Bible Text: Joshua 3:1\u201317 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mar\u00adkus In\u00e4b\u00adnit | Series: Wel\u00adco\u00adme Home | God mira\u00adcu\u00adlous\u00adly led Joshua and the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes through the Jor\u00addan River into the Pro\u00admi\u00adsed Land. With the crossing of the Jor\u00addan, some\u00adthing new began and the pro\u00admi\u00adses of God began to be ful\u00adfil\u00adled. What can we learn from this moment so that we too can dare some\u00adthing new and ther\u00adeby expe\u00adri\u00adence more of God\u2019s pro\u00admi\u00adses in our lives? It needs a new focus, a cle\u00adan\u00adsing and in the end also wet feet. <\/p>\n
Bible Text: Joshua 3:1\u201317 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mar\u00adkus In\u00e4b\u00adnit | Series: Wel\u00adco\u00adme Home | God mira\u00adcu\u00adlous\u00adly led Joshua and the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes through the Jor\u00addan River into the Pro\u00admi\u00adsed Land. With the crossing of the Jor\u00addan, some\u00adthing new began and the pro\u00admi\u00adses of God began to be ful\u00adfil\u00adled. What can we learn from this moment so that we too can\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[26],"wpfc_sermon_series":[53],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":["wpfc_preacher-markus-inaebnit","wpfc_sermon_series-willkommen-daheim","wpfc-sermon-single","post-2631","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nIn a few days, a new year beg\u00adins. Some\u00adthing new is just around the cor\u00adner. Some 2500 years ago, the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel were also facing some\u00adthing new. They were about to end their wan\u00adde\u00adrings in the desert and come to their pro\u00admi\u00adsed home\u00adland. Only the Jor\u00addan River sepa\u00adra\u00adted them from God\u2019s pro\u00admi\u00adses. \u00abWel\u00adco\u00adme home!\u00bb, our the\u00adme for the year.
\nGod\u2019s peo\u00adp\u00adle, in God\u2019s land (Cana\u00adan), in God\u2019s pre\u00adsence. That was the under\u00adstan\u00adding of sal\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon or home in the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment. We who belie\u00adve in Jesus are also on the way. Not like the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes on a long jour\u00adney to Cana\u00adan, the Isra\u00adel of today. Our who\u00adle life is direc\u00adted towards a future goal. The Bible says: \u00ab\u2026for we have here no las\u00adting city, but we seek the city that is to come\u00bb (Hebrews 13:14 TO<\/span>). All who belie\u00adve in Jesus Christ have their real home in the future city, the hea\u00adven\u00adly Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem, in the hea\u00adven\u00adly Cana\u00adan. Paul says in Phil\u00adip\u00adpians 3:20, \u00abOur home is in hea\u00adven\u2026\u00bb And that is why Paul wri\u00adtes in Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 2:22 (Hfa), \u00abSo you are no lon\u00adger stran\u00adgers and home\u00adl\u00adess; you now belong as citi\u00adzens to God\u2019s peo\u00adp\u00adle, even to His fami\u00adly.\u00bb As Swiss in Mol\u00addo\u00adva, we live in Mol\u00addo\u00adva and yet our Swiss cul\u00adtu\u00adre always comes through. We bring a pie\u00adce of Switz\u00ader\u00adland with us to Mol\u00addo\u00adva. And in the same way, we are cal\u00adled to bring a pie\u00adce of this hea\u00adven\u00adly Cana\u00adan, whe\u00adre God reig\u00adns, to earth. King\u00addom of God here and now, on the way to Canaan.
\nOn their way to Cana\u00adan, the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes did many things wrong. Many examp\u00adles show us how not to be on the road. But of cour\u00adse the\u00adre were also good moments. Today I would like to look at a moment when the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes did ever\u00ady\u00adthing right. This ope\u00adned up a path to the Pro\u00admi\u00adsed Land. What can we learn from this moment so that hea\u00adven, our home\u00adland, opens up more and more a way into our lives, into our fami\u00adlies, into our sur\u00adroun\u00addings! Let us look back to the shore of the Jor\u00addan. The Israe\u00adli\u00adtes have just pit\u00adched their tents.
\nThe way home
\n40 years ear\u00adlier, Moses led the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes out of Egypt. The\u00adre they were in slavery. After they fled Egypt, 2 mil\u00adli\u00adon Israe\u00adli\u00adtes came to the Red Sea. And God par\u00adted the sea and the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes were able to pass through with dry feet. After pas\u00adsing through the Red Sea, it was actual\u00adly only a 2\u2011week trip to Cana\u00adan, the pro\u00admi\u00adsed home\u00adland. That\u2019s how long it takes to walk from the Red Sea to the land of Cana\u00adan. But the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes, in less than 2 weeks, got hard hearts becau\u00adse it was dif\u00adfi\u00adcult in the desert. They com\u00adplai\u00adned about their lea\u00adders, about Moses, and they were unfaithful to God becau\u00adse they wan\u00adted to go back to their old life, back to slavery. That\u2019s just not the way to do it. But I ask us this mor\u00adning. Don\u2019t we know this too? What about our faith when things get dif\u00adfi\u00adcult? Many times my heart has beco\u00adme hard when things get dif\u00adfi\u00adcult. Some\u00adti\u00admes we are dis\u00adap\u00adpoin\u00adted by peo\u00adp\u00adle. Or the\u00adre are things that we know are not good in the eyes of God, and yet we do them. The Israe\u00adli\u00adtes were not allo\u00adwed to enter the Pro\u00admi\u00adsed Land becau\u00adse of this. They did not expe\u00adri\u00adence God\u2019s pro\u00admi\u00adses on earth. And also today, such things dis\u00adturb us on our jour\u00adney and can be an obs\u00adta\u00adcle for hea\u00adven to find its way more and more into our lives.
