Standing on the Promises: Following God's Presence: Lessons from the Israelites' Journey Across the Jordan River | Joshua 3

Hello and welcome to the FBC Eldorado Sermon Podcast.

My name is Taylor Guerin.

I have the privilege of being the pastor here at First Baptist and I want to thank you for listening in to our sermon this week.

And I want to tell you this if you're in our area and you don't have a church home, we would love to see you any Sunday morning at First Baptist, el Dorado.

Will you join me now in listening to our sermon from this week?

I'm Beverly Harrell, I'm Jimmy Harrell and we're reading Joshua 3.

Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they lay out their sentinels and they came to the Jordan.

He and all the people of Israel had lodged there before they passed over.

At the end of three days, the officers went through the camp and commanded the people as as soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord, your God, being carried by the priest, then you shall not set out from your place and follow it.

Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length, 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 Concentrate yourselves for tomorrow, and all the true wonders are among you.

And Joshua said to the priest Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.

so that they took up the ark and a 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 I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

And as for you, command the priest to bear the ark of the covenant.

When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.

And Joshua said to the people of Israel Come here and listen to the words of the 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 you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Gergashites, the Amorites and the Jebusites.

Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan.

Now, therefore, take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, and from each tribe a man, and when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters, of the priest bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan.

The waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.

So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan, with the priest bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, 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 priest bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water.

Now the Jordan overflowed all its banks throughout the time of harvest.

The waters coming down from above stood and rose up in the heat.

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 priest bearing the Ark of the Covenant Lord stood firmly on the 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.

I'll tell you this that there is a I'll call it an army of individuals that are faithful parts of this church that, week in and week out, are with us even though they are not with us, some of our saints that, for various reasons, can't make it into this room each and every week.

But they are with us online, they're with us on the radio, they're with us in their prayers, they're with us in their giving, they're with us in their love.

And so I wonder the heralds and many others are watching or listening.

Could we just praise God and honor them just through a round of applause?

To those that can't be with us, I also want to say this I praise God for our music this morning, for Dustin and this team and everything they do.

I'll tell you one other amazing thing that makes a worship pastor unbelievable is that when the senior pastor forgets to pray over the offertory, he can step right up and do it, and so without missing a beat.

So I really appreciate that.

Let me pray for us and let's begin.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your word, thank you for the truth of your word, thank you for this.

Church and Lord, in this moment would you speak to us, would you show us from your word what your spirit desires us to see?

And I am dependent on you.

We are dependent on you.

We ask that you would reveal to us your truth, in Christ's name, amen.

Well, I do love this time of year for a lot of new things, new happenings, new events.

I love the feeling of the first day of school and you know kids very excited thinking about a new year, like we said earlier, with new teachers, new events.

It's a new sports calendar, it's a new, like everything's new and that's very exciting.

I like the first day of a vacation, when your eyes open and you know you've got.

You know maybe a day of travel ahead, but by days in you're going to be at your destination.

It's exciting, it's new.

Right now at our house we're kind of getting settled in.

We're doing a lot of new projects.

We're seeing a lot of things come together.

We're doing a lot of painting some new colors.

Now I will say this I used to think colors were colors.

I used to think the color white was white and I want to show y'all I found out over the last few weeks.

If you look at this right here, I thought you walked into Sherwin-Williams.

You told him I need white.

But you can extra white ceiling, bright white ice cube, rhinestone, nebulous white rock candy you can go through this whole list to find the exact white you need.

But I'm on first name basis with the guy at Sherwin-Williams now and we're making the house new and that's exciting and we're excited for all of it and I love the newness of it all.

Today, as we come to Joshua, chapter 3, there's kind of the same excitement in the air of the new, because today we've been waiting a long time to get here in the story of Scripture, but today is the day we cross the Jordan River.

Joshua 3 · chapter mention

Today is the day we get to the other side.

This was days and weeks in the making, but really 40 years in the making, as the people wandered around in the wilderness for 40 years.

