Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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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?”
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
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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