2. Life Lessons from Joshua.
Chapter 3

3. We are going to look at
10 Life Lessons
from Joshua Chapter 3.

4. Crossing of the Jordan River
We will gather these
10 lessons by looking at the
Crossing of the Jordan River

5. Our format will be
relatively simple…

6. Identify
Describe
Apply

7. #1
Leaders need a team.

8.  Three days later the Israelite officers went through the camp, giving these instructions to the people: “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them. Joshua 3:2-3

9. It is evident many times in the book that Joshua had an inner circle of leaders; consisting of military officers, priests and other tribal leaders.

10. Whether you are leading
Our Lesson:
Whether you are leading
a ministry, an event, a program, or a special project… you need a team of quality people.

11. Our Lesson: A wise leader surrounds
his/her self with a small group of capable people to help get
the job done.

12. Our Lesson: These people should be able
to advise the leader and assist them in accomplishing the objectives.

13. Application:
Begin to develop an inner circle of dependable friends who are willing to assist you in your sphere of leadership/influence.

14. Application:
Find people who are trustworthy and willing to submit your leadership. Find people who have the ability to do the job well.

15. Application:
Find people who are strong in several areas that you are weak in. Delegate those areas of weakness to them.

16. Team members must submit to the leader.#2
Team members must submit to the leader.

17. Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove. He instructed them, “Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho.”
So the two men set out…
Joshua 2:1

18.  Three days later the Israelite officers went through the camp, giving these instructions to the people: “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them. Joshua 3:2-3

19. So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them.
 Joshua 3:14

20. It is evident many times in the book that the other leaders on the team; the officers, the tribal leaders and the priests were willing to submit to Joshua.

21. Our Lesson:
If you are part of a leadership team, a ministry team, a committee, a directing board etc. You must find ways to submit to the leadership in that area.

22. Our Lesson:
If you are a leader in a given sphere of influence, you need to lead in such a way that the people in your charge want to follow you.

23. Application: If within your power,
when selecting your team, you need to find people who will readily submit to your direction & authority.

24. Application:
You need to find ways to shepherd in a way that the sheep want to follow.

25. Several key components to leading in this way are…
Application:
Several key components to leading in this way are…

26. Application: Model what you want done. Keep the team well informed.
Love, value & appreciate them.
Make sure they know that they are invaluable to the objective.

27. God’s design is for people to follow a leader.#3
God’s design is for people to follow a leader.

28. When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them. Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about half a mile behind them… Joshua 3:3-4

29. It is evident many different times in the Bible that part
of God’s design for the earthly believer is to follow various leaders; Christ, the Apostles, husbands etc.

30. was made to follow. Made to follow God certainly, but also
There is part of us that
was made to follow. Made to follow God certainly, but also
to follow his human/earthly representatives.

31. There is part of us that
won’t be happy until we follow. Following God certainly, but also to follow his human/earthly representatives.

32. Our Lesson:
As a member of the family of God and the household of faith… you were meant to follow the leader in many different capacities.

33. Who is your earthly Joshua?
Application:
Who is your earthly Joshua?
Who is your early Paul?
Who is leading you?
Who are you following?

34. Application: Who is out in front of you
guiding you, leading you, challenging you, encouraging you…
If you can’t identify someone, you need to find someone.

35. Application:
If there are leaders in front of you; Elders, Deacons, a Chairman, a Boss, a Foreman… you need to find ways to follow and submit to them. Position yourself to learn from them.

36. *I believe that Joshua was blessed with such great aids & followers
because he was a great aid & follower himself, to Moses.

37. ‘Space’ is needed in order to lead & to follow.#4
‘Space’ is needed in order to lead & to follow.

38. Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you
Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about half a mile behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the Ark. Make sure you don’t come any closer.”  
Joshua 3:4

39. This specific instruction appears to be directly about the
Ark of the Covenant and the holiness of God…but there is still a lesson to be learned here.

40. Our Lesson:
In order for many leaders to lead well, they have to know that the people honor them and have given them the right/space to lead.

