 And Joshua chapter 4 so we're going to look at the crossing of the Jordan we've been kind of Getting into the Jordan River and and some things happen here now We're going to get out of the Jordan River in Joshua chapter 4, and there's a couple significant events I'm going to preach through verse by verse Real quickly just explaining what's happening, and then I want to kind of go back and show you the Significant events and show you what you know we kind of see some some Some methods of the Lord here in Joshua chapter 4 and some philosophies that God has in this chapter as far as His relationship with us and how it applies to us. I'll show you that After we get through Joshua chapter 4, but first let's go through and explain what's happening here So we're getting into the Jordan River. We know who Joshua is We know who the children of Israel are they got to the Jordan River the waters have been parted and now they are Moving across the river look down at verse number one Where the Bible says and it came to pass where all the people were clean Passed over Jordan that the Lord spake unto Joshua saying take you 12 men out of the people and out of every tribe A man and command them saying take you hence out of the midst of Jordan out of the place where the priests Feet stood firm 12 stones and you shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you shall lodge This night so of course all the people at this point are over the priests are still in the river Now when it says the midst of the Jordan that means the middle of the river So the priests are out and they're standing in the middle of the river and the Lord says to Joshua tell These guys to take 12 Stones out of the river then Joshua verse 4 called the 12 men who may have prepared of the children of Israel out of every Tribe of man, so of course 12 stones 12 tribes of Israel So there's the significance there and Joshua said to them pass over before the Ark of the Lord You're God into the midst of Jordan into the middle of the river and take you up every man of you A stone upon his shoulder According unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel that this may be a sign among you That when your children asked their fathers in time to come saying what mean ye buy these stones So the idea is that someone would come along and they would see these stones And it would be something out of place something noticeably different And it would spark or it would spur a question is the idea here. We'll go back to that idea In a little bit, but look at verse number seven look at verse number seven The Bible continues Then ye shall answer them that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord When it passed over Jordan the waters of the Jordan were cut off and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel Forever and the children of Israel did so Joshua commanded and took up 12 stones out of the midst of Jordan as the Lord Spake unto Joshua according to the number of tribes of the children of Israel and Carried them over unto the place where they lodged and laid them down there now It's interesting number nine verse number nine the Bible says and Joshua Set up 12 stones in the midst of Jordan in the place where the feet of the priests Which bear the Ark of the Covenant stood and they are there under this day So that's second monument there so there's two monuments that happen here So you have the guys is to explain where we're at so far You have the 12 men have taken a stone and they've carried it off They've taken a stone out of the midst of the river and carried it off to where they lodge And I'll show you where that ends up in a few minutes But then Joshua himself takes 12 stones and sets them up in the middle of the river Okay, now I don't know how big these stones were that Joshua took obviously the stones that the guys took were they were carried on Their shoulder, I don't know if Joshua took bigger stones But it's my opinion that these stones either stuck out of the water when the river came back down or You know there were some sort of you know You could tell that these stones were there when the river was back flowing Okay, because they put these stones in the middle of the river Okay, so there's two monuments or two memorials the Bible says here So this I mean I think this one was probably visible when the river was flowing Otherwise, you know what would be the point of it look at verse number 10, but I just want to point out that there's two Okay for the priests which bear the Ark stood in the midst of Jordan So everybody else is across the river the priests are still there Okay, until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak unto the people which is basically all this movement of these stones Okay, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua and the people hasted and Passed over and it came to pass when all the people were clean passed over that the Ark of the Lord passed over and the Priests in the presence of the people and the children of Reuben the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the children of Israel as Moses spake unto them Remember these are the three tribes that they're not even going to inherit any land, but they promised that they would go help fight They would leave their families over on the east side and they would go and they would fight on the west side for the remaining tribes verse 13 about 40,000 prepared for war passed over before the Lord under battle to the plains of Jericho on that day The Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel and they feared him as they feared Moses all the days of his life Turn back to Joshua chapter 