Well, thank you again for leading us, Andrew. Good morning to everyone. Good to see you on a warm day, huh? We haven't had one of those in a while. So it felt pretty good this morning. You go out and kind of brace, and then it wasn't there. So that was nice.

Our study this morning is in Joshua chapter 3. And this text is primarily the historical account of the crossing of the Jordan by the nation Israel into the promised land. But it's really much more than that. It's a long-awaited day for Israel. They'd been in bondage in Egypt for 400 years. They'd been delivered by the mighty hand of God in miraculous ways. But then because of unbelief, the nation had wandered in the wilderness for 40 years until the generation that came out of Egypt had all died. Millions of people wandering aimlessly, pointlessly through the wilderness for 40 years.

There had been a long, consistent failure by the people of God to trust him, to believe him, and to obey him. And now Moses had died. All in that generation have died. And Joshua has become the leader of Israel, chosen by God to lead his people into the land of Canaan to conquer and divide the land. This truly is a monumental day in the history of the nation of Israel.

And we will see God again do wonders among them, drying up the Jordan and stopping the waters to allow them to cross over and begin the conquest of the land, driving out the pagans, the vile sinners that occupied that land, as we saw last week in Leviticus 18, passages that describe what kind of people they were. We also see from scriptures like Hebrews 3 and 4 that this day, this crossing over is also a type, a picture of spiritual realities to come in the person and work of Jesus Christ and the institution of the new covenant. There's much here in the way of typology and foreshadowing of greater things to come. So this is an interesting text, straightforward in its historical record of that day, but monumental in its significance to Israel and to us.

Let's read our text here again. Joshua 3 at verse 1 says, "'Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan. He and all the children of Israel enlodged there before they crossed over. So it was after three days that the officers went through the camp and they commanded the people saying, When you see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God and the priests, the Levites bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about 2,000 cubits by measure. Do not come near it that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.' 

"'And Joshua said to the people, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.' Then Joshua spoke to the priests saying, 'Take up the Ark of the Covenant, cross over before the people.' So they took up the Ark of the Covenant and went before the people. And the Lord said to Joshua, 'This day 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. You shall command the priests who bear the Ark of the Covenant, saying, when you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.' 

"'So Joshua said to the children of Israel, Come here and hear the words of the Lord your God. And Joshua said, by this 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, and the Perizzites, and the Gergesites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold, the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan. Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe, and it shall come to pass as soon as the souls of the feet of the priests who bear the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.' 

"'So it was when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant before the people, and as those who bore the Ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the Ark dipped in the edge of the water, for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest, that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zeratan. So the waters that went down into the sea of the Areba, the salt sea, failed, and were cut off, and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. Then the priests who bore the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel crossed over on dry ground until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.'"

Well, I've given you four points on your outline. First, the promise of God. Second, by faith. Third, enter God's rest. And fourth, the walk of faith. 

Well, we need to remember that the context for this entire journey of the nation of Israel was based in the promise of God. God made promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to Israel. Unconditional promises. We see those in Genesis 12 specifically. One part of the promise was the land. And we saw before that the land that God promised has never been occupied by the nation Israel, really only a small portion of it, even in the time of David and Solomon. But all of this is based on the promise of God. This is where it all starts. God's word, God's promise. And in the context, the promise of the land. So Joshua's leading them across the Jordan into the land to conquer and divide it as God has prescribed.

Verse one of our text says that he rose early in the morning. This is always an indication of a willingness, an eagerness to obey. We see this several times in the scriptures. Perhaps the most stunning example is in Genesis 22. If you turn over to Genesis 22 with me, this is a story of Abraham. Genesis 22, one, now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham and said to him, Abraham, and he said, here I am. Then he said, take now your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I shall tell you. 

So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey and took two of his young men with him and Isaac, his son, and he split the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God told him. An amazing event. You have to realize that Isaac was the promised son. God had promised him blessing and a nation and all these things through Isaac. And now he asks him to sacrifice him as a burnt offering. And it says that Abraham rose early in the morning. I think I'd have probably procrastinated a little bit on that deal, but I'm sorry, Abraham rose early in the morning. And here we see that Joshua rose early to set out across the Jordan.

