Sow What?! (4)

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Hall of Fame Player, Cal Ripken Jr. is one of the most respected and known names in sports. In his 21 Seasons of major league baseball, Cal Ripken would go on to become one of the best infielders in Baltimore Oriole history. But what’s most impressive about Cal is not his lifetime batting average of .276 hitting his 3,184 hits, his 1,695 Runs Batted in or even his 431 home runs. What’s truly impressive is the total number of consecutive games played in a row. You see, on September 6, 1995, Cal broke the all-time Record by playing the 2,131st game in a row.

This record, which some deem the hardest record in sports to break is unique though. You see, this record is not about the hits, the plays or the performance on the field. Instead, this record comes down to a matter of commitment, a matter of the heart.

And yet, what Cal demonstrated for us in his 21 years of professional baseball, was not something he dreamt up one day. Instead, Cals performance on and off the field was a reflection of what was passed down to him from his father. Ripken would go on to say about his dad “Obviously with baseball, he was my prime example. But also, his work ethic, the way he deals with people, the way he loves the game of baseball – all those things he really passed on to me, I think maybe without him knowing it.”

Cal would go add “Dad would go to baseball clinics on Saturday morning. They’re really the most boring things you’d ever want to go to, for a kid. You sit still the best you can for two or three hours while people talk about how to play baseball” and then Cal went on to explain: “I really learned the game of baseball by going to these clinics and listening to him, and he really wasn’t event talking to me.”

And finally, Cal would state: “Who I am as a person, how I analyze things, how I act, how I evaluate things, I’ve really come to realize that a lot of that comes from my father.”

You see, this morning, some 25 years after this initial article was written about the hall of fame player. We look to the example of Cal Ripken Jr. and appreciate his commitment to the game. We look to him, as with other players with a great sense of gratitude for the memories that they have provided for us in years gone by. And yet, like with Cal, we realize the best of athletes, don’t arrive in the hall of fame by accident. Instead, there development as players is a reflection of the parenting, the coaching and the lessons learned along the way.

You see, this morning, many of us can relate with developing in a particular hobby, or a sport, or perhaps an occupation from the result of what was taught to us by those who have gone before. Many of you farmers for instance, could probably tell me stories of how dad should you the basics of planting and harvesting crops.

And while each occupation in life has its own skills of the trade that have been passed down from one generation to the next… what about our walk with Christ? What about spiritual matters and growth as Christians as we develop more into the image of Christ?

That’s our topic of conversation this morning. This is our last week in our sermon series entitled sow what?! And our focus this morning is really on our growth as a Christian, as so influenced by the generation before us.

If you have your bibles turn with me to the book of Joshua 3. And as you’re turning there this morning, our message is Sown in Legacy. 3 sermon points I want us to consider this morning. Or 3 things I want to encourage us to do for the next generation. 1. Sow in Preparation 2. Sow in Faith (trust) 3. Sown in Knowledge

1. Sow in Preparation

If you have your bibles with you this morning, turn with me to Joshua 3, and as you’re turning there this morning, I want to unpack the scene that we encounter this morning. First, you’ll recall that after the nation of Israel spent roughly 400 years in Egypt, God would finally call his people out of this nation.

Now if you remember, shortly after they left from Egypt, Moses will instruct 12 spies to go over to the promise land of Canaan, which we now know as Israel. And inspect that land. And then, upon returning back to Moses 10 of the spies brought back a bad report insisting that the land had people that were too great in size to conquer, and that the Israelites would be like grasshoppers to them if they were to attack.

And yet you’ll recall that unlike the 10 spies that brought the bad report, 2 men by the name of Joshua and Caleb brought back a good report about the land.

Now if you’ll recall, the people didn’t listen to Joshua and Caleb. Instead, they acted in fear and disbelieve. And God would ultimately punish this generation by in time, some sooner than others, by killing them off.

But as we close the pages of the book of Deuteronomy and transition into the book of Joshua, we see that there is a new generation, the next generation that will be entering the promised land.

But I want us to notice this morning is that although this first generation died off, there was a sense of responsibility from the parents onto the next generation in terms of holiness.

Deut 6:20-25 20 In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?” 21 tell him: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 Before our eyes the Lord sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. 23 But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors. 24 The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. 25 And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.”

