Heavy Things (Part B)

They take the stones out and the kids say, what are these the parents were supposed to say, God, Yahweh is real is real to me. I saw this happen. Now I'm trying to get you to understand so he can be real to you what you going to do with this and there is where we meet with a lot of struggle, but we are to be faithful struggles that come our way. All is faithful as we can visit his 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 that let's join Pastor Rick in the book of Joshua chapter 4 as he continues his message called heavy thing 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 know 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 why I told you this, I get to think I could just had this to take the nonsense and go 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 cave. 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 wanting 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 it, 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 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 wasn't looking trouble, but I wasn't gonna put up with nonsense and I didn't even have it that well thought out. Just look back I see it, what are you arrogant wealthy work.

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 world. One well outside where everyone could see in the land that they were to kill and they were to Saul 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 up 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 the Sundays we are up chapter ahead orahead of paragraph head 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 this and what did you study today while it will be with the parent died 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 and God put this on my heart to do it this way in. It seems to be working on topical messages. Teachers are free to go. Now this is not the little ones is one to little older, older classes, but on topical's and teachers are free to come up with 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 than just putting them there. 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 kiss 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 Lewis to 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 of course the trailblazer and he had to fight for, and he would go into synagogues.

He would announce Messiah knowing they would kick him out or reject him. He go off and preach the 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 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 then 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 and that's how he overcame it in any put but but if you get around Christian to just can't handle this guy have to skip the burger and that's why we should be ready to fight the home would be bad. So anyway here we have this joining of the Old Testament and the New Testament. That's what I see in the stones taken out the stones put in their inheritance.

The claim of ownership. The exchange, the 12 stones of 12 apostles. I see that but it's not one that I can take you fully to other scripture verses and say that is the type but I can say it is a parallel types of parallels to the goal a bit further overcome to some others. Verse seven then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off, and these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever. These are the land stones course taken from the river got to the ones being brought in choices. Tell them what happened and that it happened and that you saw you were there you saw the water rollback you saw the pre-stand there you saw the tribal representatives pick the stones out of the river and take them on the land you tell them that you saw that is called witnessing. And then he says is not written here in your Bibles. It's in mine. Make sure you go to seminary so you can know how to tell people about Christ was sheepish about a cheap shot shot is not cheap, but I have to say that because Christians get this mindset that they have to have some higher education to be effective in sharing their faith. You have to have a holy education, higher education, holy is higher. You could say that was your it doesn't have to be formal environment and you'll find any formal education demands practice anyway you can skip this student loan payment just go right to the to the Bible, God's got homeschools meet us. So if you want to be homeschooled by your father. You open the Bible and and find those men are men of the word and God uses them, they being dead, they still speak.

Although the number of useful I guy get you know all sorts of solicitations from Bible software. One particular Bible software company and its new book out new every witness always books written by men who do nothing but run write books about other books and it is read each of the books one has received books anyway. So every nine minutes on the title strike of my attention most of time ago but sometimes all a look at the author and the authors.

They don't say an unknown book release you ethical digging to find out who wrote this thing which makes me increase mail.

It makes you so that when writing this anyway.

So one recently. I don't recall. So I looked.

I googled her author of Wikipedia or whatever and I found out is creepy. Who would know this.

I mean you looking for a book in the Bible.

The title sounds very inviting him to remember what it was something about how the church and dealt with paganism.

While the author is a pagan. I mean he should raise by the Jesuits and he's just got done in all his credentials he teaches at the seminary and some people may be wowed by that and it continues that he endorses homosexuality is these relationships and and so if you're not careful you buy these books you stop yourself in the not cheap either you load on your computer. Whatever is the case so that I'm on looking for new authors who really are into the word like Harry, Ironside, or or J. Vernon McGee, Zora, just so many others that are gonna know more and I get can find they've all got something that is all over the top. Well that's fine because it is enough information already in existence.

What I don't need any new ones. I just need to get better at what I already have my age now I'm at a place where I'm now more interested in what I'm saying than what my teachers were saying to me because they've got me to this place.

That's a person who has time to study and prepare that that I do you you who do not have. You don't have the time to do that all the resources or the calling. What do you do what you have to have the definite article you've got to stay in the Scripture you got to keep your personal devotion time and then you find if there are those in your life. We respect you asked them about the books and be ready for them to say I'm a joke be ready for that and be ready for them to say that's a good one. Go for it and be ready for them is not familiar with that one. Maybe a look and see if I can find something out. Otherwise you going to fly but your pants. Just be careful because there are a lot of them out there they'll throw out a scripture verse and instead of telling you what the verse means they will tell you what they mean and try to get the verse to back them up. Okay, well, spent a lot of time there is a real have anything else to say. Coming back to this Samuel that great man of God and if you just read the life of Sam Samuel you so much from this dynamo, this giant in the faith well after a great victory to recover the ark of the covenant that the Philistines captured from you know those goofballs of Eli Huff nine Phineas they lost and God got involved, and struck the Philistines stains physically and persuaded them to bring the ark back and when Samuel gets the ark, he sets up a monument to remember this great victory.

We pick it up in first Samuel seven then Samuel took a stone, set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name.

Even these are saying, thus Yahweh has helped us we know it is Ebenezer. We sing it, you know, here I lay my Ebenezer the by the help I come but it is closer in pronunciation to even easier in the in the Hebrew anyway. It's this. He taking a lesson from the school and Joshua said I'm going to put this here because I want us to remember that God bailed us out. We messed up and he got involved and he said he rescued us. He helped us in the Philistines, so long as Samuel. Samuel was judge over the Jews. They never weaned we never again read about them messing with the Jews, of course, Saul becomes King and all that changes. So and you you know you want it you want to study characters and find out what makes people tick this line up the life of Saul, King Saul.