And in verse three of our text, it says, and they commanded the people saying, when you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God and the priests, the Levites bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. The people were to follow the ark of the covenant, but at a distance, quite a distance really, about three quarters of a mile. Joshua told the people, the ark's gonna go before you to show you the way and you shall go after it. Go after it, follow it, seek it with earnest. God would lead them across the Jordan into the promised land and the ark represented the presence of God.

They could not come near to it. They had to keep a distance from it, not like now for us in the new covenant. In Hebrews four, it says we can come boldly to the throne of grace to find help in time of need, that God is our papa, he's our daddy. We can crawl up into his lap as it were to find comfort. They could not come too near, but the ark was to lead them as the pillar of smoke and fire did through the wilderness. When the ark went, they were to follow it. They were to go after it. They were to set their eyes on the ark, on God, following three quarters of a mile behind. They had to be attentive to the ark, set their eyes on it if they were to find their way because they had not been this way before.

Verse four, do not come near it that you may know the way that you must go for you have not passed this way before. This was new territory for Israel. They had not been this way before. They had to look to God. They had to follow him. They had to seek after him as he led them in the way to go. Now it's interesting to me as I studied this chapter, this great event in the history of Israel and as I pondered this idea of crossing the Jordan because so many old hymns came to my mind. So many stories, sermons, statements concerning crossing the Jordan. 

Listen to some of these lyrics from those hymns. At the crossing of the Jordan, why should I be afraid? There'll be someone here who loves me to guide me across the river to endless joys above. This one says, torn apart, left me alone. You passed away without a word and all alone. You walk away, you're crossing the Jordan. When I cross over Jordan at last and all the troubles of this world are passed, when the battle is done and the victory won, I will rest when I cross over Jordan at last. 

Somehow, I'm not sure how, but crossing over Jordan became synonymous with going to heaven. But my friends, when we study this event and when we study what is to come, Canaan is no heaven. When they cross over Jordan, the battle is not done. There is no rest as in the final rest, the heavenly rest. Crossing the Jordan is not representative of the consummation of our salvation, but rather the beginning of our salvation. Crossing the Jordan, I believe, is an act of faith. And it is typical of coming to faith in Jesus and entering the rest of salvation, not glorification, but justification and regeneration where the walk of faith begins. 

Turn to Hebrews 3 with me, and let's look at the author of Hebrews as the Holy Spirit comments on this time, several times in Hebrews 3 and 4. Hebrews 3, 7. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion in the day of trial in the wilderness. That's referring to the nation of Israel in the wilderness after they came out of Egypt, where your fathers tested me, tried me, and saw my works 40 years. Therefore, I was angry with that generation and said they always go astray in their heart and they have not known my ways. 

So I swore in my wrath they shall not enter my rest. Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief departing from the living God, but exhort one another daily while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. While it is said, today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt led by Moses? Now with whom was he angry 40 years? Was it not with those who sinned whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest but to those who did not obey? 

Now look at verse 19. This is important. So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Why was it they didn't cross the Jordan? Why was it they didn't enter in the land of Canaan? Because of unbelief. This is so instructive for us because they could not enter in because of unbelief. Entering in, crossing the Jordan was an act of faith. And we will see many acts of faith and obedience after the crossing of the Jordan, not the least of which is the conquering of Jericho. But crossing the Jordan is not the end. It's not the consummation. It's the very beginning, an act of faith. 

And the battles of daily life and putting one foot in front of another of persevering through faith has only just begun. Look at Hebrews chapter four, continuing there. Therefore, since a promise remains of entering his rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest as he has said, so I swore in my wrath they shall not enter my rest although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 

For he has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way and God rested on the seventh day from all his works. And again in this place, they shall not enter my rest. Since therefore it remains that some must enter it and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience. Again he designates a certain day saying in David, Today, after such a long time as it has been said, Today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. 

For if Joshua had given them rest, then he would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. The author of the epistle to the Hebrews appeals to those Jews who have come up to the point of faith, who have come to the banks of the Jordan, we could say, to go on to perfection, to go on to salvation, to rest through faith in Jesus Christ, to cross the Jordan in faith, to trust God and do what He says. And my friends, this is the main message of the book of Joshua. The battle is the Lord's. God is in control and what He wants for us is to trust Him. What He wants from us is to believe Him and obey Him and He will do wonders among us.

