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YOU’RE SPECIAL---CALLED FOR A PURPOSE PART 10 TIME FOR A CROSSING November 23, 2008
It’s been a while since I taught on this series. I think it’s time to finish it. We are right up to the part where the Israelites are going to cross over into the Promised Land. This is the first of the 3 part finale. To review: We each have a purpose that we were born to, and its when we’re walking in that purpose that we experience the joy and fulfillment God meant for us to have. By now, you must be very familiar with this scripture in Romans 8…Romans 8:28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who [have been called according to his purpose. But, look at Romans 8:29--29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. God planned your purpose years before you were born and predestined you to be conformed to the likeness of His Son—so you could fulfill your purpose. He planned that you and I would be LIKE Jesus. It’s God Who will work it all out in us. It’s not all up to us; we could never do it on our own. Vs 30And those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being].
We had been studying Calling and purpose by learning about the lives of Moses, Joshua, Caleb, and the people of Israel who were redeemed from Egypt. We followed in their journey, in their triumphs and their failures and, now…. THE TIME TO CROSS OVER HAD COME. Israel had wandered in the wilderness of the desert for 40 years. They had entered into their days of wandering by listening to and believing a bad report that contradicted the promise of God; by rejecting the minority report that they were well able to take the land that God had given them. 40 years ago they had been camped near the Jordan. 40 years ago, they had sent spies into Jericho. 40 years ago, 10 of the 12 spies came back with a bad report and said “There were giants and we were like grasshoppers in their sight”. Actually, the giants probably never saw them ; they were like grasshoppers in their OWN sight. Two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, who had seen the same things as the faithless spies, said “Let’s go take the land; we are well able”. The sight they saw was the same but the eyes that saw it were different. Joshua and Caleb were full of faith, but the Israelites were not full of faith and they did not believe Joshua and Caleb or Moses. THE PEOPLE BELIEVED THE BAD REPORT AND WERE AFRAID TO TAKE POSSESSION OF THE PROMISED LAND. SO, THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO GO IN AND THEY WANDERED FOR 40 YEARS. Is there anyone among us who has not spent some time wandering in a wilderness, going around and around the same mountains, doing the same things over an over? Things that keep us wandering? Is there anyone who has not doubted—failed to believe a promise that God gave? All the heroes of faith listed in Hebrews chapter 11 had their times of doubt but, when God speaks of them, He looks at their FAITH—not the times of doubt. GOD CONTINUES TO WORK IN THOSE WHO ARE HIS AND THERE COMES A TIME WHEN ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. IT’S TIME TO CROSS OVER AND LEAVE THE WILDERNESS. It’s time to cross that uncrossable river and get to the other side where we can see and possess what God has laid aside for us. CROSSING THE JORDAN MAY MEAN BEING HEALED. IT ALSO MAY MEAN ACCEPTING OUR CONDITION AND PROCEEDING TO LIVE A FULL LIFE WITHOUT THAT HEALING---BUT KNOWING THAT GOD WILL GIVE US THE STRENGTH AND THE WAY TO FULFILL OUR PURPOSE. CROSSING THE JORDAN MAY MEAN GETTING OUT OF PRISON AND ENTERING INTO LIFE ON THE OUTSIDE. OR IT MIGHT MEAN ACCEPTING THAT WE WILL SERVE A FULL SENTENCE---BUT KNOWING THAT GOD WILL GIVE US THE POWER AND THE ANOINTING TO LIVE IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE AND REACH OTHERS WITH THE MESSAGE OF JESUS. CROSSING THE JORDAN MAY MEAN A HEALING OF RELATIONSHIPS, OR IT MAY MEAN ACCEPTING THE LOSS OF THAT PERSON. There are other situations. It may be a financial situation or an emotional situation. Whatever it is… GOD IS WAITING FOR US TO BE READY TO CROSS OVER INTO THE DESTINY HE PREPARED FOR US BEFORE WE WERE EVEN BORN—READY TO ENTER OUR PROMISED LAND…WHETHER THAT MEANS FINALLY RECEIVING OUR CHANGED CIRCUMSTANCE OR ACCEPTING OUR CIRCUMSTANCE AND MOVING ON ANYWAY. ARE WE NOW READY TO DO IT? BACK TO ISRAEL: It was time for Israel to cross over into the Promised Land. If it had been only 40 days in their journey (as it was originally supposed to be) it would have been a different situation, because everything about Egypt and the 10 plagues would have been fresh in their minds. So would the parting of the Red Sea, But this was 40 years later and this was also a new generation---one that had not experienced the exodus from Egypt. Every adult that had left Egypt perished in the wilderness (as God had said they would)—except for Joshua and Caleb, two spies out of the twelve who had originally spied out the land. They were the only ones who believed God and who brought back a good report. They would be the only two of the original generation who would enter the promised land. "Moses my servant is dead: now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel." Joshua 1:2 And so, the old had to die before the