Joshua 3 Proposition There was excitement in the air. Anticipation in their hearts, because at last they were about to enter the land of destiny. The land of promise, The land that flowed with milk and honey. A land that speaks to you and to me of a Spirit filled life. In this new land, this Promised Land, battles still have to be won, large imposing walls have to come down, giants need to be defeated. But this new land promised a life full of effectiveness and purpose, a life full of supernatural power. They had been a slave people, in Egypt for 400 years. They had cried out to God for a deliverer and God sent them Moses. And Moses led the people out of Egypt and through the Red Sea. We know that Egypt in the Bible speaks of life without God, a life controlled by selfish desires and selfish thoughts. As we recall what life was like before faith we remember that at some stage we too cried out. And God sent us a deliverer, His son, Jesus and we too went through our Red Sea and were baptized into His family. In 1 Corinthians 10 the apostle Paul tells us that their baptism through the Red Sea was a picture, an illustration of our baptism. After they became God s people they were led to Mt Sinai where they received the Word of God in the form of the Ten Commandments. And I can t help but recall as well when I first met the Lord how you and I too were led into a real love for the Bible. They had come to the edge of the Promised Land, a land of much fruitfulness when only two people believed God s promises and so as a nation they couldn t possess the land. For 40 years they wandered around and around in the wilderness kicking dust and swatting flies until only Joshua and Caleb were left and the rest of that unbelieving generation had died. Now as we come to our text this morning we see the nation of Israel 3.5 million people poised on the edge of the Jordan River about to cross over into the Promised Land, the land of abundance and blessing. The Jordan river as I have said is a picture of a second baptism. The baptism of the Holy Spirit. When the risen Jesus met with the believers he breathed on them. That word there can be translated breath or Spirit it comes from the Greek word Pneuma and they receive the Holy Spirit in them. But even though they had the Lord in 1
them he tells them to go to Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father. John baptized you with water but I will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. Here they are again, on the edge of the Promised Land, ready to go in, excited, a little scared, dreaming, anticipating. 3 Early in the morning If you haven t discovered it yet, a lot of good things happen, early in the morning with God. Joshua was a man who got up early in the morning habitually to be with the Lord, just as the NT Joshua Jesus used to as we read in Mark 1. Isaiah 50 gives us a prophecy about the Messiah telling us that he will rise early in the morning to be with the Father to find out from the Father what He was to do, what He was to say and where He was to go each day. 3 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittimand 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: The children of Israel camped on the bank of the Jordan for 3 days. Just waiting, just preparing themselves for what is ahead. Though we all know the scripture that those who wait on the Lord will mount with wings like eagles etc, our culture is not into waiting. It s hard. Maybe we pray for 5 or 10 or 15 minutes at a time but then we expect it all to happen. God honours waiting, listening, being still. And I know that for some of you, you are also on the banks of the Jordan right now, just waiting. You know that God has more for your life, you know that what you read in the book of Acts is far removed from your reality, and so you too are waiting, anticipating, desiring for God to use you more and for your life to be more effective. 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. Some translations say that when you see the ark move, go after it. The ark was and is a symbol of the presence of God, the Presence of the Holy Spirit. People when you see the presence of God, follow it, go after 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 [a] between you and the ark; do not go near it. 2
When you see the presence of God, when you see the Holy Spirit, follow it, go after it. But... you are going to be led in a way you have never been before so keep your distance. A big distance, around half a kilometre. Man is it good to go after the Holy Spirit. Seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Go after the supernatural life but... keep a distance between you and God. Today, in churches around the world we hear of people having this God experience or that supernatural experience, and they experience shaking or falling over or laughter, or they minister in this way or in that style and its all good but... keep your distance. Don t say God I need you to minister to me or through me the way you ministered to him or through her. Don t try to go after an experience someone else had or copy a ministry style that you admire. Follow after, pursue, go after the spirit filled life but let God lead you. And how he touches you and what you experience and how God uses you may be totally different to anybody else. That s His business and His provocative. Don t say God I need you to bless me like you did her or use me as you have that person. No, keep a respectful distance and as you pursue the things of the Spirit say Lord, touch me, guide me, use me, the way you want to touch me and use me. I am not demanding, I am not telling You what to do. I want you but Lord I want You to lead me and do things in and through me your way. I have seen people filled with the Holy Spirit and fall over and lie on the floor for two hours. I have seen others filled with the Holy Spirit and seemingly feel nothing and yet in both situations the evidence of a truly Spirit filled life results. Decide in your heart today to go after His presence, His empowering, His blessing but... give God the space to work out how that will look in your life. So they were told to follow the ark. 5 Joshua told the people, Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you. Consecrate yourselves, set yourselves apart, and prepare your hearts. You have been poised at the edge of the promise land for 3 days and now get ready, God is about to do something amazing. Interesting that before they were to possess the Promised Land they were to have this reflective time, a time where they would confess their sins and ask 3