This made me think of Jesus' words in John 14, 12, where He said, say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also, and greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father. What are the greater works? The preaching of the gospel, leading men to faith in Jesus Christ, the regenerative work of God in salvation, this work which God allows us to do by His grace and power through the power of His gospel preached, is greater than the signs and wonders, because men are transformed, saved forever, when they hear the word about Jesus and choose to place their faith in Him.

This picture of crossing the Jordan represents the beginning of faith, an act of faith to enter the land, to begin to fight the battles, to put one foot in front of another, to trust God one day at a time, to abide in Him. Crossing the Jordan is an act of faith, a faith their fathers didn't have. But the battle's just begun, and we will see that vividly as we work through this text. And my brothers and sisters, we experience this truth in our lives, in this world every day.

When the nation Israel came to the Jordan, overflowing its banks, and all that they knew was on the other side, they had a choice. Would they believe God? Would they trust Him? Would they do what He says? Or would they turn back to the wilderness, to all that was familiar to them, just as they once pined to go back to Egypt? When the Hebrews of the New Testament, to which the author writes, were confronted with the gospel truth about Jesus the Messiah, the Savior of the world, they had a choice. We know from the book of Hebrews that some in that community believed and were saved, but others were waffling, wavering at the point of faith. And God appeals to them, do not harden your heart. Do not do as the Israelites did when they came out of Egypt. Go on to perfection. Believe Jesus and experience the rest of God.

Rest from your works for righteousness, as Jesus takes your sin upon Himself and imputes His righteousness to you. This is an act of faith, my friends. Salvation is the free gift of God through faith in Jesus alone, but this is the beginning of life. As I thought about all those people, that great crowd standing at the banks of the Jordan, the rushing water overflowing its banks and having read ahead as to all they would experience, I wonder if they had known all the struggles, all the details of what was to come. If they knew all of that at that moment, would they have crossed over? Would they have entered by faith? 

And I found this to be an interesting question for you and for me. If I could look back 20 years or 30 years, however long you've been saved, and you could have known all the struggles and trials and suffering that you would experience in this Christian life on that day, would you have put your faith in Christ? Would you have signed up for this life? And I thought looking back now on all that you have experienced, all that God has brought you through by faith, can you imagine doing it without Jesus Christ? Can you imagine what it is like to be as the pagans in Ephesians 2.12 where Paul said at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

God doesn't tell us all that will come. He doesn't reveal everything to us on the day we believe. He simply asks us to believe Him, to trust Him, to follow Him. Wherever we are today, and what a world we live in today, the events laid out so clearly in the Word of God concerning the end times are seemingly at the door. A world of great corruption, of fear, of turmoil and confusion, a world without God, without hope, blind to the truth. 

Wherever we're about to go, we have not passed this way before. Just as Israel crossing the Jordan River that day, they had not passed this way before. And therefore it was imperative that they keep their eyes on God, that they look to Him and trust Him each day in the battles to come. And it's no different for us today. When we came to faith in Jesus, we had no idea what was to come. The trials and tribulations, the great wonders that God would do in and through us if we just trust Him and obey Him. The joy, the peace, the contentment, the fulfillment that we have experienced because we know Him.

We don't know what is to come. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. We haven't been this way before. But the key to the Christian life is keeping our eyes on Jesus, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. When we look unto Him, we will never be disappointed. When we walk by faith, He will work through us. He will work by His mighty power to accomplish His will in our lives for His glory. This was clearly true for Joshua, the mighty works that he did, because they believed, because they went after God, because they followed the Ark of the Covenant and obeyed all that He commanded them through the battles.

Crossing over the Jordan is a picture of faith by which we enter the rest in Christ, not final rest and glorification and eternal life in heaven, but rest and peace and joy in a life of faith abiding in Him. And we see this again in Hebrews 4 we just read. Let us be diligent to enter that rest lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. We enter rest, peace, salvation through faith in Jesus, but then we begin the walk of faith. 

What did Joshua and the Israelites have to do after they entered in, crossing the Jordan by faith, as God held back the waters and led them with the Ark of the Covenant? What was the first thing they had to do? They had to face Jericho. God did wonders that day, stopping the waters. They had a great day, a spiritual high, a deliverance into the land. But then immediately they saw Jericho, the walled, fortified city. Trouble came upon them. What would they do? The Lord was with them, this was His promise. He showed the people that He was with Joshua on the day that they crossed the Jordan. They had to trust God. They had to just place one foot in front of the other with their eyes upon the Ark leading the way. This was the only way to experience victory in the battles.

