Joshua 3 (Pastor John Lasken, 12-30-18)

Okay, so this is the time of the year. It's December 30th. There are a lot of traditions. There's a lot of expectations

The world has just got done Celebrating what they think is the true message of Christmas.

There's a lot of songs out there Hallmark has a lot of movies out there. I In our house

Hallmark Christmas movies they even have them in July they have Christmas in July, right The emphasis is on family.

It's on peace. It's on love It's on doing good for others and if we could only get that true message of Christmas and we could love and we could be in peace and we could enjoy our family throughout the year not just on This day.

Well, I've got better news for you. We celebrated the coming of the Messiah and That's forever.

That's forever. That's just not for Christmas Day. That's forever Okay, so Tuesday is

New Year's Day There are many traditions in our culture. One of them is the ever notorious

Christmas Eve party Has anybody ever done an all -nighter? I came home from I see a couple of hands

I came home from college and pulled an all -nighter Christmas party. That was the last time I ever did that But Christmas parties are a good time.

They're a good thing. They're a good thing And then there's the ball that drops in Times Square Our one of our daughters actually went to Times Square with at that time her boyfriend

And they were part of that crowd of people in Times Square as the ball was dropped

Again, it was on her bucket list. It's gone. She never has to do that again New Year's resolutions

Now this is really a good one that goes on this time of the year eat less Exercise more

Be nicer to everybody. I'm getting a lot of good pump this this morning be nicer to everybody that's around you

The gym is a really classic example of this if you belong to a gym in the month of December You can probably get on the equipment or get in the pool without too much trouble, but I guarantee you on Wednesday This will last about six weeks for the believer

We can spend more time with God and prayer Or perhaps we can share Christ with others with the world that needs it

There's an opportunity for us to look ahead at how God wants to use us in 2019 or beyond and that's why

I say we're on the brink of some exciting things because God has plans for you

God has plans for me and His plans aren't going to be thwarted the question is a whether are we going to experience it and to what level will we experience it?

There are statements of hope there's statements something better commitment improvement This kind of takes me now to Joshua chapter 3

For those of you who have been around a while when I get the chance to take the pulpit I'm preaching out of the book of Joshua at this rate.

It'll be 15 years will be done but In Joshua chapter 3 the nation is preparing to enter the promised land they have an opportunity and they can look forward to what

God is going to do for them and Through them as they enter into the promised land now if we're going to understand the message of chapter 3

We really have to take a look at context. So let's step back about 40 years I'm at Kadesh Barnea now

Now the nation had been in Israel. We know the story of how they got to Israel.

It was God's hand It was God's provision and care for them but they stayed there for over 200 years and the majority of that time they were enslaved and They were they were in captivity and we know the story about how

God called Moses and how they were Released from Israel after the plagues

We know the story of how they went to the Red Sea and from the Red Sea God took them very quickly to Kadesh Barnea and in Kadesh Barnea They had the opportunity to enter the promised land

So this isn't their first time in this rodeo Now if you go to numbers 13 you read that story in numbers 13 the first two verses

God tells Moses to select 12 spies Take one out of each of the tribe.

See he was ready to send them into the land He really was but this wasn't going to be that time

So as the people camped outside of Kadesh Barnea and as I was

Moses was able to identify the 12 tribes I like to go back with an imagination and wonder what was going on in the camp as They were there they had been in captivity they were released they had already seen

God's hand They knew of the promise of the land and they were there knocking at the door at Kadesh Barnea All we've got to do is send these 12 spies wait for them to come back and we're we're there so numbers 1321 those the spies went and they spent 40 days in the land searching it out

They come back as we read in verses 25 and 26 They reported what they had seen a land flowing with milk and honey

There was no problem with the land But ten of the spies said there were

Giants and whereas grasshoppers Joshua and Caleb said well, yeah But my

God is greater Than those Giants and so the people had an opportunity now to step out and to step forward in faith or to listen to the rationale and to the understanding that the ten spies

Had the land was amazing But there were Giants the nation said no

They failed Now over the next 40 years the nation wandered through the wilderness

Learned how to rely on God for everything they had a

Tabernacle they had the Shekinah glory in the tabernacle They had a cloud during the day a pillar of fire by night it

Led them it told them when it was time to move it told them when it was time to stay they encountered

Difficulties they encountered battles they learned how to rely on God and that entire generation died in the wilderness

Because of their disbelief Moses was their leader at that point in time, but he wasn't allowed to enter in either

And so here they are again on The brink there at Shittim under Mount Nebo four miles from the

River Jordan 40 years later So Joshua three is going to take us to this scene

They're on the brink Final preparations are to be made so we need to consider some questions as we look at it.

