### Summary

In today's sermon, we explored the faith of the nation of Israel as they prepared to cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land. We began by recalling the faith of Joshua and Caleb, who understood the importance of obeying God's call to action. This call to action is mirrored in the Great Commission, where we are commanded to make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey Christ's commands. This mission transforms our ordinary lives into extraordinary ones as we focus on God's work rather than worldly pursuits.

We revisited the story of Joshua leading the Israelites after Moses' death. God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous, promising that He would be with him just as He was with Moses. Joshua's leadership and the people's obedience were crucial as they prepared to cross the flooded Jordan River, a daunting task that required immense faith. The Ark of the Covenant, symbolizing God's presence, led the way, and the people were instructed to follow it while maintaining a respectful distance.

Joshua instructed the people to consecrate themselves, preparing their hearts and minds for the wonders God would perform. This act of consecration is a reminder for us to pause and renew our relationship with God, allowing Him to sanctify us. As the priests carrying the Ark stepped into the river, the waters parted, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground. This miracle echoed the parting of the Red Sea, symbolizing not just an escape from bondage but also the taking hold of God's promises.

The crossing of the Jordan River required faith, just as our journey of faith requires us to trust God and follow His commands. We must not fear the challenges and obstacles in our lives but see them as opportunities to build our faith. By stepping out in faith, we can take hold of God's promises and fulfill our mission to make disciples, helping others along their path of sanctification.

### Key Takeaways

1. **The Call to Action**: Just as Joshua and Caleb understood the importance of obeying God's call, we too must heed the Great Commission. This call transforms our ordinary lives into extraordinary ones as we focus on making disciples and teaching them to obey Christ's commands. Our mission is not about worldly success but about fulfilling God's purpose. [04:49]

2. **Faith in Leadership**: Joshua's leadership and the people's obedience were crucial as they prepared to cross the Jordan River. God promised to be with Joshua, just as He was with Moses. This assurance of God's presence is vital for us as well, reminding us that we are never alone in our journey of faith. [06:50]

3. **Consecration and Preparation**: Joshua instructed the people to consecrate themselves, preparing their hearts and minds for the wonders God would perform. This act of consecration is a reminder for us to pause and renew our relationship with God, allowing Him to sanctify us and prepare us for His work. [13:54]

4. **Miracles and Faith**: The parting of the Jordan River echoed the parting of the Red Sea, symbolizing not just an escape from bondage but also the taking hold of God's promises. This miracle required faith from the priests and the people, just as our journey of faith requires us to trust God and follow His commands. [23:56]

5. **Overcoming Obstacles**: The challenges and obstacles in our lives, like the flooded Jordan River, are opportunities to build our faith. By stepping out in faith and trusting God, we can overcome these obstacles and take hold of His promises, fulfilling our mission to make disciples and helping others along their path of sanctification. [27:54]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[03:35] - The Call to Action
[04:49] - The Great Commission
[06:10] - Joshua's Leadership
[07:24] - Rahab's Faith
[08:52] - Moving Out
[10:05] - Crossing the Jordan
[12:02] - Following the Ark
[13:54] - Consecration
[16:23] - Obedience of the Priests
[18:13] - God's Assurance
[20:03] - God's Presence
[22:13] - The Miracle of the Jordan
[24:23] - Symbolism of Adam
[25:36] - Faith and Obedience
[27:54] - Overcoming Obstacles

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. **Joshua 3:1-17** - The story of Joshua leading the Israelites across the Jordan River.
2. **Matthew 28:18-20** - The Great Commission.
3. **Ephesians 6:10-18** - The Armor of God.

