(The inspiration for this transcript is from Pastor Paul Scanlon in the UK)

This is a year of alignment for us as a church. Every month is an emphasis of one of the purposes we have. They are a lens through which we see our core values. In January the emphasis was discipleship. Christ said that he would "…make you…" that you "…go into all the world and make…" In February the emphasis was fellowship. Nothing in scripture points to potluck or fun times as fellowship but our relationship with God and with each other. We looked at how that is done through tithes and offerings. This month of March has an emphasis of ministry.

1. Discipleship - God makes you

2. Fellowship - Relationship with God and each other

3. Ministry - Helping people

Text (Joshua 3:1-17)

For Joshua to take people into what God promised them, it required change. Not in the cosmetic or esthetic sense, but by facing problems that was as big as the promise itself, where the prize is commensurate with pain. It is moving comfortable people towards a less comfortable future by keeping the relevance of helping people a major issue. The comfort, safety and security of our church is it's own greatest enemy.

#1 - Saving the church

There are many professions that save lives, fire fighters, surgeons, paramedics and even soldiers. But churches are not known for saving people's lives. Accommodating, facilitating and housing, but not saving. I am not speaking about doing the work of the Holy Spirit, who brings grace and faith to be born again, but in the sense of ministry by helping people. The decisions Joshua had to make were life and death to Israel in the same sense a pastor has to make decisions as a life saver. I do not see Christ pre-qualifying people to receive his grace and healing touch.

#2 - Raising up the church

For forty years Israel had supernatural guidance in the form of a pillar of cloud by day, and fire by night. Whenever and wherever the cloud moved, Israel moved. They did not need a vision, strategy, plan, core values or a leader, just the cloud. But when Israel entered the promise of God, the cloud vanished. Now they were to look at the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant. The people had to be weaned of dependency on a cloud to trusting and following the leadership of men. It was something Israel struggled with. People still look for the cloud, personal prophecy, and dream interpretations, rather than follow the godly leadership that God has put in place. The Ark of the Covenant was literally made by the hands of man and carried by men, but was God's idea. The 'cloud crowd' is highly immature, with spiritual issues making everything highly subjective and personal. There is a very real culture of prophesying directly over people and into their lives that deepens the belief that God leads only like this. Some are regarded as prophetic, meaning they hear from God more than most. The ultimate violation is that people will only follow leadership as long as leaders follow the cloud, and people will decide if they are following the cloud or not. Smart leaders are sharp and actually very aware of what is relevant to the future of the church, but they appear less spiritual and less supernatural. Without this leadership of being in touch and down to earth, no one enters the promise of God. Is your head still in the cloud?

#3 - Leading the church

(Joshua 3:3-4) "When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it." Israel kept a distance of one thousand yards between them and the Ark of the Covenant in entering the promise of God. It is the distance between the fist person to step in, and the first person to follow. A group, crowd, committee, or board never breaks through into anything, but a person has to go first into the unknown. Many times I have been on my own for the first thousand yards in life. Too many families are led like a committee. Queen Elizabeth II always opens her public speeches with 'my husband and I' in the same way, many men need to be a thousand yards ahead of their marriage and children. By the time people follow, breakthrough has already occurred. Those who follow will never see what was first seen, or taste what was first tasted, or feel what was first felt, or even know the faith that was first needed. It is like an arrow head that penetrates on a different level than the rest of the arrow.

#4 - Cold feet in the church

(Joshua 3:8) "Tell the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: 'When you reach the edge of the Jordan's waters, go and stand in the river." God asks leaders in the church to go and stand in the river while noting is happening. You will get cold feet in doing anything for God. But for the sake of his purpose, you standing in the river before people when nothing is happening is essential. Everything you initiate for God has no guarantee of success unless people follow. By the time others reach where you are the ground is dry so others do not get cold feet.

