Wednesday Night Bible Study by Billy McCool First Apostolic Church of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN) Kind: Bible study Scripture: Joshua 1:1-9, 2 Kings 3:11, Joel 3:10, Joshua 3:1-17 Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/billy-mccool--wednesday-night-bible-study-99 Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page. Free to copy and share with attribution. ------------------------------------------------------------ praise the Lord everyone we greet you tonight in that Wonderful matchless Name of Jesus and what a joy and privilege it is to be back in the house of the Lord and back for another Bible study let's continue to pray for those special requests that we're hearing especially brother Jones and of course there's others that need our prayers and we'll be praying for all of them um we are taking up where we left off some weeks ago and uh our lesson series is Victory through faith and tonight's lesson is crossing the Jordan and I appreciate seeing all of you here tonight and if we listen carefully and study together we will find things that will will enhance our walk with God and many times it has a great deal to do with our everyday life and by the way it's good to see brother Paul cook an hour back there he's had surgery and brother Paul we're glad to have you back God bless you all right our lesson text is taken from the Book of Joshua the first chapter and we may do a lot of reading tonight because um there's a there's so much to be said about the crossing of Jordan and much of it is self-explanatory uh brother Gene Adams or brother preached for us many years ago down in I believe is the north of South Carolina and um he had been converted from one of the denominal denominations and he made the remark he said this the Bible sure says sheds a lot of light on these commentaries and I thought that was very good because um you take one one book in the Bible and they'll write six books to explain it when it is most of the time it is self-explanatory that's some of the big words and some of the uh the the the the names that it's hard for us to pronounce but anyway if you just look at some of the and some of the names it's not that important that you're able to pronounce them it's uh the the fact that the content is there and Joshua 1 starting at verse 1. now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of none Moses Minister saying now what did we just read what's what's in that what's in that verse there's a there's a lots more in that verse than what meets the eye or the ear without as we're calling this Bible study now let's look at it with the with the eye of examination now the death of Moses now we know right there that this scripture is announcing but Moses is is dead the makeest man of all the Earth and one of the greatest leader led the people for so many years LED them out of the bondage of Egypt but then it said Moses was what was he he was a servant of the Lord it's important that our leaders be Servants of the Lord they are our servants but they are Servants of God first and there is certain Kindle pass that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of none Moses minister now Moses was the minister of God and Joshua was a minister of Moses now there's a whole lot more in that than what you might think God the in the Bible speaks of the ministry of helps and a lot of people are are searching seeking for gifts and and Ministries things that they can do for God but that that gift of being a minister of helps is not very well sought after that that that that class has plenty of vacancies now but that that Pulpit Ministry uh the the the class is order filled up you're going to sign up for that and wait until we get an opening but this this ministry of Joshua was Moses minister and let me show you something else concerning that when Israel and Judah were in desperate need of a miracle with no man of God with direction from God a servant of the king of Israel offered the following advice now Judah and Israel had joined forces together the the son of Ahab was the uh king of of Israel Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah and they joined forces with another king because this King that was paying tribute to Israel when when uh AB died he rebelled and he was giving over a hundred thousand sheep a year uh to as as a tribute to Israel well when he bolted against Israel uh the the the king of Israel the king of Judah joined forces with another king and they were going against their opposition because there were no he was no longer willing to pay the tribute that he had done in the past and so they they went without inquiring of God now first of all the son of Abe was the son of Ahab and Jezebel and it was the man the the king that that God hated more than any of the others so they found themselves in a Wilderness with their beasts that were following with them had no water to drink and they they decided that maybe God had led them out there to destroy them but they were in this Wilderness and and uh finally the the the Jehoshaphat he said you know there's one thing we've overlooked nobody has inquired of God nobody's well they said there's nobody here we don't have a prophet among us nobody to inquire of God well in Second Kings 3 11 but Jehoshaphat said is there not here a prophet of the Lord that we may inquire of the Lord by him now now keep in mind what we're studying tonight we're studying the crossing of Jordan we found out that Moses did he's not going to be there to lead him and somebody's got to be the leader and the Bible refers to Joshua as being the