Crossing Over

Crossing Over: and 4

We are five days into the new year of 2020. It is a time for new beginnings, new resolutions, and new commitments. I am going to start dieting again, exercising more, and trying to be more disciplined overall. This new year is an opportunity for us to pause and take a look at our lives and determine what areas need to be strengthened, what priorities need to be reordered, and what directions in our lives need to be changed. It is an opportunity for us to cross over into new, uncharted territories. To cross over into the unknown and the unexplored as two churches united as one asking God to show us His preferred future.

One critical moment characterizes most human endeavors - the moment of crossing over. When Alexander the Great crossed over Hellespoint to invade Asia, the face of civilization changed forever. When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon in his march to Rome, Roman history moved from republic to empire. When George Washington crossed over the Delaware River, it instilled confidence in the beleaguered revolutionary army that had never tasted victory. When Christopher Columbus crossed over the Atlantic, he discovered a whole New World. When Apollo 11 crossed over to the moon, intergalactic history was made. When the allied invasion forces crossed over onto the Normandy coast on D-Day, the most decisive invasion in history saved western civilization. When the apostle Paul cross over to Macedonia from Asia, the direction of Christianity moved west rather than east.

But sometimes we forget that before the moment of crossing over, there is preparation and anticipation. Just as a sanctuary has an atrium, a symphony has an overture, a speech has an introduction, or a book has a forward, there is a time of preparation for crossing over and then the crossing over happens. Our text this morning is from Joshua chapters 3 and 4. Please stand with me this morning, in honor of God’s Word as I read . The time of crossing over is exactly where the people of God are in this passage. They are crossing over from their many years in the wilderness into Canaan, the land of promise.

Our congregation has gone through a period of preparation and anticipation. This crossing over began at the Black Forest Campus with a vision over a year ago to multiply itself in other areas of El Paso County in order to have more vibrate gospel communities. The crossing over began here at this Palmer Park Campus last year when the church leadership began to meet together and consider next steps. We have now come to the day of crossing over. Now is the time to cross over from 2019 into 2020 with renewed faith, sacrifice, and unity; to crossover into the faith dimension. And what does this crossing over look like?

Please stand with me this morning, in honor of God’s Word as I read Joshua 3:1-5

Joshua

Crossing Over Requires God’s Direction

God led His people in the wilderness for 40 years. So it’s not that as if the people of Israel hadn’t moved around a lot. They had. They crossed over many different lands, climates, and areas to get to the promised land. The verb used to characterize these “crossings” and goings was nasa - translated “set out” or “go forward.” The word occurs 89 times in the book of Numbers during the Israelite’s time in the wilderness, but only 3 times in Joshua. A new verb takes its place - abar meaning to cross over (vs.6) used 21 times in . This verb emphasizes the decisive nature of this moment in the history of the Hebrew people. It describes a peak moment, an event with epic significance. This crossing then of the Jordan River marks a decisive transition for the people - that they were now entering and inheriting new territory.

God has brought them to the Jordan intentionally at the very worst time of the year – when the river was swollen by the spring rains and the melting snows from the Lebanon Mountains. The river was impossible to cross by normal means. To cross now at flood-tide would be unthinkable. So God makes them wait for three more days (vs.2). Why not just move ahead? Why not cross right then? Because as they waited, they realized more and more the human impossibility of what God was asking them to do. It became apparent that they needed God’s direction.

They needed to know God was leading them, that His presence was with them and going before them. For this reason, the priests held up the Ark of the Covenant - a sign to the people of God’s presence and power with them. It was held high for all the people to see and the people were commanded to “keep a distance from it. Don’t go near it, so that you can see the way to go, for you haven’t traveled this way before (vs. 4).” The Hebrews were told to keep their distance, stay a bit back from the Ark of the Covenant, so that they could see where God was leading them, where God was directing them.

