I want you to open the Word of God with me, if you will, in the Old Testament to the book of Joshua, to Joshua chapter number 3. I love the book of Joshua. It is one of the most exciting books in all of Scripture. Anybody that tells you the Bible is boring has never read the Bible. And if you ever think, well, Some of this I can't get. I understand because there's portions of scripture that we all go through and think, I need to dig on that a little bit. But the book of Joshua is an exciting book. It is the adventure of faith. It is the Old Testament equivalent to the New Testament book of Ephesians. It's all about entering into everything that God has for you, claiming your possessions in Christ. As a matter of fact, the New Testament version of the name Joshua is Yeshua. It is the Lord Jesus. Uh, it's the same name, Joshua and Jesus Christ, our savior, the Lord, our salvation. And so there's a number of parallels here, but I bring you to Joshua chapter three, because in Joshua three, you have the people of God on the brink of a new season. They're on the verge of a new day. They have been in the wilderness for 40 years. They're about to cross the River Jordan and enter into Canaan and claim the promised land. Before we read, would you lift your head and look at me just a moment? Let me tell you who I'm preaching to today. I'm preaching to people that if God lets us live in Jesus Christ's coming, just a short period of time, we're on the brink of a new season. We're on the verge of a new year. New battles, yes, but new victories. New challenges, yes, but new blessings. It's just, it's the way life is. There's seasons in life, and they're not always marked by the calendar, by the way. They're changing circumstances. And when you're standing on the brink of the Jordan, when you're standing on the edge of the blessing, when you're standing on the verge of the next season that God has for you, how do you approach it? Joshua chapter three, I think gives some principles that we can use. Look at verse one, and Joshua rose early in the morning and they removed from Shittim and came to Jordan. He and all the children of Israel and lodged there before they passed over." Pause just a moment. Literally about, what, Tammy, three weeks ago, four weeks ago maybe, we were at this place on the Jordan, at the place where they believe the children of Israel would have crossed. We were on the Lord's Day. And we had our worship service, and we were traveling by bus with a group of people that were studying the Word of God with us from Jerusalem down to the Galilee. And we came to a certain place, and our Jewish guide said to me, do you see this sign here? And it said, Adam. And of course, we recognize that as a famous name in Scripture. But it said, Adam, turn right. And he said, if you go out that way just a little bit, He said, you'll be standing at the part of the Jordan where we believe the children of Israel crossed over. Now, at the particular time we were there, the Jordan was not much to look at. It's a dry season right now. Though it's the rainy season in Israel, their rain level is low, and they've not had nearly as much water as they would like, and so many of the riverbeds have dried up. The Jordan's still flowing, but it's not at full strength. But at the time the children of Israel would have crossed it, we'll see this in the text in just a moment, it was the time of the barley harvest. It was when up on Mount Hermon, the highest part in Israel, the snow began to melt. And all of that melting snow produced torrents of rain coming down from the mountains. And it would flood the entire Jordan River Valley. In fact, at the particular time, the children of Israel crossed the Jordan River. It was not a little creek they were crossing. As a matter of fact, in the book of Chronicles, the Bible says at this particular time of year that only mighty men, strong men could make the swim across the Jordan River to the other side, which would have made it impossible for all the women and all the children and all the animals and all the possessions to cross over. It was a miraculous thing. It was flood season. They tell me that the water level at this particular time in Joshua 3 would have been 16 to 20 feet above flood level in the Jordan River, which means what we're about to read makes it all the more remarkable. What a mighty God we serve. And so here they are camping there. Look at verse two. And it came to pass after three days. But the officers went through the host, that jumped out at me this morning, three days. Can you think of anything great the Lord did after three days in the Bible? After three days, our Lord rose from the dead. Three days was an interesting period of time all through the scripture. It was a proving time, a testing time, a preparation time. And they camped there for three days and the officers then go through the host, look at verse three, and they commanded the people saying, When you see the arc of the covenant of the Lord, your God and the priest, the Levites bearing it, then you should remove from your place and go after it. I love that. Get up and get on with it. When you see the arc on the move, God's on the move. And when God's on the move, you get on the move. And so we come to verse number four, yet there should be a space between you and it. About 2000 cubits by