If they'd turned to the right or to the left, if they'd sought the wisdom of men, of military men, and came up with their own battle plan to take Jericho, then they were sunk. They had to trust God, look to Him, do what He said. And in this way the walls came tumbling down. It's a walk of faith, one day at a time. Troubles come, sometimes tremendous trouble and doubt and fear. What can we do? What must we do? Walk by faith. Go back to His Word, His promises. Seek to know His will and trust Him, believe Him, look to Him, rejoice in Him, thank Him. One step at a time. Keep pressing on by faith.

This cold weather we've had lately reminded me of a day several years ago, late in February, when we first began our farm. And we had a great Jersey cow, her name was Lily. And she was ready to have a baby. And we were looking forward to the new calf and the milk that would come. Winter was marching on in a brutal way, really. For two weeks I went out each night to check on her and I was sure she was ready to calve at any moment. I remember those starry nights, so bright and clear, so cold, 35 below some nights. And Lily would just look at me with her frosty mug, chewing her cud, like, what are you doing here? It's the middle of the night.

We'd had a long winter, we'd had lots of struggles. That was the year that the snow stayed until May. So cold for so long. And one night I went out a little later than usual because I couldn't pull myself out of bed, it was about 430 in the morning, and there was a little calf wet, steaming on top of a mound of hay. But my Lily was laid out like a dead deer. Milk fever. I went running to the house, waking everyone up, and Ashley came and carried that new calf all the way to the house and warmed it by the fire. I called the vet, but he wouldn't be there for an hour and a half. And Bobby and I tried and struggled to push that 1,100 pound cow upright, Bobby wedging herself under that cow to try to get her up where she could release the gas that would soon suffocate her if we didn't get it out.

The vet came, he gave her calcium, and she was up and trembling in a few minutes. I'd never experienced that, it was amazing. She was fine, the calf was fine. We named that calf Joy because Psalm 30 verse 5 says that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. It was an overwhelming event for us, so cold, how could that little calf going from 103 degrees to minus 35 in an instant survive? I thought to myself as I did yesterday morning when we had a calf on our farm and it was white with frost and its mother licking it dry, welcome to this old cursed world little guy. It's gonna be a struggle, gonna be a struggle.

When that event happened all those years ago with Lily, I called my friend Jeff and I told him I was discouraged. I was burnt out, I couldn't do it anymore. Everything was so hard in this harsh place in which we live. I said, what am I gonna do? You know what he said? He said, here's what you're gonna do, you're gonna keep going, you're gonna keep going. Life can be really hard. We have salvation, we have peace, we have joy, we have security through faith in Jesus Christ and praise God for that. 

How would we live without Jesus in this world? He's our Savior, He's our friend, He lives in us, He keeps us by His power. But life can still be so very hard. Trouble in this old cursed world, trials, tribulations, sometimes they're overwhelming. What am I to do? Continue. That's what believers do, they continue one foot in front of the other, eyes on Jesus leading the way. Believe Him, trust Him, obey Him, and enjoy the abundant life that He's given us. Enjoy the privilege of knowing Him, being able to go to Him, a friend closer than a brother, and knowing that He's in control, and knowing that His grace is sufficient.

Just keep going, keep abiding, keep believing, and keep looking unto Jesus. This is the key to the Christian life, the life that only Christ can live through us as we walk by faith one step at a time. In this time of great trouble in our world with so much uncertainty and deception and confusion, we can get all involved in all of that, we can fret about it, but what a joy, what a privilege, what an assurance it is to be able to look unto Jesus and know Him. That's our joy, that's our privilege, that's our life, my friends, and to tell others about Him.

Let's close in prayer. Father, we thank You, we thank You for Your great promises, Your Word, we thank You that You do what You say, that we can trust You, that You tell us the truth. Help us when we're weak in faith, when we're looking to ourselves, when we're looking to the world, to set our eyes on Jesus. Just to look unto Him, abide in Him, walk by faith in Him, and help us to be thankful. Life isn't always happy, life isn't always easy. Sometimes it is, and we thank You for that. But help us just to know that we can trust You and believe You, and that we can have joy, we can have peace, we can have purpose and meaning in our life because of what You've done for us and what You've called us to do. Thank You for the privilege of knowing You, and in Jesus' name, amen.