Printer Friendly VersionOver the past few weeks we have been journeying with the people
of Israel as they come again to the threshold of the Promised Land. They’ve
been here before, but they failed to enter it.
Consequently, the people spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness.
But then God did a new thing in their midst. He gave them a new leader and
soon they seemed to have new determination. The time finally had come after
all these years to cross over and enter into what God promised so long ago.
We heard the wonderful story last week of how God gave them
evidence of His power and presence, by stopping up the Jordan so they could
cross on dry land. What a sight it must have been. What a sign of God’s
power and what a reminder of His providential care! There must have been a
great spirit of celebration and awe as those people walked a dry riverbed.
Finally they were in the land of promise.
During these weeks of reflecting on the Book of Joshua, we have
been taking their story as a metaphor for our own spiritual journey. God calls
each of us to enter a new land, spiritually. It’s a land of freedom,
joy, and peace.
Yet sadly, many are unable or refuse to enter. Some are simply
disobedient, and will not move away from the comfort of what is into the challenge
of what could be. Others are paralyzed by fear, terrorized by the barriers
that seem to lie between them and spiritual health. Still others are immobilized
by the past, tragically allowing the future to be defined by the hurts and
failures of the past.
So we’ve heard God’s call to cross over. We’ve
heard His call to get up and dust ourselves off and move on. We’ve heard
His call to keep our eyes focused on what He can do instead of what we cannot
do.
But before these people left the river and moved on into the
land, there was one more thing God wanted them to do. And this morning, I’d
like us to follow along.
As the whole nation of Israel was crossing the Jordan, God instructed
Joshua to have one representative from each of the 12 tribes pick up a stone
out of the riverbed on their way across. Joshua understood their purpose.
He had seen this before. He told the people that with those 12 stones they
were going make a memorial on the other side. Just a pile of stones, nothing
special. Yet it would become a sign to the people of what God had for them.
It was not only to help them remember; that marker would become
a catalyst for telling the story of God’s faithfulness and deliverance.
So this morning I’d like for us to build an altar of remembrance.
Let’s consider together the 12 stones and stories of God’s
faithfulness to us. I want us to look at 12 stones and ask the question, “What
do these stones mean?” What are the signs and markers of God’s
power and presence in our life together?
[Note: each of these “markers” should be personalized to specific
stories within the congregation that are signs of God’s presence and
power].
1. The first stone is the marker of God’s healing power.
We have witnessed some amazing signs of God’s power to deliver and heal.
We have witnessed together true miracles of God’s healing grace in the
lives of people right in this congregation. I don’t know why God doesn’t
do it every time but we dare not be shy to praise Him for the miracles of
healing that do come.
There has also been healing of other kinds. Marriages have been
healed. Broken family relationships have been restored. Shattered self-images
have been lovingly put back together by the Creator. Let us remember that
we serve a God whose business it is to bring life where only death would be
expected.
2. The second stone is the marker of stewardship. I don’t
ever want us to forget what God has done literally to transform this congregation
in its stewardship. For much of our 38-year history we struggled with finances.
However, five years ago we decided by the grace of God to align our practice
of stewardship with the biblical principle of putting others first. From that
day forward, God has abundantly blessed us.
But it’s larger than finances. Some have experienced the
misfortune of losing what seemed to be secure jobs only to discover the truth
of God’s promise to meet all our needs. And many in this congregation
are responding to God’s call to simplify their lives so they will have
more to invest in others.
3. The third stone is the marker of missions. The global mission
enterprise of the Church of Jesus Christ has become foremost in our thinking
as a congregation. We are developing much more of a global mindset, taking
seriously the responsibility we have to our brothers and sisters in other
lands.
4. The fourth stone is the marker of new life and growth. There
are several ways to celebrate this. Much of our new life has been physical.
In the past several years we have witnessed the birth of dozens of new babies
born to the families of this church. What a responsibility!
We have also experienced growth numerically. Membership and
attendance have risen significantly. But the most important kind of new life
and growth is seen in the persons whose lives have been transformed by the
redeeming power of Christ Jesus.
Many people have come to know Jesus Christ as their personal
Lord and Savior. Many others have gone to a new level of spiritual life through
the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. These altars have
regularly been wet with the tears of repentance and joy. Thanks be to God!
