Rocks: Name It - Dr. Mike

Welcome to Life Series, a podcast from King Garden Bay Baptist Church, where we gather together to experience God's love, grow in God's love, and give that love back to each other.

Joshua chapter 4.

Joshua 4 · chapter mention

So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them.

They took twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, according to a number of tribes of Israel, as the Lord had told Joshua, and they carried them over with them as to their camp, where they put them down.

Verse 19 says, On the tenth day of the first month, the people went up to the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the east of the Jericho.

And Joshua set up at Gilgal twelve stones that he had taken out of the Jordan.

Joshua 5, 7 to 8.

Says, So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised.

They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way.

And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained there where they camped until they were healed.

Look at your name, it says, name it.

Look at your next name and say, name it.

Lord, we thank you for this moment.

Make preaching easy.

Anoint us right now afresh.

Your name we pray.

Amen.

It was so great.

You may be seated.

It was so great to have a couple days off, but I'll just tell you.

As if you've been away for five, six months.

But it's so great that we had Pastor Reimer bless us.

When I got a text message from one of my friends who visited, says, he says, he says, Pastor Etto really preached.

I was like, all right now.

If you use a nickname, she was preaching.

And then last week we had uh Pastor Lech uh Penn bless us with the illustrative rocks.

And this week, God just wants to remind you as we end our series on rocks, for you to name it.

If you know rocks all over the world have a name, geological names, names that they have made up based on how they were formed.

There's several different types of rocks, and everyone has names.

As you know, some of you know the famous rocks.

Anyone who's building a house right now, anyone that's doing something knows some of the famous rocks.

You're like, well, Dr.

Mike, I don't really know the types of rocks, but you do.

First of all, if you have a cabinet in your kitchen and you have an island, what do you want?

Most people, if you're building a house, ideally, what would you want?

Just shout it out.

Some people want granite.

Other people want what?

Marble, right?

Husbands, are you paying attention?

Being married is expensive.

Uh, do you want, and some people want quartz?

All these things are types of stones, and then they're precious stones or gems called diamonds.

And these things have names because the names help you what?

Identify.

These names help you identify.

As you now know, the story of Joshua now crossing over the Jordan with the children of Israel is now thinking about when they were leaving Egypt.

But you have to understand Joshua didn't start off with these people.

Joshua didn't even start off in charge.

Joshua was just a part of the next generation.

Moses and them were leading the people out of Egypt, but it took them 40 years to get past what should have been just a week's journey.

Sometimes it takes longer to get where you're going because people don't understand the mission.

And then what happens is now they get there after 40 years and all kinds of trials and tribulations.

They get to seven months many things, but they've been having so many interactions with rocks.

When Moses got so fed up of the people saying, You brought me out of Egypt, and I want to go back to have milk and honey and steak and fish.

Moses was so upset that he went up and God told him to speak to the rock.

But sometimes you're so frustrated, leading people.

Moses says, I don't want to speak to the rock.

So Moses hit the rock.

Now, even as in disobedience, God still allowed water to come out of the rock.

But because of that, Moses was not allowed to cross over.

Now you have to understand so many things happen in this life that sometimes you do stuff and you won't be able to cross over.

You'll get to see it, but you won't get to inhabit it.

Now Moses did all he could, but here's what it wasn't only Moses.

Anybody that left Egypt as an adult did not cross over the Jordan.

Now I know it sounds because God says not one from that generation is gonna cross over.

I know, you know, Pastor, see your pastor Meredith's preaching, he could say it a little bit better than me because he's so eloquent with the words and knows how to say things that are really harsh, but say it in a nice way.

He said, He said a couple weeks ago, don't you ever pray that some people will just not come back anymore?

See, I couldn't even say it as well.

Remember when we were talking about in your life, let me just talk to people here, the people here who are real.

You know, you you know, don't you ever have people in your life that you just wish that they were unalive?

Don't raise your hands.

Don't you ever wish that if somebody didn't wake up, see, I tried it.

They're looking at me, judging me.

They're like, Pastor Mike, mm-mm.

