Crossing the Jordan, Part 2

Joshua chapter 3. The text tells us in verse 1 that Joshua rose early in the morning. I like that. It says it again in Joshua 6, Joshua 7, and Joshua 8. He rose early in the morning. I want to let you know something. If you like to sleep in, you will not ever be a very good leader. If you read through the Bible, all great leaders get up. M arose early in the morning to meet with God. David rose early in the morning to meet with God. Hezekiah rose early in the morning to meet with God. Listen to this Verse Isaiah fifty This is about the servant, the Messiah.

Verse 4: The Lord God has given me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. The Messiah will know how to sustain the weary person with a word. Because he'll give them the word of God. Now, listen to this: He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to listen as a learner, as a disciple. The Messiah, the prophecy about the coming of Messiah is that it was the Lord God, his father in heaven, who would awaken him that he might know what to say, that he might restore strength to the weary one.

So when you get to Mark chapter 1, verse number 35, after the busiest day in the life of Christ, he rises early in the morning that he might be alone with his Father who is in heaven. You know, people say they want to be like Jesus. But when it comes to getting up in the morning, they don't want to be like Jesus. When it comes to attending or going to the synagogue on a Sabbath, on the holy day, every day, Every holy day that is, they don't want to be like Jesus. We want to be like Jesus when it's convenient.

We want to be like Jesus when it feels good. But if I got to get up early in the morning to be like Jesus, because he was up early in the morning, to spend time alone with my Father who is in heaven. If I want to be like Jesus and enter on that one day of the week that is a holy day to be there to worship him like Jesus did, sometimes that's a little bit too much to ask people. And so I got to ask myself: how much do people really want to be like Jesus? I mean, they can't do it in the simple things like going to church and getting up in the morning.

How are they going to do it when they got to handle temptation and difficulty and trials? Right? They can't. Isaiah 50, verse number 4 says that his father would awaken him early in the morning. That's the solution to your sleeping in. Well, I can't get up. I sleep through my alarm. All you got to do is ask God to get you up. That's all you got to do. Ask God to get you up. I news for you. He's going to get you up. You're going be up. See, God awakened me early in the morning. Now, he might get you up earlier than you expect, but he'll get you up.

And Joshua rose early in the morning. Listen, here's the point. If you want to. The essence of leadership is always being in front of the people you're leading. Always being ahead of the people you're leading. Always being up before the people you're leading. You're always a step ahead of those you lead because that's what a leader does. He's not a part of the pack. He's the head of the pack, so they know where to go. They know where to be, right? That's the essence of leadership. To lead is to be in front so people know where to go, right?

And Joshua was the leader of men. He rose early in the morning. He would meditate on God's law day and night. He would believe in what God said, and when he believed in what God said, he could communicate that to people and console them and give them the message of encouragement that would allow them to make it through the troubled waters of the Jordan. Because they had no idea what was going to take place. Remember, this is a new generation. All those 20 and over, they died in the wilderness in unbelief, right?

So the ones who saw the party of the Red Sea at the earliest or the oldest, they were 19. Most of them were young kids. Now, you got a whole new generation who never saw the party in the Red Sea. They had heard about the party in the Red Sea, they never saw it. And now they sit at the banks of the Jordan wondering what they're going do. How are they going to cross this Jordan River? What's going to happen next? And Joshua says, Let me tell you what we're going to do.

The priests are going to carry the Ark of the Covenant. They're going to be 2,000 cubits. They're going to be 1,000 yards in front of you. They're going be out in front, 3,000 feet in front of you. So everybody can see. Because you need to focus in on the presence of Almighty God. Folks, this is so important. This is so important. I know some of you here tonight, you're tired, you're not even focusing on what we're saying. You know what I saying? You're tired, you're hungry, you're hoping that the air conditioner kicks in so it a little cooler in here.

