R1592 Seven Steps to Success

Too many times it seems like were standing still are separated but you can move forward with seven steps to success from Dr. Don Wilton and before you think the women is Dr. John talking about know Dr. Don is talking scriptural success will help to find that in just a moment as we head to the book of Joshua chapter 3 in our Bible study today before we dive in and encourage them head on over to our website. It's tewonline.org G.T DW online.org and today you can sign up for the email from Dr. Don.

By this time tomorrow the next day. The latest will be receiving a bit of encouragement insightful application of Scripture. Again, it's the daily Encouraging Word email just sign up on our website@dewonline.org jumpstart my quiet time. It'll do that for you as well. Now let's open God's word together with Dr. Don Wilton you to open your Bibles to Joshua chapter 3 and there is a long reading today I will tell you that I tried to extract one or two verses and realize that this story this account that God gives to us is so critical. And the Lord impressed on my heart to leave it intact. So would you turn to Joshua chapter 3 Joshua chapter 3 early in the morning, Joshua and all the Israelites sit out from should team and went to the Jordan where they camped before they crossed over off the three days the offices went throughout the camp giving orders to the people. When you see the hawk of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests to our Levites carrying that you want to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go since you've never been this way before, but keep a distance of about a thousand yards think I must've been socially separated between you and the do not go near it. Joshua told the people consecrate assumes full tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you, Joshua said to the priest, take up the ark of the covenant imparts on the head of the people so they took up the ark of the covenant and they went ahead of them. The Lord said to Joshua today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel so that they may know that I'm with you as I was with Moses. Tell the priests who carried the ark of the covenant when you reach the other Jordan's waters go and stand in the river. Joshua said to the Israelites coming out and listen to the words of the Lord your God. This is how you will know that the living God is among you, and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites to 5 TB parasites go.

Besides, I am a rights and Jebusites see the ark of the covenant of the Lord will go into the Jordan ahead of you. Now then choose 12 men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe, and as soon as the priests who carried the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all heaven set foot in the Jordan it's Walters floating downstream will be cut off and will stand up in a heap. So when the people broke camped across the Jordan, the priests carrying the Ark of the covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during the harvest yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the Lord's age, 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 Sarah Phan while the water flowing down to the sea of the otherwise known as the salt seal the day and see what's completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho and the priests who carried the rock of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan River. While all Israel parsed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing onto dry ground.

When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua choose 12 men from among your people one from each tribe and tell him to take up 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan from right with the priesthood and carry them over there with you and put them down at the place with you where you stay tonight.

So Joshua called the 12 men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe and he said to them, go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each one of you is to take up a stone on the shoulder.

According to the number of the tribes of Israel to serve as a sign among you in the future when your children are skewed walked to these stones mean, tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off, and these stones ought to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever. Mission accomplished by the Lord right he's wound up on our hearts. I want to speak to you today on seven steps to success will be back for the rest of today's message.

Seven steps to success with Dr. Don Wilton just Dr. Don Wilton remind you that we are here for you in a number of ways 24 hours a day, including online you have them do that.

Our website is continually changing. It is about to undergo a revolutionary change in the next two weeks you'll tune in the TW online.org and discover the resources that are available for you. That's T DW online.org. One of the favorites is to sign up for the daily Encouraging Word email. You can sign up today and you will be in your mailbox within 48 hours that's online@tdwonline.org of course Greer is critical to who we are as we encourage you to encourage and teach you now Encouraging Word 24 hour prayer line you can call 86689986699963 live.

Send healing being allowed to pray with you are not alone The Encouraging Word anywhere in the outback. Today's message with Dr. Don Wilton. Seven steps to success. I want to share with you, just very steps they took Moses on Mount Nebo we know why he couldn't go.

You disobeyed God. God said to him, I'm going to lead you all away but I'm going to take you back to myself before you step into the promised land. There was land that flowed with milk and honey those people were desperate. We cannot even begin to imagine the wariness the discouragement we cannot even begin to imagine the numbers of times they'd expressed their hope in the future. How many parents and sat down. How many children and said one of these days God had promised them and he hadn't changed his mind but he required that his people undertake certain steps before that promise would be fulfilled. What was it that they did to me just run them by festival. They camped before they crossed the verse one Bible says early in the morning by camped right there. This side on the wrong side but by pitch.

They camped I'm going to ask a question you not suppose that I had camped before, how many times had the children of Israel camped. How many times that they stopped, how many times a day gathered together but before they claim what God promised to them evidently God wanted them to camp number two. These people acknowledge the Lord. The Bible says in verse three. It's very clear that I want you to look at the arc of the covenant, not NEC.

