Joshua At jericho pt 2

Joshua At Jericho P2 Joshua 3:1-

A River To Cross And Mountains To Climb - There can be no victory without battle, no battle without opposition, no opposition without an enemy,

Watch the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God –

1. The Ark represented God’s presence among the people. They were to watch it to know which way to go So they could see which way to go

a. Because they had not passed this way before

i. We are on a journey and have never been this way before it is so important to have the mind and will of God in all that we do.

2. I’m Glad God sends his presence before us to guide us and direct us. Its up to us to watch Him and move when He moves.

3. Leaving a space between the ark and them showed their reverence and fear of God. We truly are losing our fear and respect for God today. The fear of God the writer of Proverbs tells us is the beginning of wisdom.

Sanctify Yourselves 3:5 – I could spend the rest of the lesson on just these two words. What was God trying to tell the children of Israel? Take a look at these words

1. Sanctify – “to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate to be set apart to keep oneself apart or separate[i]”

2. Yourself – Take care of your sanctification, look at your heart, not your neighbors.

While the idea of sanctification is not explicitly taught in the Old Testament because of the Law it was expressly shown in types and shadows and this is one of the most prominent. Let’s explain;

1) Salvation is simply this – God for Christ’s sake forgiving your sins delivering you from committed sins. Letting you know that it is done by the work of the Holy Spirit in what we call the Witness of the Spirit. That is a wonderful work of Grace and of God. However that is not the end of the Christian journey but rather just the beginning.

2) Sanctification – A second separate cleansing work of the Holy Spirit by the blood of Jesus to cleanse not committed sins but the sin nature that resides in the heart. Purifying your heart making your motives pure, your thoughts pure, your heart pure, not by anything we have done but because of the work of grace and of God.

a) However salvation is always preceded by repentance a turning away and Godly sorrow for the sins that you have done and a looking to Jesus in faith believing him for atonement.

b) Sanctification is preceded by what we call “dying out” or consecration or whatever term you want to apply there it is doing what we can by God’s help to separate ourselves wholly unto God, to present ourselves body and soul to God as a living sacrifice.

c) Notice these are again preparations for victory,

i) The walk of faith is met constantly with battles onslaughts to our faith, to our integrity, thru temptations and suggestions by Satan. But victory is ours if we take the steps necessary to pursue it.

ii) God has already given them this land, it is up to them to go in and possess it. So is the case with us.

iii) I like how 3:5 says it “…sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”

Take up the Ark and Walk in Faith

Flood stage verses faith – You know tests to our faith are going to come, but are we going to take God at His word or give into the flesh. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thy own understanding.

i. I grew up next to the Mississippi River which floods usually at least once a year, it is not always as bad as 93 or 2008 or other times but still it gets to flood stage nearly every year. In the 93 flood when my Aunt and Uncle lived in town a block from the main four way and rail road crossing we went to see the water. We didn’t have to walk very far it was creeping up the other side of the track and within hours would reach their home. Now this is a couple miles from the actual banks of the river. I can’t imagine someone saying to me, okay we need to get to Illinois God’s going to help us when you get up to the water just keep on walking.

ii. Yet that is what they were told to do, to walk even when the water was at flood stage, when there seemed to be no way they were to keep Going. Remember they weren’t going alone they were watching and following the Ark, the Presence of God. That is our key, keep your eyes on Him, your ears tuned, your heart sensitive to his impressions, let Him go before you, mountains will move, waters will roll back, walls will fall, enemies will flee, you have nothing to fear, not because you are something, but BECAUSE GOD IS IN THE LEAD!!!

Building Memorials Passing Torches 4:1-

I like the phrase clean passed over – that means, Complete, finished, completely crossed over. That meant they weren’t dragging one foot behind, someone wasn’t trying to live on both sides. If we are going for God we are going to have to go all out for God till we are clean passed over the river no bridges behind us to go back across we’re done going all the way. This memorial took in every tribe Stones were taken from where the Priests had stood firm in the middle of the dry river bed What mean ye by these stones – I tell you I’m afraid that we are endanger of taking away these stones from our children. Lets take them there often and say, This is why we seem to be different, this is why we do what we do, it’s not because Pastor Gordon says so, or Bro Newport thinks it should be done this way, or some Eclisiastical Body has determined that it’s the way to go, but because we’ve been there, we crossed the river, we heard God speak, we seen him work miracles, we seen him part waters, That’s why we keep going that’s why these things are important to us.

No More Manna –

[i] http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H6942&t=KJV