minister of Moses now then Joshua said is there not here a prophet of the Lord that we may inquire of the Lord by him and one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said here is Elisha the son of shapeath now what do we know about Elisha um What miracles can we report that he's performed what great work has he done what's his reputation what what do we what do we know about him this kind of reminds me of a scripture the Bible said that that John the Baptist did no miracles but everything he said about Jesus was true I love that little verse John did no miracles and those days are had to be a miracle worker to make folks believe but it said John did no Miracles but everything he said about Jesus was true well what do we know about Elisha what did he do we know what Elijah did we knew he part he called a fire down from heaven he stood against 450 prophets of Baal and uh he was a mighty mighty and he was caught up in a charitable fire in Heaven Wasn't didn't even face death but now what what did Elisha do to give him a reputation that he could be the leader to lead they needed a miracle their beasts were dying of thirst they were dying of thirst they had no water no way out and uh the servant one of the Servants of the king of Israel said we have here Elisha the son of japath well what did he do well he poured water on the hands of Elijah boy now that is some reputation isn't it I mean he he needs a certificate to hang on the wall like a a a a a doctor of divinity he did something what did you what you what did you graduate from what school did you graduate I graduated from the school of servants that poured water on the hands of his master that's the only thing they could say that he poured water on the hands of Elijah now what is my point tonight you may never sing up here with the praise singers you may never stand on the pulpit you may never be recognized as some great leader but if you can be a servant to the man of God I have got people in my life I've got people right here in this church that have served us so well and pardon me for giving a personal example and personal testimony there are the Wednesday nights when I came to church and suddenly uh unexpected something happened to me that never happened in my entire Ministry I turned deeply nauseous and I thought I could I could bear it because I've I've never let anything hardly keep me from preaching when I was supposed to preach but when I said praise the Lord everybody something happened and I saw right then I was fixing to mess up the platform if I didn't get off of the platform I had time to save Brothers keep on saying and I went out the side door and there happened to be an outside door and I opened that door and I unloaded but before I could get unloaded they were spoke together around me they was putting uh blood pressure gadgets on me though uh oxygen things on my finger and there was nurses there was concerned people my twin brother even called from Arkansas because he he was watching the service but I I never saw so many people so concerned and they they wouldn't let me I wanted to get back and no brother Michael you said still and your blood pressure is extremely high uh Ashton and and I forget all the rest yes that's right I can't hear you but anyway but anyway I was absolutely inundated with people that were ready to help him and ever since then everybody says are you feeling better are you yeah I felt better since I got through vomiting uh but I'm still getting folks to give me sympathy for which I am so thankful I I appreciate it so so much but not only that that brother Jimmy the busk has been opening these doors to this church for years and years and years I don't know how old he is but he's been opening the doors for it seems like 50 years himself and we've got others that's doing other things that are so important and and yet it's not heralded as a great gift it is a valuable gift now do you see where I'm coming from he said here is Elisha the son of shapeath which poured water on the hands of Elijah how many times have I called Brother Brad Bates Uh something's broke down we got we got a buster we got this we got that and and and here he comes one day we had stuff up in the attic with that the the city center had to get rid of it and I don't know what to do I call Brother Brad he said I'll be there shortly and he backed up there with a with a trailer and we had we'd loaded it all up and and here we go the bus wouldn't start here a while back and of course they got so many batteries out there in that bus and the wires goes this way and that one and I'm afraid if you touch one it might blow up because if you don't put the right wire at the right place but here came brother Brad and he hooked everything up exactly right and it wasn't long he had it had it started had it told us what was wrong with it and what it needed we we did that now now now what I'm talking about now uh and when I start saying this there's so there's so many others Pastor told about brother Blevins um when we there was such an echo in this building you could not you couldn't get the psf to work right it was too loud to Echo and it was recommended they got they got uh word we needed some padding on the walls and and Pastor looked into it and found out what we needed and he mentioned it to brother a brother uh Blevins and I I came up and the next thing you know they had all this beautiful it's decorative but it's there not just for decorations there for a purpose and somebody that knew what they were doing and had the tools to do it with now I could go on the carpet on which you put your