5. The fifth stone is the marker of prayer. We’ve been
talking a lot more about this lately and it seems God is calling us to a new
and deeper place in prayer.
But this move of God’s Spirit among us is not new. Some
years ago, God put it in the heart of one of our men to organize the men of
this church to pray daily for our pastors, a practice which continues to this
day. Now many of the women of the church are praying daily for the pastor’s
spouses. Beyond that, I am thrilled whenever I hear of spontaneous pockets
of prayer springing up throughout our church.
6. The sixth stone is the marker of worship. Let’s be
careful, loved ones, never to take for granted the way God meets with us here
in this sanctuary week after week. He is utterly faithful to speak to us and
show us His mercy and power.
7. The seventh stone is the marker of our teens. We are blessed
with a terrific group of teenagers. The wonderful thing is that they are more
than a separate ministry off to themselves; they are vitally connected to
the whole lifestream of this church.
Many of them are asking important questions and taking momentous steps in
their discipleship, preparing themselves for a life of service to Christ and
His Church.
8. The eighth stone is the marker of our children. What a blessing
is ours to have a church filled with active and joyful children. If you aren’t
sure about that blessing, try being part of a church without the vitality
of children. We have made a significant investment in ministry to children,
realizing the stakes are very high.
We have such an amazing task to provide for our children an
authentic reflection of the kingdom of God, in the way we live together as
a church. We praise Him for helping us to rise to the task.
9. The ninth stone is the marker of those sent out. Across our
history we have had the wonderful privilege of investing in the lives of men
and women who have gone on to give their lives in the proclamation of the
gospel around the world.
Today there are pastors in every corner of the country whose
pastoral ministries have been shaped by the life of this congregation. There
are missionaries around the world who were nurtured by this church during
their seminary days. We are also sending people out weekly into area ministries
to make a difference in our community. Dozens, for example, are involved in
ministry to imprisoned persons and their families.
10. The tenth stone is the marker of lay ministry. One of the
most exciting things to me is when people take initiative to develop their
gifts for ministry and just put them into service. It has been exciting to
discover the many ways you are providing ministry to one another. Many of
you are providing wonderful pastoral ministries of counsel, care, and prayer.
I believe God is teaching us deeper lessons of what it means
to be priests for one another. We are learning the work of ministry does not
reside with the clergy but is given to the whole community of faith.
11. The eleventh stone is the marker of vision. Our purpose
is to be an authentic reflection of the kingdom of God in the way we live
and work together as a community of faith. That means we should increasingly
be a people whose life together is characterized by grace, acceptance, forgiveness,
challenge, help, and safety.
Christ calls us to lay down our lives for one another. This
is a radical departure from the message we hear every day from our world,
telling us to care for ourselves. We are learning deeper lessons of Kingdom
life.
12. The final stone is the marker of hope. This is for those
who are still on the far side of the river. This stone of hope is for those
who haven’t yet crossed over.
This is for the ones whose answer to prayer is still on the
way. This is for the generations to come who will carry on through the ministry
of this church what we have carried on from those who passed it to us.
This is the marker of what the prophet Jeremiah was talking
about when he said, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the
Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and
a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).
As we look at this memorial we should remember we are indeed
a blessed people. Look and remember all God has done for us. He has moved
among us with His mighty power and provision. He has gone before us and prepared
the way. He has helped us to cross over into the new land.
It’s not over, though. After Israel crossed the Jordan
they still had a lot of work to do in order actually to possess the land.
And we still have a lot of work to do.
Our future is bright. Crossing over is only the beginning. Once
you cross over, you still have to possess the land. There are challenges and
conquests ahead. It will take great sacrifice, a sacrifice I believe God is
calling some of you to make. I pray that you will listen and obey.
Will we be faithful to follow the lead of Jesus in radical obedience
to His call to lay down our lives for the sake of the gospel?
These stones remind us that God is able. These stones remind us that God is
faithful. These stones remind us that nothing much happens until we step out
in faith and cross over into the new land toward which God is calling us.
Let’s cross over into the next era of our journey together as a congregation. Let’s follow hard after Christ. Let’s possess the land He is giving to us as our inheritance. “Follow me as I follow Christ!”
