live in a PC world, no one is going to getup and drive you out of the room, so that leaves us just one other option if we want to see the wonders of God, if we can’t get rid of the person, how about we just get rid of the doubt?

We should come into the house of God every Sunday with an expectation that anything can happen. I mean anything can happen.

If you come here just because you like the social aspect of church, and there’s nothing wrong with that, I love the social aspect too, but the worship service has to be more than just a social gathering.

There are people depending on each of us creating an atmosphere where miracles can happen,

where needs can be met,

where addictions can be broken.

Where we can see the WONDERS Of God

We cannot afford to miss any opportunity to see the Wonders of God.

I’m almost done.

Consecration

Finally, I want to cover one more Wonder Blocker that will absolutely kill any chance we have of seeing the wonders of God. We can find it way back in our text. Let me read verse 5 again.

Joshua 3:5 ESV

5 Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”

The key word here is Consecrate. which can be defined as:

to consecrate v. — to render holy or set apart by means of religious rites and no longer for common uses.

I don’t think they would have seen those walls of Jericho fall if they didn’t follow this crucial command from their leader Joshua. They may have been prepared physically for that Jordan crossing, but to see the wonders of God, you’ve got to also be prepared spiritually.

I think sometimes the main reason we don’t see the Wonders of God as often as we would like to is because we haven’t taken enough time in consecration. Meaning, we spend a lot time on ourself and our interests, and little to no time in the presence of God. To be consecrated, you must take time to be with God in prayer and fasting. It is very easy for us to get caught in a rut were the only time we set aside for God is Sunday worship service. If you’re only time in consecration is here on Sunday, then you can’t see the wonders of God. Why?

Look at what Joshua said. Consecrate yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.

Your consecration today is for wonders of tomorrow, and you’ll never see the wonders of tomorrow without setting aside time for God today.

Listen, this is so important to what I’m talking about today. Let me show you a clear example of this in scripture. I’ll prove it to you.

Mark 3:14–15 ESV

14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons.

The exact same account is given in Matthew chapter 10 and it says they were give power over all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

So Jesus GAVE them power in Mark 3 right after he chooses the 12. They had this power from the start.

Let’s look at Mark chapter 6. This is right after Jesus sent out his disciples and told them to go from city to city and that if a city didn’t accept them they were to shake the dust of that city off their feet when they left.

Mark 6:12–13 ESV

12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

I’m coming to a close here.

So in Mark 3 Jesus GAVE them power. In Mark 6 they USED that power.

Moving along to Mark 9 we find our disciples in a pickle. There is a child that is full of devils and they tried to cast them out, but they couldn’t. You know the story…

We know they have the power to do this miracle, and they have used it before, but what is different this time?

Is it because this devil is too strong?

Is it because of doubt or fear?

No. When they ask Jesus why they couldn’t do it, he told them plainly… this kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting… that’s consecration folks.

Do you think the disciples were just sleeping for 10 days leading up to the day of Pentecost.

No, they were were all in one mind and in one accord.

No one had any fear.

No one had any doubt, and they were all praying together, and then suddenly…

Oh how I want to have a “suddenly” moment right now.

I wonder what would happen if we all decided we were going to be like the believers that Jesus called us to be.

He said that signs, miracles and wonders would follow them that believe.

Folks, I’m a believer. I’m a believer. I’m not going to let fear or doubt stop me from seeing the wonders of God…

and I’m going to set aside every weight and sin that doth so easily beset me and I’m going to consecrate myself right now.

Set myself apart for God. a Holy and acceptable living sacrifice.

Is there anyone that would join me? Would you find a place to enter the presence of God for a minute? Could you press through any doubt, and shut out any fear and just put your mind on the way-maker and miracle worker for minute?

Let’s all stand?

I’m not going to focus on the giants

I’m not worried about the walled cities.

I know a God that can bring down giants with one stone

I know a God that can crumble a wall with just the sound of a trumpet.

Come on church, we need to start expecting the wonders of God.

We need to start expecting a miracle will happen.

You know God can come through.

He framed the world with His words, and there is nothing that my God cannot do.

You may not need anything from God, or so you think, but we still need you to be a believer that God can move in this place meet the needs for someone else here that does need a miracle. Reach out and touch the throne for someone else that might be here hurting inside. Someone else that may be here in desperate need of a miracle.

Let’s believe we can and will see the wonders of God!