measure, come not near unto it that you may know the way by which you must go. For ye have not passed this way heretofore. I want you to take your pen. Would you do this and mark the last phrase of verse number four, ye have not passed this way. year two, four, we're standing on the verge of a brand new year. And we have lots of thoughts of the past year and all the Lord has done in recent days and the goodness of God to us. But I must tell you, I don't care who you are. You do not know what is ahead. And the reason you do not know what is ahead is because you have not passed this way before. You've never lived the coming year. Someone says, will we live it? That's up to the Lord. But if God lets us live, we're entering into a season we have never lived. I can't tell you what this year will bring. I can tell you it will bring battles and victories, challenges and blessings, because life is full of the extremities on both ends. There'll be, might I say it this way, the good, the bad, and the ugly this year. There will be all of the above for all of us. I'm not a prophet. I'm not the son of a prophet. I can't tell you the future, but I can tell you this. If God lets us live and continues to move us forward, we're entering into a season we've never lived before, and we need God if we're going to know the way that we're supposed to walk. 10 years ago, it's hard to believe it, 10 years ago this month, God led us into evangelism. I thought I had some idea about what that would look like. I had very little idea what was ahead of us because I had never lived this way before. And I remember at that particular season, I was pretty nervous about it, and a friend of mine came into my office one day. He said, Scott, I know you're a little worried about the days ahead, the uncertainty of it. He said, but I feel like I need to tell you something. I said, all right, I'll never forget what my friend said to me. Holy Spirit's brought it back to my mind a hundred times since that day. He said, God is already in your future. And when you get there, he's going to meet you. Can I testify 10 years later? God was already in my future because God's in the past, the present, the future at the same time. And watch this. God always meets you when you are walking in the way he wants you to walk. Can I tell you something about the year ahead? I don't know what the year holds, but I know this. God is already in the middle of that year, and if you will just follow him, God will meet you every step of the way. God himself will show you the way wherein you should walk. I've been meditating on this chapter. And I want to give you my meditations this morning. You got your pen ready? I want you to write them down. How do you know the way where you should walk, though you've never been this way before? Here's some principles. Number one, back up to verse number one. Let's start with the most basic thing. The Bible says Joshua rose early in the morning. Number one, if you want to know the way where you should walk this year, a way you've never been before, number one, make the most of the mornings. Nothing is incidental in scripture. Nothing is there just as a filler, just for information. There's great significance to Joshua rising early in the morning. Do you remember, Jesus rose very early in the morning, a great while before day, and went out into a solitary place, and there prayed. Moses rose up early in the morning and went up on the mountain. Abraham rose early in the morning and stood before God. David rose early in the morning and left his sheep with a keeper and ran to the valley of Elah where God was going to do something mighty. There's something in Scripture about rising early in the morning. May I just ask, how many of you are morning people? Would you raise your hand, please? You're early morning risers. God bless all five of you. That's really good. How many of you are nighttime people? Would you raise your hand, please? How many of you are neither? You only have two good hours in the middle of the day. There's always some people like that. Now, this is not just about getting up early. Look, I'm all for discipline, but this is not just about discipline. This is about devotion. May I suggest to you that the principle in Scripture of men rising early before daybreak, watch this, before business starts, before others come calling, before needs start pressing, why do you get up that early? You only get up that early so that you can have quiet moments alone with God. Let me tell you the first great principle if you want to know the way where you should walk in the year ahead of us. Number one, I would say this. Don't just start the first days of the year with God. Start the first moments of every day with God. In other words, the first day of a new year, special, yes. The first day of a new week, Sunday, special, yes. But the first moments of every day are holy moments if we will seek God in the early morning hour. What I found for myself is when I wake up in the morning, if I'll give God my first thoughts, God gives me his thoughts. And if I talk to God before I talk to anybody else, I find God talking back to me. May I just suggest something to you that's so practical in this? Joshua didn't charge out in front of the people and say, all right, everybody listen to me, I'm gonna tell you what we're gonna do now. What