Crossing Jordan: Trusting God to Fulfill Promises

The congregation was invited to see the Old and New Testaments as one unfolding story of redemption, where God’s promises move from future hope into present fulfillment. Tracing the arc from creation, Abraham, and the Exodus, the narrative focused on moments that demand trust: the Israelites’ flight from Egypt, the miraculous parting of the Red Sea, forty years of wilderness, and the tense threshold at the Jordan River and Jericho. Across each juncture, ordinary fear and the lure to regress met divine provision and unexpected strategies—God positioned an angel and a pillar of cloud to protect, empowered Moses to hold out his hand, caused the waters to stand when the priests stepped in, and directed an unconventional siege at Jericho that required obedient marching and a great shout. These scenes were presented not as curiosities of ancient history but as living patterns for contemporary faith: God’s methods often confound human wisdom, timing rarely matches human expectations, and faith frequently precedes visible outcomes.

The sermon emphasized that the demand to trust is not merely psychological but covenantal—the people were called to act on God’s word before seeing the deliverance. The victories recorded in scripture were framed as gifts from God rather than prizes wrested by human strength; even the opportunity for repentance within Jericho (for Rahab and her household) illustrated that God’s justice and mercy operate together. Finally, baptism was lifted as a present guarantee of inheritance in Christ: a visible pledge that the promise of everlasting life is both future hope and present reality to be clung to amid uncertainty. Worship, prayer, and communal acts of obedience were urged as the ordinary means through which faith is tested and strengthened. The overall charge was sober yet hopeful: walls in life will confront the faithful, but God’s faithfulness, not human ingenuity, is the decisive factor in bringing promises to pass.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Trust often precedes visible results. Faith is called for before outcomes appear; the Israelites packed, marched, and entered the Jordan while the water still rushed. Obedience in the tension between promise and sight shapes deeper trust and refuses the easy retreat into certainty based on current circumstances. Faith practiced this way trains the soul to rely on God’s word rather than immediate proof. [52:28]
• 2. God’s methods defy human wisdom. Divine strategies—parting seas, pausing rivers, collapsing walls by marching—interrupt natural expectations and expose reliance on human tactics as insufficient. When God gives an unlikely plan, the choice is whether to trust the authority of the promise or the logic of fear. Submitting to God’s odd instructions cultivates humility and dependence. [57:12]
• 3. Mercy and judgment coexist. The destruction of Jericho and Rahab’s rescue show that God’s justice addresses entrenched evil while still offering a genuine door of repentance. Compassion does not negate accountability; instead, God’s redemptive justice provides a way for some even within condemned contexts to turn and be saved. This tension calls communities to both prophetic clarity about sin and persistent invitation to repentance. [55:25]
• 4. Baptism seals present and future hope. Baptism was presented as a tangible assurance that the promise of everlasting life belongs now and to come—an enacted reality to cling to when life feels like wandering. This sacrament anchors identity in God’s covenant and orients daily trust around a promise already given. Holding fast to that pledge steadies hearts amid uncertainty. [64:05]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [21:16] - Announcements & Quilt Mission
• [34:13] - Opening Prayer and Greeting
• [38:22] - Red Thread to Redemption Overview
• [39:26] - The Question: Can God Be Trusted?
• [46:56] - Exodus: The Red Sea Rescue
• [52:28] - Jordan Crossing: Faith Before Proof
• [57:12] - Jericho: Unconventional Battle Plan
• [60:00] - Two Lessons: Repentance & Victory
• [64:05] - Baptism: Promise Present and Future
• [66:51] - Prayer, Communion, and Offering

Here is a Bible study guide based on the sermon summary:

Bible Reading

Joshua 3:15-17 (ESV)
> And as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water, the waters coming down from above stood and rose in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city far from Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people continued over against Jericho.

Exodus 14:19-22 (ESV)
> Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night. One did not come near the other all night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went through the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

Joshua 6:3-5 (ESV)
> You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of ram's horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up everyone straight before him.

Observation questions

1. The sermon highlighted that the Israelites were told to pack up and move towards the Jordan River *before* the waters parted. What specific actions did the Israelites take in anticipation of God’s promise at the Jordan? [51:54]
2. When the Israelites were fleeing Egypt, what was the immediate threat they faced, and how did God position himself between them and their pursuers? [46:56]
3. The battle plan for Jericho involved marching around the city for six days, and then seven times on the seventh day, accompanied by priests blowing trumpets and a great shout. What was the expected outcome of this unconventional strategy? [57:12]
4. The sermon mentioned that God’s justice and mercy operate together, using Rahab and her household as an example within Jericho. What does this example illustrate about God’s interaction with those in condemned situations? [55:25]

Interpretation questions

1. The sermon suggested that God’s methods often defy human wisdom and timing. How do the events at the Red Sea and the Jordan River challenge our natural understanding of how God works? [47:41] [52:28]
2. The sermon emphasized that trust is not just psychological but covenantal, meaning people were called to act on God’s word before seeing the deliverance. How does the Israelites’ obedience in marching towards the Jordan River, while it was still overflowing, demonstrate this covenantal trust? [51:54]
3. The sermon pointed out that God’s victory at Jericho was not due to human strength or strategy, but a gift from God. How does the story of Jericho challenge the idea that our own efforts are the primary source of our victories? [01:00:38]
4. Baptism is presented as a present guarantee of future inheritance in Christ. How does this sacrament serve as a tangible reminder of God’s promises, both for the future and for our present reality? [01:04:05]

Application questions

1. We often face situations where we are called to trust God before we see the outcome, much like the Israelites at the Jordan River. Can you identify a situation in your life right now where you are being asked to step out in faith before you see the results? What would it look like to take that step of obedience? [51:54]
2. The sermon highlighted that God’s strategies can seem unconventional and defy human wisdom. When God gives you an instruction that seems strange or doesn't make logical sense, how do you typically respond? What might it look like to submit to God’s “odd instructions” this week? [57:12]
3. The story of Jericho shows that even in the midst of judgment, there can be an opportunity for repentance and mercy. How can we, as individuals and as a community, reflect both God’s justice regarding sin and His persistent invitation to repentance? [55:25]
4. Baptism is a visible pledge of God’s promise of everlasting life. How can you actively cling to this promise, both as a future hope and a present reality, especially during times of uncertainty or difficulty in your life? [01:04:05]
5. The sermon mentioned that walls in our lives will confront the faithful, but God’s faithfulness is the decisive factor. What are some of the “walls” you are currently facing, and how can you intentionally place your trust in God’s faithfulness to bring His promises to pass in those areas? [01:00:57]
6. The sermon encouraged worship, prayer, and communal acts of obedience as the ordinary means through which faith is tested and strengthened. What is one specific way you can intentionally engage in these practices this week to strengthen your trust in God? [01:06:51]