See, because I don't have that grace on my life.

See your pastor Meredith said it, and y'all like, mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

But God looked at these children who were crossing over and says, Not one of y'all are gonna make it over.

And sometimes God has you delayed in a season in a desert because he's waiting for some people to die out.

Because he knows if they were to cross over to the Jordan, they will mess it up.

You imagine those people who came from Egypt now crossing over, and all the grumblers that they will come when they inhabit the Jordan and go to Canaan and have, oh, we had better honey in Egypt.

Oh, this used to be better.

So sometimes the generation needs to change, so you're not telling me about what we used to do.

Now this becomes a complex thing, it's not you don't pass on tradition and culture, but you have to understand it will evolve.

And now, when they got now to the point of the Jordan, now they stood there on the banks of the Jordan, and God had already done this before in the Red Sea.

But you have to understand this generation didn't experience the Red Sea miracle.

So now they're just remembering that God was able to deliver their grandparents and their moms and their uncles, but they have never experienced it before.

They now knew that there was a God that was able to rescue them when Pharaoh and his army were chasing a generation, but they had never seen it before.

And so now they are now with a new leader and trying to cross over another land of water.

And imagine now they're saying, I know they said this happened before, but I don't know if God still has the same power.

I don't know if Joshua still has the same might.

So we might just come all this way and be stopped right here.

And Joshua not being imbued by his own strength, knowing that he must depend on God, turn back to God and ask God, what should I do when I'm about to cross over?

There's some of you right now that are about to make some decisions in your life, and I just beg you before you jump all in, can you ask God, what should I do?

Some there's some things in your moment in your life, you're about to make some decisions.

Can you just stop and ask God, what should I do?

I know you're smart, I know you've been here before, but can you ask God, what should I do?

So now we go, Joshua's now there on the banks of the Jordan, and he consulted with God, and God says, Listen, here's what I'm gonna do.

And as they stepped in, the Jordan dried up, and they stood there, and when they were leaving, he says, I want you to tell each member from each tribe to go and collect each a stone.

So now they had 12 stones and they set up a monument inside of the Jordan, and then as you know, people said there were three, but I've only seen two, and then now they said they took, and as the Ark of the Covenant left, and the last person stepped out, the water came back.

We preached about this before, and as soon as they stepped out, the water came back, and now Joshua now set up another 12 stones at Gilgad.

Yes, y'all read your Bible, and I used my Holy Ghost imagination and said, These 12 stones could have meant disobedience, death, mercy, forgiveness, protection, restoration, favor, faithfulness, unity, destiny, and traditional teaching.

And Joshua made sure he set these things up so they can remember where we came from.

He says, When your children ask what these stones mean, it reminds them of God's faithfulness when we crossed over.

Some of us need to stop hiding the things that we've been through from our children.

You want to present yourself all perfect and all together, you need to be honest with your children and tell them I haven't had it all together.

The same anger you have, I used to have.

The same talking back you used to do, I'm doing the same grades that you're struggling with, I used to struggle.

The same things I didn't know what I was gonna do, I used to do those things.

Matter of fact, as much as we go to church, this is the most I've been to church because my family ain't never been to church.

Stop faking with your kids.

Tell them about what the real is.

And Joshua was telling them to say, don't just make it seem that we just came to this land and that we didn't have to work for it.

One of the biggest things and the biggest mistakes that you can do to your children, your family is to act like you just got it easy.

To act like we just was in this house, we just had this car, we already had food in the cabinet, that everything was always okay.

Tell them that you struggled.

Tell them there were times where you didn't know where things were gonna work out, but also tell them how you made it over.

See, some of you are still struggling in your place where you are because you have not been able to acknowledge that God is the one that's gonna take you over.

So sometimes you're still sinking, and but God has you right there because He wants you to admit and confess that I need you in my life.

So Joshua now looks at them at Gilgal, sets up these stones, and now you have to understand when he's now first at the obstacle, why I want you to name it no matter what you're going through.

The Jordan River is now known as something.

We know the Jordan River, but the name now, every time we think about it, we think about crossing over.