Really it was centuries in the making, as God promised Abraham in Genesis 15 that I will bring your people up and bring them into the land.

So we've been waiting on Joshua, chapter 3, and we've been waiting at the Jordan River to cross in.

Joshua 3 · chapter mention

And there's excitement here because today's the day and I want us to see this morning that, as we are a people who seek the presence of the Lord, we will be a people who see the power of the Lord, as we are.

And really I should say, if we are a people who seek the presence of the Lord, then we will be, we can be, a people who see the power of the Lord.

First I want to look at this a people who seek the presence of the Lord.

Look with me at Joshua 3, and let's start in verses 1 through 3.

As the heralds read a second ago, and let's start in verses 1 through 3.

As the heralds read a second ago.

Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out for Shittim and came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.

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 priest, then you shall set out from your place and follow it.

So, in this excitement, they're at the edge of the Jordan River, instructions are to be given, but at the very beginning we think let's just cross.

And the first thing they do is what they wait, they wait.

We even see at the end of three days.

Now you know, I'm ready to get to the other side, and here's the people of God, here's Joshua in his leading, saying let's wait.

At the end of three days we'll do what God needs us to do.

But already from the start of chapter three, there is this realization and an understanding that we are not going to get ahead of the presence of God.

When he tells us to go, we will go and until then we will not move.

And so from the start we have this idea and from the start we see the instruction that when you see the Ark of the Covenant move, that's when you move.

Now let's talk about the Ark of the Covenant for a minute.

Maybe when you think of the Ark of the Covenant, you think something that Indiana Jones was looking for.

Or late night, when you're up at too late at night on the History Channel, some guy is somewhere looking for it and he promises he knows where it is.

But the Ark of the Covenant is so critical for the people of God and for the story of Scripture.

These instructions were given to Moses many years before of how to construct this Ark, this really, this wooden box covered in gold.

That was a very holy thing.

In fact, the priest who would carry it carried it on poles so that it didn't have to touch the box itself.

This very holy thing that represented what it represented the presence of God in the midst of his people.

And so, as they were traveling around in the wilderness, the presence of God would go with them.

They'd set up this tabernacle in the wilderness and in the middle of the tabernacle, in this place called the Holy of Holies, that you and I really couldn't go into One guy could go there once a year there was this Ark of the Covenant at the very center, representing the presence of God among his people.

Now, you and I both know God's presence doesn't fit in a box.

God's presence doesn't fit in 10,000 boxes.

Yet God saw fit to give his people a symbol of his presence.

That went before them, and all throughout scripture we see the importance of the presence of God with his people, god with his people.

Think in Genesis, chapter 3, man and woman in the garden disobey the command they are given.

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

And what is the consequence for that?

They are exiled out of the garden, separated in that moment from communion with the presence of God.

We see in Exodus, chapter 33 and 32, the people have just bowed down to the golden calf.

Exodus 33 · chapter mention

Moses then intercedes and God does not wipe the people out.

But then in Exodus, chapter 33, there's a powerful conversation.

Exodus 33 · chapter mention

God says this Moses, you and the people, y'all can head to the promised land, y'all can go there, y'all can set up your life, you can have the land.

But then he says this but my presence will not go with you.

This is devastating news for Moses, because he knows it's not worth it to have the promise of God without the God of the promise.

He said God, if your presence will not go with us, don't send us at all.

If you're not going before us, we'd be better off in this wilderness than heading into all the good things you have for us, because, god, you're not just the giver of gifts, you are the gift.

God's presence is critical.

In Ezekiel, chapter 10, the people of God are being carried off into exile in Babylon and it's this awful moment, the punishment and consequence for a lot of years of sin for the people of God, rightly deserved, but being carried into exile.

Ezekiel 10 · chapter mention

But that's not the most catastrophic news, the most catastrophic news, is the fact that in Exodus, chapter 10, we see this vision of God's presence lifting up from the temple and leaving, that God's presence is no longer in the temple and the people of God are scattered.

