Joshua

Crossing Your Jordan

Joshua 3:1-6, 14-17

 

Opening Words: It has become my custom to preach on a single Old Testament character during the summer months. Perhaps, you remember one of these characters from past summers: Nehemiah, Elijah, Ruth, Moses, Joseph or Esther. This summer we are looking at Joshua’s story.

 

Do you remember the story? The story of Joshua begins with a funeral. The great law giver and leader Moses had died. He is replaced by his aid, Joshua. He proves to be a cautious leader at first. He could have sent the people directly into the Promised Land but instead he decides to send two spies into the land to evaluate the situation. Those two spies are instructed to go to the city of Jericho. It is while they are in that sacred place that they receive some unexpected help from one of the local prostitutes, Rahab. (I am sure there is an untold story.) We looked at her story last week and she taught us about faith.

 

This week we look at chapter three. According to the story, the people camped on the shore of the Jordan River for three days. It was after that 72 two hour period. The priests are to take the Ark of the Covenant and walk to the other side of the river. The people are directed to follow them from a safe distance. At this point the miraculous happens. The water piles up and the people pass through on dry ground. May God give you ears to hear this weekend‘s text, Joshua 3:1-6, 14-17. Let call this weekend’s message Crossing your Jordan.

 

Joshua 3 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. 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 priests, who are Levites, 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 a thousand yards 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." 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. 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 (the Salt 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 stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

 

Years ago a reporter interviewed the great opera singer Marian Anderson. One question is memorable. What is the greatest moment in your life? There were so many moments. Which one would she choose? There was the night Toscanini told her she was the finest voice of the century. There was the private concert she gave at the White House for the Roosevelt’s. There was the private concert she gave to the King and Queen of England. She had received the $10,000 Bok Award as the person who had done the most for her home town, Philadelphia. To top it all, there was that Easter Sunday in Washington when she stood beneath the Lincoln Memorial and sang for a crowd of 75,000, which included Cabinet members, Supreme Court Justices, and most members of Congress. Which of those big moments would she choose? She didn‘t pick any of those moments. Anderson told the reporter that the greatest moment of her life was the day she went home and told her mother she wouldn't have to take in washing anymore.

 

How would you answer that question? What is the greatest moment in your life? Would your answer the day you caught the foul ball at the baseball game? Perhaps, your greatest moment in your life was the day you got married or had your children? Perhaps, it was some business success or the time you saved the day. What is the greatest moment in your life? I like to think the greatest moment in my life is yet to come.

 

This weekend I don't want to talk about your past accomplishments. The past is great. However, we can only learn from the past. Today, I am interested in your future. What I want to talk about is your future goals. What does God have in store for you in the future? To help you achieve your goals I want to give you three pieces of pastoral advance. Each one is illustrated in this weekend’s scripture lesson. Just think about it for a moment. The goal of God’s Chosen People was to cross the Jordan River and enter into the Promised Land. What Jordan’s do you have to cross to enter your Promised Land? What Jordan’s do you have to cross to reach your future goals? The story of the crossing of the Jordan teaches us about how to accomplish the goals in our lives. So if you ready to start embracing your goals say, “Amen!”

 

Walk Forward

The first thing you have to do to cross the Jordan in your life is walk forward. Look at the text with me. The people of God must have been patient people. Just think about it. They had wandered in the wilderness for decades. According to the Bible they wandered for 40 years. They had lost 40 years of their lives. They expected Moses to be the one to lead them into the land but Moses suddenly dies. That caused another delay. They will be lead into the Promised Land by Moses’ aid, Joshua. He would have thought he would have been in a hurry to enter the Promised Land but Joshua proves to be a cautious leader. He doesn’t just lead the people across the Jordan. He sends out spies wasting more time. In verse two we learn that the people have to wait three more days to enter the Promised Land. The people of God must have been patient people. They were always waiting! That is why verse 14 is so important. It says the people broke camp to cross the Jordan. The first thing you have to do to cross the Jordan in your life is to simply walk forward. Have you ever known anyone whose life is on hold?

 

Years ago I had parishioners by the name of Dale and Peggy Plummer. They were wonderful people with two wonderful children, Lisa and Chris. Dale and Peggy looked more like Jennifer and Chris’ grandparents then their parents. They reason was simple. The children were adopted. When Dale and Peggy were young they decided to wait on having children until the right time. The right time never came. There was never enough money. They was never enough time. They were ruled by heavy family responsibilities. Dale and Peggy waited to have children until it was too late. Regretting their mistake they adopted Lisa and Chris. Peggy said it a million times, “If you wait for the perfect time to have children then you will never have children.”

 

She was right but not just about children. It is true of many things in life. If you wait for the perfect time to go to college then you will never go to college. If you wait for the perfect time to relocate then you will never relocate. If you wait for the perfect time to get married then you will never get married. If you wait for the perfect time to say, “I am sorry,” you will never say, “I am sorry.” If you wait for the perfect time to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior the you will never be saved. The first thing you need to do to reach your goals is to walk forward. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” What are you waiting for?

 

Expect Obstacles

The second thing you have do to cross the Jordan in your life is expect obstacles. Look at the text with me. The people had waited decades to enter the Promised Land. When the great day finally arrives we are told the Jordan River is flooding. It makes a simple point. Nothing in life is easy. You should expect obstacles as you go after your goals.

This week I came across this list of successful failures:

 

Did you know Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because he wasn’t creative enough? He also went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland.

Did you know Leo Tolstoy, author of War and Peace, flunked out of college? He was described as “both unable and unwilling to learn.”

Did you know Michael Jordan, perhaps the greatest basketball player of all time, did not make his high school basketball team his sophomore year?

Did you know Beethoven’s teacher called him hopeless as a composer?

Did you know Winston Churchill failed the sixth grade? He did not become Prime Minister until he was 62. His greatest contributions came when he was a “senior citizen.”

Did you know Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he finally succeeded?

Why should you be any different? Hardships and obstacles are part of life! It appears to me they become more numerous when you are doing something great for God. Why? Because Satan doesn’t want you to succeed. When you are working on your goals expect obstacles and you will never be disappointed. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

 

Trust God

The third and final thing you need to do to cross the Jordan in you life is trust God. Look at the text with me. The people didn’t just go across the Jordan River. The scripture says they followed the arch of the Covenant. Remember the arch contained the Ten Commandments. The miraculous part of the story is that the water piled up as the people crossed the Jordan. Why is that important? It is because important because the people had to trust God to reach the other side. If you want to cross your Jordan then you have to trust God. How much do you really trust God?

 

Years ago a mother said the same words that she said every night, “Jimmy, it’s time to go to bed. Go up now and I’ll come and settle you later.” Jimmy was a good child. He went straight upstairs to his room. An hour later his mother went to his room to check on him. She was astonished to find him awake. Jimmy was sitting on his bed looking at the brilliant full moon that filled the sky. She asked, “What are you doing, Jimmy?” “I’m looking at the moon,” he replied. “Well, it’s time to go to bed now.” As one reluctant boy settled down, he said, “Mom, you know one day I’m going to walk on the moon.” Thirty-two years later that little boy did walk on the moon. James Irwin is just one of 12 to do so. His dream became a reality.

 

My prayer for you is that your dreams may become reality. Henry David Thoreau said, “In the long run men hit only what they aim at.” You may not dream of walking on the moon. Your dream might include a better education, a new vocation, a relocation, a new love or a new way to serve God. The Israelites dreamed of crossing the Jordan and entering their Promised land. What is your dream? What Jordan are you going to have to cross? And all of God people said, “Amen!”