Ready. . . Set . . . Go!

Joshua 3:1–6 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.

Review

Introduction to Joshua in . God defeats Amalek

Exodus 17:14–15 ESV

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner,

The Lord our Banner- Joshua has been in training for a very long time. Each time we see him learning to trust and obey God, no matter what the circumstances because God doesn’t just make great promises, He is a Great Promise Keeper.

The Lord our Banner- Joshua has been in training for a very long time. Each time we see him learning to trust and obey God, no matter what the circumstances because God doesn’t just make great promises, He is a Great Promise Keeper.

The book of Joshua is a message about God the Father and His . . .

Limitless Power

Eternal Presence

Unfailing Promises

Joshua, You’re Up!

It is helpful for us to remember and understand the process of God preparing Joshua to become the leader. God repeatedly showed His power, presence and promise in front of Joshua, and Moses was instrumental in making sure Joshua was paying attention. That was because Joshua would become the next leader. That process is something we should be practicing in our lives as well. We should be aware of our role as trainee and trainer through the various relationships that we have.

Often the trainee is instrumental in training the trainer in a number of ways. That kind of process and those kind of relationships should be developed and perfected in our lives now and always.

God won’t send us to do something that He isn’t going to equip us to do.

What are we told /commissioned specifically to do, in the New Testament? Go Preach, Teach and Baptize.

Joshua was told to arise, go, be strong and courageous, be careful to keep all the law.

The way to be a Winner

Be strong and courageous

Meditate on the Law

being careful to do all that is written in it. (two times a day). . . . Day and Night! We need to have the Word of God on our minds and obey it. Bind ourselves to the Word of God and don’t part from it. Being moldable and pliable to the will of God.

Christ-like community= Content, Caring, Committed!

Crisis of Faith for a Canaanite Woman

The wonders of God’s work cause us to make a choice . . . to believe or not believe in Him.

Ready. . . Set . . . Go!

Ready. . .

God has Joshua tell the Israelites to prepare to go into the Promised land.

Joshua 1:10–11 ESV

10 And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, 11 “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’ ”

Ready yourselves/Prepare your provisions

Get to work. We don’t know exactly what their preparations would have looked like. It probably included getting some food prepared, filling water jugs, getting their belongings packed up because they were going to move across the Jordan river in the next few days.

We can learn from this example. At the very least we can see the importance of planning ahead and the need to work to have basic supplies and provisions.

They are given a couple of days to prepare. They are ready. . . The next step is to get set.

Set. . .

Joshua 3:5 ESV

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

Joshua 3:

This work of Consecrating themselves is something that is not uncommon in the pages of Scripture.

Consecrate= To remove from common use. Dedicated, set apart, sacred are other words to describe what it means to consecrate something.

There are a number of examples of people, places or things being “consecrated” to the Lord. Some examples are:

The Tent of Meeting

Israelites

Aaron/Priests

Clothing

David, Samuel, Solomon

Sabbath Day

This is the primary point I want to focus on this morning. It is a reoccurring theme that runs throughout God’s Word and it is good for us to identify this kind of practice in our lives and to reflect on it for a few minutes.

Set. . . For a specific purpose

Set. . . Aside from contaminants

Set. . . For a specific purpose

To signify something special that God is going to do.

Joshua 3:5 ESV

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

Joshua 3:

Set. . . On a specific course

A course of uncommon use

Isaiah 58:12–14 ESV

12 And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. 13 “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; 14 then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Isaiah 58:12–13 ESV

12 And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. 13 “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;

Set = Devoted to go God’s Way, not your way!

Set = Devoted to see the work of God, which He is going to do in your midst.

Take My Life and Let It Be is a hymn that talks about the act of consecrating one’s life to the work of God.

Set = Devoted to God’s use, doing His will, no matter what we are called to, no matter what we are doing.

Examples: Bus Driver, Truck Driver, Teacher, Mechanic, Accountant, Lawyer, Doctor, Office person or Farmer. Mother, father, son, daughter, brother sister, aunt, uncle, cousin.

Are you SET?

Is your course set for uncommon use?

Are you part of those who are devoted to the path God has planned for you?

Will you see the work He is going to do?

Go!

Joshua instructed the Israelites to watch for the priests to pass by with the Ark of the Covenant (the representative presence of God). They were to follow from a distance, so they could see where they needed to go. They had not been this way before. God was doing something new and miraculous, as He led them across the Jordan and into the Promised Land.

The story is told in an article released by the Associated Press, of a man named Alvin Straight. He was 73 years old and lived in Laurens, Iowa. His brother, age 80, lived several hundred miles away and had suffered a stroke, and Alvin wanted to see him. Alvin had a transportation problem. He didn’t have a driver’s license because of his poor eyesight and he had an aversion for taking a plane, train or bus. But he was committed to get there. He was devoted to the idea of seeing his brother. So he climbed onto his John Deere lawn tractor and drove it all the way to Blue River, WI. DEVOTION FINDS A WAY!

If we are devoted to God, and have consecrated our lives to His purpose and will, we will be able to do His will. It may not be easy, but the important things is that we devote ourselves. God will help us and work among us to keep us pure and to accomplish the work that needs to be done for His honor and glory.

The particulars of the role you play doesn’t matter. The specific job title or position you possess is unimportant as it relates to being devoted to God. Your age, gender, ethnicity or income level does not make a difference in your ability or inability to devote yourself to God or to be used by Him. Are you Ready? Are you set? If so, Let’s go! If not, would you prayerfully consider getting ready and getting set! Devote your life, every second of every day, purified and set apart to watch God work. He is in the business of doing amazing and miraculous things. Are you set to watch? Are you attentive to the work He is doing in your midst?

Is Calvary Baptist Church ready and set to go?

WE may not be a nation of people, sitting in the wilderness waiting to cross over a river to claim a land that has been promised to us. But we are part of a family, a body, a bride, who has been called and set apart by God, not because of our worth or ability but simply because of His grace and love. The question I am believe God is specifically asking for us to answer today is are we SET? Are we devoted to a life of holiness?

Take some time in silence to reflect on our lives and consider what needs to be cleaned up.

Take some time in silence to determine, no matter what role you are playing in our community and in this fellowship, if you are willing to devote your life to the Lord, in preparation of the work that He is going to do in our presence.

Are you willing to say to our Heavenly Father, take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord to thee?