What are the opportunities? What are the choices that are going to be presented to the people at this point in time?

What's going to motivate? Their decisions that they're going to make at this time, and how is their future impacted by the choices?

That they're going to make Today, so let's pray Lord as we open your word as we open your truth as we consider in Joshua the nation given a second chance to obediently step out in faith

Lord there are obstacles in their way, but but you're there, and you're greater than all

I pray that as we consider this message in Joshua three that we find.

How does it apply to us today? The obstacles that face us today, but yet the great opportunities that are before us

Open our eyes. I pray that your Holy Spirit would open our hearts to your message.

We pray in Jesus name Amen So as we go to Joshua three the nation's in capped as I said at Shittim It's it's at the foot of Mount Nebo approximately four miles east of the

River Jordan So God's preparing them for a great opportunity But you got to remember that they've been here before they had the opportunity before they could have been in there 40 years ago as They went to Kadesh Barnea and so we're going to look at Joshua 3 but Impacting Joshua 3

I want to do one more set of context Joshua chapter 1 verse 2 My servant

Moses is dead now therefore arise Go over this

Jordan you and all this people into the land that I am giving to them to the people of Israel You see

God tells Joshua arise and go Now Moses is no longer with them.

There has to be a certain level of Uncertainty the leadership of Moses is not there

The baton has been handed over to Joshua, and he's been told arise and go now

Do you remember Joshua was one of the 12 trial 12 spry spies? That went in at Kadesh Barnea and the nation refused his counsel

Been 40 years of wandering that whole generation is dead and God is now telling

Joshua arise and Go now,

I love it because it comes with a promise. It says I'm going to be with you God's going to be giving him commands and promises that go together

Arise and go I am going to be with you in verse 5 Then it says no man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life

Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or Forsake you no man shall be able to stand before you there are two implications to this one

Are the Giants all the ites that are in the land? They are not going to be able to stand against you

Do you remember the ten spies said it's a great land flowing with milk and honey, but there are Giants God is telling

Moses telling Joshua. They are not going to be able to stand

Against you it says I will not leave you or Forsake you, but there's another implication here.

You see he's going to potentially receive Opposition do you remember the nation said no to him 40 years ago?

What makes him think that he's going to motivate them to listen to a different story this time?

It's the same land. It's the same Giants that are in there But he gives him a promise he said no man will be able to stand against you.

I will not leave you I Will not forsake you and then in verse 9 have

I not commanded you be strong and courageous Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed for the

Lord your God is with you wherever you go Be ready

He doesn't tell him I'm going to make the way smooth before you that is not what he says

But he does say be strong and be courageous and do not be frightened when I read those phrases do not be frightened

There must be things out there that are frightening But he says don't be frightened because I will be with you

So Joshua 3 starting in verse 1 then Joshua rose early in the morning

And they set out from Shittim, and they came to the Jordan he and all the people of Israel and lodged there

Before they passed over and so Joshua rose early I Love the level of anticipation that has to be going on in his heart right now

After having 40 years ago spent 40 days in land and having the people reject the message and reject the faith

God is telling him now, and so he arises early, and he goes

This is the beginning so now before him is this new land is God's Provision what were his thoughts?

was he thinking about the difficulty of Motivating the people at Kaddish Barnea was he thinking about the two spies that came back this time

Do you remember what the spies said this time the land is afraid because of us?

Do you remember them they went in and they spent time with Rahab and Rahab? Told them that the people's hearts melt at the report of what you have been doing

So Josh was got to be encouraged as he's ready to step forward and then it also says that the people also

Rose What's not happening at this point in time?

It says no mention of a cloud or the pillar moving. Did you notice that that that has now stopped?

It is now God leading the people through his leader Joshua The people are used to seeing and I don't understand how it happened

But they're used to seeing the pillar of fire or the cloud move, and it's okay time to pack up tent and let's go

There's no mention of that here. It's just God say go Joshua arises and all the people go with them

Now I Again use my imagination. They spent a little bit of time at Shittim The spies were in the land.