And, you know, it's hard to stay focused. I know that. But this is the bottom line. This is what it's about: staying focused on the Lord Jesus Christ, fixed on Him. So you can make it through your Jordans, whatever they may be. There was a message of cons. We must hurry. Time is fleeting by. Okay, there was a message of consecration. Then Joshua said to the people, verse 5: Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you. Consecrate yourselves, sanctify yourself, set yourself apart.

And this happens all the time. It involves the washing of garments. saw that in Exodus chapter 19 verse number 15 in Genesis 35 verse number 18 Jacob made his whole family consecrate themselves and wash their garments and put away their idols from them This was something that they themselves could do to prepare to do what God had asked them to do. You see, a lot of us don't have victory in life because we have not sanctified ourselves. We have not set ourselves apart to be used of God. Remember over in 2 Timothy 2?

Paul says those familiar words to young Timothy, 2 Timothy 2, verse number 19. Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal. The Lord knows those who are his. And let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness. Now, in a large house, there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor, and some. To dishonor, therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the master, prepared for every good work.

You want to be a vessel fit for the master's use? You've got to cleanse yourselves from those things that are defiling from the outside as well as those things that are defiling from the inside. Now we know our God sanctifies us. He sanctifies us in truth. John 17, 17. Ephesians 5, 26, He washes us with the word. Titus 3, 5, it's called the washing of regeneration. We know that God cleanses us from the inside out. Because that's the work of the Spirit of God in the life of the believer. But yet, as Paul said in Philippians 2, we had to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

There's a part that we play in the whole process. That we discipline ourselves and we say no to certain things and yes to other things and live a pure and holy life that we might be able to be used of God. Sometimes we don't see God in the Jordan, in our Jordans, in our rivers, because we refuse to set aside those things that bring us down. We don't consecrate ourselves. We don't set ourselves apart as different and as holy, that we might be vessels fit for honor. Fit for the master's use that God can use us.

A verse we're going to talk about on Sunday, Isaiah chapter 59 says it well. A verse you know. Well, Isaiah 59:1, Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save, neither is here so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you. You so that he does not hear. It's not that God doesn't want to deal with you. It's not about God not wanting to help you. It's about your sinful condition. And if you read verses 3 and following, it talks about the sins of Israel.

The things that they were doing. It's your sin that separates you from your God. God wants to work in your life, but when we sin and don't confess our sins and live in that sin, we rob ourselves of not only communion with Him, but clearly seeing Him amidst the Jordan. That we have to cross. The first message dealt with consolation, the second one dealt with consecration, the third one dealt with cooperation.

Cooperation. Verse number 6. And Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over ahead of the people. So they took up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people. That's cooperation. Jos says, This is what we're going to do. You take the Ark of the Covenant. You go before the people because you guys are going to stay in the water. They're going to say, We're not doing that. That water's running too fast. We not going to stand. What are you crazy, Joshua?

Here, you take the ark, you go stand in the water. We're not doing that. No, there was cooperation. Let me tell you something.

One of the things that hurt us so often in our lives is we are unwilling to cooperate in the body of Christ. With those who are over us, and those who are around us, and those who are under us. And you know, without that work of cooperation, with people saying, you know what? If God has called you to lead, I'm going to follow. I'm going follow the word of the Lord by following you. And if you say go, I'm going. These people believed in Joshua. And they believed that he was God's man for the time.

They sit back and say, you know, Joshua, let's wait a couple of months till the river goes down. I think it's a better idea. I think maybe we've got to go up a little while or maybe go down a little further to figure out another way to cross because this is not a good way to do it, Joshua. I don't know who you're listening to, but I'm not sure this is the best way to handle this thing, Joshua. They said, okay, we'll cooperate. We'll do what you told us to do. And because they did, God did great things.

Do you ever think about The reason God doesn't do great things in your life is because you are so uncooperative. You're such a disgruntled griper and bickerer. That that you can't even you can't not only see God God never does anything in your life Because of your attitude These people cooperated. They followed the leadership, the people followed the priests, and great things took place. Number four, comm. Verse number seven, and the Lord said to Joshua, this day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that just as I had been with Moses, so I will be with you.