We think about freedom.

You need to now get to your place and first name it.

Look at your neighbor says, name it.

Look at your next neighbor, the one the one who's still paying attention.

Tell them, tell him, name, name it.

Now, I don't want you, it's a simple message, but I want you to name it.

No matter what who what it is, I want you to name it.

You're coming up to an obstacle in your life, a season in your life, a blessing in your life.

Put a name on it.

Now, I don't know if people still do this, but I remember growing up when people used to have cars and get brand new cars, they used to give their cars a name.

Anybody still do that?

Uh I think yes, I think the most famous name of all for cars is Betsy.

I don't know.

I don't know who Betsy is, uh, but it has been named a number of times, and people name their cars.

Now it's personal to you and it represents something to you.

But what if we take that and we name things?

You remember people also name what?

Dogs, people name their houses, people name all types of their pets, people name their children, coincidentally, people name buildings, people name trees, people name beaches, people name mountains.

Why do you name something?

It's so you can identify it out of everything else.

Now, here's the thing there might be three Michaels, but when somebody who knows you calls you, you recognize it because there's a familiarity with that voice and the intonation.

No matter how many people that you could call, that there is something about a name.

Somebody needs to understand that naming things gives you authority over the thing, uh, but it depends on what you name it.

See, some of you are now going through battles and obstacles and allowing the battles and obstacles to define what it is and how you feel.

Some of you are going through things and feeling like because I'm going through struggle, my name now should be struggle.

And now you're taking on the name of your oppression.

Uh, but can I just tell you, you have the authority to name it?

There's never a time that a baby is born.

Uh uh, doc, you can help me.

I I'm not I'm a psychologist, and you know I I really, really can't deal with all the stuff that goes on in the OBGYN room.

That's a little bit too much for me.

Uh, but I want to ask you for a point of reference.

Uh, anyone here, if you has anybody ever seen a baby being born?

Uh, baby being born?

Anyone?

Uh okay.

Uh there's more of y'all seen babies being born.

All y'all have kids.

Uh-huh.

Right?

You ever seen a baby being born?

Have you ever?

Have you ever seen a baby come out and speak and tell the mom what they want to be named?

I'ma wait.

I mean, let me ask this side because y'all ain't seen no babies being delivered.

Have you ever seen or heard about a baby being born and the baby stops and says, Doctor, I have something to say.

I want my name to be Alo Vicious.

No, it's never happened.

Have you, have you ever, have you, have you ever, have you ever that the baby comes out and tells everyone in the room, from this day on, my name is.

It sounds crazy, right?

It sounds crazy.

So why are you allowing what you're going through to name you?

You're in a situation and you're allowing the thing that you're going through to name you.

God has called you blessed.

God has called you chosen, God has called you victory, God has called you courageous, but you're allowing the thing to call you defeated, let down, less than, less than a conqueror, poor, poor in spirit.

You're allowing yourself to be called what you're going through.

Can I get somebody that you need to get the song Holy Ghost courage and start to name the things that are trying to take you down?

I know it's a struggle, but can you name it?

Name that thing.

You don't allow it to name you.

I know you're going through sickness right now.

And you want to be and say, God, this is my Gethsemane.

This is my Bethlehem.

This is my breakthrough.

This is my miracle.

This is my chance to proclaim whatever you name it.

But you need to name that thing.

Naming it now allows you to define what will happen.

So if you think about it now, they they they got to it and they named it.

And Joshua must have been he he must have he must have if I was Joshua, and now I'm taking over from Moses, I'm right at the banks of the Jordan River.

All these people are behind me, over 40,000 men that were in the army, plus women and children.

And I'm now at this point of the Jordan River, and I'm looking at it, and it looks like an obstacle, and it looks like a hard way, it looks like something I'm about to fail.

It looks like my leadership has gotten to a point that has hit its mark.

And now, Joshua, if he had allowed that to name him, it would have been called failure, it would have been called defeat, it would have been called you ain't that good like Moses.

You would have been called God left you alone.

But Joshua looked at it and said, Uh, this is the opportunity for me to prove God's faithfulness, that God's mercy, God's strength.