And so, in the roughly 40 years that have transpired, as the first generation of Israelites is wandering about the wilderness… there would have certainly been conversations that took place between mom and dad… with their children. Or if mom and dad had passed away, there would have been conversations between the caretakers of the first generation and the children of the next generation. but now, at the edge of the Jordan river, after years of captivity in Egypt and 40 years of wondering through the wilderness. Will need to live out their faith.

You see, this morning, we arrive at the edge of the Jordan River, all of the conversations and excitement of what could be… were about to come to light… There is a sense of leaving the old way of life behind… and now walking into what’s best. But listen, before they would journey on… they had to prepare themselves.

Joshua 3:1-5 explains: 3 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. 2 After three days the officers went throughout the camp, 3 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. 4 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.” 5 Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

So, if we stop for a moment, we notice several things. The first thing that we see is that it says that the That the ark of the covenant will go before the people. The bible tells us, that this was necessary because the people had never been this way before and so the key is, the people are to follow where God leads. God will go before them… and as he leads, they follow.

But the key I want us to see is verse 5 Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

You see, what’s interesting is the people didn’t know the details. They didn’t know specifically what God was going to do next, but what they did know is that they had to be ready to go.

You see, there’s this time of preparation. A time, similar to Exodus 19 that their parents encountered at the base of Mount Sinai. And the bible tells in Exodus 19:10:

10 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes 11 and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.

So, there’s this same idea in terms of consecration, that the Lord had prepared for this first generation. And here, we see that this next generation is to do the same.

You see the word consecratehere in Joshua 3:5 and also in Exodus chapter 19 is the same Hebrew word kaw-dash' which means to sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be holy, be separate.

And what I want us to see this morning is that oftentimes, before the Lord moves in a mighty way… he does so after we have prepared ourselves.

You see, I think back to bringing the youth group to summer camp. And after being at camp all week, I’ve seen firsthand how God shows up in a big way. You see typically on the last day or two of camp, you come to see many come to accept Christ as their savior. Why is that? Why is it that students, who are so glued to the cell phones, would do anything to get away from their cell phones and just be there with their peers and in the presence of the Lord? (Jake)

You see, that’s where real change takes place. You see friends, here’s the point… when we allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. When we put down the distractions. God tends to show up in a big way. We get this concept right on Sunday mornings, and I trust each week, that you walk away closer to God then you did before you came into church…

James 4:8 tells us: Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

You see church, individually we must prepare ourselves each day to meet with God. But we must also prepare and set apart the next generation.

Friends, the first generation of Israelites was not perfect. I guarantee that… But at the same time, in all those years in the wilderness… I’m sure there were some real heart to heart conversations. I’m sure there were some moments of parenting. Some moments of reflection upon poor choices that were made by mom and dad, so that, through their choices… and yet, even though the first generation got it wrong… if nothing else, they helped to prepare their children for what was next. Friends are we doing the same?

Friends, are we set apart this morning? Are we preparing our children? Are we showing them Christ through how we live?

Sown in faith

Joshua 3 6 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. 7 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. 8 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.’”

9 Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. 10 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. 11 See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. 12 Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13 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.”

14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15 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, 16 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. 17 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.

Two things I want us to see for a moment. First, look back at verse 17 (God meets us in the middle). 17 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.You see, in these moments, we don’t see the why behind choosing the 12 men. In other words, God has not yet revealed why these 12 are needed… but we will see later in chapter 4, the very reason behind these men.

But the main thing I want us to draw our attention to this morning is verse 8. We’re told: “8 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.”In other words, the priests are carrying the weight on their shoulders… God has positioned them to lead the way… and yet, there is a very key moment here, where these men will have to put their faith to the test.

You see, when you think back to the crossing of the Red Sea, this moment, of course was a moment that the previous generation experienced. But in this moment, when that generation crossed through the red sea, God had already parted the sea in advance… and they were walking on dry ground. But in this instance, I want us to notice that the priest will have to get their feet wet!

In other words… they’ve came to edge of the Jordan river… they see clearly, that it’s at flood stage… why by the way would have been over 10 feet deep and the river is at least 100 feet wide. And also, there is a massive current. I mean just think about it, you have numerous amounts of Israelites watching your move… Many of them would have even been children, who would not have known how to swim. In fact, if you think about it, I would argue a large number of these men and women didn’t know how to swim, Afterall they’ve been in the desert for years just wondering, and so I would be wondering how many opportunities they had to go out for a leisurely dip in the lake…

But in these moments, they have to put their foot into the cool waters of the river. Step-by-step as they walk along the clay like edges towards the river… they would have seen the waters moving swiftly before them. And felt a sense of excitement as they approached… and yet… there came a moment where they had to step into the water.