41. Likewise, in order for many people to submit to a leader, the leader
Our Lesson:
Likewise, in order for many people to submit to a leader, the leader
has to make it clear that submission is safe, and they will not get trampled.

42. Application:
We need to do whatever possible to make the job easy for the leaders in our life. We need to make it clear to them that we respect and honor them and that we intend to submit.

43. Several key components to submitting in this way are…
Application:
Several key components to submitting in this way are…

44. Application: Watch the tone of your voice. Body language communicates.
Keep disagreements private.
Support them in public.

45. #5 God will do amazing things through those who are
‘holy committed’ to Him.

46. Then Joshua told the people,
“Purify (consecrate) yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you.”
Joshua 3:5

47. to sanctify themselves in preparation for what He was about to do.
God was about to do some very amazing things among the Israelites… but He asked them
to sanctify themselves in preparation for what He was about to do.

48. The wonders of God
abound
among a holy people.

49. That is; if you want to position yourself to likely experience the power of God in a particular way…
sanctify yourself!

50. The opposite is also true… (as we will see in the case of Achan & Ai)

51. The wonders of God
abate
among a sinful people.

52. That is; if you want to position yourself to likely
see the power of God vanish…fail to sanctify yourself and flirt with sin!

53. Our Lesson:
The power of God to move mountains, still rivers and open seas, flourishes on those who seek to sanctify themselves.

54. Our Lesson:
The power of God tends to move away from, or be inaccessible to those who are full of sin and worldliness.

55. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
1 Peter 3:12

56. Application:
Consecration always carries the idea of removing evil and/or cleaning filth. That is, getting rid of contamination. We must always be on the look for our anything in our life that shouldn’t be there.

57. If a leader is to be lifted up,#6
If a leader is to be lifted up,
they must be obedient.

58. The Lord told Joshua, “Today I will begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites. They will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses. Give this command to the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: ‘When you reach the banks of the Jordan River, take a few steps into the river and stop there.’” So Joshua told the Israelites…
Joshua 3:7-9

59. “The Lord said to Joshua…”
The most common two phrases in the book of Joshua are…
“The Lord said to Joshua…”
“So Joshua…”

60. God would instruct Joshua and Joshua would immediately obey…

61. …and as a result, God raised up Joshua in a great way.

62. Our Lesson:
God wants to raise up future leaders who will rescue our community with the Gospel!

63. Our Lesson:
God wants to raise up future missionaries who will reach our planet with the Gospel!

64. Our Lesson:
God wants to raise up future preachers and teachers who will revolutionize hearts.

65. Our Lesson: But much of that depends on
the willingness of the individual to obey God…

66. Our Lesson: If we want to have a unique part in the plan of God…
we need to have an unwavering obedience to the Word of God.

67. In order to obey the Word of the Lord…we must know the Word.
Application:
In order to obey the Word of the Lord…we must know the Word.
We must find time to get
Into the Bible, daily.

68. be willing to submit to His prescription for all things.
Application:
We must filter all our thoughts, attitudes and actions through the sieve of God’s Word. We must
be willing to submit to His prescription for all things.

69. Application:
Slow down. Before a decision, attitude or action, take a moment to think of all your options and all the outcomes. Ask yourself what the most obedient choice would be.

70. A godly leader brings people#7
A godly leader brings people
to the Word of God.

71. Joshua said to the Israelites,
“Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.”
Joshua 3:9

72. Often we think that a leader should “bring the Word of God to the people.”

73. And this is true…and Joshua did this many times.

74. This is called preaching.

75. However, here, Joshua is ‘bringing the people to the Word of God.’

76. This is called shepherding.

77. Our Lesson:
As the leader of our family, as the leader of a ministry or small group… our first priority is to bring people to God…

78. Our Lesson:
The main job of any Christian leader is to bring people to God, through the explanation of
His Word etc.

79. Our Lesson: We are to be in the business of bringing people to the
Word of God…

80. Application: Do not just bring the Word
of God to people through preaching that they may or
may not listen to…

81. Application:
In all of your activities and in all of your interactions… attempt to bring the people you engage with into an encounter with the Word of God in some way.

