Pastor Dwayne Eslick, December 29th, 3012. Joshua 3:1 - 4:2, preached at New Life Rogers Park in Chicago.

Joshua 3:5 (NIV): Then Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

1) Clean House.

What is God’s standard? Holiness. No Compromise with sin and the world.

Consecrate yourselves.

1 Peter 1:15-16 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

2 Timothy 2:20-21 In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. 21 If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.

The water is in flood stages. As the priests step in the water, about 17 miles upstream God stops the water. We don’t know how long it took for the water to stop upstream and clear to the point where they were crossing.

Joshua 3:15-16 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 in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah(that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
Sometimes you feel like you are stepping into something and you are in over your head and waiting for God move. That is exactly where God wants you to be to wait on him.

2) Take a step of faith.

3) Write down what God is doing.

Hebrews 12:1-2a Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…