It's New To Me

This message was preached by Elder Osiris McClough

Joshua 3:5-8,13-17

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁵ Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” ⁶ And Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over ahead of the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people.
⁷ Now the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you. ⁸ You shall, moreover, command the priests who are carrying the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’”

¹³ It shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, and the waters which are flowing down from above will stand in one heap.” ¹⁴ So when the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant before the people, ¹⁵ and when those who carried the ark came into the Jordan, and the feet of the priests carrying the ark were dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest), ¹⁶ the waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heap, a great distance away at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those which were flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. So the people crossed opposite Jericho. ¹⁷ And the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.

Joshua was the foot of the river. He was with Moses when the Red Sea was parted. God will do something new to the people but it is not new to Him. This was a brand new group that came to the Jordan. Joshua had already seen God move. He had faith. Sometimes God will do something new for you all over again. Joshua was being pursued. A river represents a situation or a problem that is to block your path to your promise. There are risks in jumping in the water to soon. When we jump head first we drown. We need to prepare and not move too fast. When you rush it doesn’t work out. Here are other situations we can come across:

1.     Cloudy water – It’s hard to see. You can’t see where you are going. We can get caught up and miss what is going on with all that is going on.

2.     Steep Banks – They prevent exits. When you get down too far you can’t get out. We move too fast and we get stuck.

3.     Undercurrent – We can get swept away and possibly dragged under the water. We feel overwhelmed with what’s going on and we became depressed, miserable, have suicidal thoughts.

4.     Strong weeds – Legs can get entangled. People in your life you drag them where you go. They become a burden and you sink. Cut them off.

Let's look at Joshua again:

⁵ Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”

 Get yourself together. You can’t take some things into 2012.

⁸ You shall, moreover, command the priests who are carrying the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” 

You have to take God with you wherever you go. We lead too much and don’t want God to lead.

¹³ It shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, and the waters which are^]flowing down from above will stand in one heap.”

God is in the middle of your problem and situation. The waters become still when God moves first and become subject to Him.

¹⁴ So when the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant before the people,

When it is time to move it’s time to move. You can’t stay stagnant.

¹⁵ and when those who carried the ark came into the Jordan, and the feet of the priests carrying the ark were dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest), 

After God leads you get yourself right. You let God get into the middle of the thing you get to your harvest.

¹⁶ the waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heap, a great distance away at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those which were flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. So the people crossed opposite Jericho.

When God lifts everything up everything that hinders us will get cut off. God is ready to move for all of us. 

¹⁷ And the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan. 

Sweatless victory. He is ready to do anew thing before you.

2 Corinthians 5:7

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight—

Reruns- God will do it all over again. There’s a new season after the rerun. You get double for your trouble. If you can just hold on God is getting ready to do something new.

Psalm 37:25

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

²⁵ I have been young and now I am old,
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or his descendants begging bread.