From Jordan to Jericho
Joshua 6:1-14
What a tragedy it is when God’s people fail to claim their inheritance and wander aimlessly through life as the nation of Israel did in the wilderness. For 40 years, Israel refused to claim the inheritance that God had promised to give them. Israel, under the capable leadership of Moses, was able to crossover the Red Sea on dry ground and witnessed the drowning of Pharaoh’s army. Crossing the Red Sea was a defining moment, for it symbolizes coming out of slavery and separation from the old life. The crossing of the Jordan is about claiming the inheritance. We should all be encouraged to leave behind all of the things that creates slavery and holds us in captivity. From day to day, week to week, we encounter those who have no self confidence, no affection, no self affirmation or no self belief. How can we ever become the person God wants us to be if we have a problem believing in ourselves. I can and we can are powerful words that can change our lives forever. We will not go anywhere or be anybody until we have a faith in God that will not waiver and sure footed confidence in ourselves. Today, as we look at the book of Joshua, we discover the nation of Israel now being lead by a military genius named Joshua. Joshua had faith in God and he also had confidence in himself. From Jordan River to walls of Jericho is an intriguing story. For many years Israel had been stuck in a wilderness wandering from one side to the other. It is a sad day when where you are is where you will be. So many young men and women today have no desire to go anywhere or to do anything. The church today must wake-up and challenge those who are satisfied with being in the wilderness. Far too many people are wandering in the wilderness. It is past time for us to develop a strategy that teaches us how to move from Jordan to Jericho. A plan that helps us to see that there is more to life than eating, sleeping, working and playing. Life is too short to settle for just crossing the Red Sea and living in a wilderness. Life is more than living week to week, pay check to pay check, from one high to another high, from disappointment to another one. Life is about laying claim to what’s on the other side of Jordan. God promised Joshua that if he would lead and obey him he would grant the Israelites safe passage across the Jordan River and give them the inheritance he had promised their forefathers. Today, as I stand before you I want to remind us that you can achieve your goals, you can truly enjoy the fullness of life if you only learn how to go across Jordan and through Jericho. In layman’s terms, we must learn to crossover what seems impossible go through what seems invincible. Then and only then can we say we are truly living. Some things that we are facing today seem impossible for us to change or to deal with. However, the word of God declares that all things are possible to him that believes. The Jordan River was impossible to cross, but God provide a means for them to cross without any trouble. Permit me to point out some obvious things in the text that can help us to go over our Jordans and through our Jericho. God helps Joshua to see that when we depend on him we can be victorious. If we are to crossover and go through we must follow the example of Joshua and the Israelites.
I. We must recognize the hand of God (God’s power). Joshua had to submit to God before God would grant him the peace and guidance needed to cross the Jordan. Remember, Joshua was leading a group who was not present when Moses crossed the Red Sea. It’s extremely difficult to lead those who are not familiar with how they arrived at the present location. Many today are under the misunderstanding that they are where they are because of their own ability. Let me remind each of us today to remember that whatever it is that we have God gave it to us. That we know God taught us. Joshua’s confidence and faith in God was unmovable. We must always have enough sense to place our faith and future in the hands of God. The bible declares that Jericho was shut up, nothing went in and nothing came out. When we trust God, he opens doors and escorts us into places where others did not intend for us to go or see. Even in times like these when in America, same sex marriage seems to be the only agenda on the docket of the church. But a few years ago, God escorted some God fearing people to Washington and they were able to discover that same sex marriage was not the only morality issue that America has. When you look at our nation’s budget, that does not include monies for Africa, the rebuilding of New Orleans, yet we see more dollars going into bombs and military artillery. At the same time, Mr. President, you are cutting welfare, Medicaid, Medicare, Head start, Pell Grants and funding for many other programs designed to assist the least of those in our communities. If you are not standing on Holy Ground, you will miss those line items.