That's great. God said, Hey, Joshua, I got good news. Here it is, buddy. I'm going to exalt you in front of everybody else. Have I said it once? I've said it a billion times. Maybe not a billion, maybe a million. 1 Samuel 2:30, He who honors me, I will what? Honor Jesus said this way in John chapter 12. He said, very simply, if anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. If you serve me, God's going to honor you. And God says to Joshua, I'm going to exalt you.

Joshua, today everybody's going to know that you're the man. Just like I was with Moses, they're going to know I am with you, and you will be lifted up. Sure enough. What takes place? Chapter 4, verse number 14 says this, on that day. The Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, so that they revered him just as they had revered Moses all the days of his life. God did exactly what he said he was going to do. It's the message of commendation. Joshua, you have honored me. You have followed my word.

You have done exactly what I've told you to do. And because you have, I'm going to exalt you in front of everybody else. See, we got so many people wanting to be exalted that that's their whole that's their whole drive. I want to be a leader. I want to be in front of people. I want people to see me. And that's their whole desire. And really, that's really pride at work. And God wants people who say, I'm going serve God, I going to honor God, I going do what God says, and let God do whatever He wants to do.

When you honor God, God honors you. Very simple principle. And then Comes the message of conviction. Verse number nine. Then Joshua said to the sons of Israel, Come here and watch and see how God's going to exalt me. Is that what it says? That's not what it says. Joshua can, Hey, guys, come here. God's going to exalt me. I'm going to be just like Moses. And man, this is going to be great. Come on, Ob. I want you to see this. That 's not what he said. Because leadership always focuses people on God and not them.

That's leadership. Need to say, you what? You need to see God. Stay focused on God. And that 's what Joshua does. He says, Listen.

Come here and hear the words of the Lord your God. This is what God says. And Joshua said, By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will assured dispossess from before you the Canaanite, Hitt, Hippite, Per, Kergz, Emer Tebus, and all the term as well. They're all going to be gone. All of them. It's a message of conviction. It's a message that says, you what? You need to believe that your God is the living God. If He's the living God, He destroys all. The dead idols of the other gods destroys them all if he's the God of all heaven and all earth.

Well, this is your land and he's given it to you. It's your land. It's a message of conviction that you need to believe in what God has said and believe in who He is because He will accomplish it for you on this day. And that was Joshua. He focused the people. On the things above, he focused the people on God and His Word. You know, if you want to be a leader, that's what you got to do. You got to be able to focus people on God and what he said. Or, how are they going to have the faith to believe, right?

How will they know if they don believe what God has said? How will they know what to do? They don't know what to do. But if they know what God has said, you as a leader have fulfilled your responsibility. And now they've got to make a decision: yes, I will follow what God has said, or no, I will not follow what God has said. But you have fulfilled your responsibility. And Joshua was one who fulfilled his responsibility. And now they're ready to cross. The miracles, point number two of the crossing.

So it came about when the people set out from the tents to cross the Jordan, with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant before the people, and when those who carried the ark came into the Jordan, the feet of the priests carrying the ark were dipped in the edge of the waters. The waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heap, in one heap, a great distance away. At Adam, the city that is beside Zarath. Now, folks, if you were to go back and study that, that means to the north, it was 15 miles from them to the north.

And then it says, it says, and those which are flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. That's 10 miles to the south. That's twenty m, which God stopped the flowing of the water. 2 miles. In the north, it just went up in one huge heap and stopped. To the south, it flowed off and stopped. 2 miles. Did they need that much to cross? No, they didn't. But this is the goodness and the grace of God. Because everyone around the Jordan, if they didn't see it, would hear about it.