#### Observation Questions
1. What specific instructions did God give Joshua regarding the crossing of the Jordan River? ([06:10])
2. How did the Israelites respond to Joshua's command to consecrate themselves? ([13:54])
3. What was the significance of the Ark of the Covenant in the crossing of the Jordan River? ([10:40])
4. How did the parting of the Jordan River compare to the parting of the Red Sea? ([25:13])

#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why was it important for Joshua to be strong and courageous, and how does this apply to our own leadership roles? ([06:10])
2. What does it mean to consecrate oneself, and why is this necessary before witnessing God's wonders? ([13:54])
3. How does the Great Commission transform our ordinary lives into extraordinary ones? ([04:49])
4. In what ways do the challenges and obstacles in our lives serve as opportunities to build our faith? ([27:54])

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt God calling you to take action. How did you respond, and what was the outcome? ([03:35])
2. How can you practice being strong and courageous in your daily life, especially in your faith journey? ([06:10])
3. What steps can you take this week to consecrate yourself and renew your relationship with God? ([13:54])
4. Identify a current obstacle in your life. How can you view this challenge as an opportunity to build your faith? ([27:54])
5. How can you actively participate in the Great Commission within your community? ([04:49])
6. Think of a specific way you can help someone else along their path of sanctification this week. ([28:49])
7. What practical steps can you take to remind yourself of God's presence in your daily life? ([18:13])

Day 1: Transforming Ordinary Lives through the Great Commission
The call to action in the Great Commission is a transformative one. Just as Joshua and Caleb understood the importance of obeying God's call, we too must heed this divine mandate. The Great Commission commands us to make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey Christ's commands. This mission is not about achieving worldly success but about fulfilling God's purpose for our lives. By focusing on God's work, our ordinary lives are transformed into extraordinary ones. We are called to step out of our comfort zones and engage in the spiritual growth of others, thereby enriching our own faith journey. [04:49]

Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV): "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Reflection: Who in your life can you reach out to today to share the love of Christ and begin the journey of discipleship with them?


Day 2: Faith in Leadership
Joshua's leadership and the people's obedience were crucial as they prepared to cross the Jordan River. God promised to be with Joshua just as He was with Moses, providing assurance and strength. This divine presence is vital for us as well, reminding us that we are never alone in our journey of faith. Leadership in faith requires courage and trust in God's promises. As we lead others, whether in our families, workplaces, or communities, we must rely on God's guidance and strength, knowing that He is with us every step of the way. [06:50]

Joshua 1:9 (ESV): "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to trust God's presence and guidance more fully as you lead others?


Day 3: Consecration and Preparation
Joshua instructed the people to consecrate themselves, preparing their hearts and minds for the wonders God would perform. This act of consecration is a reminder for us to pause and renew our relationship with God, allowing Him to sanctify us. By setting ourselves apart and dedicating time to spiritual preparation, we open our hearts to the transformative work of God. This preparation is essential for us to be effective in our mission and to experience the fullness of God's promises. [13:54]

Joshua 3:5 (ESV): "Then Joshua said to the people, 'Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.'"

Reflection: What steps can you take today to consecrate yourself and prepare your heart for the work God wants to do in your life?


Day 4: Miracles and Faith
The parting of the Jordan River echoed the parting of the Red Sea, symbolizing not just an escape from bondage but also the taking hold of God's promises. This miracle required faith from the priests and the people, just as our journey of faith requires us to trust God and follow His commands. Miracles often come when we step out in faith, trusting in God's power and promises. By believing in God's ability to work wonders, we can experience His miraculous interventions in our lives. [23:56]

Joshua 3:17 (ESV): "Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan."

Reflection: What is one area in your life where you need to step out in faith and trust God for a miracle?


Day 5: Overcoming Obstacles
The challenges and obstacles in our lives, like the flooded Jordan River, are opportunities to build our faith. By stepping out in faith and trusting God, we can overcome these obstacles and take hold of His promises. Our mission to make disciples and help others along their path of sanctification requires us to face and conquer these challenges. Each obstacle is a chance to grow in faith and witness God's power at work in our lives. [27:54]

Isaiah 43:2 (ESV): "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."

Reflection: What is a current obstacle you are facing, and how can you trust God to help you overcome it today?

