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New Life COTR Wednesday April 25, 2007
CROSSING OVER
Immaturity to Maturity
Joshua 1:1-18(NIV)
ARISE AND CROSS OVER. Remember that church. (Show Banner)
Crossing Over is a process that every living, growing, healthy church and person will go through at some point.
Such crossings nearly always require major change which at times can be very unsettling.
Crossing Over cannot be avoided. To try and do so would hinder the growth God has planned and abort His purposes.
The Jordan represents the barrier God is calling you to CROSSOVER!
It represents the transition between where you are now and where you want to be! This might apply to you personally as well as the church.
IT MIGHT BE A PLACE OF CROSSING OVER FROM DREAM TO DESTINY. MANY PEOPLE LIVE IN THEIR DREAMS BUT NEVER LIVE IN THEIR DESTINY!
When God says ARISE AND CROSSOVER He is trying to move you into the NEW THING He has for you!
CROSSING OVER IS ABOUT TRANSFORMATION!
As a church it might mean radical changes to the life and structure of the church to breakthrough to the place God is calling you!
There is no way to avoid the challenges and stresses of crossing over.
Just focusing on the “promised land” and preaching sermons about Canaan will not get you there.
Singing songs about where you would like to be will not get you there either!
At some point the rubber has to meet the road and you must engage in the challenge God has before you.
If you don’t you are deceiving yourself and robbing yourself of your destiny in Christ!
YOU CANNOT CROSS OVER ON THE CHEAP, IT WILL COST YOU SOMETHING!
*******When you cross over you won’t bring everybody with you! There will be some who just won’t face the challenge!
God is calling us to advance forward to where He is already waiting on us.
Never move forward in response to voices in the church, especially to those who are pushing and shoving you, JUST LISTEN FOR GOD’S CALL TO PROCEED!
JOSHUA TOLD THE PEOPLE THAT IN THREE DAYS THEY WERE GOING TO CROSS OVER! NOT ONE DAY OR FOUR DAYS BUT IN THREE DAYS!
When it’s God’s time and you get to the point of cross over, BREAKTHROUGH comes!
We must arrive at the place where we have no choice but to proceed!
ARISE AND CROSS OVER!
TRANSITION: Tonight I’m going to give you the first step in CROSSING OVER. How many want to be a CROSS OVER PEOPLE.
Before I give the first step. WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BEING A CROSS OVER PEOPLE?
In the Old Testament we’ve heard the children of Israel called the Hebrew Children!
Hebrew- the root word is “ABAR” (aw-bar) it means “TO CROSS OVER.”
It is impossible for the devil to stop a CROSS OVER PEOPLE
The only thing that can stop a CROSS OVER PEOPLE is CROSS OVER PEOPLE!
Exodus 1:15-22(NIV)
God told Joshua, “No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.”
What kept the Children of Israel from CROSSING OVER and entering the Promised Land God had for them? Instead they died in the wilderness. THEY DID!!!!
Numbers 14:26-35(NIV)
The devil cannot stop a CROSS OVER PEOPLE!
Example of the disciples going crazy when Jesus had told them to get in the boat and cross over to the other side. A storm arises and the disciples loose it! Jesus stands up and calms the storm and then says, “O ye of little faith.”
NOTHING CAN STOP A CROSS OVER PEOPLE!
TRANSITION: The first step in Crossing Over!
I. SEPARATION- The first step in crossing over.
For God’s people to complete the next phase of their journey, God deemed it necessary to bring one term of leadership to a close and initiate a NEW ONE!
There had to be a separation- a severing of the things of the past, in order to grasp the future.
SEPARATION IS THE FIRST ACT OF POSSESSION
If you want to receive something then you’ve got to let go of something FIRST! It’s a life principle.
(Example of checkbook and money)
The first thing you need to do in order to CROSS OVER is to separate yourself from all the stuff that you cannot take forward with you.
YOU CANNOT HAVE THE PROMISED LAND AND MOSES!
Consider, what the Moses traditions that belong to your past.
Meaningless church programs, things the church keeps doing for no real reason!
YOU MUST BE WILLING TO LET GO!
It’s pointless to hold on to people who don’t want to go with you! It may be God trying to break a spirit of control in the church!
No matter how good the past was the old regime has had it’s day! Those things were relevant for there day.
*****The first thing God told Joshua is that you cannot lead these people the way Moses did!
GOD DID NOT WANT JOSHUA TO LIVE IN THE SHADOW OF MOSES!
(The history of our church, then and NOW!)
Moses death symbolized a separation from the previous way of doing things and all it represented.