Exodus 10 · chapter mention

In Ezra, chapter 3, the people of God are able to return, they are rebuilding the temple and they do a decent job.

Ezra 3 · chapter mention

And in Ezra, chapter 3, we see that there's a celebration as the temple is being rebuilt and kind of all the young folks among us are cheering and excited about the temple.

Ezra 3 · chapter mention

But all those who remember the earlier temple, they're crying, they're weeping.

Why?

Because it's not like it used to be.

Let me tell you what is most tragic of all that the presence of God did not return, at least not yet.

The presence of God is critical for the people of God in scripture, it's critical for us today.

And so the reality here in Joshua, chapter 3, the instruction given is this you are to faithfully follow the presence of God Represented by the ark when it moves, you move.

Joshua 3 · chapter mention

When God's presence goes, you go.

And I wonder this this morning.

You go and I wonder this this morning.

Will we be a kind of church that follows the presence of God, that says God, when you go, this church will go.

When you stop, this church will stop.

Where you lead us, we will follow.

I also ask you this will you be the kind of individual that follows after the presence of God?

That, in my own life, god, whatever that means, wherever you lead me, where you go, I will go, but I will go only after your presence goes before, because I am following you.

Will you be that kind of individual?

And then look verse four.

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, and so the presence of God goes before his people and also takes them through the way that they have not been before.

And maybe you've seen these seasons in your own life and you can honestly say God, I have not been this way before.

A season of just newness.

You may be experiencing that now.

A season of maybe suffering and pain, whatever it looks like.

I haven't been this way before, and the only way you know you can go forward is if the presence of God carries you forward.

But I love this idea of standing 2,000 cubits back, that's about a half a mile back.

The people were called to stand far away.

Now why?

You know, elsewhere in Scripture we do see the idea to stay away from the ark, simply because of the holiness of it.

When broken people like you and I get close to the holiness of that ark, it's sometimes not good.

But here we don't get that idea.

Not that that's not there, but really it's just the idea, so that all of the people of God can collectively, communally see the ark, from the youngest among us to the oldest, that everyone.

It's far enough away, that everyone can see the ark and where the presence of God is moving.

And that means everyone.

Notice, he doesn't say Joshua, I want you to look and see where the ark is going and then lead the people In this moment.

He says everyone, look, stand far enough back so that everyone can see.

And he means everyone.

So I want to.

If the sermon is an interstate, here I want to take a quick exit, a quick excursion.

It's not a Bucky's, maybe just a Love's, but a quick excursion as we think about the community of faith, the full community following after the presence of God.

I want to speak to certain people within the church.

I want to talk to our children.

I know some have left, but elementary age children, preschoolers, anybody if you're in the room I know some of you are in the room but I want to talk to you for just a moment and look at your parent or grandparent and say, you know, don't bother me for a minute, the pastor's talking to me.

Okay, because I want you to know something and I'm looking at you.

I'm not looking at your parents, I'm looking at you.

That you are critical to the life of this church, that your gifts and your talents and your abilities, how God has gifted you, that you are critical to the life of this church and you are not simply the church of tomorrow, but you are part of this church today and so this church is your church and we'd be less of a church if you were not here.

And you make an important part.

And when mom or dad give you that allowance and you can tell you to give you that allowance and I've seen some of you do it when you put that $5, $10, $15 in there, I want to tell you something that makes a difference.

And I want to tell you something there's missionaries serving today that are able to do it because of your giving, because of your giving, because of your prayers, because you're part of this church, To our maybe middle school, junior high, high school age in this room.

You're critical, I know sometimes we've got the most amazing youth area maybe I've ever seen, but it's across the street and there's a temptation to think, okay, is it a little separated from the church?

It is not separated from the church.

It may be across the street, but you are First Baptist El Dorado and you are a critical part of it and we're going to chase after the presence of God together because we need your talents and your gifts To our young adults, young professionals, to our college age, to my baseball team, right back here, to young families.

You're critical to this church, your gifts and your talents.

