Tenacious in the tension
Sarah Gautier
(Audio: English, Spanish) ->Alternate
SUMMARY: The sermon is about being tenacious in the tension and draws from Joshua 3:14-4:7. The Israelites were on the brink of the Jordan river, and in order to possess the promise of God, they had to dispossess something that was on their promise. The first principle is to stay firm in the tension. Fathers play the role of carrying the ark of the covenant before their families, setting the expectations of God for their home, and holding the presence of God in the midst of their families. They have the responsibility of dipping their feet into the Jordan river on behalf of their kids and doing the impossible things for them. The faith of a father sees through the impossible but knows that through Christ all things are possible. The sermon honors fathers for their tenacity and firmness in the face of challenges.
The speaker talks about the story of Joshua crossing the Jordan river, and how it provides three principles for us to follow in life. The first principle is to stand firm in the tension, just like the priests who stood firm in the middle of the river. The second principle is to pull from the tension and take something with us as a reminder of what we have gone through, just like how Joshua asked the people to take stones from the river and set them up as a pillar. The third principle is to set up reminders of the tension, just like how the people set up a memorial stone at Gilgal to remind them of God's commitment to them and their commitment to God. The speaker encourages graduates to remember these principles as they move forward in life, and to honor their fathers who have stood firm for them. The speaker also reminds us that we have a High Priest in Jesus who has been standing firm for us since the beginning of time. The speaker ends the talk by praying for the graduates and blessing all the fathers in the house.
The speaker talks about the story of Joshua crossing the Jordan river, and how it provides three principles for us to follow in life. The first principle is to stand firm in the tension, just like the priests who stood firm in the middle of the river. The second principle is to pull from the tension and take something with us as a reminder of what we have gone through, just like how Joshua asked the people to take stones from the river and set them up as a pillar. The third principle is to set up reminders of the tension, just like how the people set up a memorial stone at Gilgal to remind them of God's commitment to them and their commitment to God. The speaker encourages graduates to remember these principles as they move forward in life, and to honor their fathers who have stood firm for them. The speaker also reminds us that we have a High Priest in Jesus who has been standing firm for us since the beginning of time. The speaker ends the talk by praying for the graduates and blessing all the fathers in the house.
Today's sermon is entitled “Tenacious in the tension”, I’m gonna be reading from Joshua chapter 3 verse 14 to 4:7. Something that I always encourage our young people to do in our worshipping services is to never allow these moments to be a monolog where God talks at you but allow this to be a dialog where you take notes and you interact with the Spirit of the Lord because that way you remember the things that God left in your heart when you heard it. Alright so are you ready? Let’s do this, alright, here we go.
So Joshua chapter 3 verse 14, and we are having on the screen, so here is this: “1 So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and 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 throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite 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 Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.”
So Joshua chapter 3 verse 14, and we are having on the screen, so here is this: “1 So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and 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 throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite 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 Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.”
