Heavy Things (Part A)

When we start entering into that place where we know in my life. I know where I will. I belong right where I'm standing right now and everything else I do leads up to this moment. This is serving the Lord. Again, I can do this without neglecting my other responsibilities.

Neglecting my whole bizarre love based. It is so worth it, though I won't miss it when I get to have because I will miss anything. When I get to heaven, neither will you.

This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Joshua. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching today. Pastor Rick will begin a brand-new message called heavy thing in Joshua chapter 4.

Good stuff stuff on the surface in chapter 4. It's there like I have to work for little bit heavy things. It's what we going to consider things that are not casual and rather serious. As a matter of fact, that demand attention. Chapter 4 continues to describe Israel's crossing from the wilderness in to the promised land across the Jordan River and the Memorial that they were commanded to set up in the river. One of them, and another one will be at Gill gal with the stones that come out of the river permanent memorial for those Israelites and the parallel illustrations that have something to do with our lives. They are in this chapter to chapter that does much instruction for us if we can pick up on the hints and the types now some of the biblical types are reinforced by all the Scriptures so that we can know that picking up something in in the future, and there is a great lesson there. But then there are other parallels that may not be backed up by a Scripture verse and yet yet it's you cannot mistake once pointed out the value of the lesson in from one area of Scripture to another and hopefully will get to some of these tonight so we look at verse one and it came to pass, when all the people had completed completely crossed over the Jordan that Yahweh spoke to Joshua before we get to what he said the mention of God speaking to Joshua here.

This is almost just a matter of fact the gospel to Joshua. It's taken for granted that God can speak to his people and he does not always speak to us today as he's spoke so clearly to the patriarchs of Scripture one reason why is because we have the word and just really nothing to add as their main do you have to say Lord I'm really thinking about robbing a bank of what should I do, or we know those kinds of things are prohibited. And so when I going to hear the voice of God. Other times God to see just have to wait as part of your home, suppressing the flesh going through everything and does not always speak to his people on on demand a matter of fact, in my own life. I think now not a boast. I'm just saying I think now I speak more to God than I do to human beings. I'm always time some time driving on the road probably think kook is having this conversation, one-sided though little disconcerting.

But what is wrong with what I mean. I just have so much to talk to him about it is usually the same things so that stands out to me and it came to pass, when all the people completely crossed over the Jordan that the Lord spoke to Joshua.

No surprise there.

Now that realizing this blessing that they been waiting for for for decades the Jordan River were Joshua crossed it to see the Jordan, you go, that's it have been a lot more exciting rivers than Jordan, but it is also that river where Elijah that great fiery prophet and Elisha succeeded him with a crossed the Jordan, and Elijah was taken up soon after chariot of fire is where Naaman was told to dip that the leprosy would be removed and it is also where you live. Elisha floated the iron acts head that plopped into the water.

It is where of course John the Baptist was baptizing people until finally the Christ came when he looked into the eyes of Jesus said he baptized by you, you coming to me and of course the Lord said, let the Scripture be fulfilled, and John said he saw the spirit to send like a dove in the Lord Jesus Christ and so you could come to this Jordan River and it is we don't know that whether specific places were of these events, but we know it was this river and that is enough for the believer to take delight and to pay attention when we come across the Jordan River in our reading in verse two he says take for yourself for yourselves. 12 men from the people. One man from every tribe and command them, saying, take for yourself.

12 stones from here.

Out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place with the priest feast feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight. These are trophies you could say, not in a boastful way.

Of course, the way that would remind them of what God had accomplished his promises now fulfill this point crossing into this inheritance. This great inheritance known today as Israel and so he says take for yourselves. 12 stones from here, where he continues from the place with the priests feet stood firm. That verse stands out to me that to me is the verse of the chapter I'm struck by that verse, when I read it because I want to be that kind of a servant for God where I stand I stand firm and where I stand is where he told me to stand. You remember from chapter 3 the Lord said to have the priest stepped into the water in the water. At that point was overflowing its banks is not a little puddle Oreos or gentle stream and they stood out by faith in God roll back the waters and there they stood till the people crossed over and so it's revisited again here in verse three it will be again in this chapter and I think it is the instructor the describe the person who wrote these words likely to Joshua others coming along and maybe contributing at some point. But again from the from the place with the priests feet stood firm that emphasis on the priests. These godly representatives in the priest were to represent man to God and the prophets represented God to man in here.

Of course they bore on their shoulders. The Ark of the covenant, the presence of God. The visible, the point of contact with God it was not a a theophany, like the burning bush, where God sort of puts his presence into the created object symbolic in the ark of the mercy seat great lessons they abound in in just the ark of the covenant as they do, even in this chapter is a beautiful picture of appointed servants, standing where they belong when they have been told to serve in any any believer who is serving the Lord, where they know he is appointed them should be able to identify with just that snapshot of verse three and it where he talks about this firmness of course well in life where were assaulted. Our faith is by these unseen forces often trying to lure us away from obedience and from doing what we know as best as believers so there is honor in having a firm heart.