We couldn't be the church we are without it, some of you with little ones and I get it and sometimes we get here 10 or 15 minutes late to life group or 10 or 15 minutes late to service, because if you've ever tried to put clothes on, you know anyone three years and under, it's an adventure and to get out the door.

But praise God, you've made it and you're here and you're part of this.

And if your child ever makes a little noise in service, praise God, I'm good with it.

I pray the Lord never gives this church a day where there aren't little ones making a little noise in service, because those are the sounds of a church that has a future.

To our adults in the room you're critical, your gifts, what you bring to this congregation, the years of experience many of you have in this congregation, how you lead and how you serve.

We couldn't be this church without you.

To our senior saints, even some that are in the room and some, like the heralds and others that are not able to be in the room today, we honor you and we couldn't be this church without you, your care and your love and your service and the way God has gifted you.

I count it an honor and a privilege to follow after the presence of God alongside each one of you.

So for all of us in the room, from our youngest to our oldest, we are a community together that follows after the presence of God and that's why God tells Joshua stand back from the ark, because everybody's got to see, because this is a community project and we are all going after the presence of our God together.

And so how do we follow?

Well, how do we do this in our church, in our individual lives?

I think a few things.

One we don't get ahead of God.

Have you ever gotten a little ahead of the will of God, of God?

Have you ever gotten a little ahead of the will of God?

Because you said, oh, I know where God's going.

Or you know, you do what we're often tempted to do we fill up the calendar, we fill up the events, we fill up the ministry opportunities and on the back end, god won't you bless this.

We just get a little ahead of the presence of God.

But we want to say this God, where you're going, I'm going.

Lord, help me to keep in step with you and your spirit.

We also don't want to get behind God, because there's a time, in just a few moments, when the feet of the priests are going to hit the water and it's time to move.

We don't want to get behind them when we move, when he moves, we want to be ready to move.

But look at verse 5.

I want us to see we also must consecrate ourselves, verse 5.

Then Joshua said to the people Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, the Lord will do wonders among you.

Consecrate yourselves.

There's a sanctifying, sanctification aspect to this.

I'll tell you, god's presence desires to lead us.

We desire to follow his presence, we desire to see his power as we follow his presence.

But I also believe this that I don't believe God's going to move in our midst past the level of our obedience.

God's going to move in our midst past the level of our obedience, past the level of our obedience, and that we too are called to sanctify ourselves.

We are called to be the people he has called us to be and be obedient to him.

And that requires us to take inventory In this community, god.

Take inventory of where this church is honoring you, but also in our own lives.

Look in the mirror of my own life and take inventory, god.

Search those places in my own heart and my life that are against you, that are not honoring you.

Sanctify me so that I can be one who follows your presence and sees your power.

In my own life.

There's consecration and verse 6, look at this.

And 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.

And so now we've seen God's presence will be the one that leads out Our consecration, and honoring him with our obedience will be a part of this, and we'll honor God in that way as he leads.

And then, in that moment, it's time to go, that God moves In verse 7 through 13,.

I'll just summarize God, you know, mentions to Joshua.

Today's going to be a day where I exalt you, just like I exalted Moses before you.

He gives the commands for what's about to happen when the feet of the priest touch the ground and the miracle that is about to occur.

And now I want to see verse 14, because we've seen a people that follow the presence of God, but now a people who see the power of the Lord, a people who see the power of the Lord.

Look with me in 14 through 17.

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 Zarethon, and those flowing down from the sea of Ereba.

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, and so a people who have followed the presence of God.

Now, what do they see?

They see the power of God on display, just as God said, just as God promised.

We see in this moment the priest carrying the ark.

They touch the water and what happens Far upstream?

The water stands still, nothing can flow down and the people of God are able to cross over.

The power of God is on display.

I'm convinced of this.

Throughout scripture and throughout our own lives, we we see God do things in ways that only God can get the glory.

I'm convinced of this that so often God will quite literally like, stack the odds against him, like he will make it harder on himself so that when he does the thing, everyone will know that God alone has done this thing.

