What Mean The Stones?

Our associate pastor Ryan Crawford brought us our Sunday morning message: "What Mean The Stones?"

We stood for opening prayer and the reading of God's word taken from Joshua 4:1-24.

Moses is dead -- the man who lead them out of bondage through the Red Sea, to the Most High God. But God rose up a man, Joshua, to lead them to the promise land. They spent 40 years in wilderness. Now they came to the place where their fathers failed to trust in God for the land. God was going to show up for that generation.

Do you remember what God has done for you? This generation needs to have that same God show up for them.

The priest with the Ark of the Covenant is going to step into the water of Jordan, and God tells them that when the soles of their feet touch the water, it will part and become dry ground. The faith they must have had to believe God. The Ark that they held is a symbol of the Presence of God. At the end of Joshua 3, they do and God does. So we see them standing in the midst of the Jordan River, proving God is faithful. I would like you to notice a few things: the purpose at work is the proving of God, the protection of God, and the people.

"And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee?" Joshua 3:7.

The miracle at Jordan was just that. Let us think about how wide and deep the river is. How many thousands of people did it take to stand on each side? Talk about a firsthand look at an aquarium!

God is positioning through his providence to place a man as a leader, not to look at Joshua and say, "Look at Joshua." It was for the people to see God and his ability to provide.

God will prove He is faithful and mighty today. Know that God is among us and he will never leave us. God can provide great change in us, such as the change he provided in Joshua 3:10. He drove out all the "ites." Do you have an "ites" God needs to remove? There is victory in Jesus.

God provides protection for you and I, just as he did for the people crossing the Jordan. How many times have we said words we shouldn't have said, hung around with the wrong people or chose to go to the wrong place? God goes before us and says, "I got this!." Will you step out on faith and trust God for his protection?

"And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people." Joshua 3:14.

The priests were shouldering the load to lead the people spiritually, in the actual presence of God. Today, we are in charge of shouldering the presence of God. How do you do this on a daily basis?

"And the priests that bare the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the mist of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan." Joshua 3:17.

We must stand firm on the foundation of God. The Lord stood firmly so that you and I could enjoy heaven with him. I'll never die because he stood for me.

The people were called to follow. Follow after the Ark of the Covenant. They left the wilderness. They haven't been there before. God has! Now, exercising that faith, they stepped into the river bed and onto the shore on the other side.

"And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan. And take ye 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 ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?" Joshua 4:5-6

Have you read your Bible today? If not, read Romans.

If you could say just one last thing to someone today what would it be?

Please come join us at First Baptist Church in Pineville Sunday morning at 9 a.m. for Sunday School, immediately followed by morning worship at 10 a.m. Our Wednesday Night AWANA meets every week starting with dinner at 6 p.m. We have Wednesday night Bible Study at 7 p.m. Every other Saturday at 2:30 p.m., our church has Nursing Home Ministry at the McDonald County Living Center in Anderson, Mo. The next gathering is Feb. 25.

Wednesday evening Bible study begins at 7 p.m.

If you have no home church of your own, we would love for you to join us at First Baptist Church off the Northeast Square in Pineville. Just behind the U.S. Bank. No friendlier, down-home church can be found in the four state area.

All Bible verses are from the KJV, The King James Version of the Holy Bible.

Religion on 02/16/2017