CHRIST CREATIVE BAPTIST CHURCH
A SERMON PREACHED ON SUNDAY
MAY 30, 1999
BY
THE REV. DR. GEORGE ST. ANTHONY FERGUSON, SR.
AUTHOR: Joshua
THEME: Conquest Of Canaan Land
DATE: 14th Century BC
TEXT: Joshua 4:7
Memorials are important in our lives. Memorials are significant in our lives. Memorials are very critical in our lives. When we want to remember a sacred event, we have a memorial. When we want to remember a sacred time, we have a memorial. When we want to remember a love one who has passed on to glory, we have a memorial. What is a memorial? A memorial is a commemoration. A memorial is a remembrance. A memorial is an observance. Why do you think we have a memorial when our love ones die? We have them to commemorate them. We have them to remember them. We have them to observe their living. And one day Joshua placed a memorial in the Jordan River. So on this 5th Sunday as we head towards Memorial Day, God told me to preach on the title: A Memorial Unto The Lord.
We are in the 4th chapter of the book of Joshua. Joshua was a lieutenant to Moses. Joshua was a minister to Moses. Joshua was a military man for Moses. Joshua was one of two men out of 12 who believed that the Lord had given the Jews Canaan Land. Joshua was the one who God ordained to lead the Jews into Canaan Land. Joshua was the one who conquered Canaan Land. Joshua fit the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down. And Joshua wrote the book of Josuha near the end of his life. In his reflective days, Joshua wrote about the victories that the Lord gave them. In his book, Joshua told us how the Jew's prepared to take Canaan Land. Joshua told us how Rahab helped the Jews spy out the land. Joshua told us how the Jews crossed the Jordan River on dry land. And beginning in chapter 4, Joshua told us how the Jews set up two sets of stones to commemorate the crossing of the Jordan River. The Jews had spent over 400 years in captivity in Egypt when God told Moses to tell old Pharaoh to let My people go. The Jews came out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage and God brought them to Canaan Land. The Jews sent 12 spies in the land and they spied out the land for 40 days. They brought back large clusters of grape as proof that the land flowed with milk and honey. But 10 of the 12 said they could not take the land. Only Joshua and Calab believed that God was well able to give them the land. The majority was wrong and the minority was right. You can't always go with the majority report. So God had the Jews walk around in the wilderness for 40 years because of their unbelief. That was one year of grief for each day of unbelief. Moses brought them to the borders of Canaan Land but God would not allow him to enter because he disobeyed God when he struck the rock when God told him to speak to the rock. So the leadership mantel fell on Joshua. And God told Joshua to be strong and of a good courage. God told Joshua to have all the men cleanse themselves by being circumcised. And after they were clean, V1 said, "And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying." This is my first point: "If You Want God To Use You, You Must Sanctify Yourself." For 40 years the Jews had wandered in the wilderness. For 40 years the Jews had babies in the Wilderness. And for 40 years now of the baby boys were circumcised. But none on the eve of their conquest of Canaan Land, God told them to circumcise themselves. Why would God do that? Didn't God know that would make the Jews vulnerable to attack by their enemies? The Canaanites hated them. The Edomites hated them. But yet God put them in the most vulnerable position by having the men circumcise themselves on the Eastside of the Jordan River. It took over 7 days to heal from circumcision. But they did what God asked them to do because they trusted in the Lord. And God cannot use an unclean vessel but when you clean yourself up, God can use you mightily. And when you clean yourself, you are vulnerable to abuse by the devil and his people but you make yourself usable by God.
GOD WANTS YOU TO CLEAN YOURSELF
GOD WANTS YOU TO SANCTIFY YOURSELF
GOD WANTS YOU TO MAKE YOURSELF HOLY
PAUL SAID YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF GOD
PAUL SAID PRESENT YOUR BODY A LIVING SACRIFICE, WHOLLY ACCEPT UNTO GOD WHICH IS YOUR REASONABLE SERVICE
God said be ye holy for I am holy. Am I right about it? I'm talking about A Memorial Unto The Lord.