THIS IS THE CAHLLENEGE THAT FACES YOU TO IF YOU ARE COMMITTED TO CROSSING OVER AND POSSESSING ALL THAT GOD HAS IN STORE FOR YOU!
SEPARATION IS THE FIRST ACT OF POSSESSION!
TRANSITION: What is one thing we can let go of, leave behind, so we can ARISE AND CROSS OVER AND POSSESS THE LAND GOD HAS FOR US?
I. IMMATURITY
Hebrews 6:1-3(NIV)
Let us leave-let us separate from our immature ways and take hold of maturity.
Ephesians 4:14- “Then we will no longer be infant, tossed back and forth and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”
1Corinthains 13:11- “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.”
12 SIGNS OF IMMATURITY
1. Ephesians 4:11-13- Tossed too and Fro- Problems dictate your life. Problems are in control of you .
2. Follow winds of doctrine- Spiritual Hobo’s, Don’t have a home, Can’t get planted. Want their ears tickled.
3. Hebrews 5:11-14- Dull of hearing: Don’t value spiritual things, Slow to learn, Spiritual ADD. You must train yourself to listen.
4. Need taught, can’t teach yourself or others. Babies can’t feed themselves or someone else.
5. Need milk and not meat: can’t handle the weighter things of the ministry. If you stay on milk you can only handle so much. Things don’t get easier the greater the ministry.
6. Unskillful in the Word of righteousness: Misapply the Word of God, Hurt people with the Word. Adjust theology to agree own ideas.
7. Do not act on what they hear: Are not faithful with what they hear. Are not faithful with little. Mature people do what they hear.
8. The immature are easily offended. Easily hurt, have to walk on eggshells around. Governed by their emotions. Believe everything they hear instead of believing God.
9. Are unable to discern right from wrong: Ruled by emotions. Mature say: not everything that feels bad is bad. Not everything that feels good is good. The Lord chastens who He loves!
10. 1Corinthians 3:1-9- Envy and jealousy. Desire what somebody else has without doing what God requires to get it. Gossip, slander, to lift yourself up! Jealous of someone else’s title.
11. Strife and division: Romans 16: 17,18 Mark those who cause division and strife. Mark those who talk against leadership.
12. Immaturity cannot receive from other ministry gifts. Can’t receive from other races or genders. Be at church no matter whose preaching.
Let go immaturity and embrace maturity.
New Life COTR Wednesday April 25, 2007
CROSSING OVER
Immaturity to Maturity
Joshua 1:1-18(NIV)
ARISE AND CROSS OVER. Remember that church. (Show Banner)
Crossing Over is a process that every living, growing, healthy church and person will go through at some point.
Such crossings nearly always require major change which at times can be very unsettling.
Crossing Over cannot be avoided. To try and do so would hinder the growth God has planned and abort His purposes.
The Jordan represents the barrier God is calling you to CROSSOVER!
It represents the transition between where you are now and where you want to be! This might apply to you personally as well as the church.
IT MIGHT BE A PLACE OF CROSSING OVER FROM DREAM TO DESTINY. MANY PEOPLE LIVE IN THEIR DREAMS BUT NEVER LIVE IN THEIR DESTINY!
When God says ARISE AND CROSSOVER He is trying to move you into the NEW THING He has for you!
CROSSING OVER IS ABOUT TRANSFORMATION!
As a church it might mean radical changes to the life and structure of the church to breakthrough to the place God is calling you!
There is no way to avoid the challenges and stresses of crossing over.
Just focusing on the “promised land” and preaching sermons about Canaan will not get you there.
Singing songs about where you would like to be will not get you there either!
At some point the rubber has to meet the road and you must engage in the challenge God has before you.
If you don’t you are deceiving yourself and robbing yourself of your destiny in Christ!
YOU CANNOT CROSS OVER ON THE CHEAP, IT WILL COST YOU SOMETHING!
*******When you cross over you won’t bring everybody with you! There will be some who just won’t face the challenge!
God is calling us to advance forward to where He is already waiting on us.
Never move forward in response to voices in the church, especially to those who are pushing and shoving you, JUST LISTEN FOR GOD’S CALL TO PROCEED!
JOSHUA TOLD THE PEOPLE THAT IN THREE DAYS THEY WERE GOING TO CROSS OVER! NOT ONE DAY OR FOUR DAYS BUT IN THREE DAYS!
When it’s God’s time and you get to the point of cross over, BREAKTHROUGH comes!
We must arrive at the place where we have no choice but to proceed!
ARISE AND CROSS OVER!
TRANSITION: Tonight I’m going to give you the first step in CROSSING OVER. How many want to be a CROSS OVER PEOPLE.