### Quotes for outreach

1. "It's what we saw in the letter Paul wrote to the Ephesians, where we're to stand strong in the Lord, and then put on the whole armor of God. And that's because we are in an all-out spiritual battle, day in and day out. And the Great Commission is what contains our marching orders." [03:35] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "And that's because we have a whole new set of standards we work towards. We're no longer focused on making money or making ourselves appear great. Instead, our singular focus is on making disciples. And if we look back over the last week, last month, and we find ourselves not really ever making those disciples, then maybe we're just like Israel. We're disobedient. We aren't really obeying God's commands to go." [04:49] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "So God's presence, signified by the Ark of the Covenant, leads Israel showing them the way. And that's because it says they hadn't passed this way before. So this is new territory for them. It's new territory physically, but it's also new territory spiritually. So they're to follow, but they weren't to get too close, to become too casual, because they hadn't yet been delivered into the Promised Land. They hadn't reached their salvation just yet." [12:42] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "You see, going to make disciples requires that we too are being made into disciples at the exact same time. That Christ is being formed in us so that God might use us to help form Christ in others. That's why we must take time for consecration to happen in our everyday, ordinary lives. To prepare, to be sanctified, to be set apart, and especially to be reminded that God is with us, that His presence is with us every single day and always." [15:11] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "It takes faith to leave that wide dark path that leads to eternal destruction that's what the parting of the Red Sea represents for Israel God freeing his children from bondage it's the same thing we need to be freed from the bondage of our sin and that happens when we first believe that Christ by his shed blood can save us from our sins and then we behave and step with that belief by repenting by turning from our sin and turning towards Christ as we're justified made right before God." [25:36] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


### Quotes for members

1. "And then we teach them to obey all that Christ has commanded us. And then we take that sandwich throughout the tri-state region and beyond, that 30-mile radius where most of us live out our lives. And when we do, it transforms everything. It doesn't matter if we have this mundane, ordinary life. When we take our sandwich with us, it transforms our everyday ordinary life into an everyday extraordinary life." [04:15] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "So Joshua directs his lieutenants to notify the people to pack up their stuff, because they're about ready to move out. And unlike their parents, this new generation, they obey. They say, you want us to pack up the stuff in three days? You want us to cross this flooded river bed? You want us to take out these antikyte giants? No problem. You got it. Let's go. And that's exactly the same kind of attitude we have to take to this great commandment we've been given." [06:50] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "Then Joshua said to the people, consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you. So now Israel gets a little bit more of the plan. They are now to be consecrated. Now to consecrate means to purify, to sanctify, to prepare, to be set apart as sacred. Why does God direct this? Well, because tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among them." [13:54] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "So do you see how this phrase, it just keeps coming up over and over again. God keeps assuring Joshua that he is with him. Again, that is the key to our Christian lives. That we realize that God is with us. That's why that bottom piece of bread on the Great Commission is so important. Because Jesus promises to be with us always too. He is with us. He promises. And the challenge we have is that far too often, we don't live in light of His presence with us. He's always there." [18:13] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "It took faith for those priests to step into that water it took faith for Israel to cross over that Jordan and it takes faith for us to progress down that narrow path so that we can take hold of God's promises too if we've been born again if we've truly left that wide dark path then we must progress down that narrow one we can't get comfortable out in the desert where we just die off like Israel no we must cross the Jordan following God as he commands us by becoming disciples by being consecrated set apart as Christ is formed in us and by then going to make disciples helping others along that sanctification path too as Christ is formed in them." [28:10] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

Okay, so, a few weeks back, when we looked at this story in Joshua, we saw the faith of a woman named Rahab. And today, we turn our focus to the faith of a nation, the entire nation of Israel.

So, if you're new with us, over the last couple of months, we've been focusing our attention on these two Old Testament characters, Joshua and Caleb. And that is because they got what we need to get. They understood what it means when God says, "let's go." This is a call to action, a rally cry of sorts. It's what we saw in the letter Paul wrote to the Ephesians, where we're to stand strong in the Lord, and then put on the whole armor of God.