\nFar away and yet so close!
\nBut now the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes are final\u00adly on the banks of the Jor\u00addan. They could see the pro\u00admi\u00adsed land, the home\u00adland! So clo\u00adse and yet so far. Why? It was high water, the Jor\u00addan was a raging river! No chan\u00adce for the peo\u00adp\u00adle to get across the river.
\nWhat is your Jor\u00addan? Pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly every one of us on the way to Cana\u00adan stands some\u00adwhe\u00adre in front of a Jor\u00addan. An obs\u00adta\u00adcle that stands bet\u00adween you and God\u2019s pro\u00admi\u00adses. Some\u00adti\u00admes it is so clear what we should do or chan\u00adge, but we don\u2019t mana\u00adge it. We fail to do the simp\u00adlest things like rea\u00adding the Bible regu\u00adlar\u00adly, spen\u00adding time with our child\u00adren, final\u00adly stop\u00adping por\u00adno\u00adgra\u00adphy, living healt\u00adhi\u00ader, stop\u00adping blas\u00adphe\u00adming etc\u2026 The Pro\u00admi\u00adsed Land whe\u00adre we want to go is so clo\u00adse and yet so far. The Bible has a word for the\u00adse things: sin. Sin means miss\u00ading the mark, God actual\u00adly wants us to walk dif\u00adfer\u00adent\u00adly. We are not wal\u00adking as we should! And sin stands like a wall bet\u00adween us and God (Isai\u00adah 59:2). That is why hea\u00adven can\u00adnot make its way into our lives.
\nAVAR<\/span> \u2013 one moment chan\u00adges everything!
\nBut the\u00adre is hope. The peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel crossed the Jor\u00addan. I will tell you how in a moment. I would like to point out one more exci\u00adting thought. When we read Joshua 3, we read seve\u00adral times the word com\u00adbi\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon \u00abpass through\u00bb or \u00abpass through\u00bb the Jor\u00addan. The Hebrew word for this is AVAR<\/span>. AVAR<\/span> does not only mean to sim\u00adply pass through, but also means chan\u00adge, trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon or chan\u00adge. For the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes, crossing the Jor\u00addan was an AVAR<\/span> expe\u00adri\u00adence. After 40 years, final\u00adly! A chan\u00adge took place, a chan\u00adge, a tre\u00admen\u00addous chan\u00adge. They came to the home\u00adland, the Pro\u00admi\u00adsed Land.
\nAnd my wish is that we will always have such spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal AVAR<\/span> moments in the coming year and bey\u00adond. Not just in 40 years! Moments that chan\u00adge ever\u00ady\u00adthing, that take us across the river in a cer\u00adtain area into the home\u00adland so that we can expe\u00adri\u00adence God\u2019s pro\u00admi\u00adses. The con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adon for this is that we must be rea\u00addy for chan\u00adge. We have to be rea\u00addy to lea\u00adve the old behind and go new ways. Let us now look at how the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes did this in practice.
\nFocus your gaze on Jesus.
\n\u00abAnd after three days the offi\u00adcers went through the camp, and com\u00adman\u00added the peo\u00adp\u00adle, say\u00ading, When ye see the Levi\u00adti\u00adcal priests take up the ark of the coven\u00adant of the LORD<\/span> your God, then depart from your place, and fol\u00adlow it\u00bb (Joshua 3:2\u20133 TO<\/span>).
\n
\nWhen you see the Ark of the Coven\u00adant\u2026 How is the Ark going to help? The Ark of the Coven\u00adant is not a ship! But the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes knew that the Ark of the Coven\u00adant visi\u00adbly sym\u00adbo\u00adli\u00adsed the power and pre\u00adsence of God. So the lea\u00adders said, \u00abLook at the pre\u00adsence of God and fol\u00adlow it!\u00bb Loo\u00adking at the Jor\u00addan River, no one would have moved. But loo\u00adking to God gave them cou\u00adra\u00adge. The Ark of the Coven\u00adant no lon\u00adger exists today, but just over 2000 years ago God beca\u00adme visi\u00adble in the per\u00adson of Jesus Christ. God beca\u00adme man. Jesus is the visi\u00adble image of the invi\u00adsi\u00adble God (Colos\u00adsi\u00adans 1:15). Whe\u00adre\u00adver we desi\u00adre chan\u00adge, whe\u00adre\u00adver we want to cross our Jor\u00addan, the\u00adre we must look away from the pro\u00adblem and look to Jesus. He is the foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon of our hope for chan\u00adge. By loo\u00adking to Jesus we can always have hope. Don\u2019t clo\u00adse your eyes to things you need to tack\u00adle. And don\u2019t see the\u00adse things as big and insur\u00admoun\u00adta\u00adble. Loo\u00adking at Jesus, you will not tell the pro\u00adblem how big it is, no, you will start tel\u00adling it how big your God is!