It irritates you all the way through.

What a character study were rich in education on people. Verse eight and the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded and took up 12 stones from the midst of the Jordan and Yahweh had spoken as Yahweh had spoken to the beat to Joshua according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel carry them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there. So again, wanting to preserve the testimony does God do this anymore. Absolutely we have two ordinances in the church and only two that we are to continue to perpetuate to continue to use and to hold up in front of people and without saying this is what we do. We are believers. The first one of course is the water baptism that is given to us to commemorate the victory of Christ not only in our personal walking lives, but every time a believer gets baptized and we witness it. We are looking at that even easier that the monument the stones that Joshua put up the same idea and it is wonderful. We have our water baptism that believers who been baptized themselves love to come out and just watch it support. That's what were supposed to do, where more into this his family. This is the church, the body of Christ. Romans chapter now this is these types now are types they have scriptural support that sign them over to that category and Bible study. They are events in the Old Testament that spoke of coming events in the New Testament that were prophetic in our educational and beneficial to us. Romans 63. Many of us were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. So this water baptism.

This being immersed that would baptize means to be immersed in Christ is symbolic and ordinance given to the church. As I mentioned, it is something that we do to this day there's never been canceled out. It has no terminus in this lifetime is a right of the church.

We have died to the world that's with the water baptism symbolizes sin, the flesh. We are against it. We identify now in Jesus Christ. And there's this image of the person being baptized, being buried under the water and then coming up resurrected in Christ, a new creation. Not without war, but is symbolic where we stand now as those priests good firm in the Jordan.

There was no question about what they were doing and who told them to do it and so it is to be with us. He says here in verse eight, and laid them down there. That's the stone well stones and foundations. Of course there's a connection there foundation my own old life is is buried it's gone it's it's it's put where no one can see at the bottom of the river crossing the my inheritance the other ordinance that the church has is the communion table. It is the same. It is a memorial we remember Jesus said to do this in remembrance of me.

We come to the table. We are saying.

We believe these things about you. We believe what you told us we cannot tell you God who you are. That is idolatry. We can receive from you lessons about who you are. That of course is true religion true faith we gather around the broken bread and the cup represent his body and his precious blood and we remember that Christ died for us that he rose again that he said it would happen this way telling us this was no accident.

He was not a crime victim though it was a crime committed prophetic. It was planned and executed by the Lord using sinners to do it according to their self-will sovereignty of God.

The communion table speaks of the return of Christ, the presence of Christ.

It is every bit of a necessary memorial, and if it was taken away from us. We notice it would miss it. We want these two rights.

The speaker think they complement each other. In fact, in chapter 2 of the book of acts when Peter is leading people to Christ. He says come and be baptized repent and be baptized and and then after that paragraph closes the next words and they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship in prayer and communion. The breaking of bread and this breaking of bread is consistent is the connection we have with the risen Christ is real to us. So when they take these stones out and the kids say, what are these the parents were supposed to say, God, Yahweh is real is real to me.

I saw this happen.

Now I'm trying to get you to understand so he can be real to you what you going to do with this and there is where we meet with a lot of struggle, but we are to be faithful in the struggles that come our way. All of them as faithful as we can well Romans chapter 10 we share our faith. We look to an invite the bit when we when you share your faith whereafter the soul were not trying to win the argument. We are trying to lose it either, but that's not where it is not getting sucked into the argument whereafter the soul. And when you're on a person is listening to what were saying about they being a sinner and capable of getting rid of their sins and capable of being perfect, but there is a God who received them and he died in their place at the wrath of God would not be upon them at the mercy of God would be upon them no longer my under God's judgment under his grace.

Instead, and then when they've that we say do you believe that if they say yes, then we need to leave them in prayer and say do you want to receive Christ as your Savior because you can say they say yes seven make this prayer with me how to open your Bibles when you do this them to Romans 10, nine and 10. Romans 10 verses nine it's all read to you if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be safer with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Okay to do that in my early years. I didn't know to do that. I just thought what I got got them there agreeing with me that believing that I had to learn that the you know what I need to just take a man to cross this Jordan and make it official. Because we need that and so this, of course, this grace does not mean that we are can careless about our sin.

Romans six verse 14 for sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace that has multiple meanings. But this is the main meaning that I love about that verse sin can think it has dominion over me because I struggle with it. But in the end the dust will settle and I'll be in heaven because I did not have dominion over me.

God has dominion over me. The weakness of our flesh is will be pushed aside and what will be received is the strength of our will to follow Jesus. That's what will count the services. Likewise you also reckon yourself to be dead indeed to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus the Lord because I can't be alive to him in my own self. I can only do it through him. This is basic gospel teaching and or we don't want to lose sight of it reaching for the more difficult passages of Scripture.

We always want to stay fresh when it comes to the basics of what we believe verse nine then Joshua set up 12 stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priest who bore the ark of the covenant stood and they are there to this day.

So the commandment recorded that they were to do this again. Returning back to the priest and standing will come. I think to them one more time that will that will be mentioned, because it is that beautiful it is a romantic picture but we have no word of them of God of God commanding Joshua to take the stones out of the river and put them on land that we have a review and are left to believe that this was part of the commandment didn't make it into print is not uncommon in Scripture detective work is necessary. Quite often get closer to what was going on.

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. If you're interested in more information about this ministry, please visit our website cross reference radio.com find additional teachings from Pastor Rick available there also encourage you to subscribe to our podcast by doing so you will be notified each new edition of cross reference radio.

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