I remember last week I gave a little illustration about working at a summer camp and I remember working there and I always had the 10-year-olds in my cabin and I enjoyed this crew and I remember at the end of every day we'd have a Bible study with our 10-year-olds and I went into it knowing pretty well that every one of these 10-year-olds and you know I went into it knowing pretty well that you know every one of these 10-year-olds, because of my, you know, dedicated work, one they're going to get saved.

They're probably all going to feel a call to ministry, maybe some to the mission field.

Probably by the time their parents pick them up, they'll be reading out of the Greek and the Hebrew Like this is what I knew about these 10-year-olds every week.

It didn't quite happen that way every week, but you know we did some good work.

But I remember one night having a Bible study with my 10-year-olds and I don't really remember any other night of study, but I remember this one simply for, quite honestly, just how bad it went.

Everything that could go wrong went wrong.

I mean, there were you know I'm trying to, you know open to the book of John.

And there, you know, there's some in the rafters and there's, you know, two in this corner fighting one another, and you know, one back here is doing a prank and just everything was going wrong.

And I was starting to, just starting to feel like, feel like one, this nothing of spiritual value is going to happen tonight.

And two, I'm just starting internally, you know, tried not to show it, but internally I'm just getting a little frustrated, like you know, these little guys just will not listen, like I, you know I've got a great study ahead and they will not listen.

And I mean everything, everything went wrong.

And and again, no, no Bible was studied, no points were given, no illustrations At one point.

And guys, I'm sorry your pastor did this, I just said, guys, let's just pray and be done.

And we prayed and we were done, and that was all the Bible study we had that night.

It was a rough experience and I just literally afterwards, I went out on the porch just to sit down by myself for a minute.

I just needed to be alone for just a second.

And I went out on the porch just to sit down by myself for a minute.

I just needed to be alone for just a second and I went and sat down on the porch and I'll never forget a little kid named Aaron.

He came out I'm not making this up.

He came out and he sat beside me and he said what do I need to do to be saved?

Side of me.

And he said what do I need to do to be saved?

And I'll tell you that didn't happen because of my Bible study.

My Bible study may have taken further away from the Lord, if anything, it didn't happen for really any other reason other than simply this that the Holy Spirit is still in the business of bringing dead things to life and he'll do it as he sees fit, because God is in the business of doing what only he can do in ways only he can do it, so that when it is done, only he can get the glory for it.

That's how he operates.

Think the Red Sea.

There's an ocean before us and Pharaoh's behind us.

We are hopeless and we are done for unless God intervenes.

And then God intervenes and no human can take credit for parting the sea.

Think about Judges, chapter 7, and Gideon.

Judges 7 · chapter mention

He's going into battle with the Midianites with 22,000 men and God says this listen, if you go with 22,000, the people are going to think their own power did it.

How about, instead, you go with 300?

It's a crazy idea.

But they go with 300, they get the victory and they have nowhere to look but to God.

Who gave the victory?

Mount Carmel, when Elijah is up there against the prophets of Baal and fire doesn't fall for the prophets of Baal.

But then, you know, elijah says let's make this a little harder on God.

And, you know, pour water and water and more water on the altar.

And then what does God do?

Bring fire down, as only he can Think about the feeding of the 5,000.

You know, jesus says we've got to feed all these people.

The disciples say we don't have anything to feed these people.

Jesus says there's a kid over there with a Happy Meal that might work, and they grab that.

And suddenly 5,000 people, plus women, plus children they're all well fed and there's even some left over.

We can't look to that and say I did that.

We can only look to say God must have intervened in this moment.

Look nowhere else but the cross if you want to see a moment where God did what only he could do, when the sin of you and I was stacked against him when it was placed on him on the cross, and Jesus Christ took it upon himself.

When you and I were in our most hopeless state.

How can we be saved?

And yet Christ went to the cross.

Here's the problem, though.

Christ went to the grave, and I'll just tell you dead men don't rise from the grave, it doesn't happen.