3 in verse number 7 Verse number 7 So this is God fulfilling a promise that he made to Joshua before He parted the waters in verse number 7 of Joshua 3 the Bible says in the Lord said unto Joshua this day I will begin to magnify the in the sight of all Israel that they may know that as I was with Moses So will I be with thee so you know that was one of the reasons that God did this is to magnify Joshua to the people to lift up Joshua as the new leader to show the people that Joshua has got at his back just as Moses had got at his back because now God has parted the sea he parted the waters for Moses at the Red Sea now He's part of the water for Joshua at the Jordan River look down at verse number 15 And the Lord spoke unto Joshua saying command the priest that bear the ark of the testimony that they come up out of Jordan Joshua therefore commanded the priest saying coming out of Jordan and it came to pass when the priest that bear the ark of the Covenant of the Lord will come out of the midst of Jordan and the souls of the priest's feet were lifted up onto Dry land that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and flowed over its banks as they did before So now this was the trigger for the water to come back in when the priests and the ark stepped out of the banks And the people came out of Jordan on the 10th day of the first month and it camped in Gilgall in the east border of Jericho, so here they are in this town called Gilgall and now here's what why you say why Gilgall? Okay, so here's a town. It's it's right before Jericho, it's right before the first battle now There's something interesting that also happened in Gilgall and I don't usually jump ahead But we're going to jump ahead to Joshua chapter 5 real quickly because it goes to the point I want to make this evening look at Joshua chapter 5 and verse number 7 before Before they went to their first battle, you know, they did these things They set up these memorials and then in Joshua chapter 5 verse 7 in Gilgall The Bible says this it says and their children whom he raised up in their stead them Joshua circumcised for they were uncircumcised because they had not circumcised them by the way So they when they were in the wilderness the children were not circumcised and it came to pass when they had done Circumcising all the people they abode in their places in the camp till they were whole till they were healed And the Lord said unto Joshua this day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgall unto this day So Gilgall was used as a place of you know of this circumcising of these children who had been in the wilderness Who are now adults and now they were circumcised in Gilgall right before they went into the promised land To fight against all these heathen people So Gilgall the point I'm trying to make is Gilgall was a place that was used to set these people apart God made sure that he set these people apart before they went into this land with all of these people Or marking them so to speak And maybe that would be the the title of my sermon this evening would be called markers If it did have a title look at verse number 20 And here's what else happened in Gilgall look at verse number 20 of joshua chapter 4 and those 12 stones So what about the 12 stones that the guys carried off on their shoulders? Which they took out of the midst of jordan which they took out of jordan did joshua pitch In Gilgall and he spake unto the children of israel saying when your children shall ask their fathers in time to come saying what mean these stones now look Turn to Deuteronomy chapter 27. So they set up the stones in Gilgall They set up this memorial in Gilgall the same place that god used to set the people apart By circumcision in Gilgall and look, I mean this this was always the plan first of all Okay, and this was always the plan and this is kind of a modus operandi that god has For his people and i'll prove it to you look at deuteronomy chapter 27 in verse number one This is back with moses and moses what the elders of israel commanded the people saying keep all the commandments Which I command you this day. They haven't been they're in they haven't they're in the wilderness They're not across the jordan. This is back in the time of moses verse two And it shall be on the day when you pass over jordan onto the land Which the lord thy god give it be that thou shall set up the great stones and plaster them with plaster So look moses isn't even going to live to see this And he's prophesying it now He's telling them that it's going to happen now and thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law When now art passed over and now may it's go into the land Which the lord thy god give it thee a land that floweth with milk and honey as the lord thy god of thy fathers hath promised thee So look, I don't know if these were the same stones I don't know if this was you know, they wrote this on the same monument But the point is is that you know god's into marking these things He's into marking the law for these people. He's into setting up memorials So they won't forget what happened here on this day. Look at verse 22 This is the way god operates and he has been doing it Ever since look at verse 22 Then he shall let your children know so I mean the children said, you know I mean what mean ye these stones is is what the bible says that the children are going to say in verse 21 We'll also look at that In a few minutes, but then your children your children let your children know saying israel came over This jordan on dry land For the lord your god dried up the waters of jordan before you until you were passed over As the