did Joshua do? Joshua went into a solitary secret place, quiet moments early in the morning to be alone with God. And I would recommend the same to you. And out of the overflow of those moments, God will show you what you're supposed to do in that day. Many a night I've collapsed in bed with a full day ahead, exhausted and spent and drained, and with a thought, Lord, I don't know what to do tomorrow. I don't know what to say tomorrow. I don't have the strength for tomorrow. And it's not just that sleep renews the body, that happens, but it is something sweet and wonderful, even in the quiet moments, early in the morning, lying upon your bed, communing with God before your feet ever hit the floor, when you give God your undivided attention. I've learned that those early moments with God can be holy moments that set in motion everything else God wants to do. How many of you would like to know the way where God wants you to walk this year? How many of you would like that this year? Yes? All right, then number one, I would suggest you make the most of the mornings. Number two, Look at verse number 3. He says, when you see the ark, would you circle the ark in verse number 3? Did you know the ark is mentioned 14 times in 17 verses in this chapter? It's like, look here, they're all following the ark, but everything in this passage revolves around the ark. Why is that? Because the ark was the very manifest presence of Almighty God. Do you understand the ark of the covenant was not just a piece of furniture, the ark of the covenant? was the place where the Shekinah glory cloud of God came and dwelt among His people. It was God's way of reminding them to be conscious that God was always with them at all times and that every part of their life should revolve around Him. Isn't it significant here? But God does not tell the military leaders to move first. He tells the priests to move first. Can I just speak to you? Grant and I and Tammy watched a military film last night. My grandpa was a Navy man. And I don't know why, but I've always loved military things. And there's military strategy that is always at play in battle. But may I just tell you, this does not seem like good military strategy to send the priest out in front of the guys carrying the swords on their way to battle. But it was. And would you like to know why? Because the most important thing was not their military strength. It was their spiritual strength. And that doesn't come from men. That comes only from Almighty God. And so here's the second principle. Would you write it down on your list? Number one, if you want to know the way you're supposed to walk, Not only must you make the most of the mornings, but you must pursue the presence of God. Pursue the presence of God. Can I tell you that God's presence is always pursuing us? Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. I don't even know who I'm preaching to right now. But may I just say to you, God's been pursuing you people. We don't pursue God first. God pursues us first. No man seeks after God. God is the great seeker. But once you become one of His, may I tell you that the pursuit of a lifetime is the pursuit of Jesus Christ. It is the unending pursuit of God's presence in your life every day. Somebody said, well, I found the Lord. I think I understand what they mean by that. They got saved. I praise God for that. He really found us. But can I tell you, once you find the Lord, there's a whole lot more to find because salvation isn't the end. It's the beginning of the greatest discovery in the world. We have the privilege of going deeper and deeper into the presence of Almighty God. I'm 49 years of age and I've been saved for the last 44 years of my life. And I feel like I'm just in kindergarten with Jesus and I'm starting to uncover some of the great riches of his grace. And you know, I tell you, the word of God's becoming more thrilling to me all the time. There's always more that God has for us. Every man and every woman will chase something this year. What are you going to chase this year? Go ahead, chase money, it makes wings and flies away, Solomon says. Chase a career and chase any number of things this world offers. Can I tell you, all of those will be emptiness and vanity, but if you pursue the presence of God, if you can live near to God every day, that will bring a joy and fulfillment and victory like nothing else will. If you will pursue God, God will show you the way wherein you should go. Number one, make the most of the mornings. Number two, pursue the presence of God. Number three, don't get ahead of divine direction. You can lag behind God, but you can also get ahead of him. Don't get ahead of divine direction. Let the Lord run point. You don't run point. God runs point. He's the leader. We're the follower. Look at verse number four, would you please? He said there's to be a space between the people and the ark. 2,000 cubits, that's about 1,000 yards to us. So there's 1,000 yards between the Ark of the Covenant. Can you see it out yonder? Look out yonder in the distance. There's the Ark of the Covenant, and 1,000 yards back is the first wave of the people. What's the significance of the distance? Certainly, there's a picture here of reverence. God is holy, and God is above all, and God is by himself in the sense of worthiness. But I don't think it's