Look and see what God will do!

What barriers do you experience in Spiritual journey? Are there things that get in the way of us seeing God’s plans and purposes played out in our lives?

Walking Mourn mountains - Stream that turned out to be a river

What things get in the way of your walk with Jesus.

For some might think of fears and anxieties that get in way of us stepping out in faith - COVID perhaps has exposed a fearful side.

Or fear around sharing our faith

For some might be around things that get in way of us growing - perhaps sin, perhaps business, perhaps distraction. Want to experience more of God, but right now just seems too difficult.

For some might be bigger. Think about God’s promises for eternity. Look forward to heaven, but wonder if we will ever get there, when daily find faith on the rocks.

Wilderness in Christian walk - will I ever make it.

All kinds of things that seem like barriers to experiencing God’s good plans for us.

Press on in God’s power.

Reading: Today to help us see heart of passage, Joshua wants us to see the details. So again let yourself be immersed in Story. But see if you can pick out perhaps surprising details sort of thing where we go “Why do I need to know that?”

Joshua 3:1–17 NIV

Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between you and the ark; do not go near it.” Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them. And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’ ” Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.” So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

Get people to shout out details?

Here are God’s people ready for action. On edge of promised land. But before the can even begin there is this mighty river in their way. Sometime feel like that - want to press on into purposes God laid out for us, but so much stuff in the way. fears, feelings, failures, circumstances, sin,

How do we press on?

Walk in wonder

First details in 3-4

Joshua 3:3–4 NIV

giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between you and the ark; do not go near it.”

Ark of covenenat to be carried by priests. Ark is mentioned 9 times in 3, 17 in 3 and 4. contained 10 commandmnets. Exodus, Represented God’s presence with his people. What we saw few weeks ago - How can Joshua and people find courage for journey ahead. God is with them. But more than that, he is going before them.

Priests must have been slightly dubious Joshus was playing a prank. Just go and stand in the river. It’s dry up honestly!

No - why does Joshua repeatedly say about the preists carrying the ark, - because it is God who is with who goes before them to make a clear path. Joshus wants us to be clear that God is with his people.

But more than that. detail -distance. (just over 1/2 mile (914m) v 4.

Sometimes idea of distance used to acknowledge utter Holiness of God, but here different purpose.

English Standard Version Chapter 3

“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.”

Why are they to keep a distance? 2 reasons. First they’ll know which way to go, but more than that.

Joshua 3:9–10 NIV

Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites.

God’s people have long journey ahead of them, with many enemies. How will they know that God will give them victory - only if they trust in his presnece and power - where they will have courage. So God in his grace is about to give reassure them of his power. Reason for the distance.

Becuase God wants them to have the best view for what he is about to do. Another repeated mention is the LORD, twice. LORD will do amazing things amoung you. It’s his show, and he wants them to have the best seats to see it. That they might see his power.

Box office seats at stadium. Not right at pitchside - for the players. No up in the stand - to best appreciate the spectical. Why the distance - People are not the players, but spectators of God’s mighty hand. He doesn’t want them to miss what he is about to do.

Another detail v15

River Jordan flood plain would stretch up to a mile wide, with river channel going as deep as 12 feet, with a strong current because of drop in elevation.

Probably a mile wide and covering mass of tangled bushes and shrubs

Not some stream but a raging deadly torrent

Why is God doing it in the flood - so that his people will see his power.

Don’t know if you picked up on how familiar this story sounds. Two other occassions when God has parted the water. At creation he parted the water to created land. At Exodus he parted the sea to create a way of rescue, and now in he parts the water to bring his people into promised land.

Repeating use of water in OT is symbol for idea of chaos and death. Creation God brings about life, at Exodus God rescues his peopel while delivering judgement . Here, cusp of God fulfilling his promises, lies this ragin deadly torrent. And God wants his people to know of his utter power - and wonder at it, and walk in it, so that they will know they can trust him for all he has promised looking forward.

What do they see but God standing in the torrent of death and making a path to life. That they might walk after him in safety and cross over to the otherside.

And that is what God wants us to see as we look at the Cross and at the empty tomb. We are to wonder at Jesus presence with his people - entering in to this world.

We are to wonder at Jesus who goes ahead of us and makes a way through the torrent of death and judgement by taking our sin at the Cross

We are to wonder at the his ressurection power - that he stand and holds back the torrent.

We are to wonder at his ever present Spirit who goes ahead of us and stands in the water, holding back all the things that get in the way of us and God’s promises.

And we are to talk, constantly amazed by his mighty acts.

Sometimes I think we are so desperate for things to change, that we rush to action as if it rests on us.

example - sinful habit

example - experience more of God - find some emotional music

example - more effective in evangelism - course.

example - committed in reading bible.

Nothing wrong - but start in the wrong place. Self reliance. Where do the barriers start to break down that we might experience God’s purposes and live out his promises. Slow down and look and see what God has done. Marvel at his power. It’s then that we will also look and see what God will do - and walk in expectation

Walk in expectation

Another detail - I wonder if you picked up on the oddness of this.

Joshua 3:5 NIV

Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

God is about to show his power. People are simply to be witnesses, and yet they are told to consecrate themselves - get ready. Involved ceremonial washing and certain sacifices. If it’s going to all be God’s hand - why do they need to get ready?

Isn’t that like saying “Tiger Woods is playing - go and get your golf gear on?

They are to be prepared so they don’t miss out on what God is about to do. All preparations what are they about - getting hearts ready to worship God, so that they will appreciate the magnitude of his awesomeness, and respond in faith fuelled oebedience.

Self reliance will leace us dissappointed in God. Because even when he does in his grace to amazing things, we put it down to something in ourselves or in our circumstances. And when we don’t see it, we stop looking for it. How many of us have given up on hope that God might do the miraculous at times?

What do we need to do - Prepare our hearts to come before God.

As we open our bibles is it just mundane routine, not really expecting anything, or are we praying expectantly that God will light a fire in us as he shows us afresh his power and presence and promises and provision. As we remember his mighty acts in death and ressurection of Jesus.

As we think about church do come with a busy mind - only thinking of all the things we need to do

or critical Spirit, waiting to pick up on all the things we disagree with,

Or do we come expecting to meet together with our God and that his Spirit will speak to us and empower us for the week to live for him.

illustration - prayer time before 9:30am service. Crucial. Preparing our hearts. (week of unprepared and busy morning - prayed for Spirit to work.

As we think about our Christian faith, have we given up, bogged down by our sin or trapped by our trials, or frustrated by our fears. Maybe thought, when i get through this then I can begin to focus on Jesus more. Perpetual Spiritual survival mode.

Here is what struck me in the detail about the flood season. God’s people didn’t say lets wait until waters die down. Why did God want them to cross in the flood? Because its as they walk expectantly in the face of a torrent not a stream that they will see God do amazing things.

What ever season you are in - whatever torrent lies before you, whatever barrier stands in the way of God’s promises and purposes being worked out in your life, where it be in your Godliness, or your boldness, or your service - NOW IS THE TIME TO GET MOVING. TO PRESS ON. Not in your strength but in the power of God.

What are the things stopping you living wholeheartedly for Jesus?

Press on in the power of God.

Walk in wonder - cling to Christ, be constantly aware that he is with you and goies before you, as you look at the ressurected Jesus for your confidence.

Walk in expectation - that God will do amazing things as you trust him in the face of raging rivers of life - to part the waters and make a path for you. Because he has done it before.