It wasn't a long time. This was days not 40 days But it doesn't take a lot of Imagination to think that some of them took that little four -mile walk to see what was going on on the other side of the hill

And I'm telling you it was a huge Raging river it says that this is at flood time.

We're talking about the snow melt from the mountains We're talking about the river where it perhaps is at its largest and it is a torrential at flood

River We're going there So Joshua rose and the people rose with them

They had the stories of the Red Sea they had those stories But this was now going to be a time of faith.

This was it going to be a time for them to move a Number of years ago.

I had the opportunity to raft through the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River The second largest rapid on the river is called granite rapid.

It's just under a class 5 It's it's pretty nasty and it's loud and the campsite that we got to go in was 50 yards upstream of Granite rapid and that's where we spent the night now

The interesting thing about this campsite was there are some horticultural groups that had planted all kinds of things

And so when you camp there you got buckets of water and you watered all this stuff. It was a gorgeous beautiful peaceful Camp except for this raging river

That was out there. And so that's what you slept all night listening To this river and the anticipation and the heartbeat and the adrenaline was pretty high

So here's the nation now They are going to break camp from shit shit him under Mount Nebo and they are going to go to the shores

Of the River Jordan and they're going to hear this all night as they make camp

Joshua 3 verses 2 to 5 a formula for success at the end of three days

The officers went through the camp and commanded the people as soon as you see the Ark of the Covenant of the

Lord your God Being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it

Yet there shall be a distance between you and it about 2 ,000 cubits in length Do not come near it in order that you may know the way you shall go for you have not passed this way before Then Joshua said to the people consecrate yourselves

For tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you So now the

Lord is going to give them some instructions the formula of how they are are there to turn anticipation

Into action how they are to turn Opportunity into success now remember the spies had come back

They had the account of Jericho which by the way was just beyond the Jordan That was their next obstacle, but this first obstacle was going to be this this river

They knew The message from the spies that the people of the land were in fear on the coming of this nation of Israel But there had to be anticipation as to what was going on and so the directions first be ready

As soon as you see the Ark being carried they were to not Have time to break camp they weren't going to have time

Now to get their family together and have one last breakfast They weren't going to have time to do that when the

Ark moved they were to be ready And so they were to be watching and they were to be on watch

But note that the emphasis is on the Ark It's when you see the

Ark That's when you should be ready the Ark of the Covenant There's going to be an act of commitment.

They are now going to be Understanding that there is something that God has to do for them

And so now the people were to all be ready to go go back to Kadesh Barnea.

What were the people doing? When the spies came back they heard the report. What did they do they considered the report?

How did they consider the report well it appears that the obstacles are too great for us. Yeah, the land is good

We're not going Their command now you see the Ark move go watch

The Ark But the second thing now is to keep a distance from the Ark of about 2 ,000 cubits

There's two issues here. One is God's holiness The people were not to suppose the privilege of getting close to God's holiness

God's holiness was an important thing to the nation of Israel and for the Ark the people were not to violate they were supposed supposed to respect that But quite frankly practically they didn't know the way and the

Ark it says will show them the way to go Remember the Shekinah glory the cloud the pillar of fire.

They're not there now. There's a new marching order so the next Instruction is to consecrate themselves

Now I posit that this is probably the most important of the of the instructions Other than going and other than doing this was very this was vital for them

The nation was supposed to be separate from the world they were not

To be impacted by the practices the religions the idolatry the influences of the world being consecrated meant

Having themselves devoted uniquely to God and putting the other things aside remove those things

That are not honoring to God So I ask the question why?

Why is this so important? We do know that God can and does act regardless of who we are

We believe through scripture that God has a chosen people a unique people

Israel called to himself But God doesn't limit his blessings to them think of Rahab Think of Miriam's father the the

Midianite priest think of Think of Nineveh God does and will act in spite of us.

So what's the big deal here? Well, I think it's so that the nation will be ready to experience what

God wants them to experience and that's his blessings on Them we're going to get in 2019 the opportunity

To be part of God's work. I know that Are we going to be ready to be part of God's work?

For the nation of Israel, there are at least four reasons driving this one of them. Is it 40 years ago?