lord your god did to the red sea which he dried up from before us until we were gone over So there's that that comparison to he did it for moses and now he did it for joshua That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the lord that is mighty that you might fear the lord your god forever Okay, now look This is the theme of this chapter This is the theme of this chapter is setting up memorials is setting up these Markers we see it. Look and it's a theme throughout the bible It's a theme throughout the bible turn to 1st Samuel chapter 7. I'll show you one other place There's many other places in the bible, but we've already seen in deuteronomy chapter 27 God's going to set up a memorial for this same event except in that case It's not to remember that god that god was mighty and he was behind them It's them to remember the law to remember to keep the law in joshua chapter 4 We see the two memorials look at 1st Samuel chapter 7 Look at verse number 11 And the men of israel went out of mitzpah and pursued the philistines and smote them until they came under bethkar Then samuel took a stone and set it between mitzpah and shen and called it the name ebb and ease are saying hither to The lord helped us. So look here's a memorial that was set up for you know winning a battle They set up a memorial. I mean there's lots of other examples of people setting up memorials. Abraham did it I mean just to remember Something that the lord did for them Is what these markers these memorials? Were for so when people would see it When people would see it they would look back and they would ask questions Now look, I mean did it work Did it work? Well, look at that and at the end. Okay, but look here's the thing These people I mean think about the markers that were set up in Joshua chapter 4 whether it be the riverbed itself or whether it be the stones in gilgall Something you know, you know the children of the parents that were there are walking along and they see these Stones stacked and they go and they ask You know their parents their fathers they say what's this all about? Because look at something's out of place They see these 12 stones stacked and they know someone did this Which I mean, you know just to rabbit trail this you ever been out hiking and seeing a bunch of rocks stacked up It's it's a california thing. I've never seen it anywhere else But you ever been out hiking and you see these little, you know Whatever they are monuments or whatever of all these, you know four or five rocks stacked. Do you know what I'm talking about? And they're all stacked up like that. First of all, here's the dumb thing You're hiking and no one ever says no one ever on planet earth would ever be hiking along and say Oh, you know what? Boy there must have been must have been windy and those rocks got blown up in a stack like that You know, it's amazing. There must have been a heavy rainstorm or a mud slide and just Look at how it's it's neat how the mudslides stacked up those rocks like that. No one would ever say such a stupid thing You know what I'm saying? I mean, it's obvious that some person You know, no one ever says look at a deer must have done that You know, I mean you ever seen a deer stacking rocks? I mean no one would ever question yet that But people would say the whole universe happened on accident I mean what in the world Four rocks no one would ever say that four rocks stacked themselves Yet this entire universe and everything in it and all the ecosystems and how this this perfect All these systems worked together. It's just like that was just an accident. I mean it's It's the most foolish thing you could ever even think about You know, but that's not even the point of the sermon. They're just something that but look they walked along and they're like Oh stones stacked up perfectly. It sparks a question Who did this dad? Who did this and then they explained? You know, it's a memorial go back to Deuteronomy chapter 26 not 27 So god said of the memorial in gilgall, but he also also he had them circumcised there Okay, no, look he did this to set them apart and you say oh, you know Separation and that's a new testament thing. No, it's not. It's a bible thing It's a bible thing. It's always Bend this way No matter how many sermons you've heard on separation. It's the entire bible because it's god that wants it And this is what he did in gilgall. Look at deuteronomy chapter 26 and verse number 18 I'll prove it to you the bible says and the lord so this is right before moses says to write the law on You know these stones when you get across the jordan river and the lord had a vouch a vouch this day to be This day to be his peculiar people as he had promised thee that thou should keep all his commandments And to make the high above all nations with he had made in praise and in name and in honor That thou mayest be in holy people unto the lord god as he has spoken So the bible says here in the old testament that these people are to be a gods people are to be a peculiar People now. I know you know, you've probably heard first peter 2 verse number 9 I'll just read it for you now. You've probably heard sermons on this maybe even from me But you're a chosen generation a royal priesthood and holy nation a peculiar people That you should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of darkness into his marvelous white So look this is not this is the way god has always been This is not a new testament thing Okay, this is and look this is the problem This is the problem with christians today It's the they aren't set apart It's it's the problem and look I mean from my perspective, you know when I