Are You A Crossing Over Christian?

Are You A Crossing Over Christian?

Text: Joshua 3

Introduction

Every individual life, every family and every church body has it’s crossing over times. These can be called, ‘times of transition.’ What often happens to us all, is that our heart become overwhelmed with verse 4. However, those words are not to bring fear, but rather anticipation for the great work God is going to perform.

Isreal had spent forty years wandering around in the wilderness. Even though some have described it as unpleasant and possibly any other place on earth would be better than the Sinai Peninsula, they had undoubtedly grown accustomed to that way of life.

The human inclination is to get used to one’s natural and familiar habitat. Change doesn’t come easy to anyone. There’s always the resistance factor. Jr. Huffman John A. and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Joshua, vol. 6, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1986), 65.

So, are you a crossing over Christian or someone who has grown accustomed to living short of God’s will for your life?

1) They were on a journey

A. Notice verse 1

“they removed”

This means they were “to set out” = to leave, as on a trip or journey.

nasa = set out, move on, leave, travel on, i.e., make linear movement toward a destination, usually in stages, as an extension of pulling up tent stakes. James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

The command from God “through Joshua” was to pull up their own tent stakes.

Negative Illustration: There were no second and third homes for the off season of life. Life is never off, it is always moving.

B. The Exodus was the DEPARTURE and crossing the Jordan was the ARRIVAL.

The Hebrew word “abar” means to “pass over”

Used 21 times from 3:1-5:1.

This word carries with it the decisive nature of this moment in their history.

Not used when crossing the Red Sea.

The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 6: Joshua Those Crossover Times

E. John Hamlin in his book Inheriting the Land:

The reason for this is that the verb ˓ā̄bar implies crossing over a boundary, whether physical like a river valley (Deut. 2:13–14), political like a nation’s border (Deut. 2:18) or moral, as to enter a covenant (Deut. 29:12) or transgress a commandment (Deut. 26:13; Joshua 7:11, 15).

While walking through the waters of the Red Sea was both an escape and a liberation, crossing over Jordan meant entering a new kind of life in the Promised Land. The physical boundary formed by the deep rift of the Jordan Valley and River had to be crossed. More than that, the crossing marked a decisive transition which involved inheriting (acquiring tenancy rights) and finding “rest.”

With every departure God orchestrates, He is guiding you to a new arrival.

There are always destinations for God’s people (individually and collectively), however connected to the same purpose; fulfilling God’s will for God’s glory.

C. “Set out” to journey the path God has for you to reach your new arrival.

God is “with you” to take you somewhere.

This is where we need the natural openness of Rahab. Taking risks was the nature of her buisness.

LISTEN — What we call taking risks for God, is not a risk at all. It is called glorifying Him with our faith.

Don’t be a church that takes great pride in HOLDING ON to the FAMILIAR.

Your final tent stakes may become your burial ground!!!

To “set out” to be a PASSING OVER people is to experience growth and expansion. Inheriting the future we claim what God has in store for us.

a. Understand the LAND they were journeying too.

Canaan was not what many paint as an earthly paradise or a place that transcends all of life’s pains, problems, enemies, struggles, etc.

This would be a place where the people would have to be commited to fearing and loving God alone.

There would be pain and failure as well as joy and success.

It was a place far better than where they were, but definitely not a utopia.

Let us be real about life’s crossing over moments:

Disease, death, salvation, restoration, healing, etc.

Cross over moments are decision moments! These decision never remain “individualistic.”

How many lives, families and congregations remain on the bank of the Jordan river????

Let us be encouraged to PRAY for one another to embrace with strength and courage the moments of CROSSING OVER God brings to us.

An opportunity to cross over is a privilege gifted to us by God. DONT’ WASTE IT!!!

2) The Best Way to Cross Over

FOLLOW THE LORD

(v6) God’s proper place is to be IN FRONT leading His people!

We get this REVERSED.

They had up until now followed the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.

These symbols of God’s presence are now removed and the ARK has taken their place.

See as a portable throne for the invisible God.

The ARK reminded them of how God always took care of them.

The ARK represented the entire COVENANT RELATIONSHIP

They were to be watchful to know:

God’s presence = mercy, grace, deliverance, protection.

God’s direction

God’s timing

God was to be pursued!

First step — leave from where you are currently

Second step — Make no delay to pursue Him

Third step — (v4) Pursue Him from a good vantage point

The church does follow a leader, but we must never let the distinction blur between the Creator and creature.

SANCTIFY YOURSELF (v5)

New opportunities = the need for God’s people to SANCTIFY themselves.

SANCTIFY = set yourselves apart from any sin or hinderances.

It is a cooperation between God and believer.

God had already set them apart to be His people. However, they had to continually reckon that to be so in their heart.

EVEN NOW, God is calling His people to holiness, purity, and separation.

FOR THEM — this meant washing themselves and practicing ceremonial commands that were to make them clean.

FOR US — we must come afresh to the Lord for daily cleansing of all sin and yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit.

“The Lord will do wonders”

God’s wonders were a work for the good of His people and for his own glory.

LISTEN — What good is the “work” if the people are not in a place to to receive it’s benefits?

Quote: God has chosen not to work in all His fullness in the lives of people who are unwilling to open their hearts to His cleansing and to His leadership. Jr. Huffman John A. and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Joshua, vol. 6, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1986), 72.

FOLLOW COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP (vv7-17)

VERSE 7

God’s desire was for the people to love and respect the one He had placed in leadership.

It was time to FULLY TRUST Joshua’s motives and leadership.

The people were to be persuaded of God’s presence with Joshua.

Crossing over equation = loving respect & trust (+) gentleness, patience, and compassion

VERSES 9-10

Here we see the need of taking spiritual leadership seriously!

Church context: while we do work together, God primarily gives direction for the church through the pastor.

THEREFORE — a pastor must take GREAT CARE to who’s voice is leading him.

THEREFORE — a church must lift him up in prayer.

VERSE 11

The ark was moving = they were to remain near it.

Anywhere God leads is indicative of Him never being able to fail!!!

VERSES 12-13

The leaders should be the first one’s to put their feet in the water!

What God asks from the people, He will ask first from the leadership.

This is a principal a church must hold their leadership accountable too.

The twelve men showed a unity between all the tribes.

APPLICATION — crossing over is to be a collective journey.

As spiritual leadership lift Jesus UP let us go forward.

VERSE 17

We witness God promises being fleshed out for Israel.

God’s promises also become materialized for those who follow Him and are willing to CROSS OVER!

Be willing to follow the Lord, be sanctified, and follow courageous human leadership.

CONCLUSION

Are you a “Crossing Over Christian?” Is your life in a clear vantage point to see God’s leadership? Are you trusting the leadership God has given you? Will you remain on the wrong side of the Jordan?