He named that thing, that this obstacle is not gonna define me.

But your neighbor said, name it.

After you name it, you gotta cross over anyway.

After you name it, you gotta cross over anyway.

Some some of you, after you've named that thing and you examine it, you still gotta walk.

So Joshua and them crossed over.

They walked over anyway.

They got to the point where they walked, they got to the other side.

Look, your neighbor says, The other side.

Now, here's what happens.

This is part of the story that I like.

This is part of the story.

If you're looking at this scripture, they got to the other side and they left some stones in the Jordan.

The water came back and they got to the point of Gilgal.

When they got to Gilgal, now it says, on the tenth day, on the Pentecost, after they've had all this stuff, now it says God restored them.

God restored them.

Now there's something in here as I was reading that I can't wait.

The Bible scholars in here, you should go back and read this.

He says, on the 10th day, God restored them.

And he's at the place called Gilgal, it means rolled away.

Look at the neighbor says Gilgal, where the stones were, was called rolled away.

It means that at that moment God forgave them for everything of the previous generation.

There was a reproach, there was a rolling away, there was a removal of the sins.

God gave them a fresh start at Gilgal.

He rolled it away.

Sometimes you gotta cross over anyway because God is gonna do something new for you on the other side.

He rolled it away.

All the sins, all the things for the generation, God rolled it away at Gilgal.

Somebody needs to understand that God is about to roll away some stuff in your life, but you've got to be able to name it and cross over anyway.

The thing would happen is I want to tell somebody in here that you have been saying, God, I'm gonna trust you when?

God, I'm gonna give my life to you when?

God, I'm gonna serve you when that God could only use me when.

But I want to can I can I can I can I exegete the text and then we'll go?

Here's what here's what happens: Joshua chapter 5, verses 7 to 8.

Joshua 5:7–8

It says, So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised.

Can I just go back to you for the childbirth?

Um, as you know, boys are sometimes in the Hebrew tradition were circumcised to show them a distinction of their tradition and holy nature.

It showed them that they were in covenant with God.

And you have to understand that this was a really religious thing that you had a must have done for somehow for God to be a part of your life.

Now you've got to think about this.

I want you to think about it.

That all the men, 40 plus thousand of them who crossed over, were not circumcised, meaning that based on Jewish law, they were not in accordance to the fullness of where they should be in God.

Let me break it up again.

These people who God were using to cross over were not circumcised, meaning that God allowed people who weren't being perfect, who weren't really using up to all the law, he still used them to cross over.

Let me break it down one more time.

He used people who were all messed up, who didn't have it all together, who were just trying to trust a new faith to still cross over.

Because he didn't allow them not being circumcised to raise them up.

God raised them up, then he circumcised them.

Some of you in here are missing your blessing because you're waiting for something to happen, and then God, then God, I'm gonna give you my life.

God says, trust me first, and then you do you all you see that in the gospel?

Do you see that in the scripture right now?

It says, He raised them up, then he circumcised them.

Meaning the circumcision was almost like sanctification.

It was almost a sign before the birthday.

Circumcision was so important.

I want to let you know you might not have it all together, but God still wants you to cross over.

I want you to go to church before we leave this place.

Look at Navy say you could rename it.

There's been times in life where people have gone through all over history that they've changed their name based on what they've gone through.

Some people have legally changed their names based on what they have gone through.

Some people, when they've gone through significant, miraculous experiences, have named changed their names.

The first time that I experienced someone changing their name as a young boy was when I first met Mr.

Cromwell Smith.

I remember when I missed Mr.

Cromwell Smith, I knew him as Mr.

Cromwell Smith.

He became a very dear friend and a supporter of me in my very young career.

In actuality, he was the first person to ever interview me when I came back home and helped me launch the wellness center because he believed in young black men trying to do something.

And when I came into the interview, I was so scared because I knew him from my dad and just don't want to make a mistake.

He said, I said, Mr.

Smith, he says, Don't call me that.

He says, My name now is Edu Wenka.