They proved that they didn't have the heart They were perhaps going through the motions, but their heart was not devoted to God.

So when the bad news came they melted They melted Perhaps the second reason to consecrate is the reality that once they cross this river

There's going to be significant spiritual warfare going on the temptations that they have are going to be immense and if they have not consecrated themselves before God Are they going to be prepared to stand up to those temptations and to that spiritual warfare?

The people needed to be devoted to God as a people as Individuals they we know this through the battle of AI how a small sin could impact the whole camp

They got to get rid of those things that are going to distract distract them and they need to be ready to move out

Verse 5 it says tomorrow. God will do wonders The promise has been given time has come

Nothing is going to stop God's plan their job now is to get up go

Follow and do do the job Now I love this because Joshua gives no credit to himself all the credit for everything that's in this chapter is going to God Another thing to note as they're getting ready to cross the

River Jordan there are no mention of military plans There are no mention of military preparedness there are no mention of getting yourselves strengthened and armed and ready to go it is all about when the ark goes get ready and Move when

God says it's time to go. It's time to go Don't get ahead of him.

But when it's time to go and he goes get ready to follow him Deuteronomy 33 verse 29

States this happy. Are you Oh Israel who is like you a People saved by the

Lord. He puts them in perspective that they are uniquely blessed What they have is awesome.

Happy. Are you Oh Israel people saved by the Lord the shield of your hope and the sword of your triumph

Who they are what they are and what successes they have come through the

Lord Who is the shield who is the sword not through their own? devices Or their own powers your enemies shall come fawning to you and you shall tread on their backs

There will be victory there will be trials and there will be confrontation and there will be enemies but there will be victory

Moving on verse 6 and following Joshua said to the priests take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people

So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people The Lord said to Joshua today

I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel that they may know that as I was with Moses So I will be with you

I'm gonna stop there This is the first instruction now These are specific instructions that he's giving and the first one is to Joshua.

I will begin to exalt you God is the one who exalts the leader in his church and his family

There is no room in God's economy for an individual to try to accede to self -glory

If there's going to be success and if there's going to be reason to celebrate It's God who has to be the one who is exalting and who is lifting him up Going back to chapter 1

God promised to be with him. There's no greater formula for success Than to be walking with God as your source of power

Joshua's told you better stay on the straight and narrow But the truth is that it's it's all about God now

God refers to Moses and I find this kind of intriguing as I was with Moses So I will be with you now a couple of observations about Moses First of all, he had an a most amazing and special relationship with God my goodness

He got to go up on Mount Sinai And even though he only got to experience the backside of God when he came down Just that experience was so intense that the people couldn't bear to watch he had to put a veil over his face

Because of the residual glory of God the unique relationship that Moses had

And God is saying as I was with Moses, I will be with you. God spoke to the nation through Moses on the other side the people complained

Moses didn't have a real smooth ride of it. Did he the people were? Dissatisfied they were saying send us back to Egypt the people complained

Moses didn't have an easy ride, but he didn't always have their full agreement and Then there was the fact that Moses didn't get to enter the promised land through his own sin

But here's the truth. God never abandons Moses Let me read you

Deuteronomy 34 verse 10 as we get towards the end of the Pentateuch and there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses Whom the

Lord knew face -to -face? God is promising

Joshua as I was with Moses, so I will be with you Joshua it's not going to always be easy

Joshua. There are going to be difficulties Joshua. You're probably going to have some failures

But I'm going to be with you Moving on starting in and I'm going to give you verse 6 and then verse 8 again

Joshua said to the priests take up the Ark of the Covenant pass on before the people so they took up the

Ark of the Covenant one of the people in verse 8 as For you command the priests who bear the

Ark of the Covenant when you come to the brink of the waters of Jordan you shall Stand still in the

Jordan the priests now have specific tasks The first one is they're the ones that were allowed to take up the

Ark Nobody else was allowed to take up the Ark they were to take up the Ark now once that Ark is lifted

There is a commitment to motion once that Ark is lifted There is commitment for the nation that we are moving moving forward again remember no cloud

No pillar of fire just directions to go they were going to be the first to go that Ark Needed to pass in front of the people

Anybody ever see the movie the Patriot It's a great movie It's a story about Benjamin Martin It's it's the

Revolutionary War He heads up a militia Now as the movie comes towards its end

Benjamin's son Gabriel has been killed Tavington I think he was

Colonel Tavington had murdered him Benjamin Martin is distraught in fact.