just reverence. I think our God's very practical. You understand there's millions of Jews following the Ark of the Covenant? How on earth, if they're all right up on top of it, how on earth would they know the way wherein they should walk? There was enough distance so that that mass of humanity that's walking through that wilderness and getting ready to cross that river could see way out yonder ahead of them the presence of God moving forward. Watch this. They didn't lead the Ark. The Ark led them. And I want to say this to you, if you really want to know what God wants for you this year, wait on God, wait on him. Wait and watch and then walk. May I say it again? Wait, watch, and then walk. In other words, wait on God, watch for God to move, and when God says, all right, now this is the way, walk in it, then you obey God. Don't you get a step ahead of God and don't you get a step behind God? No, the Bible says we're to stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. What does that mean? It means that we say to the Lord, Lord, I'm not going to rush you. But when you show me what you want, then I will do that. Some of you right now are facing a great decision, and you put pressure on yourself. Got to make it. Got to make it. No, you don't. What you have to do is wait on God. I got to know what to do, preacher. No, you don't. What you have to do is you got to know God. And if you know God, God who knows everything will tell you what you need to know when you need to know it. Don't get ahead of divine direction. Number four, write this one down, keep your heart holy. Look at verse number five, we left off here, and Joshua said unto the people, sanctify yourselves. Would you mark that in your Bible? Now we understand that God is the great sanctifier. He's the holy one, the thrice holy God, only he can make us partakers of his holiness. But look at the command here, sanctify yourselves. What does that mean? It means that as surely as there's a sanctifying work God does in us, there's a sanctifying work we're to enter into. We cooperate with God. So let me get very personal for a moment. May I deal with the private areas of your life and mine? Is there any sin that needs to be laid aside as you enter into this new year? Listen to me carefully. You better not try to cross the Jordan holding on to that sin. You better not try to enter in to what God has for you, holding on to that besetting sin. No, no. We lay aside the sin. We lay aside those things that so easily beset us. We lay aside all the weights. You can't move forward holding on to something God says, get rid of. I don't know all the implications of this command, sanctify yourselves, but obviously there were some people, things among the people that needed to go. So may I ask you, is there anything in your life right now the Holy Ghost is bringing to your mind and saying, that's got to go. You can't go forward until that is gone. You can never be the man. You can never be the woman that God wants you to be holding on to, unconfessed, unrepentant of, unforsaken sin. This is interesting to me. He does not tell them to sharpen their swords. He does not tell them to shine their shields. He does not tell them to put on new sandals. He does not tell them to make material physical preparation. He tells them to get their heart thoroughly right with God. You know what most people do at the end of the year? I told Tammy this morning, I love, you know, when I was a kid, I hated these days after Christmas. I don't know why. I love the days leading up to Christmas. And then the period between Christmas and New Year's, I didn't really enjoy. I must be getting old because at this season in my life, I love this time. I mean, if you have anything at this time of year, it's a little reflective, you know what I'm talking about? And you're thinking about the future and you're making plans and you don't everybody does during these days, these three days of preparation, they make their resolutions. Okay. In the new year, I'm going to lose weight in the new year. I'm going to start exercising in the new year. You know, the list we make it every year and don't do any of them in that. Right. And we, we make this preparation, all these resolutions. of what we're going to do in the new year. I think this is so interesting. When these people were on the verge of the new season, God did not tell them to make better promises and better resolutions. He told them to repent and recommit themselves to God. And I love this thought. It is not more resolutions that people need. It is more reconsecration that people need. May I give the Word of God to you? Would you look me in the eye and hear me with your heart just a minute? Sanctify yourselves. Sanctify yourselves. Sanctify yourselves. Get everything out that grieves the lovely Holy Spirit of God and takes glory away from God and give yourself entirely to God and say, Lord, I don't know what the future holds, but I know this. I want my life in your hands. You set me apart for your purpose and your service. And if you want to know the way when you should walk, you must keep your own heart holy before the Lord. Then number five, look at the end of verse five. I love this. Oh, the hopefulness in this. Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow. Tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you. Would you write down number five? Believe that God's best is before us. Believe that God's best is before us. You see that word tomorrow? I was thinking about this yesterday. We use it as a, tomorrow's the devil's word. Remember Pharaoh used the word tomorrow? Well, this is not the tomorrow of procrastination. This is the tomorrow of promise. This is, this is God saying, you think your best days are behind you, but your best days aren't behind you. Your best days are ahead of you. If you will follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Can I ask you something? Do you believe it's possible that God can make the coming year of your life, the greatest year of your life? Do you believe it's possible that God could do more in your heart and home in the coming year than he has in the last several years combined? And I want to say to you on the authority of the word of God, yes, God is able to do that. You know why? Because God is God. And you know what it takes? Somebody's got to believe him. Every year I take a Bible word for the year. I haven't said this publicly yet, but my Bible word for the new year, for the coming year, is the word holy. And I've just had it on my mind and the Spirit of God keeps working me over about it, the holy nature of God, and I'm going to study it for myself in the coming year. But as we close this year, on the last Lord's Day of this year, let me tell you what my word has been this year. It's been the word believe. And every week God's been dealing with me about believing him for certain things. Could I challenge you as we stand on the threshold of a brand new year, would you please believe that God has more for you in the days ahead? If God was finished with you, you would already be in his presence. How many of you are still breathing? Okay, let's try that again. How many of you are still breathing? Would you raise your hand? Then God's not done. So don't die before you die, and don't quit before God is finished. Instead, look at that verse, verse 5. Tomorrow, the Lord will do wonders among you. Oh, the wonderful tomorrows of God. Do you know what this is? This is obedient expectancy. This is believing that if I will do today what God gives me to do today, God will do tomorrow what only God can do tomorrow. Look here, you can't take care of tomorrow, but God will take care of tomorrow. You just obey him today and believe that the best is yet to come for the child of God. Number six, would you write it down? We've not passed this way before. So number six, follow those who follow the Lord. Look at verse six. And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people. And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. You see, in verse 6, you've got the priest leading, and in verse 7, you've got Joshua, the captain, leading. These men were not acting out of pride. These men were not acting out of presumption. They weren't just arbitrarily saying, we're going to take the Ark of the Covenant, and we're going to lead God's people. No, these were men who walked with God. And as they walked with God and followed the Lord, the people could follow them. Let me get real practical for just a moment. You be real careful who you follow this year. Be real careful who you follow. Did you know you can follow the wrong people on social media? And you can follow the wrong people on YouTube and you can follow the wrong people in life. And if you're not careful, you let people start influencing you and they're not leading you closer to God. They're leading you further away from God. And if you want all God has for you in the coming year, this is super practical, but you better find some spiritual people who are walking with Jesus, have the touch of God on their life and they're pursuing Christ and you follow those people. It's like Paul saying to the church, follow me, even as I also follow Christ. There was a guy years ago named Charlie tremendous Jones. Anybody remember Charlie tremendous Jones. He was a motivational speaker. He was a Christian. And he had a little thing. He said that just stuck with me, with me. He said, you'll be the same person five years from now, as you are now, except for two things. He would say it really fast. The books you read and the people you meet the books you read and the people you meet. He meant by that, the people that you let influence you, whether in some written form or through relationships. Watch this very carefully. The thing that's going to make the greatest impact on you this year, either bringing you near to God or pulling you further away, are the people you allow to influence your life. You've not passed this way before, so could I just recommend, don't ask people who also haven't passed this way before. Instead, you find some people who are mature in the faith and say, I'm going to follow those people because I believe they're going to help me know Jesus better. Number seven, would you write it down? Be still and let God speak. Look at verse eight. And thou should command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant saying, when you come to the brink of the water of Jordan, jump right in. Is that what your Bible says? No. He shall... Would you read the next two words out loud with me, church? He shall what? Stand still. Stand still in Jordan. Why? Look at verse 9. And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither and hear the words of the Lord your God. He literally says, come here and hear. Come here and hear. Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the word of God. How many of you need more faith? Anybody need more faith? I need more faith. You know how you get more faith? More Bible. You don't muster faith up. God puts faith in. This is interesting to me. He gets the entire nation there, and he gets the priest right to the water's edge. He says, now, stand still, stand still. Everybody stand still. Be real quiet. Why are we standing here? Why are we still? Why are we quiet? Be still and know that I am God. Watch this. Stand still and hear the word of the Lord. And look at what he says, verse number 10. This is God's word. And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you. and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Gergesites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites. He says, listen, listen, I want you to know there is a real God, and God is alive, and God is with you, and God will not fail you, and there's not a single enemy that is greater than your God. Hear the word of God. And as the word of God got in them, faith welled up inside of them, and it gave them the strength to move forward for the glory of God. If you want to know the way when you should walk this year, here it is. Number seven, every day you need some time to be still and let God speak to you. This is a purposeful pause. We're standing still to hear the word of the Lord. How long has it been since you heard God speak to you? How long? You hear Bible preaching in this church every Lord's Day, and the Bible study's on Wednesday night, and I hope you'll be in them. I love what you're getting ready to study in the new year, but I'm not asking how long's it been since you heard a sermon. I'm not asking how long's it been since you heard a Bible lesson. I'm asking how long's it been since you got still before the Lord and opened the Word of God and knew God was speaking to you? I'm gonna tell you what I need every day of my life. Every day I need a word from the Word. Every day I need to hear the voice of God, not the voice of a preacher. I need to hear the voice of God speaking to me every day. You know why that is? Because His Word shows you the way. Do you need direction? Do you have decisions? Do you have, do you have dilemmas ahead of you? You need a word from God and the word of the Lord will show you the way wherein you should walk. This is, this is, this, look, this is heaven's GPS. That's what this is. This is God's roadmap for life. You don't, don't march to your own beat. Don't chart your own course. Lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths. Every day, you come and stand still before the Lord. Let me meddle a moment. Turn the music off. Turn the TV off. When you get in the car on your way to work, you don't have to always listen to something. Every now and then, just be still and meditate on a verse from Scripture and say to God, God, I need you today. Speak to me. Lead me in the right path. Guide me, Lord. Direct me, Lord. And I tell you, as surely as God led these people across that Jordan, God will bring you across whatever is staring you in the face. Be still and let God speak. Number eight, lead the way for those you love. Lead the way for those you love. In a sense, we're followers and in a sense, we're leaders at the same time. We're following the Lord and following other spiritual people. Well, you're leading somebody. Everybody's leading somebody. You may say, I'm not really a leader. Well, you have influence. You have a sphere of influence because everybody does. Look at verse number 12. This is so interesting to me. After he says in verse 10, I'll take care of all the enemies. By the way, seven people groups mentioned in verse 10. Isn't that interesting? Seven, all of them. There are five such lists in the book of Joshua. He says in verse 11, behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. Now, verse 12. Therefore take you 12 men out of the tribes of Israel out of every tribe a man." I got to tell you that when you read Joshua 3, that verse seems out of place until you come to Joshua 4. You know why every tribe had to choose a man, a representative? Because they're going to get out there in the midst of the Jordan and those representatives all had to pick up a rock. And I'm not talking about a pebble, I'm talking about a big one. In fact, Joshua 4 says they would put it on their shoulder. That's a big rock. And do you know why? Because these representatives from each family in Israel were carrying a testimony that God was able even to take care of Jordan in the midst of flood season, if they would trust and obey. And in Joshua four, they carry those big rocks across to the other side and they create a monument, an altar of sorts. So that in the future, when people said, what are those stones? They would say, these are the testaments that God was faithful to us when we faithed him. Can I ask you something? Would anybody say that you're the testimony of grace and faith in your family? Somebody's got to do it. Would anybody look at you and say, that man, that woman, that young person, they're leading the way and showing us what it means to follow Jesus faithfully? And I say this to you in the coming