And that's because we are in an all-out spiritual battle, day in and day out. And the Great Commission is what contains our marching orders. And by now, I hope everyone has memorized this Great Commission. Really straightforward. It's a literary sandwich of sorts. You can think about it like the bread on either side is the bread of Christ.

And so, the first two pieces are about Him. That all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him, and that He promises to be with us until the end of the age. And then that stuff in the middle, that's on us. Three things. We go make disciples. We baptize them. Baptizing them is so important. We're actually going to look at that next week. And then we teach them to obey all that Christ has commanded us.

And then we take that sandwich throughout the tri-state region and beyond, that 30-mile radius where most of us live out our lives. And when we do, it transforms everything. It doesn't matter if we have this mundane, ordinary life. When we take our sandwich with us, it transforms our everyday ordinary life into an everyday extraordinary life.

And that's because we have a whole new set of standards we work towards. We're no longer focused on making money or making ourselves appear great. Instead, our singular focus is on making disciples. And if we look back over the last week, last month, and we find ourselves not really ever making those disciples, then maybe we're just like Israel. We're disobedient. We aren't really obeying God's commands to go.

They were all like that, rebellious, except two guys, Joshua and Caleb. And that is why we're studying them. Recall when they came back from spying out Canaan, some 40 years before this story right here, they wanted to attack immediately. They knew God was with them, and they knew God had called them to go. But the other ten spies, they were terrified of these Anakites, these superhuman, giant warriors. And so they convinced Israel to disobey God. And that made God furious.

And so God sent them to the desert for 40 years, where everyone over the age of 20 dies off. Now we fast forward these 40 years. All the parents are dead. The 12 tribes of Israel, hundreds of thousands of God's children, are kind of encamped around that area you see up there, Mount Nebo. Moses, their leader, dies. God has installed a new leader, Joshua. He commissions Joshua to be strong and courageous, and that he commands him to lead the nation of Israel across the Jordan, into the heart of the Promised Land, where God promises that every place Joshua places his feet will be given to him.

That map up there you see on the wall, that's the land that God had promised to Abraham some 400 years before. And of course, God also promised to be with Joshua, just like he was with Moses. That's going to be the key to Joshua carrying out these orders, that God is with him. God is with his people.

So Joshua directs his lieutenants to notify the people to pack up their stuff, because they're about ready to move out. And unlike their parents, this new generation, they obey. They say, "You want us to pack up the stuff in three days? You want us to cross this flooded riverbed? You want us to take out these Anakite giants? No problem. You got it. Let's go."

And that's exactly the same kind of attitude we have to take to this great commandment we've been given. And then Joshua sends two spies to go check out Jericho. It's the first of the fortified cities that Israel will attack. By God's providential hand, these two spies cross paths with this prostitute, this woman of faith named Rahab.

She not only believes that the God of Israel is the true God of heaven and earth, but she behaves in step with that belief, and she risks her own life to save the life of these two spies. Now throughout their time together, Rahab and these two spies show a great deal of kindness toward each other. They make a covenant where the two spies promise that they will spare Rahab and her family whenever they take over Jericho.

But there's this covenant that they make, and the sign of that covenant is a red cord that Rahab ties in her window so that Israel will pass over the house, hearkening back to the Passover, when God passed over the house of the Israelites when they put red blood from a lamb on the doorpost. And then the spies return to Joshua, and they report that all the inhabitants of the land melt away because of us.

And that's just the kind of actionable intelligence that Joshua needs to carry out his orders to go take hold of this promised land. And that's where we pick up our story for today. The text says, "Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and they set out from Shittim."

