The Cross Over

Crossing Into Promise: Taking Possession of God’s Promises

Bible Passage: Joshua 1:10-15

Introduction

My Saint Thomas Baptist family and friends, there comes a moment in all of our lives when we stand at the edge of promise. A moment where yesterday’s wilderness meets tomorrow’s destiny. A moment where the familiar comfort of the past is challenged by the uncharted territory of the future.

My brothers and my sisters, how do you prepare for something big? I want you to think about it when you start a new job, you don’t just show up on day one without training. When a couple gets married, they spend months planning every detail. When you move into a new house, there are boxes, cleaning, checklists. Big moments demand intentional preparation.

That’s exactly where Joshua and the children of Israel found themselves in Joshua 1. Moses, their great leader, was gone. Forty years of wandering had ended. They were on the edge of their greatest transition yet the Promised Land.  And now, the Jordan River stood between them and the Promise of God. But God had already declared: “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you” (Joshua 1:3).

After years of wandering, they finally had the opportunity to step into everything God had promised. But before they could cross the Jordan, Joshua gave them instructions: Get Ready! Prepare your provisions. Encourage one another. Stay united. And be ready to fight until every tribe experience God’s rest.

But notice something, church: even though the land was promised, it still had to be possessed. That’s where many of us get stuck. We shout about the promise, but we never step into possession. We claim it, but we don’t prepare for it. We want it, but we don’t walk into it.

So, with the help of the Holy Spirit and the real preacher Jesus Christ. I would like to leave us with a few things in this text teaches us that to get ready, stay ready, and to cross into our promise, there are some things we must do. And the first thing is this.

Prepare with Purpose (Joshua 1:10–11)

Joshua’s very first command as leader wasn’t about military strategy, battle plans, or political speeches. His first words were simple but profound: “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get your provisions ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.’”

Think about that: before Israel could step into the promise, they had to prepare. The land was already given by God, but the people still needed to get ready to receive it. This is the difference between passive faith and active faith. Passive faith says, “I’ll just wait and see what God does.” Active faith says, “Because God has spoken, I’ll get ready.”

Imagine an athlete preparing for a marathon. They don’t just wake up on race day and hope to finish. They prepare their body with training, their diet with discipline, and their mind with focus. In the same way, spiritual preparation is the evidence of our faith.

So how do we prepare with purpose today?

Prepare your heart through prayer. Prayer aligns us with God’s will and clears distractions.

Prepare your mind with the Word. Scripture equips us with promises and truth when challenges come. (1 Peter 1:13) “So prepare your minds for action and self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.”

Prepare your hands through service. Serving others develops obedience and strengthens the body of Christ. (Luke 12:35) “Be dressed and ready for active service and keep your lamps continuously burning.”

Jesus wasn’t calling for passive waiting—He was calling for active readiness.

And here’s the key: preparation is an act of trust. When Joshua told the people to pack up food, they didn’t know what the battles would look like, or how high the Jordan River would be. But getting ready was their way of saying, “We believe God will do what He said.

The promise was sure, but the people still had to prepare. Preparation was faith in action. God’s promises don’t cancel out preparation—they demand it!

My brothers and sisters, before you cross into your promise, you’ve got to pack some things up and lay some things down. You can’t carry wilderness baggage into the land of promise. Preparation through prayer, fasting, studying God’s Word, and surrendering to His will positions you for possession.

Friend, what provision is God asking you to prepare today? Maybe it’s time to prepare your heart for a deeper season of prayer. Maybe it’s preparing your mind with discipline in the Word. Maybe it’s preparing your family to serve together. Whatever it looks like, don’t wait until the Jordan River parts—prepare now, because God’s promises are certain. And Readiness is a sign of faith.

Pledge to Unity (Joshua 1:12–13)

Before Israel could march into the Promised Land, Joshua turned to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. These tribes had already settled on the east side of the Jordan, where the land was fertile and good for their flocks. They had their homes, their security, and their inheritance. But Joshua reminded them of their promise: “Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you… you are to help your brothers until the Lord gives them rest.”

In other words, “Don’t stop at your blessing. Don’t settle for your comfort. Stay united and fight alongside your brothers until everyone enters into God’s promise.”

Unity was not optional—it was essential. God’s people could not possess the land divided.

Supporting Scripture: Psalm 133:1 — “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”

Supporting Scripture: John 17:21 — Jesus prayed, “That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me.”

That’s the beauty of biblical unity. It’s not just about me getting mine—it’s about us receiving what God has for all of us together. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and God’s people are only as healthy as their unity.