There is delight in knowing where to stand with that firm heart, and there is great delight in standing up right in God's will.

Still, we understand all of the forces of hell that is assigned to us will try to get us from doing this very thing to stand as royal priests because we are a royal priesthood, we serve our king was our God.

And yet we we face these things in service that remind us of how fragile and how weak we are that we can have these high and noble ambitions and yet we can't get to them because of our own sinful ways own flash own shortcomings. That balance helps us constantly reach for more and yet find grace and mercy for not reaching the levels that we want to reach in Christ Jesus, and watch and pray less you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak.

I need to hear my God, tell me, I understand your predicament. I'm not excusing you.

I understand the that creates a relationship if he was just what I understand, but I don't care.

Now that creates a problem but he says I understand. I'm not excusing but I'm going to work through this with you if if you stay to work through it with me and that can be quite difficult to get tired.

We want holiness. We want purity you want to always get it right without being proud remaining humble mindful of who we are in the presence of God. This spec upon a speck in the universe and creation that is been elevated to a loved one by the spirit God support St. Paul sender saying you know I I believe in God but I I was in on the murder of Stephen, and I was in on the persecution of the other Christians I just have too much guilt I can be used was not Paul's response. Paul's response was, he tried to he was like the Pac-Man of the apostles just gobbling up everything he could get gobbled or that could be gobbled. What is the proper grammar. Anyway, second Corinthians. He writes in a more tender tone in that second letter he had to take out the belt a few times, even in the second letter so much in that I don't like as a pastor reading the Corinthian letters anymore.

As a believer I enjoy them but as the pastors too close to home as know I know the life all I don't but I do read them in.

Nonetheless, because of such gems and there were tears.

One therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in a saying I'm glad that I'm weak but you say I can't help that I have these weaknesses. Therefore, I'm going to make those weaknesses chop wood and fetch water for the worship of God and so he says I take pleasure in infirmities and reproaches and needs and persecution to distress. For Christ sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong because it is dependent upon God. Now you may have depended upon God and crumbled in the process. The only thing I can say to that is take that does not mean that God is turned his back and forsaken you.

It does not mean that God is not getting his will done. It means that that was part of the assignment. For whatever reason. In the end. In the end it will add up and it will make sense and you will look back. If you stick in there long enough you will say, Blessed be the name of the Lord Lord gives the Lord takes away. Blessed be his name. That's this life otherwise would be in heaven when have a problems were not here to sit God on our problems. We are here to be his servants as best we can under the terms that we've been given.

And when we start entering into that place where we know, for in my life.

I know where I belong. I belong right where I'm standing right now and everything else I do leads up to this moment. This is serving the Lord. Again, I can do this without neglecting my other responsibilities. Neglecting my whole is a love based. It is worth it, though I won't miss it when I get to heaven because I won't miss anything here when I get to heaven, neither will you. And so we read verses like this from the Bible and we grow strong. He has shown you a man what is good and what Yahweh requires of you.

I love the wording that you do justly, to love mercy and walk humbly with your God. How many of us love mercy. We love the receiving room. What is mercy mercy is not getting the punishment you deserve. So if you are a child and you disobey your parent will smart Alec wiseguy that we can be and they confront us and you can see it coming there going to really lay it on us and I don't I'm I'm not going to.

I'm not going to give this to you this time. Some repairs might be saying I've never done that I get to my going inside their head because they needed what God is merciful and he did not does not pass for evil.

It is not that mercy this quarter God thing. Let's move forward a list justly that there grace on the other hand of God giving us when we don't deserve God.you know, catching us doing something wrong and blessing us.

Nonetheless, without approving of the wrong and they can do that he does that he knows how to do that and he wins us that way.

The next thing you know we just want to serve you more because been so gracious to us and mercy for those two go together. We, as I mentioned these high priest we have these please.

They are not miss it to be high priest is only one at the time that was Aron wall. Aron's not here now son is now Eliezer's high priest remember who the high priestess. Let me Google anyway to doing all the math and figuring you shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you large tonight while they headed towards a place called Gill gal, but this is the evening's camp and so they pull these stones out of the Jordan as it's rolled back there at the riverbed, pull out the stones in the they walk them over and Joshua says leave them there for now, they'll take them to Gill gal we get that in verse 20 verse four now the Joshua called the 12 men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel one man from every tribe and Joshua said to them crossover before the ark of Yahweh your God into the midst of the Jordan in each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder.

According to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel.

So again, just so we don't get lost in this if I don't take the time to specify cousin focused on all the points they going to take stones from the Jordan. 12 stones and then they going to take 12 stones from the land and put them in the Jordan is an exchange and I can take the same stones out of the Jordan in the back and Jordan. The two different sets and so here and Joshua said come before the ark of Yahweh your God.