year, don't make it all about you. In the coming years, say, Lord, I want you not only to show me the way, I want you to show others the way through my life. Help me lead those I love. In other words, you carry a testimony of the faithfulness of God so others will see it. It's interesting, but in military days, usually somebody in each of these tribes would carry a banner. Every tribe had a banner and they would march under that banner into war. And it hit me as I was thinking on this, that here, they're not carrying banners, they're carrying boulders. I love that because it was not about military strength. It was about showing the strength of their great God. Number nine, would you write it down? Take one step of obedience, one step. Look at verse 13, it shall come to pass, as soon as the souls of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above, and they shall stand upon a heap. Now, you remember, 40 years previous, God did something like this when they crossed the Red Sea. Everybody remember the Red Sea crossing? But it was different. It was different. It was the same, but it was different. When the Red Sea was crossed on dry ground, it was Moses. Remember, Moses stretches his rod out and boom, the waters become walls on each side and they cross over. That's miraculous. But now when they cross the Jordan, it's not just one man. No, the people have to trust and obey. And this is interesting. Do you know when the waters of the Jordan stopped flowing upstream? Just, God just put a halt on them. Somebody says, how does that happen? Look, God made that river. He can do with the river what he wants to do. I don't know how he did it. I just know that he did it. The Bible says that he did it. But when did he do it? Would you mark it? In verse 13, when the soles of their feet hit the water. Look at verse 15, as they that bear the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bear the ark were dipped in the brim of the water. For Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest, that the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon a heap very far from the city Adam that is beside Zeratan, and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, that's the Dead Sea, fell and were cut off, and the people passed over right against Jericho. When did it happen, church? Look here. It happened when they were willing to take the first step. May I say it this way? You've got to get your feet wet. You've got to get your feet wet. Oh, oh, so you want to learn to swim? You've got to get in the water. Oh, Peter, you want to walk on water, do you, big boy? Well, then you've got to get one foot outside the boat. And watch this carefully. When you take the first step, God meets you there. When you say, yes, Lord, some of you, some of you are trying to figure out the third and fourth steps. You haven't taken the first step yet. Can I tell you, it doesn't work that way. Don't expect to have God's grace for 10 steps from now when you won't even obey him on the step that he's giving you right now. Watch this. God's not just working in yesterday and God's not just working in the future. God's working right where you are. And the greatest way to get ready for the unknown is simply obey God right where you are. So what's the one step of obedience you need to take? Are you a Christian? Well, I'm not sure about that, preacher. Then I'd get that settled first. That's the first great step of obedience. Have you obeyed the Lord in believer's baptism since you were saved? No, no. I got baptized as a child. Wait a minute. The baptism follows salvation and pictures the change that God has done in your heart. If you've never been baptized, you should be baptized. Oh yeah, preacher, I've been saved and baptized. Good. Are you a member of the church? Well, no, but I attend. Well, wait a minute. In the book of Acts, they join themselves to a group of believers. You should join a local New Testament church and you should be an active member of that church. Not just on the roll, you should be there serving Jesus, putting your life and influence in the church. All right, preacher, well, I've been saved and baptized. I'm a member of the church, and we're here. You're preaching to the choir. Good, well, let's go a little further. Are you living in the Word of God every day? Do you read the Bible and pray every day? Well, some. No, no, let's start there. That's a good step of obedience. Are you a giver? Do you tithe your income and give offerings and support the work of the gospel and missionary causes? No, no, never done that. Then start there. Somebody say, well, preacher, I do all those things. Good. Do you carry gospel tracts with you? Do you share your faith? Do you witness to the waitress at the restaurant? Do you strike up a conversation with the man next to you at the gas pump to speak a word for the Lord Jesus Christ? I'm just simply saying, I don't care who you are, how long you've been saved, there's always one more river to cross. There's always another step of obedience. And it will be different for every person in this church, but there is one step of obedience God wants every one of us to take right here at the beginning of the year. And I want to tell you, if you'll take that one step of obedience, you'll be amazed how God starts parting the waters and drying up the riverbed and showing