I went to college at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO and I often drove the long drive through Kansas in order to get home for the holidays. If you’ve ever driven Kansas on I-70 I think you might have a feel for what eternity might be like. Eternity is driving through the never ending flatlands and fields of Kansas. It seems to take forever. But then right around Limon you begin to see the Rocky Mountains. You see Pikes Peak in all its grander off in the distance. And what happens? You begin to hope again. You soon realize the trip will come to an end. You will be home soon. The mountains in the distance are directing you home. You may have been on I-70 many times, but the Hebrew people had never crossed the Jordan before. They had never seen Jordan at flood stage and the walled cities of the Canaanite fighters.

Verse 4 says, “they haven’t traveled there before.” They had never seen Jordan at flood stage and the walled cities of the Canaanite fighters.

The following letter was found in a baking powder can wired to the handle of an old pump that offered the only hope of drinking water on a very long and seldom-used trail across the Amargosa Desert in Nevada.

The following letter was found in a baking powder can wired to the handle of an old pump that offered the only hope of drinking water on a very long and seldom-used trail across the Amargosa Desert:

"This pump is all right as of June 1932. I put a new sucker washer into it and it ought to last five years. But the washer dries out and the pump has got to be primed. Under the white rock I buried a bottle of water, out of the sun and cork end up. There's enough water in it to prime the pump, but not if you drink some first. Pour about one fourth and let her soak to wet the leather. Then pour in the rest medium fast and pump like crazy. You'll git water. The well has never run dry. Have faith.  When you git watered up, fill the bottle and put it back like you found it for the next feller." - Desert Pete

"P.S. Don't go drinking up the water first. Prime the pump with it and you'll get all you can hold."

If you were a lonely traveler shuffling down that parched desert trail with your canteen bone dry, would you trust this guy, Desert Pete? For all you know he is a lunatic. What if it is a mad hoax? There are no guarantees to what he claims is true. And what would motivate you to prime the pump with the water in the bottle, perhaps the only water available. But you understand the fact that old pumps have to be primed. It's a gamble. A risk. An adventure. What do you do? Church, we have received direction from the Lord to cross over. We are on the brink of our own Jordan. The decisions we make in the next months will determine much about God’s work in this place and in this city for years to come. We need God’s leadership and direction. None of us knows what rests on the other side. Only God knows. But one thing we do know: we cross over certain of God’s direction. God has led us thus far and God will continue to lead us. So let’s cross over knowing God is directing us.

Crossing Over Requires Personal Consecration

Throughout biblical and contemporary history before God intervenes, man has to be consecrated or committed. As Israel crosses over the Jordan, this consecration becomes essential. The Hebrew word Qadssh (Kadesh) means holy, to be set apart. It is important to pause here for a moment to consider that for the Hebrew people everything can be separated into only two possible categories. Something or someone is either Qadash or it is Chalal (kuhlel) which means profane or common. Qadash is spelled Qoof Dalet Sheen. Qoof is the picture of the back of the head and means behind, the last, or the least. Dalet is the picture of a doorway and points to a place where change can take place or a place of decision. Sheen is the picture of teeth and means to consume, to destroy, or to press, and is the one letter God uses to identify Himself. So consecrate means that God Himself wants to see us, the least, move to a new place and a new relationship with Him. He doesn’t want us to remain where we are, but rather to ready ourselves for the crossing over.

📷 📷

Qoof is the picture of the back of the head and means behind, the last, or the least.

📷 📷

Dalet is the picture of a doorway and points to a place where change can take place or a place of decision. 

But how do we do that? The numbers that these letters represent tell us. Qoof is the number 100 and speaks of the Children of Promise. Dalet is the number 4 and stands for creation. Sheen is the number 300 and points to the final blood sacrifice made by the perfect Lamb of God.

📷 📷

Sheen is the picture of teeth and means to consume, to destroy, or to press, and is the one letter God uses to identify Himself. 

So the first mystery in consecrate is that Yahweh Himself wants to see us, the least, move to a new place and a new relationship with Him. But how do we do that? The numbers that these letters represent tell us. Qoof is the number 100 and speaks of the Children of Promise. Dalet is the number 4 and stands for creation. Sheen is the number 300 and points to the final blood sacrifice made by the perfect Lamb of God.

