Next Is Now Week 3 - Glory Goes First

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Joshua 3:1-17 Christian Standard Bible

Joshua started early the next morning and left the Acacia Grove with all the Israelites. They went as far as the Jordan and stayed there before crossing. After three days the officers went through the camp and commanded the people, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God carried by the Levitical priests, you are to break camp and follow it. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between yourselves and the ark. Don’t go near it, so that you can see the way to go, for you haven’t traveled this way before.” Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, because the Lord will do wonders among you tomorrow.” Then he said to the priests, “Carry the ark of the covenant and go on ahead of the people.” So they carried the ark of the covenant and went ahead of them. The Lord spoke to Joshua: “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they will know that I will be with you just as I was with Moses. Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: When you reach the edge of the water, stand in the Jordan.” Then Joshua told the Israelites, “Come closer and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” He said, “You will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly dispossess before you the Canaanites, Hethites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites when the ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth goes ahead of you into the Jordan. Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe. When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord, the Lord of the whole earth, come to rest in the Jordan’s water, its water will be cut off. The water flowing downstream will stand up in a mass.”

When the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of the people. Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan, their feet touched the water at its edge and the water flowing downstream stood still, rising up in a mass that extended as far as Adam, a city next to Zarethan. The water flowing downstream into the Sea of the Arabah—the Dead  Sea—was completely cut off, and the people crossed opposite Jericho. The priests carrying the ark of the Lord’s covenant stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed on dry ground until the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan.

Summary

BT exists to GLORIFY GOD… This week the sermon was entitled Glory Goes First. We are in week three of our Next Is Now Series. In the passage we see the Lord perform a miracle with water. In Exodus he parted the Red Sea when Moses raised his staff. In today’s passage He stops the flow of the Jordan River so that the people could cross on their way to Jericho. However, Joshua did not have to do anything himself, the water stopped flowing as soon as the feet of the Levitical Priests touched the water. This passage shows us that we are to move with God. Our sermon points show us that moving with God may mean: Wait, Wash, Watch or Walk.. 

In verses 1-4 we see the people WAITING. Why were they waiting? Well they needed to see where God was going. They did not want to get ahead of God.

In verse 5 the people are asked to WASH. Consecrate yourselves is what they were told. This is a spiritual cleanse that prepares you to worship the Lord with  the right attitude. 

In verses 6-16 we see God move, by asking people to Watch. Joshua wanted the people to see where the Lord was leading.

Finally in verse 17 we see the people WALK. Once they were able to see where God was leading they knew which way they should WALK.  

Moving with God could mean that you are in a state of WAIT, you may need to WASH so you can clearly see where He is leading, you may be watching to see what He is preparing to do, or you may be ready to WALK where he is leading you to go. The only way to know what state you are in is by being in relationship with Him. If you are not in relationship with Him, today is the day to start.

 

Discussion

  1. Has the Lord ever asked you to wait? Explain

  2. What did you learn in the wait? Explain

  3. Have you ever had to consecrate (prepare) yourself for what God had for you? Explain

  4. Have you watched as the Lord did something amazing? Explain

  5. Has God ever asked you to move first, before He showed you what he was doing? Explain

 

Announcements

Continue to pray for our CG leaders.

  1. Help us pray for new CGs to be formed.

  2. We will be scheduling a CG Leaders meeting soon, more information coming soon

Pastor Isauro Medina
Isauro.medina@bt.church
Cell: (956) 984-9380

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Next Is Now Week 4 - Overcoming Obstacles

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Next Is Now Week 1 - Four Keys to Conquering Change