you the way that you have never walked before. I meet people everywhere I go who want God to give them a great future. But they refused to obey God in their present. And I want to tell you, don't expect God to give you a wonderful tomorrow if you don't have an obedient today. Take one step today of obedience to the Lord Jesus. And then one more principle, last verse, verse 17. And the priest that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan. I love that, firm. You know, a lot of shaking going on in our world today. Would you like to stand firm? You stand firm on the promise of God, that's what you do. I've marked in my Bible, back in verse 10, that the Lord will not fail without fail. In verse 16, even the Dead Sea failed, but God didn't fail. No, the Lord won't fail you. And so they stand firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and look at the end of the chapter, and all the Israelites, does your Bible say all of them? All the Israelites passed over on dry ground until, here it is again, all the people. We're past clean over Jordan. I love that. Sounds like my grandma clean over number 10. Would you write it down? You've not passed this way before, but if you want to know the way when you should walk number 10, press on until you've passed through. Press on. They didn't get out in the middle of the Jordan stop. They kept walking. They kept marching. They're going to be great days. They're going to be hard days. There'll be easier times, there'll be more difficult times. Let me tell you what you gotta do. You gotta keep putting one foot in front of another. You gotta press on for the Lord. When you feel like it, when you don't. When others do, when they don't. When you want to, when you don't. When it's instant in season, instant out of season, you just keep pressing on for the Lord Jesus Christ. And watch this, if you'll do that, verse 17, the Bible says you'll pass, I love this, clean over, Jordan. You press on. And at some point you pass through. We can't do this, but let's use a little sanctified imagination. I want everybody to hit the skip button in your mind and go to the last Sunday of next year. Boom, a year's passed. I want to ask you a few questions. How many of you would like to be closer to God this Sunday next year than you are today? How many of you would vote for that? Would you raise your hand? How many of you would like to see some answers to prayer in the coming year? Wait a minute. How many of you would like to see God do some really great things in your family, in the lives of those you love in the coming year? Would you raise your hand, please? Yeah. How many of you would like to see the Lord do something fresh and wonderful in this church in the days ahead? How many of you would vote for that? Yes. Okay. I got to back up. You don't choose that this time next year. You choose that today. And watch it, you'd only choose it today, you then choose it every day. As you look to the Lord and say, Lord, I've never passed this way before. I like to think I know what I'm doing, but I don't know what I'm doing, Lord. But if you'll lead me, I'll follow. Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. Preacher, I've not passed this way before. It's all right. It's all right. The Lord's already passed this way, and he's going to lead you all the way. You can trust him. You can follow him. I was reading this week of an old ship captain, rough, tough seaman, hard, who got born again I was in a meeting the other day where a man they'd been praying for for years got saved. It was thrilling to me. He was tough. He talked with me afterwards. I mean, he wasn't just a man's man. He was a man marred by sin and marked by it. He'd lived a rough life, and he got born again. And the most amazing thing, when he got born again, God just melted that old man's heart. His whole countenance changed. I mean, everything, everything just changed. Because when Jesus moves in, he doesn't leave you like you are. He makes you what he wants you to be. And I'm reading this week about a man like that, an old, tough sea captain who got under the gospel and got born again. Shortly after his conversion, he was setting off on another voyage across the Atlantic, one of many that he had made. The night before his voyage, he was speaking to a group of people and he said these words. I love this. He said, tomorrow, I pilot my ship as it begins its journey across the Atlantic. I never went with so light a heart. This is the first time the great pilot, Jesus, has gone with me, holding the wheel of my heart. This will be the happiest trip I have ever taken. How many of you would like to have the happiest trip you've ever taken in the coming year? Let me tell you how. Let Jesus pilot the ship. Get out of the captain's chair. and let the Lord hold the wheel of your heart. Look, He'll never steer you wrong. He'll never get you lost. He'll never crash on the rocks. He'll never lead you to nowhere. As surely as Jesus got on board the boat with those boys in the middle of the night, in the middle of the storm, and they immediately were on the other side, and as surely as the Lord met the children of Israel at the crossing of the Jordan, and they passed clean through to the other side, I tell you, God will bring you through in victory and blessing. If you will simply let the Lord lead the way.