new could go in. We have “old things” in our life that must be gone before we can “go in”---things God has been dealing with, things we’ve hung on to. It’s time to let them go. It may be sin or it may be something that is not a sin but nevertheless, it’s extra baggage and it weighs us down. We have to get rid of it to run our race. Hebrews 12:1 Amplified Bible (AMP) therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, What “old thing” is holding you back? THE UNBELIEF WAS GONE AND EVEN THEIR RELIANCE ON THE LEADER THEY’D DEPENDED ON WAS GONE. Moses was the best leader they could have had and God’s presence had gone with them all the way, but even that could not counteract the unbelief that had kept them from their promised land. He would not get to enter because he had sinned; he’d let his anger cause him to disobey God and not glorigy Him in the presence of the people (when he struck the rock twice to get water instead of just speaking to it). God allowed Moses to see the promised land but then Moses died and God buried him. Before he dies, he laid hands on Joshua (as God commanded) and anointed him as his successor. Moses brought them out but Joshua would lead them in. SO WHAT WAS JOSHUA’S FIRST MOVE? HE SENT SPIES BACK TO JERICHO. Joshua 2 (New International Version)1 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land," he said, "especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. WE ALWAYS GO BACK TO THE POINT OF FAILURE—THIS TIME TO SUCCEED. WE CANNOT BYPASS A PART OF OUR JOURNEY OR A STEP TO SUCCESS. It’s almost funny. This is where they failed the first time, so why do it again? Because they (and we) have to learn the lesson and conquer the things that prevented us from victory the first time. This time, however, Joshua didn’t send twelve spies---he only sent two—two faithful ones. Better to have less people and be of one accord than have more and be divided. NOTE: It is better for two people to pray in one accord than for a hundred to pray when they are divided. Sometimes, less is more! This time the experience was totally different. The spies came back with a glowing report. Also, they had been hidden by a woman named Rahab, a prostitute who lived in Jericho and saw and believed the power of the one true God. Because of this, she hid the spies in her home and she and her family would be saved when Jericho was destroyed. In fact, this woman who had been a prostitute would become the ancestress of the Lord Jesus because God loves everyone and will work with those who will believe Him. There is nothing that can disqualify you from God’s Kingdom---unless you turn your back on Him—and that’s what Satan will try to get you to do. He will try to whisper words of defeat, rejection, condemnation in your ear so that you will give up. DON’T DO IT! KEEP ON BELIEVING AND KEEP ON GOING. THE SPIES LEFT AND HID FOR THREE DAYS AND THEN RETURNED TO CAMP. 22 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. 23 Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. The spies return to Joshua and the people and they give a good report. They don’t whine and complain “oh my gosh, we had to run and hide—in the house of a prostitute no less---and then we had to hide in the hills for three days!” No, what they said is “24 …. "The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us." AND THE PEOPLE BELIEVED THEM. They were ready to enter the Promised Land. BUT, there’s just one problem; there was a big river between them and their promise and the river was in the season of flooding. Oops. And, what does God do? He orders Joshua to have them break camp and move only a few miles until they are parked right in front of that big bad swelling river that stood between them and their dreams---and stay there for three days. If they had about 1000 boats that would have been nice, but they had zero boats. What they did have is a few million people…including women and children. They also had the Ark of the Covenant and everything that made up the tabernacle. Joshua 3 (New International Version)1 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. Why would God have millions of people break camp, pack up and move such a short distance only to move again in three days? And why would He have them sit there for three days? 1. SO THEY CAN SEE THEIR DESTINY—THEIR GOAL. http://www.trinitycrc.org/sermons/joshua04v24.html Rev. Adrian Dieleman “Israel camped at the edge of the Jordan. and waited for three days. (Josh 3:3). Why? The Lord wanted all the people to look over the Jordan River. He wanted them to see the Jordan at flood stage. He wanted them to look over the steep embankments. He wanted them to watch the waters raging down the valley. He wanted them to exchange stories about how deep and dangerous and treacherous it was to attempt a crossing. He wanted them to conclude that it was humanly impossible to move a complete people across the river to possess the Promised Land on the other side.” ANOTHER REASON TO MOVE THEM IS… To get them in “moving mode” again. They had pretty much settled in at Shittim; they’d been there for months or maybe even years, and had gotten accustomed to an inactive camp life. To take possession of the Promised Land, they need to regain their pilgrim stance once more.