He is discouraged. He's feeling it's too much for him now. I can't go on So now the militia and the regulars are lined up in what would be a pivotal battle against the

Brits Now on one side you had the militia this ragtag group of farmers

Who were being trained by this French guy? And on the other side you had these crisp formations of British redcoats

One after the other after the other and you looked at it, and you go. Oh boy. This isn't going to go well

Well, we do know the story that they were a diversion and that the regulars were behind a hill

But there had to be the sense of despair and And their leader

Benjamin Martin had seemingly given up But I love this scene because on comes

Benjamin Martin with the flag riding in front of this troops, and what is he doing? He's motivating them.

He's encouraging them He's giving them the the ability the in the fortitude to go forward into the battle

You know what the ark is the ark is the presence of God in front of the people The ark is

God's Presence in front of the people and if the ark was to move forward there was this

Understanding that we can move forward Because God is going forward in front of us

And so the people watched the priests and the priests take the ark

It's not the priests that they're watching It's the ark if we're looking at 2019 and there are things that God is telling you to do

It's not pastor Jeff that you need to be looking at it's what's God telling you to do

What's God got for you in store this year and so now we move on in verse 9 and following to the people

Joshua said to the people come here and listen to the words of your Lord your God and Joshua said here is how you shall know that the

Living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before him

The Canaanites the Hittites the Hivites the Perizzites the Girgashites the

Amorites and the Jebusites Before the ark of the covenant of the

Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan There are some requirements that they are to do they're going to come and watch they are going to anticipate

They are going to know that the world can't stand and then they're going to watch as God holds back the river

But I want to first emphasize verse 11. The key to this is the ark

It's the ark that's passing before you Numbers 10 tells us about the power of the ark.

It's the ark It's God who's going to be leading the way before them.

It's God's presence So the things they are to do come listen

They need to put themselves in touch with God's truth and with God's Word we need to be if we want to succeed in 2019 we need to be in touch with his word and Being in touch with his word does not mean coming to church on Sunday to hear pastor

It means personally spending time in his word be in touch choose to hear the message of God over the message of the world

I Assure you that if you spend more time listening to the message of the world

Then you do spending time seeking God's message in his word I assure you which one's going to influence you.

The first thing there to do is to come and listen Joshua 1 8 this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate on it day and night

So that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it for then you will make your way prosperous

Then you'll have good success rely on God's Word then

As you step out on his ministry and his mission for you You got you got the power to succeed the second thing is to anticipate in verse 10

They are to anticipate this is how you will know he will now What's in front of them after they cross the river a whole bunch of ites?

What was in the land at Kadesh Barnea a whole bunch of ites? They need to anticipate that once they go into the land

God's hand is going to deliver them from those ites. It's his plan You see these

God could do that to these ites. Anyway, he could get them out of the land if he chose That was that was totally his call were they ites gonna stay there or not

But he left them there for the nation of Israel. Then again, I asked why and I think it's because they're going to represent a test of The people's heart and their obedient faith as they go into and occupy this land

Deuteronomy 7 verses 1 to 4 when the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it and Clears away many nations before you and get this

It's the exact same seven the Hittites the Gergashites the Amorites the Canaanites Perizzites Hivites Jebusites Seven nations more numerous and mighty than you more numerous and mightier than you

And when the Lord gives them over to you you defeat them

Then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them.

You shall show no mercy You shall not intermarry with them giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons

For they will turn your sons from following me to serve other gods

Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you and he would destroy you quickly in this battle in 2019 when

God sends us out to do his work To the extent that we compromise to what the

Lord wants us to do That's to the extent that we lose our power To be his hand he's going to succeed.

Do we get to it? Do we get to experience it do not turn to them? Or they will turn you

The next one is to know that the world will not stand up against you see all these heights can't do it

They're greater and more numerous than you are Oh Israel, but they are not going to stand up first John 4 for greater is he

That is in you Than he that is in the world In verse 13 we now have the nation at the brink and they're told to watch

As God holds back the water Back in Exodus 14 the nation is leaving

Egypt and they're confronted with a pretty good -sized body of water the Red Sea Pharaoh's armies are coming after them

And the sea is here God tells Moses stretch out your staff and the sea is parted the ground is dry and they pass through This time they're in front of a river now.