look at christians as a whole It doesn't seem that they want to be Set apart I mean I look at christians with christians today christians today save people Okay, that's what I'm talking about when I say christians. I mean people who are actually saved. Okay saved people today They're chameleons They're not set apart they just They kind of become whoever they're around to fit in You know, and I guess they're like I'm saved. Who cares? You know, but you know Which is true. You're saved Nothing's gonna stop you from being saved But you know the whole I'm saved who cares be a chameleon. Look everybody wants to fit in Okay, nobody wants everyone to hate them Right, I mean nobody wants, you know, everyone to hate them Nobody wants to have a group of people that they're around Not like them and not fit in with those people So I think that's probably why christians are doing that today Because you know, they want to be around certain people They don't want to get away from certain people and they're just going to blend in So the question the question this evening is just do you have any markers? Do you have any markers in your life? I mean what you say you stand for is easy That's simple But if you have no markers and your riverbed looks the same as everybody else's riverbed Then, you know There's no there's no memorials and guess what that will spark no questions That will spark no questions. I mean, that's why you see some of the numbers of statistical things out there from You know fornication to divorce to all this, you know, they're the same amongst christian people I mean, that's what that's what, you know Non christian people will throw in the face of christians like, you know, your people are doing all the same stuff And everybody else is doing and in many cases it's true Unfortunately The riverbeds all look the same You know, it's like It's all the same as other people. There's no difference But here's the problem Okay, here's the problem god set the people apart at gilgall And he made a memorial there and the memorial Was to well first of all first of all, you know, what's a memorial for? First of all, you know, did you know that you know a country? We're talking about a country here. Are we not? Are we talking about a nation here? I mean it applies to a nation just as well as it applies to the individual But look a nation without memorials will soon forget its past Maybe you should think about that before we go and rip down every single memorial that we've ever put up in this country Because a country without memorials will forget its past and i'm going to show you that that past Will happen. It will be forgotten in one generation One single generation that's about 30 years Think about that But think about this. Here's the problem for you individually For you individually if you don't have any memorials if you don't have any markers in your life I mean look this victorious For most of you in the room this evening this victorious christian life that we're all shooting at Isn't that where we're all isn't that the target that we're all aiming at is the victorious christian life This victorious christian life just isn't about you For most of you in this room now look i mean turn to second timothy chapter four Look if you're paul if you're paul it's it's a little more simple Turn to second timothy chapter four And look at verse number seven Second timothy chapter four and verse number seven the bible says or paul says i've fought a good fight I've finished my course. I have kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness Which the lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but to all them That love his appearing turn to first Corinthians chapter seven So paul was able to say you know what i did i i lived a victorious christian life He's like i fought the fight as hard as i could possibly fight it And you know i kept the faith and i did this And as a matter of fact in first Corinthians chapter seven paul even gives his opinion He gives his opinion that you know what if possible it would be better that what paul was not married He did not have children and in first Corinthians chapter seven He said look you can do more In your spiritual life and it would be better you can you can push harder for the lord He said if it's just you and you don't end up getting married and you don't have children He's like then you can just it's just about you driving It's just about your spiritual life and you going forward and hard charging There's nobody else around you that you need to bring with you and in first Corinthians chapter seven in verse number seven He says for i would that all men were even as myself But every man hath his proper gift of god went after this manner and another after that I say therefore to the unmarried and widows It is good for them if they abide even as i but then he goes on to say that look most people just can't Most people just can't be single Most people you know are going to have the desire You know to be married and they should just get married is what he says But he's he's he's saying this in the context of just spiritual horsepower is what he's saying He's just you know as a single person you just all you have to do is just drive forward yourself In verse number nine he says but they cannot contain let them marry For it's better for them to marry than to burn It's better for them to get married than to just be in fornication and not have a spiritual life at all Or whatever paul. He's like you know what I can do it He's like I can abstain and just focus on my spiritual life. Look most men can't do that So most people need to get married But look, I