Joshua and the nation of Israel could consecrate or set themselves apart for a time but would have always needed to repeat this process because of sin. This foreshadows the perfect Qadash. It was made for the Children of Promise and planned from the beginning of creation by Elohim through the blood sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Yeshua Ha-Mashiach.  His blood truly takes us through the doorway into life eternal with Him. 

But what can we learn about Chalal? This word also appears in the book of Joshua in Chapter 3 verse 7. 

And the LORD said unto Joshua, this day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. 

The word begin in this verse is the word Chalal and we see Yahweh promising to take Joshua from a place of profaneness to a place of Qadash where he will be set apart in a special way. 

Now, let’s look at the letters in the word Chalal (Kuhlel), Chet (Kaith) Lamed Lamed.  Chet (Kaith) is the picture of a fence and speaks of a private place, or a place of refuge, or to be cut off. Lamed, which appears twice here, is the picture of the shepherd’s staff and means to have authority, the voice of authority, the tongue, or to urge forward. So here we see in the letters of the word Chalal things have been fenced-in or cut off from the voice of the shepherd. If we refuse to consecrate ourselves before the Lord, we will miss hearing His voice. We will be cut off from experiencing all He has prepared for us. We will miss out on the crossing over.

Chet is the picture of a fence and speaks of a private place, or a place of refuge, or to be cut off.

Our congregation now stands at the bank of its own Jordan and is crossing over. Now is the time to consecrate ourselves before the Lord. We must one by one and family by family come to God with this simple request; what kind of sacrifice does God want me to make in anticipation of the Lord doing wonders among us? Each of us cannot prescribe for the others what it will mean to cross over and what personal consecration is. However, like the Hebrew people, we must have people who lead the charge like the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant. And all of us must ready ourselves to cross like the whole Hebrew people did. We have a lot of questions moving forward. God has not revealed all to us all the details we perhaps want to know, but He is with us. In verse 7 God gives this promise to the Hebrew people and he gives this promise to us. He is with us and will let us know what we need to know when we need to know it. That’s where faith comes in. At this moment ready yourselves with personal consecration.

Lamed, which appears twice here, is the picture of the shepherd’s staff and means to have authority, the voice of authority, the tongue, or to urge forward.

So here we see that the mystery in the letters of the word Chalal is that things in this category have been fenced-in or cut off from the voice of authority of the shepherd. 

Crossing Over Requires Divine Intervention

With faith we take that first step of crossing over. Yes, God is with us. Yes, we believe He will bless our consecrated sacrifices. But we do not know much, sometimes very little. We step out asking for God to intervene. Joshua was not directly involved with the miracle of the crossing of the Jordan. He just gave the people and leaders instruction on what to do. It was the leaders and the people that acted. They braved the unfamiliar future with nothing but the promises and resources of God. These former slaves crossed over trusting God to act on their behalf. They believed in divine intervention. And so God parted the waters and as we read in verse 17, “All Israel crossed on dry ground until the entire nation had finishing crossing the Jordan.”

Long ago in a deep mountain valley there lived a tribe. They grew in number until the green grass was grazed away, the game hunted to extinction, and the river of the valley ran dry. A group of young pioneer heroes rose up to say, “We have heard of a wider valley and a deeper valley river over the mountains where no one has gone. Let us go up and cross over.” They made their way to the deeper valley with the wider stream, and it was as they had heard. They returned with their report to the tribal council which was called, the old men who know. The tribal council responded that there could be no such place, and even if it were, the tribe could never make the journey. The young heroes struggled until most of the tribe died. Finally, they made their way over the mountain into the land of the future. There they grew and prospered once again. Finally, the day came when the grass in that new valley had been grazed down and that water ran low. A second generation of young pioneer heroes arose and claimed that beyond the next mountain there was even a larger valley with more grass and larger herds of game. But the strangest thing happened. The original young pioneer heroes had in one generation become the old men who know. They also complained that no one could cross over. No one could risk the journey and the cycle repeated itself.