Before I give the first step. WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BEING A CROSS OVER PEOPLE?
In the Old Testament we’ve heard the children of Israel called the Hebrew Children!
Hebrew- the root word is “ABAR” (aw-bar) it means “TO CROSS OVER.”
It is impossible for the devil to stop a CROSS OVER PEOPLE
The only thing that can stop a CROSS OVER PEOPLE is CROSS OVER PEOPLE!
Exodus 1:15-22(NIV)
God told Joshua, “No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.”
What kept the Children of Israel from CROSSING OVER and entering the Promised Land God had for them? Instead they died in the wilderness. THEY DID!!!!
Numbers 14:26-35(NIV)
The devil cannot stop a CROSS OVER PEOPLE!
Example of the disciples going crazy when Jesus had told them to get in the boat and cross over to the other side. A storm arises and the disciples loose it! Jesus stands up and calms the storm and then says, “O ye of little faith.”
NOTHING CAN STOP A CROSS OVER PEOPLE!
TRANSITION: The first step in Crossing Over!
I. SEPARATION- The first step in crossing over.
For God’s people to complete the next phase of their journey, God deemed it necessary to bring one term of leadership to a close and initiate a NEW ONE!
There had to be a separation- a severing of the things of the past, in order to grasp the future.
SEPARATION IS THE FIRST ACT OF POSSESSION
If you want to receive something then you’ve got to let go of something FIRST! It’s a life principle.
(Example of checkbook and money)
The first thing you need to do in order to CROSS OVER is to separate yourself from all the stuff that you cannot take forward with you.
YOU CANNOT HAVE THE PROMISED LAND AND MOSES!
Consider, what the Moses traditions that belong to your past.
Meaningless church programs, things the church keeps doing for no real reason!
YOU MUST BE WILLING TO LET GO!
It’s pointless to hold on to people who don’t want to go with you! It may be God trying to break a spirit of control in the church!
No matter how good the past was the old regime has had it’s day! Those things were relevant for there day.
*****The first thing God told Joshua is that you cannot lead these people the way Moses did!
GOD DID NOT WANT JOSHUA TO LIVE IN THE SHADOW OF MOSES!
(The history of our church, then and NOW!)
Moses death symbolized a separation from the previous way of doing things and all it represented.
THIS IS THE CAHLLENEGE THAT FACES YOU TO IF YOU ARE COMMITTED TO CROSSING OVER AND POSSESSING ALL THAT GOD HAS IN STORE FOR YOU!
SEPARATION IS THE FIRST ACT OF POSSESSION!
TRANSITION: What is one thing we can let go of, leave behind, so we can ARISE AND CROSS OVER AND POSSESS THE LAND GOD HAS FOR US?
I. IMMATURITY
Hebrews 6:1-3(NIV)
Let us leave-let us separate from our immature ways and take hold of maturity.
Ephesians 4:14- “Then we will no longer be infant, tossed back and forth and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”
1Corinthains 13:11- “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.”
12 SIGNS OF IMMATURITY
1. Ephesians 4:11-13- Tossed too and Fro- Problems dictate your life. Problems are in control of you .
2. Follow winds of doctrine- Spiritual Hobo’s, Don’t have a home, Can’t get planted. Want their ears tickled.
3. Hebrews 5:11-14- Dull of hearing: Don’t value spiritual things, Slow to learn, Spiritual ADD. You must train yourself to listen.
4. Need taught, can’t teach yourself or others. Babies can’t feed themselves or someone else.
5. Need milk and not meat: can’t handle the weighter things of the ministry. If you stay on milk you can only handle so much. Things don’t get easier the greater the ministry.
6. Unskillful in the Word of righteousness: Misapply the Word of God, Hurt people with the Word. Adjust theology to agree own ideas.
7. Do not act on what they hear: Are not faithful with what they hear. Are not faithful with little. Mature people do what they hear.
8. The immature are easily offended. Easily hurt, have to walk on eggshells around. Governed by their emotions. Believe everything they hear instead of believing God.
9. Are unable to discern right from wrong: Ruled by emotions. Mature say: not everything that feels bad is bad. Not everything that feels good is good. The Lord chastens who He loves!
10. 1Corinthians 3:1-9- Envy and jealousy. Desire what somebody else has without doing what God requires to get it. Gossip, slander, to lift yourself up! Jealous of someone else’s title.
11. Strife and division: Romans 16: 17,18 Mark those who cause division and strife. Mark those who talk against leadership.
12. Immaturity cannot receive from other ministry gifts. Can’t receive from other races or genders. Be at church no matter whose preaching.
Let go immaturity and embrace maturity.