mean it's different. It's different. It was different for paul. The victorious christian life was different for paul You know it was just all about his actions in his life But look it's not that way if you have a family living the victorious christian life if you have a family Is a different definition than if you don't I mean the the definition of victory In that case Is a is completely different It's a little bit more complex And that's why look it's because you have this whole thing called the next generation To factor in And that's what god was getting at with all these markers in joshua chapter 4 Deuteronomy chapter 26 27 You know first samuel chapter 7 elsewhere in the bible, but look If you just took care of yourself And the next generation just walked away Is that a victorious christian life? I mean i i'd like to see the parent that would say yes to that That yeah, you know what i was i was uh You know doing my thing and i'm a soul in her and all this and and just like your children just they didn't get saved They walked away from the faith and they just or maybe they got saved but they just didn't serve the lord one minute in their life Is that victorious? Is that the victorious christian life what success is harder for you? Than it was for paul and you're like oh man. Yeah Trying to get you to see What's your up against success is harder for you than it was for paul? It's more complex It's it's more difficult Look, it's what it's what people in the bible struggled with The prophets struggled with this the next generation The kings struggled with the next generation I mean all these people in i mean the joshua generation The generation after joshua struggled with this So let me ask you again. Do you have any memorials? Where are your memorials? Is there anything different about you that people would walk along and say That's different Is there anything different that's marking? You know that will spark questions Where your kids will ask Why do we do this? What why do we why do we do it this way mom and dad? Everybody else does it like that. Why do we do it like this? Why do we go here? Why don't we go here? That's a big marker right there Why does everybody else go here and we don't go here? That's a memorial right there That's a marker right there. That's a different. That's a riverbed right there That's got some ripples in the water and people are wondering why is the water rippling like that? What is that sticking out of the water? That's a marker Do you have any of those? You know what you know that they even go into church today as a marker? Because nobody else does It's crazy you would think at some point soul winning you would think Now that it's all been declared over has it. I don't know. I haven't checked the news yet But I mean you would think at some point at some point you would think we're going to find somebody that goes to church How long has it been Since you have found somebody that goes to church We go soul winning twice a week What that riverbed's bare If you go to church, that's a marker. That's a memorial Because nobody else does I mean, I never thought nobody's riverbed has that anymore I never thought I'd see it I never even really thought about it happening It's crazy But I can't remember the last time I knocked on the door and asked where do you go to church? And the person said oh, I just went here last sunday. I I can't remember the last time that that happened Nobody goes to church anymore. And you know what? It's it's a reason that we're having you know that more people aren't coming here because people just don't go It just it just become church has just become a youtube video For the people that do go to church. It's a youtube video That's what it is Look Maybe maybe covet in the whole covet thing took a week and spiritually dying country And just backed over it and put it out of its misery Maybe that's what happened Sure kind of feels like it. Look people are still getting saved praise god But as far as church, I mean personally i'm surprised how how easily people gave it up It makes you wonder if people wanted to go in the first place It makes me wonder that or just doing it out of obligation I suppose if you think that it gets you to heaven. That's a pretty big obligation I suppose as 99 of the churches out there teach that to be spiritual and to be a good person You have to just you know go into church as i'm sure it's on the list somewhere But look here's the thing Loyalty to church is loyalty to god Turn to Ephesians chapter 5 Ephesians chapter 5 Look verse number 23. I'm sure we've heard this verse many times before Ephesians chapter 5 look at verse 23 Ephesians chapter 5 verse 23 for the husband is the head of the wife Even as christ is the head of the church and he is the savior of the body Look the head of this church the person that runs this church is jesus christ Jesus christ runs this church loyalty to church is loyalty to jesus christ That's it. Look a spiritual life in action A physical spiritual life in action is a marker I mean it is a stack of rocks today that will stick out like nothing anybody's ever seen A spiritual life in action Is a marker and it's one that the next generation will notice for sure For sure I mean think about think about this. I mean what this was god's this was god's methodology It wasn't it wasn't joshua's idea to put up these memorials It wasn't moses's idea or samuel's idea. Look, this is god's methodology To set the people apart to set up these memorials and it was to show the next generation Let me ask you this if there's no markers and christians just go around playing the chameleon And they just