One More River To Cross

            And the priests that bare the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan  ( Joshua 3:17 ).

 

The children of Israel were delivered out of Egypt by the mighty hand of God.  Egypt represents sin, a type of the world.

God’s people today should not live in sin, they should leave the land of Egypt.
God brought Israel through the Red Sea, which is a type of water baptism.
A few days into the wilderness, and Israel began to murmur and complain.  They lost their faith in the promises of God.  They lost their faith in the promise of a land that flowed with milk and honey.

Even though the presence and power of God was displayed on Mt. Sinai, Israel soon became doubters of the promise.

We have people like this today.  God has brought them out of a life of sin, through the Red Sea of baptism, and given them a promise of a better land.

A little journey into the valley of temptation, and they lose faith in God.  They forget about God’s promises, and began to murmur and complain.

As Israel was in the wilderness, so we today are in a wilderness of evil.  The wilderness  was  not  a  place  to  sit  down   and   retire.    Some   today   are   content   in

living a life  in  the  wilderness.   The  wilderness  is  hot,  dry,  and  water  nowhere  to  be found.

Living in the wilderness will run you ragged and leave you empty.  Most of the people who came out of Egypt died in the wilderness.  They complained against their leader and against God.

Listen, saint of God, you may be walking today in the wilderness of this world, but God’s promises are true.  Hold on to the promise.  Respect your pastor God has given you to watch for your soul.  He will lead you to the land of promise.

Israel came to the place outlined in our text.  For forty years, they had walked in

the wilderness.  Moses had died, and now Joshua was the new leader.

God spoke to Joshua one day and told him it was time to cross Jordan.  It was moving time; it was going home time.

What excitement rushed through the camp that day.  Mothers were preparing for the trip to the promised land.  Dads were getting their gear ready to cross Jordan.  The air was filled with emotion.  They had crossed the Red Sea, but now there was one more river to cross before going home.

Child of God, set your house in order, it’s moving time, it’s time; we are going

home.  There is one more river to cross.

The high priests were commanded to bear up the Ark of the Covenant on their shoulders.  The Ark of the Covenant represented the presence and power of God.  What a tremendous responsibility that is placed upon the shoulders of the ministry today.  We bear the presence and power of Almighty God.

Israel began to follow the priests as they bore the Ark of the Covenant on their shoulders.

This is a lesson for the church today.  We are to follow the pastor as he follows Christ.  The people did not go before the high priests.  They did not go before the Ark of the Covenant.  Some today want to do it their own way, but we must do it God’s way.  The presence and power of God must lead us through this Jordan.

No one knew how they were to cross Jordan.  The Scriptures said, that Jordan overflowed its banks.  The people simply put their faith and trust in God as they followed the high priests.

Is it for us today to figure out God?  Why do we question the direction of the ministry?  We are simply commanded to put our trust and faith in God and He will do the rest.  It is He who will see that we cross Jordan.

Jordan overflowed its banks all the time of harvest.  It is harvest time in the world today.  It is time to work in the harvest fields of God for the souls of men and women.
Never in all history, have we seen such a floodtide of evil flowing in the world today.  Sin abounds at harvest.  There is enough sin and evil flowing today to sweep any child of God off their feet, but we are trusting in God.  We are trusting in His promises.  We are going to cross this river.

As the feet of the high priests stepped into Jordan, the waters rolled back.  The

priests stood still in the midst of Jordan.

Preacher, we must stand still in the floodtide of evil today.  We must take a stand for God.  We must stand, we must stand!

We must stand against the floodtide of abortion.

We must stand against the floodtide of government control.

We must stand against the floodtide of immorality.

We must stand against the floodtide of complacency.

What do you stand for, preacher?

I stand for true repentance.

I stand for baptism in the Name of Christ.

I stand for receiving God’s Holy Spirit.

I stand for living a life of holiness.

I stand for fighting the devil.

I stand for declaring the gospel.

I stand for the pure Word of God.

I stand for the second coming of Jesus Christ.

If we do not take a stand in Jordan, preachers, how are the people going to cross over?  With the presence and power of God, we can stand.

All Israel crossed over Jordan that day into the land of promise.  What rejoicing, what shouting, what singing!

They had crossed the last river into the promised  land,  no  more  rivers  to  cross.
Child of God, I charge you today, hold on to the promises of God.  It’s about going home time.  It’s about moving time.  Sin is abounding everywhere.  We are going to cross this river by the presence and power of Almighty God.

One more river to cross and we will all be home with Jesus.