Life Lessons from the beach

Life Lessons from the Beach, part 3

Joshua 3

Sunday, August 12^th, 2012- MRWC

            We are in week three of our current series called: “Life Lessons from the beach”

            We are looking at some of the accounts in the Bible that took place on or near bodies of water and finding the major life lesson that comes out of these scripture passages.

            The past two Sundays, we’ve spent time looking at 2 life lessons from the New Testament- Luke 5 and John 21—and this week and next week, we will be looking at 2 life lessons from the Old Testament, with Pastor Mike bringing an end to this series at the end of the month by jumping back into the New Testament once again.

            This morning’s Life Lesson from the beach comes to us from the book of Joshua.  

            The children of Israel had endured a 40-year wilderness “experience”, but now they were on the verge of possessing the very Land God had sworn to give them years ago, but one thing stood in their way: The Jordan River.

            Joshua had sent two spies to scope out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, and when the spies came back, they reported that the Land was ready for their arrival.

            After the report from the spies, Joshua accompanied the Israelites to the banks of the Jordan River, where they enjoyed a 3 day camp out.   

            “Three days later the Israelite officers went through the camp, 3 giving these instructions to the people: “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them.

4 Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about a half mile behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the Ark. Make sure you don’t come any closer.” (Joshua 3:2-4, NLT2)

Joshua’s officials commanded the people to be on the lookout for the Ark of the Covenant, for when it moved, they were to follow, but only from a safe distance.

Now, before we go any farther, I want to explain something that you might already be aware of… the Ark of the Covenant symbolized God’s presence among His people.

The Ark of the Covenant was the most important object to the people during their wilderness wanderings because it signified that God was with them.

The ark contained two tablets (iPad’s) which the 10 Commandments were written on, as well as a gold pot of manna and Aaron’s staff.

On top of the ark was a gold cover known as the mercy seat—we sang about Heaven's mercy seat a few moments ago—it’s known as the mercy seat because the blood of a sacrificed animal was applied to it once a year signifying God’s mercy in forgiving sin.

The Cherubim--or angelic statues-- stood at opposite ends of the mercy seat, with their faces bowed toward the mercy seat. (Adapted from NNIBD)

The Ark of the Covenant was very important to the people of Israel. Everywhere they went, the ark went with them, until it was firmly established in the Temple built by Solomon.

Having the ark go before the people, symbolized that God Himself would be going in front of them.

After Joshua told the people that the Ark of the Covenant would go before them, he gave them an important command: “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you.” (Joshua 3:5, NLT2)

The people were to wash themselves and abstain from certain things that would defile them, before they could see the Great Hand of the Lord at work.

This is true in our day as well. We can’t play around with sin and at the same time expect God to bless us, or move in on us in awesome ways.

The call to follow God is a call to be different; it’s a call to be set apart.

If you are not experiencing God working in your life, could it be because you are still paying with sin?

Remember if you play with fire you will get burned, so take this command from Joshua and purify yourself, and then watch God move in your life.

Well, after a night of consecration to the Lord, Joshua told the priests to: “Lift up the Ark of the Covenant and lead the people across the river.” (Joshua 3:6, NLT2)

Notice that Joshua didn’t tell the priests to build a bridge in order for the people to cross the river... he simply told them lift up the ark and lead the people.

Most of the time, God will not divulge His entire plan for your life all at once. God will simply show you the first step, and then He`ll want you to take that step, before He gives you another step.

The priests were then instructed to take a few steps into the Jordan River and stop moving; they were to stand in the river holding on to the Ark of the Covenant.

We will pick up the reading in verse 9: “So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come and listen to what the Lord your God says.

10 Today you will know that the living God is among you. He will surely drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites ahead of you.

11 Look, the Ark of the Covenant, which belongs to the Lord of the whole earth, will lead you across the Jordan River!

Jumping down to 13 ``The priests will carry the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth. As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up like a wall.”

 14 So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them.

15 It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge,

16 the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry.

Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho.

 17 Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground.” (Joshua 3:9-11, 13-17, NLT2)

There are many interesting details that we could talk about from this text, but there is one verse that will serve as our life lesson this morning.

It’s a small detail, one that may have been overlooked, but each time I read from this account the words leap off the page of the Bible.

The verse in question is verse 15: “Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest.” (Josh. 3:15a, NIV)

This is an important detail. If you remember back to verse 5, Joshua told the people to purify themselves because “…the Lord will do great wonders among you.” (Joshua 3:5, NLT2)

The Great wonders that The Lord did for the people was not only lead them thru the Jordan river on dry ground, but He led them though the Jordan River when it would have been at or near its peak, making the trek next to impossible.