It I want you to acknowledge your God brought about father is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob genocide to me. Why had they not acknowledge God before most certainly, you're not going to use series preaching just simply on how the children of Israel perpetually acknowledge God even in the midst of their wanderings, even in the midst of their struggles but before they claimed what God had promised to them.

He required them that I acknowledge the Lord number three. The third step by established guidelines. Well, there it is in verse three. The Bible says you want to move out from your positions you to follow it.

Then you will know which way to go. Some of you but to be some of you going to be there, they began to strategize. You not suppose that these people who love the Lord had planned before you not suppose that I had a monster plan.

You not suppose that they admit ad infinitum in their wanderings do not suppose that I had presented that guidelines to God. A thousand times over how many strategies that they come up with but God required that people they claim the promise of God to reestablish the guideline and that's exactly what they did.

Number four by consecrated themselves. That is so powerful in verse five Joshua said to them, consecrate yourselves. Joshua called these people together and he said you see the promised land. You not remember what God is saying we not believe that God is going to give us everything that he is promised to us but before he does consecrate yourself get on your fights before God.

Readjust your calendar go back to worship.

Confess your sin before him. Number five, the first step they took as they followed their leaders. Verse six its repeat throughout this text, Joshua began with the priests.

He began with those who had been anointed by God to be spiritual leaders and he told the priests he said I want you to be the first in line. I don't know what he was saying to them I think what he was saying to them enough of your preaching get out front.

I think what he was saying to these priests don't hide behind your plot, take great care and every care that everything that you teach that you do yourselves because leadership is a primary means by which God brings about the fulfillment of these promises by just simply followed their leaders. Joshua said get out go down there this lead is dead. What God told him to do through his seven and the people were prepared to follow them.

Number six, by listening to God's word by just listening to God's word Bible says right there in verse nine.

Probably one of the most powerful versus a bowl. Joshua said to the Israelites, and listen to the words of the Lord.

Not a great statement.

I command you today, trying hard not to make too much of a personal application, but it is an absolute requirement of God's people before God will fulfill his promise. And Joshua knew it. I'm not sure what Joshua said but I can only imagine that he called them together and he said we can talk until the noonday sun. We can go back and forth for now congresses. We can give all the money we want. I want you to know children of Israel. The time has come when we understand what God has said to us, and we need to listen to the word of God.

Number seven. I love number seven by Bolton altar. We see this great picture of them as they listen to what God said and the priests put their feet into the water and God again did it again.

He backed up the water.

I've been even to Adam which is just a little way up the road not to fall from one of the crossings over into the nation of Jordan and it's an amazing spot to an amazing spot. That's why Jesus chose that spot just to remind you when Jesus came to that spot in his first appearance in equal John the Baptist.

He said baptize me. That was the spot where they put their foot in the water. When God parted the waters once again. He held back the waters only difference this time is when Jesus stood in the Jordan River and he was taken and baptized under the water. Even though he was God. God had no need to pop the water because this was Jesus because Jesus was being obedient. God parted the Hamptons. That's what he did.

This time what God was saying is listen in order to fulfill my promise to my people. I'm going to pop the water and let them cross over to the promised land, but I want everybody to know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. He's the only one who can open that happens he's the only one who can bring you into full and complete reconciliation with God, our heavenly father and son when Jesus was baptized and brought about the water. God did not want to be part of the heavens and said this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. When you put your faith and trust in him.

I want you to know that happens because Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the life and no man can come to the father except through the Lord Jesus is an amazing thing. The steps they took.

So because the bottom line what all the seven steps to success. I need this so badly in my own life me tell you about me. I love the Lord Jesus, I hope you've given your heart to Jesus best friend you'll ever have and he's a promise keeper you give your life to Christ. You surrender your heart to him. It would take you into the promised land. And he doesn't three son, the Lord Jesus Christ and by his sacrifice.

But even as a believer I have no doubt that God's promises are absolute that the future is bright in every way because of the promises of God, but I struggled so often I find myself standing on my mount Nemos I can see it.

I know it's there. I know what God's told me. But there's one more thing I'm going to do what is some of you are saying today will foster it's my marriage. We love the Lord, but the focus has gotten out of the bottle and it just seems like we just can't get the what are your steps to success. You know what God will do for you. Maybe today you carrying a deep burden of sin in your heart.

Maybe it's like a lump of blade.

You've carried this for years, haven't you, you know that God has forgiven you.

You just can't shake it. What's missing. How we praying for our nation 077 steps to success that I share with you today as we extrapolate this from the truth of God's word seed in it demonstrated to us in Joshua leading the children of Israel through the roof of Jordan and into the promised land. Number one huddle huddle, you got it you got a huddle you go together yourself in the presence of the Lord you doing that one of my struggles.

