Crossing the Jordan

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• Crossing the Jordan
• Joshua 3

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• 1. By faith, make appropriate preparations
• 224" We're sure the LORD has given us the whole
  country," they said. "The people there shake with
  fear every time they think of us."
•  31Early the next morning, Joshua and the
  Israelites packed up and left Acacia. They went
  to the Jordan River and camped there that night.
  2Two days later their leaders went through the
  camp, 3-4shouting, "When you see some of the
  priests carrying the sacred chest, you'll know it
  is time to cross to the other side.

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• 1. By faith, make appropriate preparations
• You've never been there before, and you won't
  know the way, unless you follow the chest. But
  don't get too close! Stay about half a mile
  back." 5Joshua told the people, "Make yourselves
  acceptable to worship the LORD, because he is
  going to do some amazing things for us." 6Then
  Joshua turned to the priests and said, "Take the
  chest and cross the Jordan River ahead of us." So
  the priests picked up the chest by its carrying
  poles and went on ahead. (CEV)

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• 1. By faith, make appropriate preparations
• When God speaks, we should take measures to act
  swiftly
• to get the people ready to cross the Jordan
  River (12)
• True faith and godly works go hand in hand Gene
  Getz

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• 2. Hearing the leading of God
• 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. 8 Tell the priests who carry the ark of
  the covenant When you reach the edge of the
  Jordans waters, go and stand in the river.

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• 2. Hearing the leading of God
• When God asks you to do something impossible he
  usually shows you the how to do it !
• Remember if God wants you to do something, he
  will help you do it!

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• 2. Hearing the leading of God
• I prayed for faith and thought that some day
  it would come down and strike me like lightning.
  But faith didnt seem to come. One day I read in
  Romans that faith comes by hearing and hearing
  by the word of God. I had up to this time,
  closed my Bible and prayed for faith. Now I
  opened my Bible and began to study and faith has
  been growing ever since. D.L. Moody

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• 3. Speaking out the things of God
• 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.

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• 3. Speaking out the things of God
• 11 See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of
  all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of
  you. 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
  LORDthe Lord of all the earthset foot in the
  Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut
  off and stand up in a heap.

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• 3. Speaking out the things of God
• 7 And the LORD said to Joshua, Today I will
  begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel
• As the Lord leads, exercise humble
• God-honouring faith
• The Lord of all the earth

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• 3. Speaking out the things of God
• Psychological and spiritual release
• Deeper conviction
• Gives others the opportunity to hear God
• Mobilizes a people for the Lord
• Opportunity for added discernment
• Opportunity for accountability and meaningful
  relationships

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• 4. Just do it and watch God move with power!
• 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 Jordan is
  at flood stage all during harvest The water in
  the river had risen over its banks, as it often
  does in springtime. Yet as soon as the priests
  who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their
  feet touched the waters edge, 16 the water from
  upstream stopped flowing.

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• 4. Just do it and watch God move with power!
• It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at
  a town called Adam (adamme) 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. 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.

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(No Transcript)
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• 4. Just do it and watch God move with power!
• 210 We have heard how the LORD dried up the
  water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of
  Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two
  kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom
  you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it,
  our hearts melted in fear and everyones courage
  failed because of you, for the LORD your God is
  God in heaven above and on the earth below.

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• 4. Just do it and watch God move with power!
• Issue of War in the Old Testament
• A Loving God
• The Culture of the day
• The life of Christ
• As the Lord leads, exercise humble
• God-honouring faith