Unless God intervened in the lives of his people that day, they would have not been able to cross the Jordan River to begin taking hold of the Land that the Lord had promised them.

So, here is today’s life lesson from the beach…. You might want to write it down, for I think you’ll need it this week: “If God asks you to do something—anything at all—He will help you do it.”

God only allowed the people of Israel to cross the Jordan River once the priests had stepped out into the water. Had the priests not obeyed, the people would not have crossed the river.

If God asks you to do something, He will help you do it.

Verse 16 is also interesting. It tells us that “the water above that point—the place where the priests were standing, and where Israel had crossed-- “the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam…” (Josh. 3:16, NLT)

This verse is telling us that God stopped the water 20 miles away from where the people were standing!

Picture from here to Burtt's corner!!

God Stopped the water from a long way back, just as soon as the priests stepped foot in the water.

God provided for His people that day, just as, hundreds of years later, the God-Man (Jesus) provided for His disciples on the same body of water in Luke 5 and John 21, for the Jordan River flows right into the Sea of Galilee.

Church: this passage teaches us an important life lesson: “If God asks you to do something, He will help you do it.”

If God asks you to give something up, He will provide for you.

If God asks you to go someplace, He will provide for you.

If God asks you to do something, He will help you do it.

ILLUSTRATION- AS many of you may know, I write my Sunday morning messages on Thursdays. I lock myself in my office and write all day.

            This past Thursday was no exception, only this past Thursday was a little harder than usual.

            On Wednesday, Beth dropped off the kids at her mother’s house for a few days of “cousin camp”, and later on that evening, we had Pastor Mike and Kate over for dinner and a movie.

            After they left, we were getting ready for bed, and the phone rang.

        Now, the phone generally doesn’t right at 9:50 at night, so something is wrong, and low and behold, it was Erica, our youngest, telling her mother that she wanted to come home.

            Beth tried to convince her to stop crying and find a book or something else to divert her attention, and she hung up and came back to bed.

            Not very long after that, Beth’s mother called back and told us that Erica AND Emma were crying, and saying they wanted to come home.

            Beth hung up the phone and we decided that she needed to go to her Mother’s house and help our kids fall asleep.

            After she left, I turned on the ball game, and prepared for a good night’s sleep.

        After all, there were no kids to wake me up, no wife to take the covers off my giant bed.

            Do you think I could go to sleep?  No way.

            For the next 4 hours, I drifted in and out of consciousness, waking-up every 15 minutes at the sound of EVERY creak and crack and noise.

I even got up to make sure the doors were locked and the windows were closed so no one would climb in.

            I finally fell asleep well after 1 AM, and slept until a little after 7. I got up and went for a walk, wondering how I could make it through the day being exhausted.

Then I began to think about my sermon... how could I write a word from God on so few hours of sleep?

Almost immediately a scripture verse entered my mind. It was almost as if God was telling me: “…'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.” (Zech. 4:6, NIV)

Friends: I’m wondering what might God be asking you to do?

What might God be asking you to give up?

Where might God be asking you to go?

If you are thinking of how you will accomplish the particular task on your own, you are missing an amazing opportunity to have the Lord of all the earth provide for you in a way that only He can do.

The people of Israel crossed the Jordan River at flood stage because God went before them.

I was able to write a message because God went before me, and you will be able to do whatever it is God is asking you to do, because He goes before you and He will work out all the details.

This life lesson from the beach reminds us that If God is asking you to do something; He will help you do it.

So, is there something that God has been asking you to do? If there is, will you do it?

Is there somewhere God is asking you to go? If so, will you go?

Is there something God is asking you to give up? If so, will you give it up?

If God is asking you to do something He will help you do it, but it’s up to you to take that first step get in the water.

Sometimes things seem impossible to us, we don’t know how things will turn out but it’s in those times that we need to trust God all the more, because it’s not by my strength, nor is it by your power, but by God’s Spirit.

(Invitation)

Friends, if the Lord has been tugging at your heart this morning, chances are He's asking you to take that first step. 

If God is asking you to do something, He will help you do it, but we must take the first step and get into the water.

So, if you want God to begin to work in your life I'm going to ask you to stand up and step out from where you are, and come to the front of the church

By doing so, you are telling the Lord that you need His help.

I want you to know dear friend, that if you take a step of obedience and step into the water and do what God is asking you to do, He will show you the next step, and the next step and even the step after that, but first you have to get into the water…

So, If you want help from God to cross a river in your life I invite you to step out from where you are and come stand with me in the water...

i heard this week that God hits a moving target. What that means is if we step into the water, He will give us the help we need.

Don't miss having God move a river in your life this week, take that step and get into the water.