It’s easy for us to “settle in” and get really comfortable, even if things aren’t that good. We just get used to the situation and it becomes easier to just stay the way we are rather than go through the trouble of changing—doing something about it. Humans, as a rule, resist change.
So. Sometimes, God has to “move us” and get us in “change mode”. Right before we are going to enter the Promise, we may go to a temporary situation and/or place, just to shake us loose from complacency and get us focused on depending on God for everything.
But once they shake loose and move, then they wait. Sometimes, it seems like that’s what life is; “hurry up and wait, hurry up and wait”. They wait for three days, staring at the flooding waters of the Jordan—waters they will have to cross to get to the Promised Land. Now they know that they are not going to get there without a miracle.
And then, Joshua tells the people “Consecrate yourselves” "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you" (vs. 3:5).
In other words, “make yourselves ready”. Set yourselves apart to God. Get your attitude right and your mind stayed on Him. STOP, PRAY, LISTEN..THEN MOVE. So often we rush into ministry without adequate preparation and consecration. The result is that we don’t have the anointing and we move in the flesh. Also, when we are about to make a move and go into something new, we have probably been praying and seeking God about it, but once His will is known, we often stop seeking.
BUT THAT’S IS NOT THE TIME TO STOP SEEKING GOD—IT’S THE TIME TO INCREASE IT.
That daily consecration and renewing the mind is absolutely necessary and, in times of special ministry or moves, we need special consecration—setting ourselves apart to God.
The Ark must go before them (3:3-4, 6-8) Joshua tells the people what God has told him: the ark must go first! "Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before" (Joshua 3:3-4a). Now the ark probably only moved a few hundred feet from where it had been located during the brief encampment, but the people were to follow it.
There is so much meaning here. The Presence of God must not only go first but it must be SEEN to go first. But, the priests must always understand that, though they represented God, though they ministered to Him and to the people, THEY THEMSELVES WERE NOT GOD! The had to carry the ark in the prescribed way and not put their hands on the ark itself.
Ever since the people had been given the ark and tabernacle in the wilderness, when the cloud lifted and moved forward, that was the signal for the people to pack up and follow, to go where God was leading. Now the ark would lead the way.
Jesus, the Son of God, would only go where the Father led Him. He said "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does" (John 5:19). YOU CANNOT FOLLOW FROM THE FRONT. If we run and get ahead of God’s leading, we will run right into a disaster. FOLLOW FROM BEHIND. KEEP GOD IN VIEW.
The lesson of the ark going ahead of us is a reminder to follow God’s leading—not our own.
And the people had to understand that although God called them ALL to be a Royal priesthood and a Holy nation, THEY WERE NOT ALL PRIESTS. They needed to follow but keep their distance. "Keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it" (3:4b).
The Water Stopped Flowing (3:14-17) They had to put their feet in the waters and THEN the miracle would come. The Jordan would part before they touched it. When Israel had crossed the Red Sea it was different. Moses stretched out the Rod of God and the waters parted but, this time, they would have to go on faith. They’d have to “walk on water”—touch the water with their feet. Then….the water stopped flowing.
There are times when God requires us to step out in faith. When we are young in the Lord, things will be a little easier. There will be more “evidence” before we move. As we grow in the Lord, God expects us to trust Him more—not less. Some people think it’s a mark of spirituality to see more results before they act. It’s really the opposite.
WHEN YOU’VE PRAYED AND PRAYED, BELIEVED AND PERSEVERED, AND NOT SEEN ANY CHANGE—THEN, YOU HAVE PROVEN FAITHFUL AND, THEN, YOU ARE READY FOR THE MIRACLE.
Maybe that’s where you are today; right up against the Jordan River and ready for the Crossing. That’s a great place to be.
HEAVENLY FATHER, HELP US TO BE READY TO LEAVE THE WILDERNESS AND CROSS OVER TO THE PROMISED LAND. HELP US TO LET GO OF WHATEVER IS HOLDING US BACK. HELP US TO BE READY TO 'PUT OUR FOOT IN THE JORDAN'. AMEN.
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