#5 - The flow of the church

(Joshua 3:13) "And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord--the Lord of all the earth--set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap." To enter a new flow in the church the old flow must dry up. The promise of God to Israel was a land flowing with milk and honey. To dry up the old flow, leaders have to stand in it until it is no more. People cannot cope with several different flows in the church. There are many forms of control, legalism and acting out, that are stood in until they stop. Moses never had to stand in the Red Sea but simply held out his staff and the waters parted. In Joshua's case they had to stand in the river and the miracle was that the flow stopped upstream away from the people. (Joshua 3:15-16) "Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho." The water did not part like the Red Sea but dried up elsewhere. Our church had a parting of the Red Sea when we moved from an older building. But people of the old flow have had to be cut off from their negative influence that comes downstream to you. Repositioning people has been a difficult task but it has cut off the negativity of many flows. I have had to wade into many situations that did not appear to be a problem, but upstream were a problem. There are annual plants and perennial plants in church. Annuals come and display their flowers and die. Perennials regenerate every year. Repositioning the garden of God is essential for an all-year-round work.

#6 - A church for people

(Joshua 3:17) "The priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground." Leaders have to hold onto vision until everyone is on dry ground. I am not suggesting unwilling people hold everyone up but that the door is left cracked open for people to follow. I did not live through WWII therefore I did not fight in it or for its cause but I am certainly grateful for those who did, including my grandfather. I enjoy the freedoms that were previously fought for. What we have done as a church so far is something our children will never have to live through or fight for but will honor you for. The image of Oskar Schindler from the movie Schindler's List is what Joshua creates. Leaders who stand in the middle of the river when everyone seems to have entered the promise of God remain there. Like Schindler they will give their last resource to help someone escape a life of slavery. Their heart is very much for the future, but their eyes look to the horizon where they have been for anyone.

When Moses sent out twelve spies it was public and very high profile. It left people speculating on the response of the spies. Most of it was needless speculation because it became public too soon. Joshua learned the wisdom of not making everything public. He sent his spies out in secret. No one knew who they were, when they were sent or where they went. We have learned as a church that pulpit announcements never work or win commitment of people. It actually hijacks something good. For some time I have been working with our pastors, then our departments heads and elders, then our partners in the future of our church. Having won initial support it is time for change so our church can grow.

• On Sunday April 15th we will initiate two Sunday morning services at 9:00am and 11:00am. There will be no evening service.

• The atmosphere of each service will be totally different in terms of music. The first will be more intimate in worship and the second more demonstrative in praise. The first service will not have a full platform but the second will.

• During the 9:00am service a new believer's class will be taught throughout the year. In the fall we want to initiate classes while the first service is happening to facilitate spiritual maturity.

• A leader is in place to instruct for new believers, but instructors for spiritual maturity are being spied out like Joshua. All instructors need to understand and communicate our core values.

• The second service will have a full children's ministry allowing the teachers to attend the first service. The first service will have a nursery through 5th grade. The second service will have nursery through middle school.

• A partnership class will be initiated in the evening during the week, commencing the week of Sunday, April 15th hosted by Pastor Rick. Subjects to be covered will be:
  

  o Vision
  o Core Values
  o Strategy
  o Biblical truths

We have made attempts to do this before, seeing a greater overall attendance. It was too much to carry a Sunday evening service with two morning services for those serving. It was not effective in repeating the same worship style. The choice now is not only time but style. I need you to talk about this with people who do not go to church.

• Our church can see people saved
  
• The promise of a great church can be raised
  
• We have cold feet
  
• The negative influence flowing downstream has been dealt with
  
• We are ready invite people onto dry ground.

(The inspiration for this transcript is from Pastor Paul Scanlon in the UK)

Ministry is defined as 'helping people'

Five stages of preparation

1. Separation
2. Confirmation
3. Courage
4. Commitment
5. Favor

#1 - Separation

"R.I.P' (Joshua 1:2) "Moses my servant is dead." This was not just information but a separation. To lead Joshua had to separate himself from what used to be. Separation is always the first act of possession. If you want something new you have to let go of the old. You cannot have Joshua and keep Moses. You cannot have the wilderness and the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey. You cannot always keep the people you have and reach the ones you want. You cannot keep hold of ministries, staff, departments and leaders. Sometimes you have to separate from people who you thought you would grow old with. People don't separate quietly but will take others with them. It is pointless to keep hold of people who don't want to go on the journey with you. Moses is not a person in our context but an idea or way of doing church.

