DISEMBARK:

Are there things we can do NOW to prepare for what’s   NEXT.

1.DECLUTTER

Moses Is Dead. It is important to know that the law cannot bring you into the promise. The Old covenant was proof that we can’t do anything without Jesus. IT doesn’t matter how much we try we can never live up to everything the law required. The purpose of the OC was to point to Jesus. We could never perform well enough to attain his pleasure in the Old Covenant. The New Covenant created a platform where we have access to his presence without the pressure to perform.!!

2.DERIVE – to take or obtain from a particular source, to find origin in a particular source.

We must be settled in the reality of Jesus’ resurrection as the source and spring of our own life, future, and inheritance before we keep going.

3.DISCOVER

Two Primary Results of Recon: 

1. Confidence: God is faithful to His promise. He has given you the land.

The only power satan has is the power to deceive. Our battle should be against the (trickery) of the devil (Eph. 6:11), not the devil himself.

Any other approach is actually giving the devil authority and power which he doesn’t have, and he uses that to intimidate us.

Colossians 2:15 says, “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

The archaic meaning of the word “spoiled” here is “to plunder; despoil” (American Heritage Dictionary). This means that after Jesus defeated Satan, He stripped him of everything he had, specifically the keys of death and hell (Rev. 1:18). Satan has no power to imprison anyone. He is the master of deception.

The Greek word that was translated “shew” in this verse (Col 2:15) is “deigmatizo” which means “to exhibit” (Strong). This comes from the root word “deigma” which means “a specimen (as shown)” Made a public display-spectacle.

Satan is like one of those bugs we had to capture for biology class. We caught it and then impaled it on a board with a little pin to exhibit it.

The Greek word that was translated “triumphing over” in Colossians 2:15 is especially significant. It means “to make an acclamatory procession” This is specifically referring to the way the Romans had a “triumphant procession” after they had defeated their enemies.

2. Compassion You will encounter broken lives that need to experience redemption
3. Our History Is Irrelevant   — No Limit to His Grace
4. His Blood Is Powerful — Power in The Blood — Bind It!!!
5. Our Future Is Secure — Bloodline of A Champion

Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

Made Us Alive – Raised Us Up Seated – Us with Him

4.DISEMBARK: Means to Leave  

INTRODUCTION: 

We are laying hold of our eternal purpose of God gravitating to global glory to be a called-out community of believers for such a time as this. The church will extinguish the fiery flames of the enemy and is the vehicle that will manifest his multifaceted glory to all principalities and powers. 

We are the instrument through which God will govern the universe and manifest his wisdom.” Pastor Karl Thomas

We are disembarking (leaving) 

“But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)

Don’t be trapped in transition because that is where transformation begins.

Whenever God calls you out, he will call you in.

Ephesians 5:8 “Once” (at some time in the past; formerly, previously) (ONCE UPON A TIME) your life was full of sin’s darkness, but now you have the very light of our Lord shining through you because of your union with him. Your mission is to live as children flooded with his revelation-light! 

You partner with him-You don’t replace him!  You can never be like God, but you can be God like!

I want us to explore 3 strategies that will help you cross your Jordan River.

Pause time is prep time

JOSHUA 3:1-17

Crossing the Jordan

3 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. 2 After three days the officers went throughout the camp, 3 giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4 Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits[a] between you and the ark; do not go near it.”

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

6 Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.

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 Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”

In speaking of the importance of this abiding presence, Bill Johnson, in an article for Charisma News, says this:

“For decades, maybe centuries, the church has gathered weekly around a sermon. Our reasons are noble: We value the Scriptures and know that our lives are to be anchored in truth. But the study of the Scriptures is meant to launch us into an encounter with the person of Jesus Christ. In that moment of connection, we obtain life. Without encountering the One to whom Scriptures point, we are a people to be pitied.”

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. 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 Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”

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. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam 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.

1.) The message required consideration.

1. 3-4  The Message Involved A Challenge– When it came time for the people to move forward to cross the Jordan, God has a message that they needed to hear. In the words they heard, they were challenged to do three very important things. These things were designed to help them follow the Lord better. These are the same things that we need to hear today that will help us to follow the Lord better as well.
2. Watch God– Notice that the Ark of the Covenant is mentioned some 7 times in chapter 3. The Ark, you may remember, was that special piece of Tabernacle furniture that symbolized the presence and power of God. When the Ark was in the Holy of Holies, the glory of God rested upon it and it was the dwelling place of God. To Israel, it represented God’s presence in the midst of His people. In other words, when God moved, they were to move. When God stopped, they were to do the same.

The Ark of the Covenant represented the visible presence of God

3 Things in The Ark — Rooted in Failure 

1. A pot of manna: God’s provision that the people complained against.
2. Aaron’s rod: God’s appointed leadership that the people challenged.
3. The Ten Commandments: God’s holy standards that the people could not keep.

Joshua 3:1

Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan (Descending), he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there (Why??!!) before they crossed over.

2.) Follow God

So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp; and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.    Wait and don’t worry how. Never get ahead of God

3.) Honor God

Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.”

Note: It’s important to know that if you have never passed this way, you need the presence of God to pave the way first. Watch what he was going to do on their behalf.