II. Also, we must learn to glance at our problems and gaze at our God. We cannot spend a lot of our time focusing on our problems we must remain focused on our God. So many things, we see and hear daily are designed to cause us to loose our focus. When we lose our focus we will not only not hit the target, but will not even be aiming at a target. To many of us are becoming less God conscious and more time meditating on our problems than we are spending meditating on the Word of God provides us with the balance and stability we need to cope with daily problems. With all of the things taking place around me today, I certainly don’t want to become more concern with making my problems bigger than my God. That’s why I focused more on his word and less on the words of others. The words of the Lord are refreshing and life sustaining. The words of men are often critical and destructive in nature. To depend on a military to protect us is futile. We must understand if one man with the assistance of a few others can create fear in the hearts of America and create what is now called Homeland Security. Don’t you know we need the help of God?
III. Not only do we need to glance at our problems and gaze at our God, but we must surround our Jericho’s. Surrounding the walls of Jericho is a symbol of prayer. When Israel marched for six days, once a day the citizen’s of Jericho did not seem troubled by what was happening outside the walls. The world does not seem to be affected by our unconventional methods in ministry today. It wasn’t until the seventh day things changed. God was building faith and patience in the Israelites. No community, church or person can expect to accomplish much in life without patience and faith. Many of churches today do not have members who are willing to stay the course even when things don’t appear to be changing. Somebody today maybe facing a Jericho moment and things don’t seem to be changing. God starts with the internal and external. Men focus externally ad then move internally. God works on the picture before he picks the frame. Too many of us are more impressed with the frame than we are the picture. The walls of Jericho came down without the force of an army. Once that which has impeded progress for so long comes down, we should not waste time and energy trying to rebuild the broken areas.
As I close today, God wants to give us a faith that Moves the unmovable.
Endures the unendurable.
Loves the unlovable.
Forgives the unforgivable.
Bears the unbearable.
Faces the unfaceable.
And conquers the unconquerable.
This faith has delivered us in times of disasters.
Strengthened us in times of temptations.
Sustained us in suffering.
Kept us in persecution.
Revived us in sorrow.
Assured us in fear.
Led us in times of darkness.
Held us in times of loneliness.
Comforted us in grief.
Healed us in sickness.
Talked to us in silence.
Bless us in brokenness.
Replaced our heartaches with hallelujahs.
Replaced our discord with harmony
Brought light to darkness.
Purity to poison.
Riches to rags.
Joy to sorrow.
Joshua 6:1-14
What a tragedy it is when God’s people fail to claim their inheritance and wander aimlessly through life as the nation of Israel did in the wilderness. For 40 years, Israel refused to claim the inheritance that God had promised to give them. Israel, under the capable leadership of Moses, was able to crossover the Red Sea on dry ground and witnessed the drowning of Pharaoh’s army. Crossing the Red Sea was a defining moment, for it symbolizes coming out of slavery and separation from the old life. The crossing of the Jordan is about claiming the inheritance. We should all be encouraged to leave behind all of the things that creates slavery and holds us in captivity. From day to day, week to week, we encounter those who have no self confidence, no affection, no self affirmation or no self belief. How can we ever become the person God wants us to be if we have a problem believing in ourselves. I can and we can are powerful words that can change our lives forever. We will not go anywhere or be anybody until we have a faith in God that will not waiver and sure footed confidence in ourselves. Today, as we look at the book of Joshua, we discover the nation of Israel now being lead by a military genius named Joshua. Joshua had faith in God and he also had confidence in himself. From Jordan River to walls of Jericho is an intriguing story. For many years Israel had been stuck in a wilderness wandering from one side to the other. It is a sad day when where you are is where you will be. So many young men and women today have no desire to go anywhere or to do anything. The church today must wake-up and challenge those who are satisfied with being in the wilderness. Far too many people are wandering in the wilderness. It is past time for us to develop a strategy that teaches us how to move from Jordan to Jericho. A plan that helps us to see that there is more to life than eating, sleeping, working and playing. Life is too short to settle for just crossing the Red Sea and living in a wilderness. Life is more than living week to week, pay check to pay check, from one high to another high, from disappointment to another one. Life is about laying claim to what’s on the other side of Jordan. God promised Joshua that if he would lead and obey him he would grant the Israelites safe passage across the Jordan River and give them the inheritance he had promised their forefathers. Today, as I stand before you I want to remind us that you can achieve your goals, you can truly enjoy the fullness of life if you only learn how to go across Jordan and through Jericho. In layman’s terms, we must learn to crossover what seems impossible go through what seems invincible. Then and only then can we say we are truly living. Some things that we are facing today seem impossible for us to change or to deal with. However, the word of God declares that all things are possible to him that believes. The Jordan River was impossible to cross, but God provide a means for them to cross without any trouble. Permit me to point out some obvious things in the text that can help us to go over our Jordans and through our Jericho. God helps Joshua to see that when we depend on him we can be victorious. If we are to crossover and go through we must follow the example of Joshua and the Israelites.