feet on right now uh the brother Dion uh Wilson and the uh Karen's carpet they've furnished all this and they've saved us thousands upon thousands of dollars and and here I go I could go I could go on the whole time what did Elisha do he poured water on the hands of Elijah now then my comments are this God uses those who are Faithful Servants not just Faithful Servants to God but faithful to their god-called leaders I've got a little uh article in my um uh I call it a scrapbook which I'd brought it with me and I I wrote a letter drawer a tribute to to brother Jamie debusk about what a friend is to set up a pastor has more friend more has more acquaintance than most folks but they don't have as many friends as you might think and you can find that out from the when the preacher gets under attack everybody jumps on on the bandwagon of that but God uses those who are Faithful Servants not just faithful to God but faithful to their gods to their god-called leaders Moses was God's Minister and Joshua was Moses minister um sister Betty Richmond was uh working at a little service station in Minute Market and some fellow came in and he was talking about that preacher first episode said that shyster Billy McCool he shouldn't have said that to Debbie to Betty Richmond she about came over the counter and when she got through with him he knew it not to not to criticize her pastor she said he's been my pastor for 50 years he's been watched over all of my family he's no shyster well I'm not advocating anybody to get all up in the air but I appreciate the fact that she did defend her pastor I've told you you've heard me tell the story of brother Richmond the man that she just showed up at our church one that and uh she kept a camper on the back of a pickup truck had some dogs in it and I recognized him welcomed him and um uh he brother Richmond took him home with him fed him and and the talked with him and entertained him that afternoon and uh then he told Brother Richmond that brother McCoo was not a man of God said he never never asked me to preach never asked me to take the end and he just really gave me down the road and uh that night is on Sunday night we got to church and brother Russia said brother McCoo could I see you in there I had a little office just when you entered the door and it had been a broadcast room but a nursery and then it was my office and I stepped in there and he asked that man to step in he said brother Richmond said brother McCool um this brother here I took him home with me today and had dinner with him and he said he tells me that you're not a man of God that that you're if you're a bit amount of God you would have had him to preach and he told me that I wasn't worthy of this that and the other and brother Richmond knew him and then he turned to the man and he said sir this man has been my pastor for so many years and said he's watched over my family and he said I want you to know he is a man of God and he is the man I trust with My Soul he said brother mccooled settled and he walked out and shut the door and he and that me and that guy was standing there looking at each other uh I can't tell you how the conversation went after that but I would say he'll be more careful the next church he visits and and goes home and criticizes the leadership and let me tell you something the one thing you can do is to be faithful to your leaders it's one of the elders if it's a saint in the church if it's the if it's the greeters whoever be faithful to your church be and be faithful to the men of God give the Lord a hand clap all right see there's a whole lot more in crossing the Jordan than just crossing the Jordan are you still with me all right these Sunday school teachers these folks the choir director did you know they get over 8 30 in the morning on Sunday morning and and they practice they don't do all this beautiful singing music just uh you crawl out of bed and come over here and cutlers no they practice practice work and work and work if you only knew how much time left and they deserve our love and our respect and our admiration for what they are doing all right let's go into the next verse verse two Moses my servant is dead and let me say this too and I'm I'm so happy to say the crowd we've got here tonight I'd like to say it three times to speak uh but you have no idea how much time goes into preparing a message to feed the people now I've heard the preachers I don't believe in a state I just the Bible says open your mouth and God will fill it well sometimes I'll say this God fills the mouth of those who study a whole lot more than those other that don't study but these men of God well my grandson uh he always amazes me because he scriptures that I preached from many years he'll come up and it's a a point of view that I never thought of uh Pastor Whitley Pastor Mark McCool and every preachers come to this Pulpit they they feed our soul and we need to we need to come with a hungry hearts or thirsty Souls ready to receive what God has Moses my servant is dead now therefore arise go over this Jordan thou and all this people unto the land which I do give to them even to the children of Israel now let me pause because I thought I'm not just bragging on my on our pastoral staff and my family I'm talking about every preacher that comes to this Pulpit if he lives in Knoxville if it's one of the local preachers I don't care who he is when he comes to this Pulpit every one of them they amaze me with the way they preach and the way they they feed my soul and how valuable and viable and precious it is and I've been doing some arranging at home I've got I've got shelves of notebooks bigger than this one of sermons and conferences and cam meetings and notes that I have taken from preachers I I've got a whole library of three ring notebooks that I've taken notes from Men of God that have studied and then came to the pulpit and they fed my soul and I in turn pass it on to you so what I'm wanting you to understand tonight I want us to have I know you do respect the word of God I know you do respect the ministry but I want us to get to keep and have a deeper respect and love for the word of God and the men and and the women of God that feed it to us Moses by servant is dead now therefore rise go over Jordan and all these people into the land which I give unto thee even to the children of Israel every place that the soul of your foot shall tread upon that had by given unto you as I said unto Moses now what have I just said God has said Moses is dead but the word of God's Not Dead Moses is dead but the promises are still alive I got news for you tonight uh the the men of God the the 12 apostles the the prophets they may be dead but what they preach and what they said will never die it's ever more alive and whoever relates that to us you need to get in on it and enjoy the manner from heaven every place that the soul of your foot shall credible that have I given unto you as I said to Moses from the Wilderness and this Lebanon even to the Great River the river Euphrates all the land of the high tides and of the great seed toward the going down to the sun that's to the west side where they're going down the sun shall be your Coast now what is God saying here God said these are the things I said to Moses but you got a new leader now and this leader and this new leader is going to carry on the very same promises that I made to Moses there shall not any man be able to stand before thee now he's talking about Joshua now Moses is dead we can't bring you back God hit him God let him look over in the promised land and said you can't you can't go there you disobeyed me in a year old now that you can't but I've got a man that's going to go and God allowed him to die and God buried him up in the mountains and nobody knows what happened to the body of Moses except when they saw him on the Mount of transfiguration let me tell you something God let Moses disappear out of their sight and to keep him from being shrined in their eyes because he had a new leader that was going to take over and God said as I was with Moses I'm going to be with you I really appreciate folks that says brother McCool you've been my pastor for 50 or 60 years and and there's nobody like you and no one let me tell you something there's nobody going to be like me but God's got somebody just as good and he's God's man God's men and they they need and deserve our respect God said as I was with Moses I am going to be with thee there shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of our life as I was with Moses so I will be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee now Pastor Mark and sister Jamie they've never had to they lived a little while in an apartment they've they've had they've had some some uh hard times but they've never been restroom in inspectors and they've never gone through some of the things that sister McCool and I went through but they should not have to I should have to build I should have built a foundation on which they could build and now then they have taken us to a higher height and a deeper death and and they deserve a great deal of respect and love and they deserve a great big hand right now and the same thing applies to the uh Pastor Whitley's sister Ashley and Pastor Anthony and sister Kelly that applies to every preacher every every uh Elder ever a leader in this church then God said to Joshua be strong be strong well how do you be strong Joel 3 10 says beat your plows yours into swords and you're pruning hooks into Spears let the weak say I'm strong one of the bad things when people think of themselves as grasshoppers when people think of themselves as as Poor Little Women I don't mean for us to be Brazen and and braggots and be be self-reliant but we need to realize that God said as I was with Moses I'll be with you I will not fail me nor forsake thee be strong and of good courage for under this people shalt thou Divine for an inheritance of the land which I swear unto their fathers to give them and Joel said let the weak say I'm so you know I have when somebody wants to know how are you well you're not really want me to tell you how many times I've been to the eye doctor the foot doctor the ear doctor and the nose doctor and uh you're not it really you're not really wanting to hear that well um who wasn't uh tells me here in the church I hear you that's how I'm still above the ground that's pretty good so that's a pretty good testimony verse 7. only be thou strong and very courageous that thou mayest observe to do according to all the love which Moses my servant commanded thee now Moses left you some Commandments now then you're going to be the leader but you've got to be strong and very didn't say just courageous but very courageous we as a people we don't need to think of ourselves as the little and beat down we're to think of ourselves as more than conquerors the Bible says now the Bible said we're killed all day long we're sheep to the slaughter but then the next verse says nay we are more than conquerors and we need to let the devil know that he's not messing with a bunch of weaklings he's messing with a bunch of people that has claimed the inheritance and the strength that God gave Moses he's going to give you and me and we're going to Prevail give him a hand clap now he said now God's talking to Joshua now only be thou strong and very courageous that thou mayest observed to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee and then I put a a yellow tint to this next line turn not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou must Prosper whether so ever thou God now there's a whole lot in that line right there don't turn to the right nor to the left now do you know what I get out of that I think if you're not careful there's going to be some folks that's going to be too hard on one thing and too easy on another something's going to go this way but he said don't turn to the right nor to the left go straight ahead the way that God has got you on the on the course don't the Bible said following out a multitude to do evil the Bible says medal not with them that are given to change I preached them that here a while back middle not but those folks has always changing you don't know what they are today because what they were yesterday you remember what uh Elder John and James said about focuses that's gone moderate and charismatic and so forth he said was you a fooled in or are you a fool now that was Johnny James were well turn not to the right nor to the left that thumb is Prosper where so wherever thou goest I have not seen anybody that has taken a left turn from this Apostolic Holiness message that have prospered because of it just preach the word Paul said preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and Doctrine then it said this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but Thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou must observe to do according to all that is written therein now you you don't just come to church Wednesday night and Sunday morning and Sunday night but he said you meditate on this day and night talk about it live it sing about it talk to one another about it and meditate on it day and night if many people would study as much of the Bible as they do the statistics of their sports figure there'd be a lot closer to God and know a whole lot more about his word this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but Thou shalt meditate therein and day and night that thou must observe to do according to all that is written therein for Thou shalt make thy way prosperous and thou shalt have good success verse 9 have not I commanded thee be strong again he's repeating this be strong have not I commanded thee be strong and of good courage Be not Afraid neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee wither so ever thou goest now God is encouraging Joshua now you remember him it was Joshua and Caleb there was among the 12 spas that went into the promised land and spent 40 days of spotting it out and came back with the grapes that had to put a cluster on a pole and two men carry and they came back and they said it's the land that flowed with milk and honey and but the Ten of them said it's a land that's eaten up by its inhabitants and said there's Giants over there and we were in their eyes and in our eyes as grasshoppers Joshua's still the people he said hold away wait wait wait wait a minute and he had to quieten them down and said there were giants all right but we are of the Lord and we can we're well able to capture that land now do you know what the people did they were ready to cross over into the Promised Land but they turned back and the Bible said they spoke of and said less elect us a new leader to lead us back into Egypt I called him Captain coward they wanted a new leader that would of all things excuse me lead them back into Egypt excuse me Paul said if I build up that's which I'm destroyed I make it myself a transgressor things I used to preach against I now do things I used to be against because the rest of the world accepts it I accept it Paul said if I build up that which I'm destroyed I'm making myself a transgressor I'm saying to us tonight we need to be a a good courage and be not afraid and neither be dismayed the Lord thy God is with thee with us forever thou God don't change his gospel don't change he is the same yesterday today and forever now we're going into the third chapter of Joshua starting at verse 1. and Joshua arose early in the morning and they removed from sheidam and came to Jordan he and all the children of Israel loves there before they passed over and it came to pass after three days the officers went through the coast I've got this underlying and marked and yellow the officers went through the coast now God has qualified leaders hit that's he's got Elders in the church we've got people that can help us and lead the way and the officers went through the coast and they commanded the people saying when you see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God and the priest and Levi's bearing it then ye shall remove from your place and go after it and I kind of I kind of like the phrasing of that when when when you see the the uh the preacher the Levi's bearing the ark and his Earth moved said you go after it I want to tell you something when God moves in our midst when he sends Revival when God moves and whatever it may be the marriage Retreat it may be Youth Camp it may be uh foot washing and our sacrament um Pastor got a call he went and told you this but I will Pastor got a call from a minister out of state said he watched our our communion service the other night and he said that was the best message I ever heard preached concerning communion so I got more out of it than any sermon I know that was a a well-founded preacher that called and that knows the Bible but said I got more out of it than any message on communion that I have ever heard well what am I saying God's got leaders and we need to follow and we need to praise God for them and I'm not just talking about pastors when I say this either please understand that I'm not just talking about our pastoral staff God's got leaders right here in this church that that our spiritual leaders uh there's different ones that have actually given me a material blessings upon my soul that I've in turn preached from it and I thank God for him verse 3 and they commanded the people saying when you see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God and the priest of Levi's buried then you shall remove it your place and go after it yet there shall be a space between you and it hold on a minute here's another point of interest for me yet there shall be a space between you and it about 2 000 cubits by measure come not near unto it and you may that you may know the way by which you must go for ye have not passed this way before now I looked that up and and that was a space of about a half a mile that they were not to get too close because too large a crowd well here's my notes Jesus once got in a boat and lost out a little ways so he could keep from being overcrowded remember that that the crowd followed him everywhere he went and when you when you get so engrossed in the crowd then this poor woman had to Touch the Hem of His Garment and another time some men had to climb up on top of the roof and chop a hole and let a man down before Jesus because of the press of the people but on one occasion Jesus got in a boat and pushed out a little bit uh how do I say this how do I say this and make it humble and and palatable sometimes there needs to be a little distance between us and the Ark of God um I know what I'm wanting to say but I want to I want to be careful how I said um third time is supposed to go to the hospital and if I'm not careful I'll Rush In And I'll get more in the way then if I'd wait and let the people that's trying to get your vitals and get let them get done what they need to do and then then let me go in I don't do as much missing as I used to the pastors and others do it but sometimes the man of God has to put a little distance um I've seen churches where uh uh the preachers Bill Bob John Tom you remember Bishop Bonner that preached for us many years ago well when sister McCool and I came to Knoxville we were so young yes sir we were in her we had just turned 20 I guess and everybody knew us as Billy and Betty brother Billy's suspending well I didn't think anything about him and I don't yet but Bishop Auto said now this business and brother Billy and sister Betty has got to stop he said it's it's uh Bishop McCool Pastor McCool it's Pastor or a system of course not systematic sister McCool and he kind of reproved us on that well I'm not sensitive about about me being called in fact I can tell a lot of our older Saints now I don't mean that and a defamatory way but it just comes natural for some of them to say brother Billy and sister Betty and I don't consider that an insult at all but what I'm saying is Bishop Bonner felt like there should be a distance there that not respect Paul said I magnify my office I don't want to magnify myself I don't want to magnify a sister McCool I don't I want to magnify the office we hold and the men and women and the elders and leaders in choir director praise singers musicians and on and on we could go they are not being honored and praised as an individual but as of for the as the position they occupy Paul said I magnify my office Jesus once got in a boat and launched out a little ways so he could keep from being overcrowded we sometimes in our anxiousness and crowds hamper the move of God the man out of whom Jesus casts out Legions of devils got in the boat with Jesus and Jesus did not permit him to go with him but he said go home to thy prayers he wanted to get right in the boat with Jesus uh when David had been temporarily overthrown uh by his rebellious son uh there was a an old wise counselor wanted to go with him and David said no if you go with me you're going to be a hindrance to me I'm going to have to look after you you're not a fighter you're a counselor but it said go back and be a counselor to my rebellious son but give him counsel that will cause him to lose the war but you can't go with me because you're going with me you'll be a burden and so if you if you'll understand where I'm going Jesus told the man said go home to thy friends and tell them about great things the Lord has done then he went home and started publicizing it verse 5 and Joshua said unto the people sanctify yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you now God had convinced Joshua that he was going to stand by his word and so now he speaks to the the congregation we're talking about a million people now that's that's got to cross over a a rushing a river and Joshua said to the people sanctify yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you and Joshua spake unto the priest saying take up the Ark of the Covenant and pass over before the people and that took up the Ark of the Covenant and went before the people now the people were not to get too close to it stay back from it but keep your eye on it don't let it get out of sight because he said you've never been this way before don't get too close don't rush it but don't let it get out of your sight and let me say to us you've heard of Azusa Street Revival you've heard of camp meetings intent revivals