Lead Us Into the Promised Land!

Joshua Chapter 3

The Joshua Tree

The Jesus Tree?

Joshua = Jesus

• Joshua in Hebrew is Yehoshua

• Yehoshua is shortened to Yeshua

• Yeshua in Greek becomes Iesus

• Iesus in German/English becomes Jesus

• The name Joshua or Jesus means “Yahweh Saves.”

Joshua Until Now. . .• Led the battle against Amalek while Aaron and Hur held

up Moses’ arms (Ex. 18).• Was Moses’ assistant, who accompanied him to the

mountain of God, and who was in the tent of meeting when God spoke to Moses “face to face” (Ex. 24:13; 33:11).

• Mistakenly asked Moses to stop two elders who were prophesying (Num. 11:28).

• Moses changed his name from Hoshea to Joshua (Num. 13:16).

• One of two of the twelve spies who trusted in the Lord (Num. 14:6), and did not die in the wilderness with the rest of their generation.

• Became Moses’ designated successor (Deut. 3:28).

Israel Until Now. . .• The last of the Exodus generation (besides

Joshua and Caleb) had died in the wilderness.• Moses had delivered the law to the new

generation in Deuteronomy.• Moses has died and been mourned.• It is now time for a new generation, with a new

leader, to go where the previous generation had been unable to go.

• Two spies sent by Joshua have infiltrated Jericho and found its denizens quaking with fear.

• All that remains is to cross the river and take what God has promised.

Joshua Chapter 3:

The Jordan River

Read Joshua 3:1-6

Read Joshua 3:7-17

Crossing the River

• The crossing of the Jordan is both a recapitulation of crossing the Red Sea and a foreshadowing of the work of Christ.

• In addition, crossing the Jordan becomes a metaphor for death and other moments of rededication and renewal.

Moses

Exodus

Generation

Red Sea

Wilderness

Joshua

Wilderness

Generation

Jordan River

Promised

Land

Jesus

His

Church

Baptism

Wilderness

AND

Promised

Land

Crossing the River

• The elders believe that this church is poised to cross over from a “wilderness period” into a new era of spiritual growth, member involvement, and effectiveness.

• Our “Joshua” is not going to be a new preacher. Rather, our Joshua is the one who has the same name: JESUS will lead us WITH OR WITHOUT the aid of a minister.

Joshua’s Instructions: Preparation for Crossing the River

“Consecrate yourselves; for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you” (3:5).

Consecration is dedication and purification.

#1: Make Yourselves Holy

Joshua’s Instructions: Preparation for Crossing the River

“Keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it” (3:4).

#2: Give God Space

Joshua’s Instructions: Preparation for Crossing the River

“When you see the ark. . . Follow it. Then you will know the way to go, since you have never been this way before” (3:3-4).

#3: Follow God’s Lead

We Stand at a Similar Threshold

• Like Israel, this church has gone through a period of wandering in a spiritual wilderness– A time of trials and tests– A time for weeding out those who grumbled

and lacked faith

• Will we continue to wander, or are we now ready to cross the river and become what God has promised us we can be?

What is the “Promised Land” for Meridian Woods?

• FOUL LANGUAGE ALERT:

• By “crossing into the Promised Land,” I mean “realizing our potential as a church.”

• By “realizing our potential,” I mean that we function in a way that fulfills God’s unique vision for what we can and ought to be.

• What is your personal vision of Meridian Woods Church meeting her full potential?

There Is Only One Person Who Can Lead Us Into Our

Promised Land. . .

Yeshua Is the Only One Qualified

• No preacher or elder can do for us what only Christ can do.

• No church leader can succeed without Christ’s power and guidance.

• We AS A BODY must become spiritually sensitive to his leading.

Yeshua Is Sufficient• We do not require a preacher to fulfill

God’s mission– The early church did not appear to have

located, professional preachers• They had local bodies of elders and travelling

apostles and evangelists.• All members were expected to contribute and

participate in worship and service (1 Cor. 14:26)

– The early Restoration Movement eschewed professional preachers

• They feared a clergy/laity system would stunt spiritual growth and tempt people to preach for monetary gain

Yeshua Is Necessary

• The reason that many churches are ineffective and dying is because they have lost touch with the real presence of Christ among them.

• The church HAS a head, a shepherd, a president and C.E.O. But do we act as if he’s on a permanent leave of absence?

• A preacher can do us no good if Christ is not already our leader IN REALITY (and not just in theory).

• There is incomprehensible power available at our fingertips if only we ask for it in holiness, obedience, and faith.

• No mere preacher can heal this church, inspire us, or give us vision.

• Only Christ is qualified and authorized, and ultimately he is all we really need.

Ephesians 2:17-19

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,

Ephesians 2:20-23

. . . which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Ephesians 3:14-19For this reason I kneel before the Father, from

whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:20-21

. . . Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Lead Us Into the Promised Land!

• First, let us consecrate ourselves.

– What is our commitment level? How far are we willing to go? How important is this whole kingdom/church/Jesus thing to us?

– Sin WILL drive God out of our midst. The church is a recovery group for sinners, but those who

Lead Us Into the Promised Land!

• Second, let us give God space– We cannot be dogmatic about our own

agendas and vision for this church. – As a body we must be watchful, open-minded,

and sensitive to the directions God will be leading us. We must be willing to experiment and change.

– As with Joshua, he may be leading us somewhere we’ve never been before.

Lead Us Into the Promised Land!

• Third, let us follow where he leads us

– Crossing into the promised land will take hard work and sacrifice. It cannot be done without prayer, patience, and humility.

– We must call on God to give us the power and courage to become what he calls us to be.

A Final Warning – 1 Corinthians 10Verses 1-5

For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.

A Final Warning – 1 Corinthians 10Verses 6-9

 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes.

A Final Warning – 1 Corinthians 10Verses 10-11

And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.   

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.

“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”