Introduction
Let me begin with a discipleship question: how will you follow Jesus in prayer and dependence on God this week?
Main Points
In this lesson shaped by Calvary Boise's teaching on JOSHUA: Remember God's Faithfulness, Christ invites us to receive truth with humility, practice repentance, and walk in faithful obedience.
Faith and Obedience
We've come to a very important part of the scripture because we've been building up to this moment in the story of God's people. The nation of Israel where they've been given this vision of the promised land in the book of Joshua and it's God's plan to.
- Have them enter in and last week we had my mentor one of my best friends Tom Velasco teach Joshua chapter 3 which was.
- The story of them crossing and they get in which is the amazing faithfulness of God on display and today we're gonna answer this.
- Question that's given to us in this picture of what happens after God delivers what happens when God says this is what I have.
- Planned for you and when the people obey and they're faithful to follow him what's the next step after you get the promises of.
God you get to hold on to him and I especially love this topic because it's all about the importance of remembering what God. Has done that when he delivers when he fulfills the promises that he has for his people the next step before you do anything.
Faith and Obedience
Of you take up a stone his shoulder according to the number of tribes of the children of Israel that they may be a. Sign among you when your children ask in time to come saying what are these stones mean what's the purpose of the memorial that.
- These children may look at and then you're gonna give an answer and this is the purpose of our study of this text this.
- Morning you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord a.
- Reference to what just happened that the Lord stopped the water said that they crossed through on dry land and the waters of the.
- Jordan that were cut off these stones shall be a memorial to the children of Israel for ever remembering always what God did in.
This actual moment of history to show himself faithful to keep his promises this is one of the most important lessons you'll learn as. You walk with God to simply to this remember what he's already done because as easily it is for us to forget what God.
Life in the Church
Morning and what happens you turn you say hi my name is and then they exchanged their name and you turn around you say. I have no idea what we're just their mouth they literally just told you their name and you turn around you say I wonder. Who I just met why does this happen well this is actually something that kind of gets studied because when you're in the world. Of psychology and trying to understand human behavior memory is one of those things that's really important for us to know how it works. And how it doesn't work listen to this interesting study it's from Kent State University it says this you may think it's just how. You were born some of us have good memories some of us have bad memories but that's not the case according to Kansas State. University's Richard Harris professor of psychology he says not necessarily your brains ability that determines how well you can remember names and people you. Meet but rather and here's the careful part it's not your ability it's rather your level of interest the reason that we can so. Easily take in information and forget it just as quickly it's because there's nothing tying us to each other in that moment and then. He says so importantly everybody has a good memory for something everybody loves or everybody remembers the things that they love and that's why. One of the indicators of a relationship that's growing and has some love that's growing is you don't just remember your name you don't. Just remember your friend's name you also begin to memorialize their life you also begin to remember certain things about that person namely every. Year you remember when that person was born in fact this week I had easy illustrations from my own life because I think I. Went to four birthday parties and made a couple birthday phone calls I had Monday and Tuesday and Thursday were birthdays and then yesterday. My sister's birthday and it was also my grandpa and he had he still been alive he would have turned 91 yesterday now these. Dates matter to me because these people matter to me and it is true of your life that just as sure as you remember. What you care about you get into dangerous ground because when we forget the memorials of our lives when you forget the birthday or. Heaven forbid you forget the anniversary which does happen shouldn't happen anymore.
Sin and Salvation
Circle it in the calendar whoever has that trouble because if memory means you remember what you care about when you forget it means. You're losing interest and that's how it can come across that's why it's so painful sometimes when you go through your whole birthday and. Nobody calls you it's because it's showing you that there's a lack of interest in the community that you belong to now if that. Is true of the relationships of our life how much more is it true of the relationship that we're called to have with our. Maker who created us for intimacy with him and then he says don't forget what you're made for the most important relationship of your. Life the highest of all the loves is not between brothers and sisters or friends and spouses it is between you and the God. That made you to know him intimately and that is why it is so important that we do not forget him there's things in. Our lives that he wants to give us as memorials so we can say I'm not gonna take my eyes off you and I'm. Not gonna drift and my interest won't fade because I have these fixed moments throughout my year in my life that says oh yeah. That's the God that I love and as they enter into the promised land the command is given that they don't forget but this. Was always in the peripheral of these people because God said over and over again I'm taking you into this promised land and I. Have a purpose and a plan for you specifically to be used for my glory and as they're entering into the promised land the. Generation before the generation of Joshua under the leadership of Moses got this incredible warning not to forget here's what it said this is. The generation that would get through the wilderness to the edge of the Jordan but would not cross and they were given this reminder. So at it shall be when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which he swore to your father's to Abraham. Isaac and Jacob to give you large and beautiful cities that you did not build houses full of all good things which you didn't. Fill Wells you did not dig vineyards and KnowledgeTree olive trees you did not plant when you've eaten and our full take caution or. Be aware or listen to my warning lest you forget the Lord.
