INTRODUCTION
The Old
Testament is not our law but for our learning. Rom.
15:4. We can receive some important lessons about crossing
the Jordan in our lives.
Josh. 3:1-5 And Joshua rose early in the morning;
and they removed from Shittim, and
came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before
they
passed over. And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went
through
the host; And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of
the
covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests and Levites bearing it,
then
ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. Yet there shall be a
space between
you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it,
that ye
may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.
And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the
LORD
will do wonders among you."
Early in the morning when Joshua got up he had big plans facing him. Today was the day he would lead Israel over the swollen and overflowing Jordan. This river was usually shallow and easy to cross but now it was flooded and formidable. Across the Jordan was Jericho and battles to be waged.
They had never been this way before and needed to be sober thinking and alert!
Like Israel facing Jordan, we face several Jordan's as we enter the the 21st Century. We shall examine these Jordan's in a moment. But, first, let us look at Joshua. God's leader Joshua served at least two-three million people. Joshua prepared of God to lead the people across the Jordan, into the Promised Land. First, Joshua arose early in the morning. The time had arrived. It was time to go on the other side.
The instructions for the people was to "sanctify" themselves that is good instruction for us today "sanctify yourselves"!
God's leaders today must awaken to the seriousness of the hour. We too stand on the banks of several Jordan's. In only three years from the day a new millennium and the new century will be recorded.
Joshua gathered all the people on the banks of the Jordan for three days without saying anything to them. The time for talking had long since passed. He brought them face to face with the great challenge before them.
There was the raging Jordan. Across Jordan was Canaan the Promised Land... The Land was full of unknowns. But this was what they had waited for so long. And, there it was.
Joshua wanted them to examine their hearts and face the future. Joshua's leaders were called "officers". The had to carefully explained to their brethren was about to happen.
Remember, there were no public address systems, radio, or CNN television updates . The officers, face to face, told the people that the Ark of the Covenant, would soon lead the way, carried by the Levites.
The people were to follow the Ark, staying back about 2,000 cubits (3,000 feet). They were to stay back about a half mile so behind the Ark. Yet from this distance nearly all of the millions of Jews could always see the Ark. The Ark would go before them and never get lost in their journey to the Promised Land.
The people were reminded that the path ahead was a brand new one. They had never traveled this road before. Joshua told them to "sanctify themselves". They were to prepare themselves spiritually, mentally and physically, for the experience of their lives.
They were crossing over Jordan. They would enter the Promised Land. " The Church of Christ stands on the banks of the 21st Century. During the next three years, we must realize it is time to serve the Lord fully.
All of us need to wake up!
We must fix our eyes on Christ. We must repent. We must sanctify ourselves. We must have a new zeal for the Lord.
We have not passed this way before.
The Israelites led by their priests stood in the riverbed of the Jordan
and crossed on dry ground. Just as God had dried the pathway through
the Red Sea. Now God will open a pathway of dry land in the swollen
Jordan River. The ground was dry until the last Israelite crossed
the river. Today we have many Jordan's and we are looking for Leaders
to blaze the trail. I want to see elders, deacons, preachers, Bible
teachers, and every member follow closely to the Lord and cross our Jordan's
safely.
THE JORDAN OF OUR NATION TURNING FROM GOD
America is about to exit another century in her history.
I fear she is spiritually weaker. She is in grave danger of
no longer being the land of the free, and the home of the brave.
We seem driven to become the land of the wicked, and the home of the degenerate.
Every Christian needs to realize there is much we need to do for our nation.
We need to preach and pray for our nation.
We need to stand against sin and compromise among our brethren.
We must prepare our hearts for the truth obey and teach it.
Our nation is departing from God at an alarming rate. The answer for our nation is God's son Jesus Christ!.
a. Christ is the answer for the drug problem.
b. Christ is the answer for racism in our country..
c. Christ is the answer for violence and crime in our society.
d. Christ is the answer for marriages and our homes in America..
e. Until Christ is the center of the church ,and Christians are not
content with the status quo, we will fail and
America will become weaker.
Proverbs 14:23 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
Our nation needs to be evangelized desperately. Islam and New
Age religions are becoming accepted
and New Testament Christianity is declining or barely progressing.
We need to commit ourselves to evangelizing
America again. Americans need to have evangelism as well as every
other nation.
Mk. 16:15 Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel
to every creature. He that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved, he that believeth not shall be damned.
The church must train and send laborers from door to door, and from
house to house, and not be ashamed of
our Lord and his church. The cults and denominations go, neighborhood
by neighborhood door knocking, why don't we?
.
We must use the airwaves to preach the truth. We seem to want
too socialize and conform to the wishes of the denominations. Our preaching
has become a Madison Avenue gospel instead of a Jerusalem gospel!
We need to preach the distinctive gospel and tell people what the Bible
says. Let us not preach what is popular. America
must wake up before she drowns in the Jordan of sin.
II Chron. 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name,
shall humble themselves,
and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then
will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal
their land.
Some Personal Jordan's face us
One song says I am bound for the promise land, O who will go with me? I am bound for the promise land.
We all are making a journey which leads to a Jordan to cross. The trip of life and death is before all of us.
Heb. 9:27 It is appointed once for a man to die and after that the judgment.
Death is not a series of reincarnations. It is appointed "once" for a man to die and after that judgement.
Another song says, " I Won't Have To Cross Jordan Alone.."
As a Christian when I face the swollen Jordan of health problems, discouragement's,disappointments,
and setbacks,
I will not face them alone. The Lord is my companion, friend,
and savior. Jesus , Hebrew name means Joshua , he
will take me safely across the raging Jordan.
Psalms 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley and the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
What a comfort not to cross Jordan alone. The Lord is with me to the bitter end.
I must make the journey with the lord. I cannot take wife, children, friends but this journey is by myself, or with the Lord.
Heb. 13:5 I will never leave the nor forsake thee.
Matt. 28:20 and, lo I am with you alway, even unto
the end of the world. amen.
. When I
come to the river at ending of day, when the last winds of sorrow have
blown
There'll be somebody waiting to show me the way. I won't have to cross
Jordan alone.
I won't have to cross Jordan alone, Jesus died all my sins to atone. When
the darkness I see,
He'll be waiting for me. I won't have to cross Jordan alone.
The Christian is not stopped at the Jordan. The child of God can safely cross and nothing with destroy or stop them.
Rom. 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,
or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
The Lord will cross my Jordan's with me. As a Christian I am never alone!
When I tread the virge of Jordan bid my anxious fears subside,
bear me through the current, land me safe on Canaan's side.
Conclusion
Are you prepared for Jordan's crossing? The Christian is the
only person that will cross safely in this time of life.
To become a Christian the word of God instructs us to obey these commands
to be saved.
Believe Jesus is the son of God, John. 8:24
Repent and turn from sin,
Luke 13:3-5
Confess Christ before man, Matthew
10:32
Be immersed, baptized for remission of sins, Acts
2:38
Live a faithful Christian life,
Revelation 2:10
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