God told Joshua to tell the Jews to take 12 men from among the people. God told Joshua to tell the Jews to take one man out of every tribe. God told Joshua when you select these 12 young men then command them to take a stone out of the midst of the Jordan River, then have them carry the stone with you and place it on the Westside of the Jordan River near your new campground. The Jews were camped on the Eastside of the Jordan River when they circumcised themselves. But after they were healed they had to cross over the Jordan River to enter Canaan Land on the Westside of the Jordan. In order for them to cross the Jordan, the priests' carried the Ark of the Covenant into the Jordan and stand in the middle of the Jordan holding the Ark. Now the Jordan River was not a mighty rushing river like the Mississippi or the Amazon. It would flow heavy in the spring when the snow melted in the mountains and would dry up in the summer. It was springtime when the Jews entered Canaan Land so the Jordan was flowing with water. And in order to stem this spring flow, God told the Jews to step into the Jordan River with the Ark of the Covenant and God would back up the water. You've got to step into the water and wade out a little bit deeper. Wade in the water. God's gonna trouble the water. This feat was similar to the time Moses held up his rod and the Lord dried up the Red Sea as the Jews saw the salvation of the Lord. God dried up a big flowing sea for Moses and God dried up a small temporary river for Joshua but it was God who did the work. In both cases the Jews crossed over on dry land. And V4 says, "Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man." Point number 2 is this: "After You Cleanse Yourself, Then God Will Call You." After the Jews cleansed themselves for the service of God, then God told Joshua to call 12 young men. This was one man from each tribe. One from the tribe of Reuben. One from the tribe of Simeon. One from the tribe of Judah. One from the tribe of Issachar. One from the tribe of Zebulun. One from the tribe of Dan. One from the tribe of Naphtali. One from the tribe of Gad. One from the tribe of Asher. One from the tribe of Benjamin. One from the tribe of Ephraim. One from the tribe of Manasseh. No tribe was left out. And these young men did not get some small pebbles that they could carry in their hands with the greatest of ease. No, no, no! These young men got large oversize stones that took all their might to hoist up on their backs and they labored to carry them over. From the middle of the Jordan River to the West Bank, these 12 young men were sweating and panting and straining under the weight of the stones. These were huge, break your back size stones. They put 12 stones in the middle of the Jordan and 12 stones on the Westside of the Jordan. And when God calls you to His work
IT WILL ALWAYS BE BIGGER THAN YOU
IT WILL ALWAYS BE BOLDER THAN YOU
IT WILL ALWAYS BE LARGER THAN YOU
IT WILL ALWAYS BE HEAVIER THAN YOU
IT WILL ALWAYS BE MORE THAN YOU CAN HANDLE
But God won't put any more on you than you can bear. Take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there. I'm preaching about A Memorial Unto The Lord.
Joshua told the 12 young men to pass over before the Ark of the LORD your God which is in the midst of the Jordan. Joshua told the 12 young men to take up a large stone upon their shoulders, one stone for each tribe; 12 stones in all. They put 12 stones in the Jordan and 12 stones on the West bank of the Jordan. Why did God want these 12 young men to pick up those 12 large stones? God did it so it could be a sign unto them and to their children and to all generations. You see everytime the Jews would come to that first place where the Jews first entered Canaan Land, these stones would be there. It would be an unusual sight. It would be a surreal sight. It would be an unbelievable sight. And when their children would see these stones, they would be moved to ask the question, daddy or mamma, what is the meaning of these stones? They would be moved to ask the question, daddy or mamma, what is meant by these stones? And God told them what to say. In V7 God said, "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 Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever." The final point is this: "We Have To Remember Our Memorials." One thing I love about the Jews, they always remember to tell their children their heritage. They always remember to tell their children their culture. They always remember to tell their children what the Lord did for them. Passover is the time the Jews tell their children how God delivered them out of Egypt. The Day of Pentecost is time the Jews tell their children how God gave the 10 Commandments to Moses. Tabernacles is the time the Jews tell their children how God sustained the Jews 40 years in the Wilderness. Purim is the time the Jews tell their children how God delivered them from total destruction at the hands of Haman in Persia. Hanukah is the time the Jews tell their children how God kept the Romans from desecrating their Temple. The Holocaust is the time the Jews tell their children how God delivered them from total destruction at the hands of Hitler in Germany. All these times are times of remembrance. All these times are times of memorials. And God wants us to remember our memorials so that we can tell them to our children to let them know what the Lord has done for us. As Black folks, Kwanzaa is the time we tell our children how the Lord delivered us out of slavery. As Black folks, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday is the time we tell our children how the Lord used a preacher and made him our prophet of freedom and our modern day Moses. As Black folks, African American