Faith and Obedience
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage the things that they are about to enter into this. Moment of Scripture a fulfillment of the land that God had set aside for him according to his goodness and not their own all. Of those are supposed to be things that they remember the goodness of God it was his goodness that removed them from slavery and. It was his goodness that provided all of their well-being lest you forget what happens when you forget you shall fear the Lord your. God and serve Him and you shall take an oath in his name that you shall not go after other gods because they're going. To enter into a land where there's pagan worship and there's gonna they're gonna enter in a land where they might be distracted should. They lose the memorial or their first love they might start following gods that are not gods that you do not provide gods that. Are not living gods that do not have a plan for a future and a hope for them in mind and we ourselves have. To listen up lest we forget the first love of our lives and we forget what God has already done and we begin to. Drift to those gods in our lives that are not gods that do not provide that do not have the purpose and the plans. Of God for our well-being in our lives so what this is saying is the memorial of the word the memorial of God's acts. Through human history are used for us to remember the God that we believe in lest we forget and stray so this morning I. Want to point out a couple things that these memorial stones are teaching us to remember about the character of God because we can. So easily forget who God is and what it causes us to do is to fall short of the promises that he has for. Us lest us for any of us forget who is the God that we serve why are we here what is he up to. What are his purposes for our lives so this morning and every time we gather in this way it is a call to the. Remembrance of who God is in our lives for some of you'll make a memorial today this could be the day that you find. This God for the first time and today in itself.
Faith and Obedience
Will be a memorial of your life when God captured your heart and gave you newness of life and I pray that happens for. Some of you today for all of us who already believe in this God all we're doing today is remembering who he is so. Let's look for a couple of these things that as the word says when people ask the God that we believe in here's what. We know about him lest we stray it's gonna start in Chapter four but I want to do one verse previous the end of. Chapter three to point out something that these memorial stones are teaching us about the faithfulness of God starting in verse 17 then the. Priests in chapter 3 verse 17 the priests who bore the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in. The midst of the Jordan it is the miracle of God to separate the waters and allow them to pass through on dry ground. And all of Israel crossed over on dry ground until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan now you may have heard. If you've got an ear for this me emphasizing a couple words in that passage of Scripture that I just read chapter 3 verse. 17 I'm gonna reread it here are the words I just emphasis emphasized it's because in this passage in this historical retelling of what. God had done there is an emphasis on who God is the words that I'm going to emphasize are all and complete listen again. Verse 17 the priests stand on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan and all of Israel crossed over on dry ground until. All the people had crossed completely over the Jordan why do I emphasize that because this story is an emphasis of the completion that. God offers anyone who follows him and we continue to get the emphases beginning of verse 1 chapter 4 and it came to pass. When all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan that the Lord spoke to Joshua now at the end of what we've already. Read it will begin to tell how the people obey the commandments of Joshua that they erect these memorial stones and they go on. To tell another what this means in application so in verse 11 we get a final emphasis so that you know this is part. Of what we're learning about this story read verse 11 chapter 4.
Faith and Obedience
Then it came to pass when all the people had completely crossed over that the Ark of the Lord and the priests crossed over. In the presence of the people this is a memorial stone to answer a very real fear and doubt that existed in the generation. Before these people the question is this is God really going to take us all the way to the promised is he really going. To complete this is this really for all of us the memorial stones are 12 not one the 12 stones represent the 12 tribes. Jacob had twelve sons represent and that turned into the twelve tribes every tribe is remembered all the people cross and this memorial is. Not set up until all the people cross completely here's the question that lingers over these people is God really going to complete and. We see this question in the generation before and the way they wonder if this plan to follow God out of slavery is actually. Better than being in slavery you remember the Exodus Moses comes with ten plagues to show Pharaoh that it is a useless effort to. Fight the will of God these plagues crush Pharaohs spirit and he eventually lets the children of Israel go but he changed his mind. He himself wonders was that a good idea was it a good idea to submit to the power of this Almighty God so he. Sends his armies after the children of Israel and they get right up to the Red Sea in Exodus chapter 14 and they've got. The Red Sea before them and they see Pharaoh's armies behind them and they say why are we here was it really a good. Idea for us to leave Egypt Moses did you just leave us out here to die were there not enough graves in Egypt that. You had to come out here to basically create a mass burial for us to die because we're doomed what happens the Lord intervenes. And the Red Sea parts and the children walk through on dry land and it swallows Pharaoh's army whole and now surely they'll remember. That God indeed will fulfill the promise to bring them into the land that he has chosen for them and yet what happens they. Wander into the wilderness and God says go into the land and the spies come back with a report of giants and they say. What the land that God has chosen for us is.
We return to the opening teaching: discipleship is not just information, it is transformation through faith and obedience to Jesus. If we receive His Word and walk it out, He will shape us into people who endure and bear fruit.
Lord Jesus, help me hear Your Word, obey it with faith, and grow as Your disciple. Amen.
Conclusion
We return to the opening teaching: discipleship is not just information, it is transformation through faith and obedience to Jesus. If we receive His Word and walk it out, He will shape us into people who endure and bear fruit.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me hear Your Word, obey it with faith, and grow as Your disciple. Amen.