become whoever the group that they're in whether it's at work or social situations Or with family or whatever and they just become this chameleon They just blends in with everybody else. What chance does the next generation have? I mean they had a hard time with all these memorials and all these markers set up succeeding anyway Look, it's actually fairly difficult to do by the way to try to be two different people Whether three different people four different people when you're depending on the group that you're with Look, if I am with this group. I try not to say this and when I'm with this group, you know, I mean You know, you're gonna mess up somewhere there But here's the thing here's the thing people are missing first of all If you don't separate and just become, you know peculiar, this would be the game that you would have to play And you say but yeah, you know, we're we're doing what we're supposed to do You know, we have a spiritual life. It's just that when we get, you know, with certain groups of people You know, the problem is that there's no markers That's the problem and the problem. Look, here's the thing. There's no memorials There's no memorials and you know what the next generation will do turn to joshua chapter 2 and verse number 10 Joshua chapter 2 and verse number 10 If you go out and you're with the people of the land and then you come back in and you're with god's people And you go out and you're with the and you're just not going to be peculiar because you don't want it Look, who wants to be peculiar? Some of you are peculiar I'm just kidding. Who wants to be peculiar though? Who wants to stick out? Nobody in their flesh in their human nature wants to stand out That you want to blend in but look that's not what god wants God does not want you to blend in. Look at judges chapter 2. How did it work out for the next generation? And the people serve the lord all the days of joshua and all the days of the elders that outlive joshua Who had seen all the great works of the lord that he did for israel and joshua the son of nun the servant of the lord died Being in 110 years old and they buried him. I'm sorry. I started reading at verse seven And they buried him in the border of his inheritance Into mathrines in the mount of Ephraim on the north side of the hill gash and also All that generation that were gathered under their fathers and there arose another generation after them Which knew not the lord nor yet the works which he had done for israel and all the children of israel did Evil in the sight of the lord and served Balan what the problem wasn't the memorials the problem was they weren't taught about the memorials Look they they failed they served they thought they were well They didn't teach the next generation the memorials and they failed They failed so what what makes you think you will succeed when you do much less than that That's the question This is the struggle In the bible It's the struggle and look on a personal level On a personal level. I mean when you go out and you you go out with the people of the world And you become this chameleon first of all, you know, all you're doing is making a joke to them of your spiritual life Because people that are not spiritual. They don't like the fact. They don't like that part of you People that are not spiritual will not like that you are spiritual They will look at that as judgment upon them And then you go and you blend in with them and they're you're just making a joke Of yourself of your spiritual self of that spiritual person to them Is all you're doing but the big part the big problem Is in joshua chapter 4 where it it sparked these questions to the children And that's the struggle that has baffled christians since the beginning of the world Is how to pass This on to the next generation And that's what the memorials were for But but it takes more than just the memorials First of all, you got to have you got to have them If you don't have any you have no chance You have to have them you have to set up the markers that separate you that set you apart Then you have to teach the next generation what those markers are all about Because here's the thing folks and i've mentioned this before but by the time that your kids and the next generation get to be teenagers They need to know what those memorials are all about They don't just need to know. Yep. There's a pile of rocks there and we go this way and we don't go that way They need to know what that pile of rocks means They need to know what the lord did that put that pile that that caused that pile of rocks to be put there Are you following me here? They need to be in on the memorial. They need to understand the origins of it and then They'll start walking in the direction of that they should be walking in But if you if you have if you have no markers at all What in the world you have no chance You have no chance This is the problem in the bible show up sunday And i'm going to show you in detail how to fix it And how to i'm going to i i got three sermons that tied directly together to this And i'm going to show you how we fix this major problem in the bible that baffled so many people But first i want to just get across one simple point tonight if there's if there's nothing different about you If there's no markers set up that will spark That difference they will just go to the people of the land. That's what will happen to the next generation That's what happened in joshua's after everybody that was alive during that river parting died Just like that it was over and the head markers But if you have no markers, there's no chance. Let's bow our heads and have a word