#2 - Confirmation

'You are my choice!' This is what God said to Joshua. He confirmed his place in the big picture. Not one of you have been where we are going but you must be able to smell it, taste it, touch it and see it, even though you are not there yet. (Joshua 1:5) "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you…" You must know that God is with you because there will be times when you feel no one is with you. People will be with you but most of the time people do not have the courage to say so until it is safe to do so. To move forward without approval or support is a new concept to ministry today that used to be common ground years ago. People are addicted to approval and God knows it. You need to know deep down that you have a confirmation from God. (Luke 9:62) "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

#3 - Courage

'Keep going.' (Joshua 1:6-9) "Be strong and of good courage…be strong and very courageous…do not be afraid or dismayed." Why did God tell Joshua repeatedly to have courage? God knows how destructive discouragement can be. It is the cancer of the call of God. Like Leukemia that poisons the blood. Courage is an anchor for all other virtue. You cannot afford the luxury of fear. You will be making decisions that dispossess the positions of people. They are good people. Some of them will be your friends. But good people keep you from the best that God has for you. You will be threatened with the removal of support or finance or abandoning you in the ministry you have. But God is drawn to courage as we read in Hebrews chapter eleven. These leaders would not be comfortable in the church today. Prostitutes, murderers, deceivers and liars. Perfect lives lack courage but people who are far from being perfect generally have courage.

#4 - Commitment

'We are with you.' (Joshua 1:16) "Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go." Following a confirmation from God is usually an affirmation from the hearts of people. If you are separated from the past with courage to press towards the future people will affirm you. What is carried in your heart will be shared by the hearts of others. People need to find strength in your strength. It will never be the majority and will not include your friends. But it will include people who commit to your courage and strength. Commitment follows so you must make the first move. You will not realize this until you are past the point of no return.

#5 - Favor

'Friends in low places.' God gave Joshua a way into the city through Rahab the prostitute. He did not receive this from the king of Jericho or any official. The king found out about Joshua and his spies but was sent in the wrong direction by Rahab who hid the spies. (Joshua 2:8-16) "Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, 'I know that the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death.' 'Our lives for your lives!' the men assured her. 'If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.' So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. Now she had said to them, 'Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way." Most of the people who are going to come to our church are not even saved yet. Our future church is full of sin. They don't even know we exist yet. Joshua had a people in Jericho willing to risk their lives to help him more than the people in his own camp. Community is always changed from the grass roots up not from the positions at the top. We need friends in low places. Rahab told the spies things that they would have otherwise not know. Is Rahab welcome in our church? She is on your side but she won't come to you. You have to go to her world. Churches are filled with good people who forget why they exist.

Leaders

Leaders are needed on every level of City Church.

On Sunday April 15th we will initiate two Sunday morning services at 9:00am and 11:00am. There will be no evening service.

• The atmosphere of each service will be totally different in terms of music. The first will be more intimate in worship and the second more demonstrative in praise. The first service will not have a full platform but the second will.
• During the 9:00am service a new believer's class will be taught throughout the year. In the fall we want to initiate classes while the first service is happening to facilitate spiritual maturity.
• A leader is in place to instruct for new believers but instructors for spiritual maturity are being spied out like Joshua. All instructors need to understand and communicate our core values.
• The second service will have a full children's ministry allowing the teachers to attend the first service. The first service will have a nursery through preschool only.
• A partnership class will be initiated in the evening during the week commencing the week of Sunday April 15th hosted by Pastor Rick.

o Vision
o Core Values
o Strategy
o Biblical truths

If you would like to see previous transcripts you can find them here.: