Over This Jordon

Joshua 1:1-18 “ Now therefore arise, go over this Jordon………..”

Joshua 3:5 “ Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you”

Moses pictures the Old Year & Joshua pictures the coming New Year.
We have a picture of the Law passing to be replaced by Grace.

I. PREPARATION must be made. V. 11
Decisions are a must.
Dedication will be necessary.
Determination is essential.

II. PROMISES of God to be considered. V. 3-5
Property promised.
Protection promised.
Presence promised.

III. POSSESSIONS to be possessed. V. 11
The Land had been given to them but they had to claim it.
The same is true of our Salvation.
The same is true of the Spirit’s Filling.

IV. PRESENCE of the Lord to be realized. V. 9
His presence gives Courage.
His presence gives Comfort.

V. PROBLEMS to be expected. V. 4
The obstacles are opportunities in disguise.
The Lord could have given them the land trouble free.
The Lord could have had an angel cleat the land.

VI. POWER of God to be obtained. V. 5
God’s power is available.
God’s power must be asked for.
God’s power must be assimilated.

VII. PROSPERITY to be enjoyed. V 7,8
Prosperity promised.
Plan of prosperity explained.

A New Year

Psa. 39:12,13 Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.
Psa 40:1-3 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

A. David’s Prayer. (39:12)
B. David’s Patience. (40:1)
C. David’s Praise. (40:2,3.)
D. David’s Preaching. (40:4) Job prayed this same prayer. (Job.10:21)


1. OUR PERISHING CAN BE RESCUED
“He brought me up out of an horrible pit “

2. OUR PLYABLE CAN BE RESTORED
“out of the miry clay”

3. OUR POSITION CAN BE RENEWED.
“ set my feet upon a solid rock”

4. OUR PILGRIMS CAN BE REINFORCED.
“ establishes my goings “

5. OUR PRAISE WILL BE RECEIVED.
“ put a new song in my mouth “

6 OUR PRODUCTIVITY WILL BE THE RESULT.
“ many shall see and trust in the Lord”

Success In 2010

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

To be a success in 2010, don’t plan to reach that fantasy place called success, rather plan to do successful things each day. “Success is a journey, not a destination.”
Formula To Be Successful: Don’t plan to be successful, Plan to do successful things.

1. Being successful on the inside is your first step to doing successful things. God’s first instructions were, “Be strong and of a good courage” (Joshua 1:6).
If you win on the inside, you win your first victory; If you lose on the inside, the battle is over.

2. Take responsilbity for your growth and future achievement.
You acquire your greastest ability, when you begin taking responsibility. “Arise, go over this Jordan, you and all the people” (Joshua 1:2). You start growing to become what you can be, When you take responsibility for what you can do.

3. Follow good role models in doing successful things. Moses was dead. Now Joshua had to do the things Moses had modeled.

4. Commit yourself to your task to do successful things. “Meditate . . . that you may do.”
You get strength to do, when you make a commitment to do.

5. Learn to rise above your mistakes to do successful things.
Joshua knew that Israel had disobeyed God 40 years earlier. Now their children were given the same opportunity to obey God and enter the Promised Land. To refuse because you think you will fail is to do nothing and to actually fail. .God promised Joshua, “I will not fail you, nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5). Let mistakes be the tuition you pay for your education and advancement.

6. Doing what you promise leads to successful things.
I may have failed but, I’m not a failure. God told Joshua, “Rise go over this Jordan” (Joshua 1:2). Next God promised, “Every place that the sole of your foot shall walk upon, that I have given you” (Joshua 1:3). God promised to overcome obstacles, “There shall not any man be able to stand before you” (Joshua 1:5). “So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord said” (Joshua 11:23).

7. discipline yourself to do what you have to do.
First you think about doing, then you commit yourself to doing. Prioriitize your work and life to do successful things.

8. Giving more to others than expected leads to doing successful things.
Don’t judge each day by what you get, rather, judge each day by what you give.

9. Believing in yourself will lead to doing things successfully.
Belief in yourself, is not what you possess. Belief in yourself, is what possesses you.

A YEAR FOR NEW BEGINNINGS!!

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

A new year always presents a challenge. There is something about the New Year period that makes most of us want to start something over again in our lives. I wonder how many people have started off in life then got messed up and failed? Most of them never start over again.

Maybe today, you are sort of down and out, then you need to start over again. I am going to list five areas that are most common and that need a new beginning this coming year. If any of these speak to you or seem to challenge you, then let God make a new beginning in that area of your life.

I. SOME OF YOU NEED A NEW BEGINNING IN BIBLE READING AND STUDY

When I Was Younger I Thought Only Preachers Read The Bible Through. When I went to Bible college they told the class I was in that one requirement was to read the entire Bible through that school year. I thought it would be impossible to accomplish that. I learned that it really wasn’t very hard. The 1189 chapters can be read in one year by reading a little more than three chapters a day.