Like peter walking on the water towards Jesus. These Priests had a sink or swim moment… where they would’ve had to of put their foot into the cool of the Jordan river. In these moments, in this heightened seen of anticipation of what would happen next… the priest had to get their foot wet… and yet, the bible tells us:

15 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, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing...

You know what I would call that this morning? I would call that living out their faith. In fact, 2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

You see, many of you parents can relate with teaching your child how to swim this morning. I remember, when my dad taught me how to swim… I was probably just around 5 or 6 years old. I remember it was a sunny, summer afternoon. And there at the end of the dock, my dad was waiting for me to jump in the water. Of course, my older sisters already knew how to swim… but for me… I wanted to be just like my sisters, I wanted to swim too. But there came a moment, where I had to jump off of the dock and start to move my arms and kick my legs… and yet, although it was scary, although I had never swum before, my father was teaching me how to swim that day. I was taking a leap of faith.

Many of you can relate with this story. Perhaps your parent taught you in a similar fashion how to swim, or perhaps you were the parent who was teaching your child how to swim… but in either instance, there is a step of faith, which must be taken… for a child to learn how to swim.

In the same way, in our walk with Christ… God will allow us to go through seasons in life, where we must follow His leading in our lives. Just as the ark of the covenant went before the people, we too as Christians should be in prayer about matter that we’re navigating… but as God leads us, even when it doesn’t make sense, we must follow his lead. You see the bible makes it clear in

Friends this morning. I love this story. I love the amount of faith the Israelites displayed in these moments. But if you recall, entering the promise land was just the beginning. Soon they would conquer Jericho and the AI and then Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, Debir and on…

But friends, conquering the land of Canaan. It all started with a single step of faith.

Friends, so often, in our walk with Christ. He has amazing things that he wants us to experience… and yet, there is a responsibility on our end… to follow his lead. If you’ll recall, the first generation of Israelites missed out on these exciting moments… they wouldn’t enter the promised land… instead, they spent their lives wondering around the dessert… and yet, because of their faithfulness to God… this next generation would go on to see God work in mighty and powerful ways before them. Friends, what about you this morning? Are you allowing God to lead the way in your life? Sometimes it starts with a single step of faith.

But make no mistake, the conquest of Canaan… it started with faithfulness early on. It started with getting their feet wet at the edge of the Jordan… Today, are we planting seeds of faith? Today, are we living a life of faith that the next generation will want to imitate in their own walk? That they, will follow in our footsteps as we ourselves follow Christ?

Finally point this morning 3. Sown in Knowledge

Joshua 4:1-7 4 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3 and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.”

4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

So, as we close out our story this morning, it’s important to see the knowledge that was passed on from one generation to the next. If you notice from the scripture, we see, not only does the nation of Israel cross through the Jordan. But they also appoint one man from each of the twelve tribes… who will then grab a stone from the middle of the Jordan and then place it on the other side…

You see each stone was significant because it represented the people that crossed through together. And these stones collectively, were to serve as a monument for the next generation. You see, the next generation would not have to cross the Jordan. It was their parents. And yet, these monuments represented how the Lord should up for them in a mighty way that day.

You see there was a purpose for these stones, the Lord knew ultimately, that the next generation needed to know that God is powerful, and that the next generation needed to have a healthy fear of the Lord. And these stones, were a monument, that showed the people of how the Lord showed up in a big way.

Friends, this morning… the next generation needs to know. And the problem is that the enemy would love nothing more than to have the Lord out of our schools, out of our government and out of our nation. And in many ways, we’ve seen this… but we… must continue to sow knowledge in the next generation.

You see I think of Stonehenge this morning, this massive stone monument located in Wiltshire England is one of the most beautiful and iconic locations in the world. These stones which were put in place an estimated 5,000 years ago, were an engineer feat of the time. Some of the stones were taking from the Presili hills in the nation of Wales, which is over 150 miles away. But what’s most interesting about Stonehenge, is to this day… although discussion remains… no one knows why the stones are there.

In the course of time, although still impressive to look at. The stories have been forgotten. The story remains a mystery. Friends, this morning, we can’t forget to tell the story. While the next generation looks to us…. We can’t stay silent.

I’m going to call Lisa forward at this time as we prepare to close out.

Challenge church to:

1. Live in pass down knowledge.

2. Live in faith

3. Be set apart. Be holy for he is holy

Pray