Now Shittim is in Moab, it's near Mount Nebo, it's around the area you see up there with that green circle. So the morning after Joshua receives this actionable intelligence that all of Jericho is melting away, they move out. And it says he's up early. So he's clearly taken hold of his position as being the leader of Israel. He's moving out, and he's getting all of Israel to move out with him.

As they make their way about ten miles to the banks of the Jordan River, it says, "And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over." Now normally the Jordan is not a tough river to cross. It's actually a little bit more like a stream. But as the text tells us, at this time of year it was at flood stage.

So many estimate that it might have been more than a mile wide, and it was certainly well over their heads. So only the strongest of swimmers would have made it across, and they still had to get all their junk across there too. And what's more, there are these enormous giant warriors, these Anakites waiting for them on the other side.

And up to this point, there really haven't been any details given to Israel about what's to go down. They're simply told, "Take up your stuff and get across this river." And so this is going to take some amazing faith on the part of Israel to step out and do exactly as they're told.

The text goes on to say, "At the end of three days, the officers went through the camp and commanded the people, as soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it."

Now up to this point in our study, we actually haven't seen the ark of the covenant mentioned a whole lot. It comprises the very heart though of the temple. It's a physical representation of God's presence with his people. It contained holy elements. Scripture tells us it has things such as those Ten Commandments on those stone tablets that Moses brought down from Mount Sinai. It contains Aaron's staff, and it contains some of that manna that had sustained them in the desert.

And the tribe of the Levites, the priests, they were charged by God with the responsibility of taking care of this ark. So whenever Israel sees the ark of the covenant being carried forward by the priests, they're to follow it. It symbolizes their obedience to God. That wherever He leads them, they will go.

So that's apparently the plan. That's all they got for now. So they must step out in faith and follow God. Then we get some conditions. Joshua orders, "Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before."

Now a cubit is about the length of your elbow to the tip of your middle finger. It's about 21 inches. Now 2,000 cubits is just a little bit more than a half mile. And it's the same distance that was allowed to be traveled on the Sabbath. So Israel was to stay a Sabbath's walk away from the presence of God.

Now there's probably two or three sermons in that little point right there. So I would encourage you all on your Sabbath rest today, or if you happen to have a Sabbath another day of the week because of your work schedule, take a little time and chew on that. That they were commanded to stay a Sabbath's walk away from the presence of the Lord.

So God's presence, signified by the Ark of the Covenant, leads Israel showing them the way. And that's because it says they hadn't passed this way before. So this is new territory for them. It's new territory physically, but it's also new territory spiritually.

So they're to follow, but they weren't to get too close, to become too casual, because they hadn't yet been delivered into the Promised Land. They hadn't reached their salvation just yet. You see, they needed to remain humble before Almighty God. It was a reminder that God is holy and they are not. And so they needed to keep a distance.

And that's what humility does. It puts us in our right place. It puts us in the place of following God instead of rebelling against Him, or even worse, trying to control Him. Then Joshua said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you."

So now Israel gets a little bit more of the plan. They are now to be consecrated. Now to consecrate means to purify, to sanctify, to prepare, to be set apart as sacred. Why does God direct this? Well, because tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among them.

You see, they're finally going to get to cross the Jordan River into the heart of the Promised Land, into this land overflowing with milk and honey, in fulfillment of a promise that God had made more than four centuries before to Abraham. They were so close once before, but their parents rebelled. So they were sent back out into the desert for 40 years while they all died off.

But tomorrow they were finally going to cross into the heart of this amazing land. And so they needed some time to prepare, getting their hearts, getting their minds right, getting focused on following God.

And what a reminder that is to us here in Beaver County in 2024. How often do we do this? Pause our hectic, crazy lives to intentionally consecrate ourselves before God. Will we repent before Him? Will we renew our relationship with Him? Will we become more like Him?

As we're being sanctified by the Holy Spirit so that we might be ready to follow God wherever He leads us to do what He's called us to do, such as going to make disciples. You see, going to make disciples requires that we too are being made into disciples at the exact same time. That Christ is being formed in us so that God might use us to help form Christ in others.