I was like, my first interview, I'm making a mistake.

And then after I went through, I sat down, I said, brother, why did you change your name?

He says, after you realize and you've gone through some stuff, you have your name has to be associated to where you are in your life right now.

Cromwell Smith is what my mom named me, and I still accept it.

But Edu Wenka is who I've evolved to be.

You have to understand, uh, even very old premier.

Uh, him and I, you may not know, uh, for all years have been very good friends.

And we've talked about independence and self-rights and all that before he had all the titles.

And I remember as he was going through his studies and his PhD, he changed his name uh from Natalia Wheatley to Sawande Uru.

And now I was wondering, I knew why he changed it because it reminds him the other day when we were having the Sunday morning wealth service.

I he coincidentally, I was going through my phone and then I showed him, I said, I just want to tell you, I don't want to be offensive, uh, but I don't have your name saved in my phone as Natalia Wheatley.

I showed him in my phone and it says, Premier Sawane Uru.

He says, uh, you know what, Dr.

Mike?

It's good for you to remind me of who I really am.

I want to let somebody know that sometimes you have to change your name based on what you've been through.

Some of you right now need to rename yourself and rename the things based on what you've been through, based on what God has done in your life.

So here's what happened when they got the Gilgal.

Oh, now this says the place has been rolled away, that the reproach has changed.

Some of you need to now know that when God changes and gives you a new name, that you are no longer counted on their books.

You are now printed in the book of life, meaning that God gave you a new name.

Some of you need to understand that God wants to take your old name and change it into blessed, change it into mighty, change it into the goodness of God.

Won't you understand that God is putting you through some stuff so you can be able to say, I made it through?

But now, but now we have now at this moment.

In this moment, we're at this point where we're saying, How do we get to this place?

And we're now at this place and saying, God, how do we make it over?

How do we transition?

How do we pull through?

I'm so happy you said it.

I know you're a little bit tired, uh, but if I want just a couple people who've made it over to some stuff to be able to help me close this, I've been through some things, and I want you to know your name and what you name it needs to match the level of victory that you're hoping for God to produce in your life.

That you need to rename some things in your life.

There's some things that you have to understand that when you're going through it, they might call you by a different name.

They might call you, look at him.

They said he was a Christian, look at her, they said she was blessed, but she didn't look nothing but busted and disgusted.

Look at you, you said you're blessed and highly favored, but now you're struggling.

You have to understand sometimes when you're going through struggle, you're gonna look worse, but don't let the thing name you.

Because I was given a name in the Lamb's book of life that God told me that I'm blessed, that I'm protected, that I'm anointed.

So I want you to start to walk in your name no matter what you go through, no matter what you face in your life.

Then God is saying, I'm giving you a name.

I got one more story.

See, you need to understand why we change our name.

Because when God takes away and rolls back and reproaches the sin over your life, you are now set free.

Some of you need to understand the reason why you need to rename what you're going through because God has set you free.

You can no longer live like somebody in change, you could no longer allow the wages of sin to take over.

You have a new name.

So I'll tell you, somebody, I wanna tell you, and I wanna be able to close this and be able to tell you that God is calling you to be able to answer to a new name.

Some of you are making a mistake that you're answering to the name before God rolled away at Gilgal.

You're answering to the name in Egypt, you're answering the name before you crossed over.

But God says, you no longer have the weight of sin.

I see your pastor Meredith.

I wish they could see this coming.

But when this happened to me, I became so happy.

You see, now what happened is Gilgal means what?

To roll away, that there was a reproach.

Uh but we're talking about that there was a what?

A removal.

And we're always talking about rocks, and we've been talking about rocks and foundation, and I've been so happy that God brought us to this point.

We've been talking about Gilgal.

What Gilgal means to be what?

Rolled away.

It means that everything that was done before is now written reproach.

It means that you have what a new start.

Uh, but you may not have been able to be at the Jordan.

You may not have been there with Joshua, uh, but you have something even better.

You see what happened was there were some women that went to a tomb, and when they got there, they realized the stone was rolled away.

And when they saw the stone was rolled away, they looked inside the tomb and they saw nobody.