The message not only involved a Challenge, 

1. v. 5  The Message Involved A Command –

And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify (to set apart to a sacred purpose or to religious use) (prepare) yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” 

Note: The lie of modern-day religious teachings is you have to clean yourself up today to be used tomorrow. Actually, it means do not get distracted, set yourself apart for preparation.

Distractions will derail and delay your destiny

Miracles, Signs, and Wonders are to lead you to Jesus and not as a distraction. Never worship the creation/created over the creator.

Then Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over before the people.”

So, they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.

And the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.’” 

1. v. 9-13  The Message Involved A Commitment

So, Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the Lord your God.”

And Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites: 

Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan. Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe. And it shall come to pass, …

 …as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.”

Note: We have to put our feet of faith in the flood of fear. We may be in the same Storm, but we are all in a different boat. 

The Jordan River doesn’t just represent a barrier, it is the place where God shows you who you are with Him!

In these verses, He makes them a promise and tells them that He will bring them through in a powerful fashion. God, here, commits Himself to bringing his people across their Jordan! All that was required of Israel was that they trust God!

If God could be trusted in those days to keep His promises, then He can still be trusted today! Sometimes we can’t get past the obstacles in our lives because we live a life that exhibits a deep lack of faith in the promises of God! How do I know? Because of the worry and doubt that marks the lives of the people of God.

Social Media is now the modern-day testimony

1. We worry over tomorrow, yet the Lord has said – Matt. 6:34. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
2. We worry over material things, yet the Lord has promised – Matt. 6:25-33; 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Phil. 4:19. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

3. We worry about facing various things in life, yet the Lord has promised – Heb. 13:5. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
4. We worry over so many things, yet the Lord tells us that all of our worry is sin and that our duty is to trust Him – Phil. 4:6-7.

His desire is that we simply learn to take Him at His Word and trust Him. We need to remember that what the Lord has promised to do, He will do, Rom. 4:21.

2.)  3:14-17  THERE IS A MIRACLE TO CONSIDER

1. v. 15b  There Was A Problem–The children of Israel were facing a big problem. The river was over 1 mile wide and there were 2 million people who had to cross, and yet the Lord wanted them to go over. They couldn’t build a bridge; there wasn’t enough time or materials. They couldn’t transport everyone over in boats, there were no boats and they would have been sitting ducks for their enemies. There was only one way around their problem and that was through it!

Have you ever sized up your Jordan and thought about how big it was? Maybe you looked at it and concluded, “There is no way around, through, over or past this problem.” I suppose we have all been like the 10 spies that returned from spying out the land of Canaan with Caleb and Joshua. We have sized up our problem and think that it is more than we can ever face, Num. 13:31-33. Our problem was the same one we always have when we face a difficult situation: we forget about God!

Where we see only problems, God sees only solutions. Where we look at things and say, “There’s no way!” God looks at the problem and says, “Follow me, I have a plan!”

B.) Verse 15 THERE WAS A PLAN: The Miracle required a step of faith. I am convinced that God will never advance your instructions beyond your latest act of obedience. Because obedience paves the way for the miraculous. 

 So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan,

and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows (20-40 mph and 1 mile wide) all its banks during the whole time of harvest) that the waters which came down from upstream stood still,

and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan (Their Distress). So, the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho.

Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.

1. v. 16-17  There Was A Performance – When the priests stepped into that raging river, it parted and God opened a path of dry ground through the waters for His people. By the way, verse 16 says that the waters backed up to the City of Adam. This is some 20 miles north of where the children of Israel were crossing. God made them a path through the water that was more than adequate for His people to get through.

3.)  4:1-24  THERE IS A MEMORIAL TO CONSIDER

When all the people had passed over Jordan, Joshua commanded one man from each of the 12 tribes to get a rock from the midst of Jordan and build a memorial on the Canaan side. That memorial is worth taking a look at today!

1. v. 6-7; 21-24  The Purpose Of The Memorial– These verses tell us that the purpose of the memorial was to remind successive generations of the power and faithfulness of God on behalf of His people. That memorial would be an important landmark to those who would come after.
2. v. 9, 20  The Picture In The Memorial– Ill. It is interesting to notice that Joshua constructed two monuments. They built one on the bank and one in middle of the river. These two memorials served two distinct purposes. Notice what they were.
3. v. 20  A Picture Of The Faithfulness Of God– The one on the bank of Jordan stood as a testimony to the faithfulness of God as I have just mentioned. It was there to remind others of what the Lord had done and of what He could do.

Again, we need to remember the faithfulness of God in the past. It will help us cross the Jordan we face today.

Now, what about the rock pile in the river? No one could see it but God! It stood as a monument to the faith of the people! You see, when you face a time of trial, others are often guilty of misjudging your motives and actions, but only God knows the truth about your heart. Even though Israel couldn’t see it, they knew the monument was there! They remembered that they had believed God then and it had worked. This was a monument in their hearts.

We can go to the place God has promised us.

He will miraculously bring us through every impassible situation.

Jesus passed before us and is the way for us to experience fullness.

Are you standing on the banks of an impossible situation?

Jesus has once and for all delivered you from every obstacle to His grace.

He delivered you and is with you. Time to disembark

 

-Outline Credits Pastor Zach Sloane-Impact Church London

Pastor Allan Carr Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Lenoir, NC.

Pastor Bobby Sullivan-Impact Church-Bridgewater, Nova Scotia