That's why we must take time for consecration to happen in our everyday, ordinary lives. To prepare, to be sanctified, to be set apart, and especially to be reminded that God is with us, that His presence is with us every single day and always. And that He calls us to go make disciples.

That's actually what those sticky notes are about. They remind you of what we learn here on Sunday morning, this message we're getting from Joshua today. And then all throughout the week, we get this reminder. And not only of what we learned, but also an encouragement to put it into practice in your everyday, ordinary life. It's all part of this consecration process. And it's why it's so important that we are consecrated too.

And then we come to three groups of people who receive very specific instruction. First, the priests. Second, the nation of Israel. And then third, twelve men from these twelve tribes. So let's take these in turn.

Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the Ark of the Covenant and pass on before the people." So they took up the Ark of the Covenant and they went before the people. Isn't it so great when you read that? It sounds redundant, doesn't it? But it actually shows that they followed Joshua's order to a T.

He told them to take up the Ark of the Covenant, pass on before the people. And so they took up the Ark of the Covenant, and they went before the people. Isn't that amazing? They actually did what they were told.

Second, let's not miss out on the fact that there's some order here that the priests are addressed first. And that is because they are the ones chosen to lead. And they are to lead by example. These priests were going to take the first plunge into this flooded riverbank carrying this heavy Ark.

So it was going to require faith on their part. They needed to first believe that God was with them. And that's what that Ark that they carried represented. And then they needed to behave and step with that belief by literally stepping out into this flooded riverbed. And that's exactly what they did.

The leaders, the priests, they stepped out in faith. They followed the orders of their leader Joshua, and they set the example for the people. Notice how next it says, "The Lord said to Joshua, 'Today 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.'"

So do you see how this phrase, it just keeps coming up over and over again? God keeps assuring Joshua that he is with him. Again, that is the key to our Christian lives. That we realize that God is with us. That's why that bottom piece of bread on the Great Commission is so important. Because Jesus promises to be with us always too. He is with us. He promises.

And the challenge we have is that far too often, we don't live in light of His presence with us. He's always there. But we don't behave that way. And then the priests, they receive one final bit of instruction. God says, "And as for you, command the priests who bear the Ark of the Covenant, when you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan."

So God's presence in the Ark will literally stand still in the midst of this flooded riverbed. You see, He's going to be with His people as each and every one of them pass through these waters. Even though there are literally hundreds of thousands of God's children, these Israelites, God is going to be there for each and every single one of them.

Do you see just how much God loves His children? None of you are insignificant in any way, shape, or form. God loves you. That is why He promises to be with you. Next, God reinforces this exact same point to all of Israel, the second group of people who receive instruction.

And Joshua said to the people of Israel, "Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God." And Joshua said, "Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites."

It's a long list of people they're going to take down, isn't it? So God wants all of Israel to know in no uncertain terms that He is going to be with them. They needed to believe that God was among them, and He would without fail drive out these enemies.

So while this river, this water, was seen as an obstacle, it was actually going to be used by God to make a very important point. He was going to burn this on the canvas of their hearts. And this point was that He was going to assure Israel's victory over the inhabitants of this land. And He did so to build their faith.

Now how many rivers do we have in our lives that we see them as giants? And God is actually using them to build our faith. Think about all the challenges that you have in the workplace. Think about the difficulties of the relationships in your life. We need to start seeing all these rivers of these giants that we have as actually what they really are, and that is faith builders.

It's what Israel needed to build faith. They needed to know that by God's strength they would prevail. The river crossing would be a constant reminder to them that God is faithful. That He will be there even when they're called way out into the waters where they can't touch any longer. Out there in the places where they're in over their head. He will be with them and He will help them to prevail.

Next Joshua says, "Behold the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan. Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man, and when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap."