II. SOME OF YOU NEED A NEW BEGINNING IN YOUR SERVICE FOR GOD

Nothing can take the place of that peace of doing what God wants you to do.
I was in a service one time when a man in his middle 50’s walked down the aisle weeping, and told the congregation that God had called him to preach when he was 20 years old and he rejected that call. He told us he had lived in misery ever since.

III. SOME OF YOU NEED A NEW BEGINNING IN YOUR MARRIAGE

There are many marriages that are just holding on. Reconstruct your marriage around the Bible, the Church, the people Of God. Most couples won’t argue and fight when they are around other Christians. Keep yourself involved with Christian fellowship.

VI. SOME OF YOU NEED A NEW BEGINNING IS HELPING OTHERS

Ps 41:1 Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.
Pr 14:21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.
Each of us should be involved in a ministry of helping others.
A ministry of giving to others.
1. Giving self.
2. Giving money.
3. Giving time.
4. Giving kindness.
Our church will never go on to the next level of growth until we each begin to giving ourselves to others.

V. SOME OF YOU NEED A NEW BEGINNING IN YOUR LIFE
“If any man be in Christ Jesus he is a new creature.” Your live has been made over again. A new life exists.

Some Are Saying, “If Only I Could Start Over Again.” You can. Trust Christ.
1. There are some of you who are without Christ. Trust Christ.
2. You may have pretended.
3. You know you are not saved.
4. No one really knows it except you.
5. Jesus said, “If any man will come unto me I will in no wise cast out.”
6. Now is your opportunity. You can start over again today.

Some Of You Have Been Saved, But You Have Made A Mess Out Of Your Life.
1. You, too, can start over again.
2. Forgiveness is not rationed.
3. Forgiveness is not short supply.
4. Forgiveness is not limited.
5. You can be forgiven of any and all sin. 1 John 1:9.

Don’t let this year end and you still be in the same place you are right now. Do something about it. Start over again today.

Gifts

MATTHEW 2:1-12

WHAT IS A GIFT? WHY DO WE GIVE GIFTS?

To show love or appreciation to the recipient, i.e., to add love to someone’s life. The power of bestowment to make the recipient rich, or honored, or special. To value or approve the recipient. What is valued by the giver becomes valuable by the recipient. To bind or hold two people together, i.e., “to wrap up” relationship.

WHAT GIFTS DID THEY BRING?

“They opened their treasures, they presented gifts to him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (2:11).

1. Gold, monetary value, i.e., a measure of trade. They gave to Jesus their power or possessions.
2. Frankincense comes from Persia (Iran), India, or Arabia. Means “whiteness,” comes from the gum of the tree. The tree is “wounded” to gather its gum, used as perfume and medicine.
3. Myrrh, it was used to soothe muscles and wounds. Used to embalm bodies. Burned to eliminate pests. The molecular structure is blues, greens, i.e., cooling color, i.e., gentleness.
Gold to honor the King
Frankincense to worship the King
Myrrh to identify with pain and sorrow of the King
4. Why did they bring these gifts?
They were ordinary or expected gifts for a king. They were symbolic or prophetic. Gold for Christ rules on earth, frankincense for worship, and myrrh symbolizing His sufferings and death.
5. The source of their pilgrimage, the Star of Prediction.
They knew the Old Testament prediction. “There shall come a star out of Jacob, and the scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Num. 24:17). They came from the east (v. 1). “The star which they had seen in the east” (v. 9). The star reappeared. “Once again the star appeared to them” (v. 9, LB). The star travelled. “It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was” (v. 9, LB). The star produced joy. “When they saw the star they were filled with joy” (v. 10, LB). Name. The Eastern Star, the Bethlehem Star, the Christmas Star, His Star.

WHO WERE THE MAGI?

1. The word “wisemen” is Magi in the original language. A priestly caste of Zoroastrianism, they studied the stars. They had embryonic faith to believe and act on the little they knew of the Scriptures. Principle: information about the star didn’t save them, worshipping Jesus did.
2. Their names: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar.
3. From three different nations they came together following the star. Brought different gifts from their nations.
4. Some believe they were kings (Hymns) because of prophetic scriptures. “Nations will come to Your light, and kings to the brightness of your light” (Isa. 60:3). “The kings . . . will bring tributes to Him” (Ps. 72:16). “Kings will bring you gifts” (Psa. 68:29).

WHAT IS THE FOCUS OF THE STORY?
1. To show Christ is King. “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him” (Matt. 2:2).
2. To predict Gentiles will worship Christ, not just the Jews.
3. To teach an attitude of worship. “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense and myrrh” (Matt. 2:11).