That's because the king of kings and the lord of lords got up with all power in his hands, and because here's what he did.

He saw the obstacle of death, but he said, Death, you have no courage over me.

What looks like a cross is actually my victory.

So he looked at the cross, he looked at the stone, he looked at the tomb, he said, This is gonna be my victory.

He named it, he named it now.

He says, I know it's gonna be hard, but I'm gonna cross over anyway.

They laid him on a cross and he was able to read Friday, he bled and he died.

Saturday he struggled, but here's what happened: he was able to rename death to make it to become victory.

Somebody needs to understand because God replaced and rolled away the stone, he gave you, he gave you, he gave you another chance.

There's stones being rolled back in your life, but the biggest stone that was rolled away was the one for our Savior.

And he did it so our names could be changed.

No matter where you are, you can stand all over the church.

If you don't know, I'm gonna elongate it.

If you if you've never given your life to Christ, you've never given your life to Christ.

Ask yourself really what it is that you're waiting on.

What are you waiting on?

God has given you so many chances to change.

He's brought you through so many things.

What are you waiting on?

He's like, Dr.

Mike, well, for God to make me cross over, I gotta be ready.

You understand?

These children weren't circumcised, they weren't ready, but God still used them.

God wants to use you no matter where you are, as you get ready to pray.

If you want to give your life to Christ, we're gonna make this easy for you.

If you want to give your life to Christ and say, Jesus Christ, I wanted you to be the head of my life.

I want to change a name that I had before, and I want you to give me a new name.

If you're that person, I want you to just put your hand towards heaven, and the ministers will come and pray for you no matter where you are.

I know this is a moment where there's a lot of distraction, there's a lot of things, you're thinking about all types of things, but can I just ask you?

Just listen to yourself for one moment.

The world is so busy.

It's so busy.

Would you surrender to God?

Would you say, God, I want to give my life to you today?

I want you to give me a new name.

It's never too late.

You can just stretch your hands and say, I surrender.

I see that hand.

Let's go towards our sister.

I see that hand.

Just continue to pray whether you are for the saints and the prayer warriors right now, that you know that there's a battle right now in the spirit to take people's attention, to distract you, to tell you not worthy.

But right now, we break the yoke because what you're going through and what you need to cross over is too important.

If there's anybody else in here who needs to say, I want to give my life to Christ, I want a new name.

Here's what let's do it together.

On account of three, I want you to put, I don't want you to think about it no more.

I don't want you to think about it.

I want you to think about what God is calling you to do.

Don't worry about your mistakes, don't worry about your past, don't worry about what people would say.

You just want to give your life to Christ and you'll work out the rest.

On a count of three.

We are ready, happy.

But I feel it in my spirit that there's one more.

On account of three.

I want you to think about it.

One, you've been through so much, but God still kept you.

Two, he sacrificed his entire life to give you another chance.

I want you now, on account of three, to raise your hand and say, God, I'm ready.

I want you to believe that on account of three, that someone is gonna dedicate their life to Christ.

Someone is gonna say, I'm I surrender my life to you.

One, two, three.

You can raise your hand if you're that person.

You can raise your hand if that you're that person.

I'm believing in faith that you confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life, that He will make you anew.

All things are passed away, and behold, all things have become new.

The sister that gave her life.

Let's stretch our hands.

Lord, we thank you for the one that came.

We thank you for the what no one has seen what God is gonna do in her life.

You've given her a new name now, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Now I want to just pray for anyone in here who might be going through.

God has saying, name your obstacle.

So, God, give us the strength and the courage to go forward.

As we're one week away from school starting, give us peace as we're navigating back to work and our routines.

But let her know that the seasons may change, but God, you remain the same.

Bless us and keep us.

In your name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Put your hands together.

Thank you for worshiping with us today.

If you'd like to go deeper in your walk with Christ, we invite you to contact us at 284-442-4222.

Or email us admin at cgbbc.org.

Visit our website at cgbbc.org.

Be sure to subscribe and share this podcast so others can be encouraged and blessed as well.