What an image Joshua paints for us right here. So let's start by looking at these twelve men that Joshua mentions. They are the third group of people he gives instruction to. Now the last time we saw twelve men drawn from each of the twelve tribes with those original spies, things didn't go real well. Things went sideways and ended up in a pretty bad place for Israel.

And we don't learn a whole lot about these twelve men right here from these twelve tribes today, but they're going to play a central role in our story next week if you want to read ahead. But so for now just know that these twelve men, one from each tribe, are going to do something monumental next week.

But I want to keep our focus now on Israel because they're about to do something remarkable. Joshua records, "So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, 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—now the Jordan overflows all its banks around the time of harvest—the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zepharon, and those flowing down toward the sea of Ereba, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off, and the people passed over opposite Jericho."

Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.

So as the ark enters the waterway upstream in the city of Adam, the water starts heaping up so that downstream at the water crossing point, God's people could pass over on dry land. So to help you think about that suggestion I gave you to consider what it meant to walk a Sabbath's distance from the presence of God, maybe spend a little time also thinking about why the city where the water heaped up was named Adam, because it points us back to the creation account where God actually took a Sabbath rest, and it also points us back to Adam and Eve, the very beginning of sin, and this reminder that God saves His people.

So there's a ton of symbolism here for us to unpack, but at the end of the day what we're witnessing here is a miracle, but a miracle in a much different sense than the last time God did this for Israel. Recall when God parted the Red Sea, it was an escape from Egypt. It was Israel breaking out of captivity, breaking out of bondage.

But you see, that's only half the battle. The other half is taking hold of God's promises by being obedient to Him, by following His commands—in this case, going across the Jordan River into the promised land. You see, salvation is not just escaping Egypt; it's also about taking hold of Canaan. And both of them require faith.

It's the same for us. It takes faith to leave that wide dark path that leads to eternal destruction. That's what the parting of the Red Sea represents for Israel—God freeing His children from bondage. It's the same thing we need to be freed from the bondage of our sin, and that happens when we first believe that Christ, by His shed blood, can save us from our sins.

And then we behave and step with that belief by repenting, by turning from our sin and turning towards Christ as we're justified, made right before God. We're born again into this new life in Christ where we receive the Holy Spirit. We slide over to that narrow, well-lighted path.

You see, it takes faith—a gift from God, a miracle—just like we saw at the Red Sea to free us from the captivity of our sin. But we can't just sit there like Israel did in the desert, refusing to take hold of God's promise as heirs of His kingdom, failing to progress down that well-lighted narrow path simply because we fear the giants in our lives, all these water crossings that seem to surround us.

We fear the people and what they will think of us. We fear failure. We fear becoming found out about all the mess in our lives. And so we, like Israel, refuse to go into the land flowing with milk and honey, and so we just sit there resisting God's promises that He will be with us, walking us hand in hand down that well-lit path through that narrow gate and into His kingdom so that we might take hold of His promises.

You see, it took a parting of the waters in the Red Sea by God's power to free us from our bondage, and it takes a parting of the waters, the Jordan River, by God's power to lead us into His promised land. And that is what we see here in our text today. God is the one who parts the water in both cases. He is the one who grants us the faith, the very mechanism that we need to be saved.

It takes faith to be freed from the bondage of our sin, to leave that wide dark path, but that's not enough because it also takes faith to progress down that well-lighted narrow path to take hold of God's promises. It took faith for those priests to step into that water. It took faith for Israel to cross over that Jordan, and it takes faith for us to progress down that narrow path so that we can take hold of God's promises too.

If we've been born again, if we've truly left that wide dark path, then we must progress down that narrow one. We can't get comfortable out in the desert where we just die off like Israel. No, we must cross the Jordan following God as He commands us by becoming disciples, by being consecrated, set apart as Christ is formed in us, and by then going to make disciples, helping others along that sanctification path too as Christ is formed in them.

That's how salvation works. God is with His people to build faith in them. By faith, we're saved from something—our sin—and by faith, we're saved for something—God's kingdom.