God to examine their hearts and see if there be any wicked ways in them. Before the Baptism of the Holy Spirit came a time of repentance and cleaning. It is really uncommon nowadays to hear any Christian teacher or preacher talk about sin and the need to repent, the need to not only say sorry Lord please forgive me but to have with that a heartfelt determination to go the other way. But here s a big problem when it comes to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Often people ask to be filled with the Spirit when really they need to be emptied out of some stuff first. Illustration rocks in a jar fill with so much water. Take rocks out can fill completely. Illustration of Steven and Robyn Whittle. Some of you are waiting for something more, you want the Spirit filled life; you want to be more effective as a Christian. If that is you, then I encourage you as you wait on the banks of the Jordan, to give time to ask the Lord to examine you and cleanse you thoroughly. Let Him identify the rocks and take them out first so that when you ask for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit He can fill you to a much greater degree. 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. God said to that Joshua go into the Jordan River and as you do people are going to know that I am with you supernaturally. Many years later, our Joshua was to go into the Jordan River and be baptized by his cousin John. And as Jesus went under the water in the Jordan the Holy Spirit came on Him and He began living the supernatural life. Some people think that Jesus walked on water, preached with power, fed the 5000 miraculously, cast out demons, healed the sick because He was and is the Son of God. In reality though, Phil 2 tells us that He gave up all His power and glory to be born fully human. Jesus was able to do the things He did not because He was God s son, but because He had an amazing submissive relationship with the Father and at His Jordan the Holy Spirit had come on Him in the same way the Holy Spirit can come on you and I. Jesus was our example. The perfect human and He did what He was able to do because He experienced a second baptism at His baptism; the Holy Spirit came upon Him. 4
Does that mean that you and I can heal the sick, cast out demons, walk on water, and raise the dead? Yes, potentially we all can. We like Jesus are empowered to witness and to minister when the Holy Spirit comes upon us. 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. Now imagine being one of the priests whose job it was to carry this sacred box, this symbol of the very presence of God. A box so important that years later movies will be made of it and raiders will try to capture it. Imagine being one of those guys. You are standing in front of 3.5 million people. You have a really holy, really special job to do. And God is telling you through Joshua just step out into the raging river which at this time of the year is nearly a kilometre wide. Maybe if you had been one of those guys you would be saying, hang on a minute, Moses when he parted the Red Sea, did so before he stepped into the water. That would be a lot safer wouldn t it? I mean if we have to step out into the water before it stops, potentially the ark could be swept away and we could look like drips. In the first baptism the water is parted before they step out. In the second one they have to step out in faith before the waters are stopped. Why? I believe it is because faith is the currency, the language of heaven and we need to learn to live by faith now if we are going to do well in eternity. God doesn t say I will fill you with the Holy Spirit while you sit in your couch and watch Shortland Street. No, He says step out, ask someone to lay hand son you, take a risk, and prophesy for the first time. But, but, But God I might look like an egg. What if nothing happens I will feel so silly. I am not going to make you. I am not going to force you but this life I am inviting you into is about faith, you need to step out in faith and I will meet you there. 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 (the termintes, the flashlights). 11 See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. 5
When the Holy Spirit has come upon you He will go before you and give you victory over all the ites in this world. There will be a battle to be fought in the Promised Land but it s His might on your life that will give you the victory. 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. Here s a truth about God that might give you a head ache. God backed up the water 30 kilometres upstream. And it was done out of sight. The Priests had no idea God was already at work and God s timing was perfect as they put their feet out into the water the last of that flash flood passed by them. Have you got that? As they stepped out the end of that raging river passed by them so they could step onto dry land but the Lord had already backed it up 30kms upstream and out of sight. 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 Jordanis 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 heapa 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. Family, I love the fact that this river, symbolic of the Holy Spirits Baptism was flooded during the harvest. It brings back to my mind the words of Jesus as He spoke at the Festival of the Tabernacles in John 7:37-38 John 7:37-38 (NIV) 37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. God works in ways that we don t see. He says trust me. Step out by faith. I am not going to stop the river before you step into it but as you do, as you step out in faith I am going to meet you there. And He did for them and He will for you and I. 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. 6
Did you notice that the Priests who carried the ark stood firm, stopped in the middle of the river until all 3.5 million people has crossed over, until God s work had been completed. How long did that take? None of us know, but I suggest to you that they probably missed morning tea and lunch and afternoon tea. They stood firm and waited until God s work had been completed. I like that. It encouraged you and I who want to be used by the Lord. If things don t happen in an instant, if they don t happen in 5 minutes. Stand firm on the promises of God and trust Him to come through until His work is done. D.L Moody one day locked himself in a room in the Astoria Hotel in New York City. He said, God I am staying in this room without food until I know that I know you have empowered me with the Holy Spirit for ministry. Day one, nothing happened, day 2, still nothing happened, day 3 still not change but on the morning of the forth day he records how he became so overwhelmed with the Holy Spirit that he finally cried out Lord no more, stop pouring Your Spirit on me or I am going to die. From that day forward he became one of the greatest evangelists of all time. Family, have you been empowered by the Holy Spirit so that you can witness and serve others effectively? Are you waiting on the banks of the Jordan, knowing that there is so much more in God? Have you taken time to allow God to identify the sin in your life and take the rocks out so that you can be truly filled with the Holy Spirit? Are you willing to step out in faith not knowing what you will experience as god leads you into places you have not been before? And are you willing to stand on God s promises, stand firm, until you see God s promises fulfilled for your life and through your life for those around you? Our Joshua is leading us into a better life, a more fruitful life, a life that is much more supernatural than what we have experienced before, but He will not lead you one step further than you are willing to go. Pause.. But how do I know, how can I be sure that I have been baptized in the Holy Spirit? How do I know that I am living the Spirit filled abundant life? We will talk about that next week. 7