Verse five into the midst of the Jordan and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder. Now that tells us that these are there able to lift these stones. Of course, but is this piece of ownership is there is now God is given this, given this to them that the way for some you know okay and I to come out with the deed that will happen.

They going to take this by force, with the right to take it is given by God. Just like we have the right to preach the gospel in the world when we are allowed to preach the gospel by by the Lord, and think that you know they going to stand around the water cooler and tell dirty jokes and and all sources other cultural six things, especially in the age we live in Weldon that gives me the right and I tell him to their face also speak about the righteous thing that I so choose to say why did you get to say would you want to say and I can get what I want to say fortunately in this country. Most places I've been out of the workplace for a while, but I always had this attitude in preaching Christ that I was ready to fistfight the guy now wasn't what I had to do my head. Nonetheless I knew it was wrong, not a confession I never had never came to that and I would love letter that I would've just suffered. You know, I don't know what I would've done. But I don't think I would've done. I don't even know I told you this, I get the think I could just had this to take the nonsense and I when I worked in the construction industry. If I did, they would never have listened to me, I would've been the only ghost of yellow spineless and they knew that if they pulled on my cape. They were going to get it and I would ameliorate some of them I will you know about the body you know about the Bible you will have one. I'd say things like that and then they'd shut up and later on they come over wanted to be my body. So what church you go to now.

I wouldn't get fresh after that. You know what I do go with her, but there were many times like that because you don't go to different jobs to meet new people all the time and and you'd have these opportunities but I you know I was you that have this chip on my shoulder at the righteous chip. It was a righteous trip. I was looking trouble, but I wasn't going to put up with nonsense and I didn't even have it that well thought out. Just look back I see it where you have a regular thing where you know I was not just firm anyway this ownership that we're looking at two to put on the water. One of them in the work. One well outside where everyone could see in the land that they were to till and they were to so when they were to harvest and they were to enjoy the Christian life should be that way.

It's not going to go uncontested.

Of course, and to this day, Israel's presence there in the land is not is is still contested and we move forward.

Verse six that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, what do these stones mean to you. Well put a pile of stones like this odd way and it appeals to the curiosity of a child in the going to ask and we ought to be ready with the who, what, where, why, and how that is very important. Now pulpit curriculum here in this church. It is set up.

One such teaching is this.

We are in Sunday and Sundays.

We are of chapter ahead orahead of paragraph ahead of where the kids will be next week so the parents have a head start. So if the child they pick the child up and on the way home is the what did you study today. Well, it will be what the parent got last week. So be fresh in their head and they could more easily dialogue.

I don't know of another place that does this.

I know that when he established out children's ministry of God put this on my heart to do it this way in seems to be working on topical messages.

Teachers are free to go. Now this is not the little ones is 10 little older, older classes, but on topical's and teachers are free to come up with something else. If they like their free to come up to me also and I asked for suggestions and ideas. That's just how it should be.

I think anyway in these stones, these unseen stones. I I see other things and just putting them there is this does announce the inheritance, but I see the church and the ones that they putting into the riverbed that will be covered over the waters are released by the hand of the Lord while 12 stones, 12 apostles weekly cash that connections its follow-through when we all wait till the book of Revelation in the gates of new Jerusalem, for example, the foundation, the names of the apostles is carried over so when you come to that number 12 when it's in association with the 12 tribes would begin to look for the New Testament value to this well when those waters flowed over low stones.

You won't be able to see them. The Jews couldn't see the church, is nothing in the Old Testament that announces the church.

It was no need to tell and when it was time for the church. It was not an easy fit up all the course.

The trailblazer and he had to fight for, and he would go into synagogues who would announce missile and they would kick him out or reject him. He go off and preach to Gentiles, until finally the Gentiles began to be would begin to outnumber the Jews in Christianity and establish their own places of worship.

They were not permitted to have church buildings.

In those early days, they had to meet in people's homes. That's a tough way to go. If you've ever had Bible study in your home and begins to grow you realize is very difficult and sort of counterproductive at a certain point because no one can concentrate with people tearing your house up her going in the refrigerator.

Things like that.

So, the assembly Hall is a good idea and that's why Paul spent almost 2 years in the school of Tyrannosaurus worked out well. He was able to effectively teach with reduced distractions. Well, this is our crossing into their inheritance.

Well that's what the believers to the Gentiles when they come to Christ. They crossed over into an inheritance that was prepared for them.

God didn't mention the salvation of Gentiles in the Old Testament but not the church, not the assembly under the crucified, risen and present Messiah as we know as the son of God, Jesus Christ, these things were veiled. They were veiled because collectively people couldn't handle it and we we learned that when the days of Christ.

They had a very difficult time making that transition from Old Testament to New Testament, which is why Paul had to grapple with them in Romans and Corinthians in Galatians and every letter is elicited no problem eating a burger that was word dedicated to an idol is nothing to burger the perjurer think of the person and that's how he overcame and in any put client but if you get around Christian to just can't handle this. Skip the bird. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Joshua cross reference is the teaching ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia.

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