Our congregation of both campuses was built by those heroes, young and old, who always believed we could cross over into God’s tomorrow. They believed God would intervene and do something miraculous to grow the church, reach the lost, and bless the community. Let no one among us say we cannot do so today. May none of us be the old men who know. Rather, let us be like the Hebrew people who crossed over as a whole nation and see God do amazing things.

Crossing Over Requires a Memorial For Future Generations

As soon as the Hebrew people crossed over, God asked them to do something unusual. As their hearts were all set on the future, God tells them to take the time to remember what He had done. After they crossed over, they stood on the bank of the Jordan. They had finally made it! A new life and a new world beckoned them. A new future was there’s to take ahold of.

But God told Joshua, “Stop! Don’t move on. Now is the time to be sure that you remember - that you never forget what I have done for you.” Joshua did exactly what he was told. He sent 12 men back to the riverbed of the Jordan where they were to bring back 12 stones—stones that at one point were buried, unreachable, covered by a challenge to the faith of God's people, but were now divinely accessible. At Gilgal they stacked these stones in a prominent place for all following generations to see. This monument of stone was placed midway between Jordan and Jericho. This remembrance stood halfway between the mighty acts of God in the past and the mighty acts of God in the future. We join the Hebrew people in looking backward that we may look forward. Last week our two churches celebrated coming together with Communion. Communion is a continual memorial to remind us of the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We thus built a memorial, a remembrance, a benchmark together giving glory to God. This morning I have a few communion cups placed on the table in front of me to remember that special day. If you were not there and would like one, after the service you may come up & grab one.

During Christmas, we dog sat for some friends. We had never watched any one else’s dogs before and it became pretty apparent to the kids that these dogs were not like ours. They ate different food, slept in different places, had different barks, and different manners. Soon the kids asked us why. Why are they doing this? Why are they doing that? Why are they not doing this? Why are they not doing that? Eventually, Candice and I had to just tell them well…it’s because they have different owners and they live in a different home. The dogs therefore do some things differently.

Leaving the edge of the Jordan river, the Israelites went to a place called Gilgal to make their camp. It was “on the eastern border of Jericho (v. 19).” Gilgal means “the reproach has been rolled away.” At Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the river and with that memorial declared it was the dawn of a great new beginning in a different home and a different land. Forty years of spiritual defeat and failure have been rolled away. The promised land is the new land, the new home. The days of sullen refusal to respond to God under Moses were gone, complaining was ended, hopeless wandering in the wilderness was behind them. They were now a people with a powerful new sense of purpose. The memorial was built “so that all the peoples of the earth may know the Lord’s hand is mighty, and so that they may always fear the Lord God.”

The other day I was playing video games with my kids. They got a Nintendo Switch from Grandma so we of course had to have some family time playing this together. After just a few seconds into playing my son then said, why do

other day I was playing video games with my kids. They got a Nintendo Switch from Grandma so we of course had to have some family time playing this together. After just a few seconds into playing my son then said, why do

Verse 24 tells us the memorial was built “so that all the peoples of the earth may know the Lord’s hand is mighty, and so that you may always fear the Lord your God.” It was built as a testimony to God’s greatness so people may worship Him as Lord. It marked the claiming of an inheritance. Our church is crossing over in a very significant way this year, but perhaps there is a crossing over for you personally that is just as important. What do you need to cross over for and receive as your inheritance? It is your salvation? Is it your need for a community of faith - joining our church? Is it your need to cross over to a renewed committed to our Lord? What do you need to cross over for today?

Why does this happen? Questions from kids.