you've heard of Oz uh blind eyes being opened deaf ears being unstopped you've heard of all those Saints you may not see it all but don't let it get out of sight don't let Revival get out of your side don't let Holiness get out of your side don't let the old-time way get out of your sight we'll go to to new methods but not a new message I said we'll go to a new method but not a new message don't let the old message get out of sight keep it in in in perspective give him a big hand clap I've got a little saying that preachers are in trouble when he starts enjoying his presence because most of the time you'll go too long but I've got my eye on the clock I've got a great big clock up there I can see it and I've set a time for myself not to go beyond 8 45 and we're getting close to that all right so you can take a little bit of comfort all right keep your eye on that on that art God has a system and we must follow it verse 7 and the Lord said to Joshua this day will I be what's this one this is another one I've highlighted in yellow listen to this one now you've got a man named Moses that there's never a man like him greatest leader that it was and you can see it how the people respect him and when they disrespected him the Earth opened up and and and swallowed them up by the multitudes because they didn't respect more and you better believe the rest of them started respecting him now then they've got a new leader and and God is wanting to show the congregation that their new leader was just as great as the one that's dead up in the mountains God has a system and we must follow it 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 I will be with thee now Moses had to take some advice from his father he's uh he told him he said he watched and uh he was a maybe not priest himself and the people was all lined up and coming to Moses for to settle their disputes and their problems and he said Moses what are you doing well Moses said I'm hearing the people and I'm solving their problems I'm telling them he said Moses you will surely wear away and you were the people out they're going to wear away you're going to wear out said what you need to do is you need to appoint other leaders beside yourself and let them deal with and the more important situations they can bring to you and and he had he adopted that but the thing that I wanted to get to you God told Moses when you do this put some of your honor on these leaders so they'll have the respect of the people they can't just everything be in you you've got to share your honor with them oh how how valuable how wonderful this is um they know as I was with Moses I'll be with thee and thou shalt command the priests that bear the Ark of the Covenant saying when you come to the brink of the water of Jordan you shall stand still in Jordan you're going to walk out in Jordan and you're going to stand still there that's quite a quite a command quite a suggestion and Joshua said to the children of Israel come hither and hear the words of the Lord your God and Joshua said hereby you shall know that the Living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites the Hittites Have Eyes Pizza rights and the your resides and the amorites and the jebusites behold the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the Earth passes over before you unto Jordan said the arka that which led us through the Wilderness that's which gave us Direction and showed us the way that's what's going to be you that's what you're going to follow now therefore take you 12 men out of the tribes of Israel out of every tribal man and it shall come to pass as soon as the souls of your feet of the priests that bear the Ark of the Lord the Lord of all the Earth shall rest in the water of Jordan that the Waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above and they shall stand upon it a heap that water is going to be cut off the Lower Side is going to go on and this water is just going to pile up just just like a a dam holding the water back now you talk about a mighty miracle and it's a come 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 and as they bear the Earth or come to Jordan and the feet of the priesthood that bear the Earth were dipped in the brim of the water for Jordan over before all his Banks all the time of the Harvest that the waters which came down from above stood and Rose up a heap very far from the city from the city Adam that is beside zarathan and those that came down toward the seed Plains even the salt sea failed and were cut off and the people passed over right against Jericho and the priests that beared the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord stood a firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground until all the people were passed clean over Jordan would you stand to your feet with us Praise Your Name Lord praise your name thank you Jesus father we thank you tonight for the Blessed word of God I pray Lord that you will take this word and let it sink deep into our hearts and may we see that every line contains such golden nuggets of Truth and precious words of comfort and Direction God may we take Thy word as a lamp to our feet and a light or pathway I pray oh God that this church and the the the great company of Believers are assembled here will continue to grow and continue to love each other as they already do and and be a great light to this city that we may win more and be ready for the coming of the Lord when that time comes all this we ask father in Jesus name amen you're dismissed in Jesus name say cancer be friendly you're dismissed In The Name Of The Lord