\n2. reve\u00adal your position
\n\u00abAnd Joshua said unto the peo\u00adp\u00adle, Sanc\u00adti\u00adfy your\u00adsel\u00adves: for tomor\u00adrow the LORD<\/span> will do won\u00adders among you\u00bb (Joshua 3:5 TO<\/span>). Who among us does\u00adn\u2019t want to see mira\u00adcles? Chan\u00adges in our lives? If that is what you want to see in the New Year, then I would like to invi\u00adte you to sanc\u00adti\u00adfy yours\u00adelf today in order to see the mira\u00adcle tomor\u00adrow. To sanc\u00adti\u00adfy means to call our Jordan(s) by name and ask God for for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness. Becau\u00adse they did not do this, the first humans lost their home. When Adam and Eve ate of the for\u00adbidden fruit, what hap\u00adpen\u00aded? God set out to find Adam and Eve! He cried out, \u00abAdam, whe\u00adre are you?\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 3:9). Of cour\u00adse God knew whe\u00adre Adam was. It was not a game of hide and seek. But God wan\u00adted Adam hims\u00adelf to reve\u00adal his posi\u00adti\u00adon. Whe\u00adre are you Adam? Whe\u00adre are you man? Whe\u00adre are you this mor\u00adning on your way to Cana\u00adan? What Jor\u00addan is stan\u00adding in your way? Give God your posi\u00adti\u00adon! The verb to call from God\u2019s side always has a heal\u00ading cha\u00adrac\u00adter. He calls with the inten\u00adti\u00adon to help, to com\u00adfort and to for\u00adgi\u00adve. He wants to put us on the right path. He is hap\u00adpy to for\u00adgi\u00adve. At Christ\u00admas Jesus came into the world, why? \u00abFor the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost\u00bb (Luke 19:10). If you have lost your way some\u00adwhe\u00adre, if you are stan\u00adding in front of a Jor\u00addan River, then Christ\u00admas means to you that God has left hea\u00adven to seek you. That is the mira\u00adcle of Christ\u00admas: Hel\u00admut Thieli\u00adcke, a Ger\u00adman theo\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adan from the last cen\u00adtu\u00adry: \u00abChrist\u00admas tells us: God picks us up, no mat\u00adter whe\u00adre we stand.\u00bb But you have to tell him whe\u00adre you stand. Com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adon today is a won\u00adderful oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to let God pick you up, to tell him whe\u00adre you stand and to cla\u00adim his for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness. Look to Jesus! Sanc\u00adti\u00adfy yours\u00adelf and give your posi\u00adti\u00adon and last point:
\n3. get your feet wet
\n\u00abAnd you shall com\u00admand the priests who bear the ark of the coven\u00adant: When you come to the water of the Jor\u00addan, stand in the Jor\u00addan\u2026 Then when the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD<\/span>, the LORD<\/span> of all the earth, are in the water of the Jor\u00addan, the water of the Jor\u00addan will be dam\u00admed up, the water that flows down from abo\u00adve, so that it will stand still like a dam\u00bb (Joshua 3:8,13).
\nGod tells Joshua here that the priests with the Ark of the Coven\u00adant must stand in the water while the river is still flowing wild\u00adly! When they have dared to take this step, God will stop the water. We too are invi\u00adted to dare to take a step into the river. The Israe\u00adli\u00adtes had to belie\u00adve and dare to take a step. It seems that God is say\u00ading: \u00abShow me your faith by get\u00adting your feet wet. If you obey, I will ans\u00adwer you.\u00bb And I too want to invi\u00adte you today to get your feet wet. Stand in your Jor\u00addan. Get your things tog\u00ade\u00adther, take action for the new year. My father-in-law for\u00admu\u00adla\u00adted an unbe\u00adlie\u00adv\u00ada\u00adb\u00adly gre\u00adat defi\u00adni\u00adti\u00adon for New Year\u2019s reso\u00adlu\u00adti\u00adons: \u00abPosi\u00adti\u00adve chan\u00adge that ser\u00adves your envi\u00adron\u00adment and yours\u00adelf for the best!\u00bb
\nJor\u00addan crossings are posi\u00adti\u00adve chan\u00adge on our way to Cana\u00adan. And they will crea\u00adte a way for hea\u00adven to make its way more and more into our lives. The home of hea\u00adven \u2013 can alre\u00ada\u00addy be expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced on the way the\u00adre. Through this we will be bles\u00adsed and we will be a blessing!
\nAmen<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"