I'm not just standing up there confessing to you. I get so busy sometimes that I forget to huddle. I know what God said, but I'm not hardly. I'm an action kind of person I want to just get on with it. God sees stop huddle not you do when you huddle you gather together you worship the Lord why he said for psych not the assembling of yourselves together. But Jesus also spoke about huddling in your closet about that devotion that we find so hard to do. It's coming into an intimate time with the Lord at step number one you want to claim the promise of God in your business.

You got a huddle number two acknowledge step number two acknowledge acknowledging God is not just saying okay God, I know you God. This is a hard thing. This runs deep. This is this is you and I finding ourselves smitten by the very Shekinah glory and presence about living God. This is being smitten with gratitude toward him. This is us turning to him and signed him Lord, without you I can't do this without you. We can't do this without you. Our nation is not going to come together, Lord, the prospects Lord we don't know what the answers we know what your promises we get that number three plan plan as if we don't have enough planning plan after all these years of planning and strategizing. God wanted them to get back together reestablish their strategy don't tire of reestablishing the guidelines that are important. Don't stop reminding yourself of deep biblical and spiritual principles and truths that apply in your life in your marriage, your relationship with your sons and your daughters how you relate to your parents and your church go back again and again reestablish be willing to put those out in front of God.

Let God change them all to them.

Never fear change when change finds its root in the heart of God done fear change just because change is to be feared if God tells you to make an adjustment make an adjustment and do it because God is telling you because he's my promise to you he wants you to step on the Jordan into the promised land. Number four vote does the fourth step to success about Bible uses that word consecrate to be devoted speaks to a quality of our hearts, whereby we find ourselves in a perpetual state of adoration and submission before a holy and a righteous God, Lord, I am devoted I am devoted to you. I devote my thoughts. I devote my aspirations, I devote my money, I devote my family. I devote my very being you. It's the very means by which through the spirit of God find myself coming into the presence of the great I am, God wants us to be voted to be fully devoted to be totally devoted to him, not partially, not just on a Sunday morning, not just when things go well, not just when we have a crisis God wants us to be perpetually totally and completely devoted to everything that God is because he's gone. Number five follow follow.

It's an amazing thing here in the Scriptures that Joshua went out and he selected these priests and from the 12 tribes and and he said to them, it is imperative that you carry all that's an incredible step to success. Who are you following today. All of us need to follow people that God has appointed for us and through us and shown us and told us we need to follow godly examples I cannot tell you my beloved friends what the leaders of this church have meant to me personally the men and woman in this church.

There are countless hundreds of you and I value you and I cherish you and not follow you, I listen to you when you speak. I want to listen because you lead like Jesus, where are our leaders lead like Jesus we want to find you.

That's all become followers of Christ like. Examples in our world today, and conversely make up your mind.

America you are listening to make up your mind and go before the Lord God, I want you to show me and speak to me so that I know when you speak yet you use people and I'm willing to listen and follow and I know you going to base me. Number six.

Pay attention by attention by listen to God's word.

I love that pay attention. I think today were paying attention. Finally, remember you forgotten you don't God made these people do. He made them build an altar in that passage tells us there were several reasons.

Number one just say thank you house your altar of thanks.

Going these days number two to mark the spot.

You may want to get out a pen and paper some time or your computer minister. Write down some of the high marks of your Christian journey.

Remember the spot. It was another reason I had to build an altar and that was because of a true and that amazing because of the children, you know, he spoke to those people and he said do this.

Remember don't forget you got children coming up when we closing our children to not forget you see friend. It's all about Jesus is this is what God does for us. I'm a Christian man. I've given my heart to Jesus. I battle with little we will get hurt. We all struggle with life will wonder what tomorrow holds general God does is listen see that that's the promised land on the delivery. I'm going to take you from your current circumstance and nominal walk you through the impossible, and I'm going to deliver you to the land that flows with milk and honey on the great restorer on the one who gives you peace. On the one who's going to bless you. You belong to me. Would you bow your heads with me today.

Every head bowed and every are closed, you given your life to Christ, you trusted him. I love being Christian love being a believer because greater is he that's in me than he that's in the world.

I don't know that I we could do this without him in God I trust you give your life to Christ today make him your Savior and Lord, would you pray this prayer with me. Dear God, I know that you love me.

I know Jesus died for me to confess my sin to you, by faith I receive your new model that is the question and only you can answer is a simple step of faith and you can take that step right now. I'd love to lead you in prayer to just come on this week I forgot. I realize that I am a sinner and I need you to save today.

Lord, I realize you love me and so I ask you, and that love to change me to come in my life and give me a new purpose. I turn my back on my sin and I confess that I believe in you Jesus you are the son of God. I want you to say your precious name I pray. Dr. Don reminds us it's not a specific set of words in your heart rate to give your life to Jesus. More about our phone numbers 866899 word that's 866899673 or connect online with tewonline.org love to spend some time praying with you and launching you into heaven