But God loves it when the odds are stacked against him, because early Sunday morning, by the power of the Spirit, with all power and authority, christ Jesus is risen from the grave, and our only boast in life and death and in our salvation is what that Christ is alive now.

And Christ redeems.

This is what God does.

Redeems, this is what God does, works in powerful ways that only he can do, so that we can only look up and give him, and him alone, credit for it.

And in this moment, at the Jordan River don't miss verse 15, in parentheses Now the Jordan overflowed at its banks because it was the time of harvest.

At its banks because it was the time of harvest, the waters were high, the people had no way across, and what does God say?

My presence will take care of it.

The waters stop, the people pass over and they enter into the promised land Because, as we said a few weeks ago, our God is a promise-keeping God.

You know, over the past few weeks I've noticed and you may agree, I've talked to some who feel the same way I've noticed just an excitement in the halls of this church.

I've just noticed a buzz.

Now I'm the new guy here, so you may say, taylor, there's a buzz every week and praise God.

I've just noticed, and maybe it's just in my own heart, just an excitement, a buzz, an energy, and I'm thrilled with it and I'm excited every morning to get into this office, get into this church.

I'm excited more than anything every Sunday morning to be in this house and be in this place.

But I can just kind of see and feel that God is up to something with all of us and that there's an excitement here and it excites me.

And as I think about this and and as I think about this and it's, it's, it's all god.

Certainly no individual, no group, it's certainly nothing a human can do, it's, it's the work of god, and I, I think about this and say, god, I just, I just want to see you do what you want to do and what only you can do in the life of this church.

And so what will that look like for us?

That will look for us at First Baptist El Dorado the same way it looked for the people of God in Joshua, chapter 3.

Joshua 3 · chapter mention

That we are focused on the presence of God, watching and waiting for him, not getting ahead of him, not getting behind him, sanctifying ourselves so that when God moves, and how God moves and how God shows his power, we would be found a people ready, ready for all that he has For the life of this church.

And so I want to end our time just in prayer.

You know, in school, when they talk about sermons, they say, hey, most important part, the conclusion.

Imagine a pilot that can't, you know, stick a landing.

That's not good.

Well, once you know the rules, you can break the rules.

Our conclusion today is us praying, praying and asking God a few things.

Just right, where you're at, and I'll lead us in that, and we're going to pray together, but also I'll say this In a moment we're going to respond in worship and maybe, as you've heard this message, you want to come be a part of the life of this church, you want to come know Jesus personally.

I'd love to introduce you.

However, you need to respond.

I hope you will.

After we pray and we worship together, please come see me, but right where you're at.

If you'll just bow your head as we pray to close our time here in this moment, I just want you to pray right where you're at, that both you as an individual and us as First Baptist Church of El Dorado would be a people that faithfully follow after the presence of God, that don't get ahead of him, that don't get behind him, but faithfully follow his leading.

Will you pray that now?

I?

love you, would you pray now that, as a church and as an individual, that we would be a people consecrated, a people obedient to the movement of God, obedient to the commands of God in our own life, of people who are fleeing sin and running after Christ in obedience to Him?

Would you pray that, if those things are true, that we're seeking the presence consecrating ourselves?

Would you pray that, if those things are true, that we're seeking the presence consecrating ourselves, would you pray that we would be a church that sees and experience the power of God, that he would do in our midst what only he can do, that he would do here the miraculous that only he can do.

That people would come to know him.

That people would join in on his mission.

That we would be a church that serves in outreach in ways that only God could see fit to happen?

Would you pray that we would be a church that experiences the power of God?

Lord Jesus, we thank you that you lead your people, that we don't have to find the way on our own, we don't have to figure it all out on our own.

We can just follow you where you lead, where you send us.

Lord, let us be found faithful as individuals and people who follow after your presence, who are consecrated and sanctified by your Spirit's presence and through that, as individuals and as a church, see the power of God on display.

Lord, would you move in our midst as you see fit, in ways only you can, and God, would we in turn give you, and you alone, the glory.

We ask this in Christ's name, amen.