I. We must recognize the hand of God (God’s power). Joshua had to submit to God before God would grant him the peace and guidance needed to cross the Jordan. Remember, Joshua was leading a group who was not present when Moses crossed the Red Sea. It’s extremely difficult to lead those who are not familiar with how they arrived at the present location. Many today are under the misunderstanding that they are where they are because of their own ability. Let me remind each of us today to remember that whatever it is that we have God gave it to us. That we know God taught us. Joshua’s confidence and faith in God was unmovable. We must always have enough sense to place our faith and future in the hands of God. The bible declares that Jericho was shut up, nothing went in and nothing came out. When we trust God, he opens doors and escorts us into places where others did not intend for us to go or see. Even in times like these when in America, same sex marriage seems to be the only agenda on the docket of the church. But a few years ago, God escorted some God fearing people to Washington and they were able to discover that same sex marriage was not the only morality issue that America has. When you look at our nation’s budget, that does not include monies for Africa, the rebuilding of New Orleans, yet we see more dollars going into bombs and military artillery. At the same time, Mr. President, you are cutting welfare, Medicaid, Medicare, Head start, Pell Grants and funding for many other programs designed to assist the least of those in our communities. If you are not standing on Holy Ground, you will miss those line items.
II. Also, we must learn to glance at our problems and gaze at our God. We cannot spend a lot of our time focusing on our problems we must remain focused on our God. So many things, we see and hear daily are designed to cause us to loose our focus. When we lose our focus we will not only not hit the target, but will not even be aiming at a target. To many of us are becoming less God conscious and more time meditating on our problems than we are spending meditating on the Word of God provides us with the balance and stability we need to cope with daily problems. With all of the things taking place around me today, I certainly don’t want to become more concern with making my problems bigger than my God. That’s why I focused more on his word and less on the words of others. The words of the Lord are refreshing and life sustaining. The words of men are often critical and destructive in nature. To depend on a military to protect us is futile. We must understand if one man with the assistance of a few others can create fear in the hearts of America and create what is now called Homeland Security. Don’t you know we need the help of God?
III. Not only do we need to glance at our problems and gaze at our God, but we must surround our Jericho’s. Surrounding the walls of Jericho is a symbol of prayer. When Israel marched for six days, once a day the citizen’s of Jericho did not seem troubled by what was happening outside the walls. The world does not seem to be affected by our unconventional methods in ministry today. It wasn’t until the seventh day things changed. God was building faith and patience in the Israelites. No community, church or person can expect to accomplish much in life without patience and faith. Many of churches today do not have members who are willing to stay the course even when things don’t appear to be changing. Somebody today maybe facing a Jericho moment and things don’t seem to be changing. God starts with the internal and external. Men focus externally ad then move internally. God works on the picture before he picks the frame. Too many of us are more impressed with the frame than we are the picture. The walls of Jericho came down without the force of an army. Once that which has impeded progress for so long comes down, we should not waste time and energy trying to rebuild the broken areas.
As I close today, God wants to give us a faith that Moves the unmovable.
Endures the unendurable.
Loves the unlovable.
Forgives the unforgivable.
Bears the unbearable.
Faces the unfaceable.
And conquers the unconquerable.
This faith has delivered us in times of disasters.
Strengthened us in times of temptations.
Sustained us in suffering.
Kept us in persecution.
Revived us in sorrow.
Assured us in fear.
Led us in times of darkness.
Held us in times of loneliness.
Comforted us in grief.
Healed us in sickness.
Talked to us in silence.
Bless us in brokenness.
Replaced our heartaches with hallelujahs.
Replaced our discord with harmony
Brought light to darkness.
Purity to poison.
Riches to rags.
Joy to sorrow.
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