Think of a relay race. The fastest sprinters in the world can still lose if they drop the baton. Victory doesn’t just depend on speed but on smooth handoffs, trust, and teamwork. In the same way, the church can only move forward when we carry one another, pray for one another, and encourage one another.

The New Testament echoes this truth. Paul writes, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). And Jesus Himself prayed in John 17 that His followers would be one, just as He and the Father are one. Unity is not a side issue—it is central to living in God’s promises.

So how do we pledge to unity today?

Choose encouragement over criticism. Words can build up or tear down—make yours a source of strength.

Stand with others in their battles. Even if you’re not personally struggling, someone else needs your faith and support.

Celebrate the victories of others. When your brother or sister receives breakthrough, rejoice as if it were your own.

Unity is costly—it asks us to look beyond ourselves and commit to the good of the whole body. But unity is also powerful—it moves God’s people forward into promises that could never be claimed alone.

My brothers and sisters let’s be people who not only seek God’s blessings for ourselves but pledge to walk with one another until everyone experiences His rest.

If we want to cross into promise, we must move together in unity. Division delays destiny. But unity unlocks the inheritance.

Persevere for Promise (Joshua 1:14–15)

Joshua looked the people in the eye and reminded them: the land would not be possessed without a fight. The warriors of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh would need to cross over, engage in battle, and persevere until the Lord gave rest to all their brothers. Only then could they return to enjoy their own homes.

This is such an important truth: God’s promises are sure, but they are not automatic. They require perseverance. Too many of us want the victory without the struggle, the crown without the cross. But over and over, Scripture teaches that blessing comes on the other side of endurance.

The promise required perseverance.

Supporting Scripture: Galatians 6:9 — “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Supporting Scripture: Hebrews 10:36 — “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.”

Think about a sculptor working on marble. For days, it looks like nothing but hammer strikes and rough edges. But the masterpiece only emerges after relentless chipping away. If the sculptor stopped halfway, we would never see the beauty within the stone. In the same way, the beauty of God’s promise is revealed to those who keep going, even when it’s hard.

Joshua wanted his people to know: “Don’t stop until every tribe rests.” For us, that means don’t stop praying, don’t stop serving, don’t stop believing until the work is complete. The fight of faith is not over until the promise is fulfilled.

The New Testament affirms this. (James 1:12) “Blessed [happy, spiritually prosperous, favored by God] is the man who is steadfast under trial and perseveres when tempted; for when he has passed the test and been approved, he will receive the [victor’s] crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. And Hebrews reminds us, “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9). In Christ Jesus, that ultimate rest is guaranteed—but perseverance is how we get there.

So how do we persevere?

Keep your eyes on the promise, not the problem. The giants in the land may be big, but God’s Word is bigger.

Draw strength from God’s presence. Israel fought knowing the Lord went with them. We fight knowing Jesus is in us.

Encourage yourself and others. Perseverance is contagious—when one keeps pressing, others are inspired to do the same.

Christian life is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. And the finish line is glorious—eternal rest in Jesus Christ, the true Joshua, who has secured the victory for us. Until then, let’s fight faithfully, persevere through trials, and hold tightly to the One who never breaks His promises.

And here’s the good news—Christ is our Joshua. Just as Joshua led Israel into rest, Jesus promises in Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation].” Through perseverance in Christ, rest is guaranteed.

Christ Connection

This story points us to Christ. Joshua’s name in Hebrew is the same as Jesus—Yehoshua, meaning “the Lord saves.” Joshua led God’s people into the Promised Land of Canaan, but Jesus leads us into the ultimate Promised Land—eternal life with God.

Where Joshua said, “Prepare yourselves, for in three days you shall cross over,” Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). His resurrection is our crossing over into salvation and victory.

Conclusion

My brothers and my sisters, God’s promises are yes and amen! But if you’re going to take hold of them, you’ve got to do three things:

Prepare with purpose — get your heart, your mind, and your spirit ready for what God has in store.

Pledge to unity — link up with your brothers and sisters because we’re stronger together.

Persevere for promise — keep on marching, keep on fighting, keep on trusting, because the God who promised is faithful!

And I don’t know about you, but I believe that eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, neither has it entered the heart of man what God has prepared for His children (1 Cor. 2:9)!

So, step up! Step out! Step over! The Jordan won’t stop you. The giants can’t block you. The walls won’t hold you. Because if God said it, you can stand on it. If God promised it, you can possess it. If God declared it, you can depend on it.

Tell your neighbor— “I’m crossing into promise! I’m walking into destiny! I’m taking possession of what God already gave me!” Hallelujah! Glory to His name!