And God was giving them one more opportunity to repent by seeing a miracle of Almighty God. That's the goodness of God. Now they're going to go in and destroy the people. They're going go in and kill them all. That's what God told them to do. But before they were going to go in and kill them, God was going to say, I'm going give you one more opportunity to believe in the real, true God of Israel. That's me. One more miracle to see. Remember over in chapter five, verse number one?

What's it say? Now it came about when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaan who were by the sea, heard how the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until they had crossed. that their hearts melted, and there was no spirit in them any longer, because of the sons of Israel. They were scared to death. They lived in fear. Their hearts melted before them. They were terrorized because of the Lord God of Israel.

This was the stopping of the Jordan. The great power of God amidst all your circumstances. God can do anything. And God brought them to the brink of the Jordan at the right time, not the wrong time, at the best time, not the bad time. The time in which they had to see only Him, and upon seeing only Him, consecrate themselves to Him to follow Him without reservation. To be convicted that truly he was the Lord God of Israel, he was the Lord of heaven and earth, he was the possessor of all things, that their leader would be exalted by God.

And be with Joshua as he was with Moses. And they believed. In what God said. Faith is the victory. When you believe in the victor, God Himself, and what He said. And these people believed. And so you have the great stopping of the Jordan. A lot of times we find ourselves in situations that we feel like we can't make it. We can't do this. It's not going to happen. And God says, you need to wait and watch me work.

You first of all need to see me in that situation. And trust me to take you through that situation. I'm always reminded of the words in Isaiah 43, When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you, for I am the Lord your God. the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Prophet Isaiah said, when you walk through the water, when you walk through the fire. Point is not if, it's when.

It's going to happen. You've got to cross your Jordans. You've got to be in the midst of the fire. And when you are, God says, you know what?

I'll be there. I'll be there. And I'll take you through. Because I am the Lord your God. I am your Savior. So God did a great work. By stopping the Jordan. He also did a good work by drying the Jordan. It does no good to stop the water if you've got to go through all the mud, right? Can you imagine how deep and thick the mud was? How are they going to do that? How are they going to get their livestock across? How are going get their little kids across? How are they themselves going to tramp through all that mud and get through there?

It had to be dry ground. That would be the only way they could get across, would be on dry ground. And the priest who carried the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground. God wanted you to know it was dry ground. It wasn't damp ground. It was dry ground. It was dusty ground. It was ground that was so hard that you could walk through with no problem. This was another miracle of God. Not only did He separate the water so they could walk through some 25 miles, but he made sure that everything was dry.

Because that's the way God does things. He does it in a way that evidences his glorious work. But nothing happened until the priests stepped into the water. It does you no good to believe what God says without acting upon what God says, right?

And unless they stepped into the water, there was not going to be a separation in that water. They believed and they put that faith to action. Then, of course, you have the restoring of the Jordan. It says the latter part of verse 17 until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan. Until it was all done, until every last person crossed, some two and a half million Jews crossed. Then the waters came back together again. And as it began, so it now ends. The journey through the wilderness ends by the crossing of the Jordan by the nation of Israel.

I want you to think about this. The waters did not come back. Those waters. That we could say represent the judgment of God until every last Israelite had crossed on dry ground. And they found themselves in that promised land. There's coming a day when there's going to be the judgment of God. Revelation 3:10 says it's going to be a trial that's going to encompass the entire world. Entire world. But that will not happen until every last one of the people God wants saved in the church is saved. And when it's completed, the rapture of the church will take place.

The trial that's going to come upon the whole world will last for seven years. And it will devastate the world. And God is true to His word that God will always accomplish His purposes. He needs people like you and people like me to trust in what he said. This has got to be more than a history lesson. It's got to be a lesson that centers on the issues of your life and mind. Because if you're not crossing a river today, you'll have to cross one tomorrow. Unless you see God before you, you'll never cross it.

You never will. And once you see Him before you, you must step into those waters. Or you'll never see the wonders of God. Never.