Their purposes is found in verse 24 tells us the memorial was built “so that all the peoples of the earth may know the Lord’s hand is mighty, and so that you may always fear the Lord your God.” It was built as a testimony to God’s greatness so people may worship Him as Lord. It marked the claiming of an inheritance. Our church is crossing over in a very significant way this year, but perhaps there is a crossing over for you personally that is just as important. What do you need to cross over for and receive as your inheritance? It is your salvation? Is it your need for a community of faith - joining our church? Is it your need to cross over to a renewed committed to our Lord? What do you need to cross over for today?

Conclusion / Invitation

Likewise for the believer today we should be able to look back and see those monumental occasions which standout as times in which God has changed our directions and give us new hope and a new sense of purpose. A time when we by an act of bold faith decide to abandon ourselves to God and step out into the unknown to take new territory for Him.

Conclusion / Invitation

Leaving the edge of the river, the Israelites went to a place called Gilgal to make their camp. Gilgal was “on the eastern border of Jericho (v. 19). Gilgal means “the reproach has been rolled away.” Forty years of spiritual defeat and failure have been rolled away. It was the dawn of a great new beginning in a new land. The days of sullen refusal to respond to God under Moses were gone, complaining was ended, hopeless wandering in the wilderness was behind them. They were now a people with a powerful new sense of purpose, determined to take new territory with God. Likewise for the believer today we should be able to look back and see those monumental occasions which standout as times in which God has changed our directions and give us new hope and a new sense of purpose. A time when we by an act of bold faith decide to abandon ourselves to God and step out into the unknown to take new territory for Him.

Crossover is a music industry term. It refers to music groups that "cross over" from one music category to another. When Jars of Clay, for example, scored a major hit with their song "Flood," they crossed over from the contemporary Christian music charts to the pop music charts. Sixpence did the same thing a couple of years later with their song, "Kiss Me.” Switchfoot did as well with their song, “Mean to Live.”

When a contemporary Christian music act crosses over, the pop charts are like "uncharted" territory. The experience presents all sorts of challenges, not the least of which is contending for the faith within a more hostile environment. Our church is crossing over in a very signficant way this year. As the Hebrew people crossed the Jordan in faith to experience all God had for them and to claim new territory, so this year we are crossing over to continue to make an impact in our city with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This crossing over is monumental for us corporetely, but whatabout you individually?

What do you need to cross over for? What do you need to receive as your inheritance in 2020? It is your salvation? Is it your need for a community of faith - joining our church? Is it your need to cross over to a renewed committed to our Lord? What do you need to cross over for today? As we sing this next song, we will have a time of invitation and commitment. It is a time for you to come forward and talk to the Lord about your next steps. I’ll be here in the front to shepherd and guide you however the Lord may lead. Let’s stand and sing.

Crossing over. Jars of Clay did it. So did Sixpence None the Richer, Pillar, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, and one of my personal favorites… Switchfoot.

When a contemporary Christian music act crosses over, the pop charts are like "uncharted" territory. The experience presents all sorts of challenges, not the least of which is contending for the faith within a more hostile environment.

Conclusion:

"This pump is all right as of June 1932. I put a new sucker washer into it and it ought to last five years. But the washer dries out and the pump has got to be primed. Under the white rock I buried a bottle of water, out of the sun and cork end up. There's enough water in it to prime the pump, but not if you drink some first. Pour about one fourth and let her soak to wet the leather. Then pour in the rest medium fast and pump like crazy. You'll git water. The well has never run dry. Have faith.  When you git watered up, fill the bottle and put it back like you found it for the next feller." - Desert Pete

"P.S. Don't go drinking up the water first. Prime the pump with it and you'll get all you can hold."

If you were a lonely traveler shuffling down that parched desert trail with your canteen bone dry, would you trust this guy, Desert Pete? For all you know he is a lunatic. What if it a mad hoax? There are no guarantees to what he claims is true. And what would motivate you to prime the pump with the water in the bottle, perhaps the only water available. But you understand the fact that old pumps have to be primed. It's a gamble. A risk. An adventure. What do you do?

This story illustrates an important principle: The principle of before. The lonely traveler had to prime the pump before all the water flowed.Th