History Month is the time we tell our children how the Lord lifted us up of ignorance and poverty. And tell your children your stories. Tell your children your parents' stories. Tell your children your grand parents stories. I love to tell the story of Jesus and His love. And the children of Israel did as Joshua commanded. They put 12 stones up high in the middle of the Jordan River. They took 12 stones out of the midst of Jordan. They took 12 stones over to the place where they lodged that night and laid them down. How many of you know that you're gonna lay down your burden, down by the riverside? And you ain't gonna study war no more. God loves the number 12. There were 12 Tribes of Israel. Jesus had 12 disciples. There are 12 gates in the city of God. There are 12 foundations in the city of God. Joshua set up 12 stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the Ark of the covenant stood and 12 stones on the Westside of the Jordan; and those stones are there to this day. And on that day, the priests of the Lord bore the Ark and stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished as the Lord commanded Joshua. The people made haste to pass over. And when all the people who were clean had passed over, the ark of the LORD passed over and the priests passed over in the presence of the people. The people were armed to do battle for the Lord. About 40,000 men passed over before the LORD to do battle in the plains of Jericho. And 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. And God delivered His people so that all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD is mighty: that you might fear the LORD your God forever. Peter said humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and He shall exalt you in due time. He's got the whole world in His hands. Memorial Day is the day that we in America remember those who died in war for our country. It is really not a day for sales. It is really not a day to go to Macy's or Heicht's or Sears. It is really not a day to go to the beach. It really is a day when we honor those who gave their lives that we may live free. But God has given us a better memorial day than the one we celebrate in America. God has given us a better memorial than the one the Jews celebrated in Canaan Land. God has given us a memorial based on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:24 said, "(He took the bread) And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me." Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:25 said, "After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me." We have a living memorial. Every time we eat the bread and drink the wine we remember the death, burial and resurrection of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Remember how He was born. Remember how He lived. Remember how He ministered. Remember how He was beaten. Remember how He was crucified. Remember how He died. Remember how He was buried. Remember how He was resurrected from the dead. Jesus died. I don' t know about you but when I think about the goodness of the Lord and all He' s done for me, my soul looks back and shouts hallelujah. Hallelujah for his love. Hallelujah for his grace. Hallelujah for his mercy. Hallelujah for his peace. Hallelujah for his joy. Paul said He who knew no sin was made to be sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. You better memorialize the Lord. You better call to remembrance the Lord. You better remember the Lord. The psalmist said in Psalm 20:7 said, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God." The psalmist in Psalm 63:6-7 said, "When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice." The psalmist in Psalm 77:11 said, "I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old." The psalmist in Psalm 105:5 said, "Remember his marvelous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth." The psalmist in Psalm 137:6 said, "If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy." The psalmist in Psalm 143:5 said, "I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands." Our living memorial is the Lord's Supper. Our living memorial is God in heaven. Our living memorial is the Holy Ghost in our heart. We don't have a dead memorial made of stone. We have a living memorial in our heart. Paul said Forasmuch as you are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. If you want to see the monument to God, look at the Lord's Supper. Eat the bread as a memorial. Drink the wine as a memorial. The song says let us break bread together on our knees. Let us break bread together on our knees. When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun, Oh Lord have mercy on me. Let us drink the wine together on our knees. Let us drink the wine together on our knees. When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun, Oh Lord have mercy on me. I know it was the blood. I know it was the blood. I know it was the blood for me. One day when I was lost, Jesus died upon the cross. I know it was the blood for me. Jesus is a way maker. Jesus is a heart fixer. Jesus is a mind regulator. Jesus said do this, Communion.. Jesus said do this, the Eucharist. Jesus said do this, the Lord's Table. Jesus said do this, the Lord's Supper. Jesus said do this in remembrance of me. Because as often as we eat the bread and drink the cup, we do show the Lord's death until he comes. This is our monument. This is our memory. This is our memorial. This is our remembrance. Let us all go back to the old landmark. Let me hear you say yea! Say yea! Say yea! And let me leave you with one question: "Will you remember the Lord Jesus on this Memorial Day?" The doors of the church are now open.
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