82. God wants to drive sin & worldliness out from among us.#8
God wants to drive sin & worldliness out from among us.

83. This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites.
Joshua 3:10

84. …when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must completely destroy them. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them…because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Deuteronomy 7:2-4

85. but that they would be a particular kind of people.
God’s goal for Israel was not just that they would have a promised piece of land,
but that they would be a particular kind of people.

86. God wanted Israel to be set apart for Him, through obedience to His Word. God wanted them
to live in holiness.

87. The biggest thing that stood in the way of that, was not cities and soldiers…

88. Rather, it was the worldly culture and sinful customs of the people groups around them.

89. Our Lesson:
A holy lifestyle, through humble obedience to the word of God,
is one of the main goals that God has for His people.

90. The biggest threat to obedience and sanctification is the allure
Our Lesson:
The biggest threat to obedience and sanctification is the allure
of the world and sin.

91. Our Lesson:
Therefore God aims to drive out and destroy any worldliness and sinful behaviors from among us.

92. Application:
If a lifestyle of sanctification & holiness is one of God’s main goals for me…it should be one
of my main goals for me.

93. Application:
We should see all forms of sin and worldliness as enemies to our soul and our satisfaction.

94. No barrier is too big for God.#9
No barrier is too big for God.

95. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest
Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam…while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off.
Joshua 3:15-16

96. Nothing is too hard for you! Jeremiah 32:17
O Sovereign LORD! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm.
Nothing is too hard for you! Jeremiah 32:17

97. Nothing is too difficult for God
Nothing is too difficult for God. He only needs to think the thought and it will come to pass.

98. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and what He did then, He can surely
do now.

99. Our Lesson:
If you have a massive barrier in front of you… in your marriage,
in your relationship with your kids, at your place of work… it is not
too big for God to open a path.

100. Our Lesson:
Nothing is too difficult for God, don’t discount what He can do, however He is looking for people who are ‘holy committed to Him’… people who obey His Word etc.

101. Tell God about the barrier
Application:
Tell God about the barrier
that is in front of you.
Admit to Him that there is no way that you can move it or pass through on your own.

102. Application: Ask Him to help you, either by removing it or
giving you the wisdom and grace to get through it.

103. God loves moving barriers for those who love & obey Him.
#10
God loves moving barriers for those who love & obey Him.

104. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
Joshua 3:16-17

105. the grace and power of God
This massive nomadic nation easily passed through an amazing barrier, because of
the grace and power of God
on them.

106. As a child I often thought
that God kind of enjoyed withholding ‘good things’
from people…at least the things
that I thought were good.

107. As a child I often thought that God did not take pleasure in rescuing His people or being powerful on their behalf…and it was a ‘nuisance’ for Him.

108. It seemed like He somehow was centered on their suffering…
It used to seem to me that He continually let His people suffer…while the world’s
‘wine and grain abound’

109. my understanding has changed…
Thankfully,
my understanding has changed…

110. The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him; Lamentations 3:25

111. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them… I will rejoice in doing them good… I will give them all the prosperity I have promised them. Jeremiah 32:40, 41, 42

112. For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. From ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God but You, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him… Isaiah 64:3-4

113. The Lord bestows grace and favor and honor; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11

114. God is for you, not against you.
Our Lesson:
God is for you, not against you.

115. There is no barrier in your
Our Lesson:
There is no barrier in your
way that is too big for God and He loves being powerful on behalf of His people.

116. God is against anything that is not for your good.
Our Lesson:
God is for your good.
God is against anything that is not for your good.

117. Our Lesson: There is no good thing that He will withhold from His
obedient & holy people.

118. Our Lesson: If God does not move the mountain or open the river…
the mountain must be for
my good.

119. Our Lesson:
If God does withhold something it must not have been for my good, at this moment.

120. Application:
Trust Him.