There's not an army behind them, but there's a promised land out there Okay, dish barnea.

They had the chance. There is a promised land out there, but there's Giants Okay, they know the story.

They know the story of how God held the waters back and they passed through Moving on to the end of the chapter verses 14 verses 14 to 17

So when the people set out their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the

Ark of the Covenant before the people as soon as those bearing the Ark had come as far as the Jordan and the feet of the priests bearing the

Ark were dipped in the brink of the water Now the Jordan overflows all its banks through the time of harvest

The waters coming down from above stood in a great heap as far away as Adam the city that is beside the

Zarethan and those flowing down to the sea of the Arab by the salt sea were completely cut off see they didn't back flood

Underneath them they were also cut off the people passed over Jericho Now the priests bearing the

Ark of the Covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan And all of Israel was passing over on dry ground until the nation finished passing over the

Jordan First thing is obedience the people followed the Ark went and then the priests actually had to step

This is different than the Red Sea where Moses put the staff out and the sea was parted in this scene the river was raging

I Want to tell you when I was standing in front of Granite Rapid and that river was raging.

I would have loved to have seen Mark, this is the path. I want you to take I would have loved to have seen that but there wasn't for the for the priests

There was no parting of the water Until they actually put their foot there then the water

Was parted and did you catch this not only did the water part, but the river dried up The failure from Kadesh Barnea is now behind them

The years of wandering in the wilderness are now over The people are now positioned in the promised land to go forward to take that promise

To occupy the land God's promise was sure So, what do we do with this

Then the nation was at the brink as they as they were encamped at Shittim And then as they came to the

Jordan the nation was at the brink God was setting his plan in motion

For these people but obedience was going to be required action Must be taken blessings were definitely

Available God is going to accomplish his plan if it's his plan He's going to accomplish his plan.

The question is how much and how would the nation of Israel get to experience it?

We are on the brink of some amazing things It's December 30th.

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. The day after that is New Year's Day I don't know what they are and I don't know when they are but God has said

I have plans for you For your good. He has some amazing Plans he's going to accomplish it.

The question is how are we going to be involved? Now I want you to think within your own self.

What is it that God's calling you to? Everybody in this room has a spiritual gift

I know that scripturally God equips all of us according to his plan and God is calling you to use that gift

For the betterment of his body for the one another God's calling you to do something if you want to make a

New Year's resolution. There's a good one What's God calling me to do? Is he calling you to be in fellowship with somebody else to be an encourager?

Is he calling you to go out into a dark world and evangelize? Is he calling you to get involved in a one -on -one discipleship relationship?

What has God got for you and where is he calling you to right now?

There's a River Jordan out there and it's scary to step across that River Jordan but that's just the first obstacle and God will clear the way and Then once you get into the land and doing what

God there will be opposition There will even be failures, but God is greater than all of these

New Year's resolutions are easy to make they are they're not so easy to keep on the long haul

Resolution resolutions that we make towards God are similar. They're easy to make But they're so important to keep on the long haul the nation of Israel had to step out

God's got a calling for you. You need to respond. We need to respond. But here's the reality

We get the power of the Holy Spirit God promised over and over and over again

I will be with you. I will be your strength. I will go before you We have the

Holy Spirit. We need to turn to him. We got to give him our heart

We've got to step out. We have to keep the course and we have to go so that we can experience his his blessings as We move into 2019

I guarantee you God has amazing things in plan. I don't know what and I don't know when but he does step out

Be his soldier be his thing There's gonna be a song. We're gonna sing walk

By faith in His power and I guarantee you you will experience amazing things worship team would come forward

Lord as we look Ahead, we consider how the nation of Israel Looked ahead when they were in camp at Shittim under Mount Nebo Realizing the failures from 40 years earlier, but this was a new opportunity.

This was a new calling this was a promise of things to come expectations and then the promise of Your presence your power you're going before them.

I pray Lord that that this challenge Reaches each one of us within our hearts today

For this year ahead that we don't just act on the short term, but we be committed To walking by faith in your power in Jesus name.