Follow The Ark 5.31.26

Daniel 11:32 draws a hard line between religion and relationship. The text refuses to bless casual attendance or empty routine, then names the real thing with fire in it, the people who know their God shall be strong and do exploits. Knowing, in this register, is not head knowledge, it is walking in the light as he is in the light, it is blood-cleansed fellowship, Spirit-baptized power, and a heart lit by holy fire. The verse tests the room with two questions that keep circling back. Do they know him. Are they strong. If the enemy still keeps a thumb on the mind, the affections, the finances, then the knowledge needs to move from hearsay to encounter.

A candid confession in the house names a cave season of fear and depression, then locates the turning point, had God been known in that darkness, strength would have risen sooner. That honesty frames the charge to the church in a fresh move of the Spirit, not celebrity, not numbers, but hunger. Ancient landmarks must be set back where fathers placed them, prayer, holiness, the Word, the Holy Ghost, and soul winning. When those stones are reset, the God who met the early church will meet the last-days church again.

Joshua 3 then takes the mic and lays out God’s road into promise. First, Israel must remove from Shittim, the compromised place among Moab where idolatry and mingling dulled desire. Leaving means stepping out of entanglements, fears, addictions, and apathy, and walking to the brink of Jordan, whose name means new beginning. Second, Israel must follow the ark, not a man, not a denomination, the ark that carries the holy presence that dwells between the cherubim. The presence, not personalities, leads safely through the unknown, and both the manifest move and the preached Word are the Spirit’s work. Third, Joshua commands and promises, sanctify yourselves today, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you. Sanctification here is not legalism, it is being set apart from common use for holy use, like a microphone reserved for the gospel, a life reserved for the Lord.

God answers that posture with power. As soon as priestly feet touch the river, Jordan parts and a people who had wandered for years finally cross over. The living God goes before them and drives out what flesh cannot conquer. Relationship, not religion, carries them into exploits, and the presence of God gets all the glory.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Knowing God produces real strength Knowing that is relational, Spirit-breathed, and blood-assured turns believers from pew warmers into conquerors. Daniel’s line is not theory, it is testable fruit, strong and doing exploits. Where chronic defeat reigns, the call is not to try harder but to know him deeper. [07:59]
• 2. Leave Shittim for Jordan’s new beginning Promise requires departure. Idolatry, mingling, fear, and cave-thinking have to be left in the chair so feet can stand at a new start. God meets movement, and the first step out is already a step into grace. [43:06]
• 3. Follow the ark, not personalities The presence leads better than any platform can. When eyes fix on Christ’s nearness rather than leaders or labels, guidance grows clear and drift loses its pull. The Spirit of truth never misleads those who keep him in front. [51:28]
• 4. Sanctify today for tomorrow’s wonders Set-apart lives are not earning miracles, they are positioned for them. Holiness as consecration removes the common uses so God’s use can fill the space. The command carries its own promise, tomorrow the Lord will do wonders. [54:59]
• 5. Restore the ancient landmarks of power Prayer, holiness, the Word, the Spirit, and soul winning keep the church on God’s trail. When those markers are reset, the river parts and mission regains its weight. Without them, drift feels normal, with them, Pentecost feels normal. [31:29]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:27] - Hunger for the Holy Spirit
• [02:28] - Daniel 11:32 and the line
• [04:29] - Midweek stirring and expectancy
• [06:41] - Average attender or God-knower
• [09:45] - Are you strong or overrun
• [13:36] - Things are different now
• [16:52] - Call to this house remembered
• [20:05] - I still have a dream
• [21:16] - Testimony of healing and fire
• [25:17] - Drift, apology, and Pentecost
• [27:34] - Dream resurrected for God’s glory
• [29:31] - Ancient landmarks restored
• [33:00] - Saved yet wandering wilderness
• [37:03] - Leaving Shittim, facing Jordan
• [39:27] - New beginning at the brink
• [44:20] - Fix your eyes on the ark
• [50:52] - Warning against celebrity church
• [54:44] - Sanctify yourselves today
• [58:56] - Set apart, not legalistic
• [61:44] - God drives out every enemy
• [63:13] - Cross over and respond

1. According to Daniel 11:32, what two outcomes are promised to those who “know their God”? How does the sermon contrast this with “religion” or empty routines? [02:50]
2. In Joshua 3, what three steps did Israel need to take to enter their “new beginning” at the Jordan? How does the sermon connect leaving Shittim to leaving compromise or apathy? [39:27]
3. The sermon mentions restoring “ancient landmarks” like prayer, holiness, and the Holy Spirit. What does Proverbs 22:28 warn about removing these landmarks? [30:03]

1. Why does knowing God relationally (not just intellectually) produce strength and “exploits” (Daniel 11:32)? How might a lack of victory in areas like fear or addiction reveal a need for deeper relationship? [09:45]
2. The ark in Joshua 3 symbolizes God’s presence, not human leaders. Why is it dangerous for believers to fixate on personalities or denominations instead of Christ’s nearness? [44:20]
3. Sanctification in Joshua 3:5 is described as being “set apart for holy use,” not legalism. How does this differ from cultural or superficial definitions of holiness? [58:56]

1. What “Shittim” (compromise, fear, apathy, or entanglement) do you need to leave behind to step into a “Jordan moment” of new beginnings? What practical step can you take this week to move? [43:06]
2. How can you prioritize following God’s presence (the “ark”) over relying on human leaders, preferences, or routines? What distractions might you need to remove to keep Him in focus daily? [51:28]
3. The sermon warns against letting ancient landmarks like prayer or holiness drift. Which of these landmarks feels weakest in your life? How could you intentionally reset it (e.g., daily prayer time, accountability for holiness)? [31:29]
4. Sanctification is compared to a microphone reserved for gospel use. What areas of your life (time, relationships, resources) need to be “set apart” for God’s purposes rather than common use? [58:56]
5. The pastor confessed seasons of defeat when he didn’t “know God” deeply. When have you experienced similar spiritual dryness? What relational habits (prayer, Scripture, worship) could reignite your fire? [09:07]