January 18, 2025 • 26 mins
Today on Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe, you'll learn how to remember God's faithfulness even when forgetting it is so easy. When you are in the middle of life's challenges, you often experience what Mark calls "faith amnesia" forgetting the ways God has worked in your past. Pastor Mark shares a powerful message exploring how you can create lasting reminders of God's faithfulness that will strengthen our faith for future challenges.
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S1 (00:00):
Today on Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe. We're learning
how to remember even when forgetting is so easy.
S2 (00:07):
You know, I think that oftentimes we experience faith amnesia.
We quickly forget when we're out of the trouble. When
we're out of the challenge, we quickly forget the power
of God's presence. The answer to prayers that we've been through.
We need memory jolters that become powerful reminders of the
(00:28):
faithfulness of God.
S1 (00:41):
Welcome to Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe. Mark is
president of Moody Bible Institute and the senior pastor of
New Life Community Church in Chicago. My name is Wayne Shepherd.
You know, it's amazing how quickly we can forget God's
faithfulness in our lives when we're in the middle of
life's challenges, we often experience what Mark calls faith amnesia, Nesia.
Forgetting the ways God has worked in our past. Today
(01:03):
he shares a powerful message. He spoke at the President's
Chapel a few years ago, exploring how we can create
lasting reminders of God's faithfulness that will strengthen our faith
for future challenges. You can find additional resources and information
about today's teaching at Bold Steps. But let's join Mark
now in Joshua chapter four as he begins today's message.
(01:24):
12 stones.
S2 (01:27):
I get interrupted by my dog barking or the doorbell
ringing or a phone call. Hey, you understand, right? But
today I wanted to talk to you about something that's
been on my heart. Found in Joshua chapter four. I
want to talk to you about remembering. And in particular,
I've entitled this message 12 stones. You know, there's something
(01:52):
about remembering what God has done, what he's taken us through,
the lessons that we've learned That equips and empowers us
to face our present and to have perspective about our future.
And I'm amazed that over and over in the Old Testament,
(02:13):
God seems to tell the people of Israel, hey, put
a pile of stones there and they say, why? He says,
so your children will ask, why is that pile of
stones there? And you tell them what God did at
this place. So there's a pile of stones everywhere, reminding
the people, hey, remember what God did in this place?
(02:34):
Remember what God did there? There's something powerful about telling
the stories of what God has done and remembering what
God has done. Because it empowers us. It helps us. Uh,
we quickly get amnesia, I believe. And so there there
are things that help us jog our memory. Uh, years ago,
(02:57):
I exchanged with a beautiful woman at my side a
a symbol of remembrance. I still remember that day. I
was nervous looking at her face and the pastor said,
and what symbol do you give of the love that
you have promised to D? And I said, this ring.
(03:20):
And I gave her a ring that she has worn
until this day. And she gave me a ring also
that I wear every day now. This is not the
original ring. The original ring unfortunately got lost. It's. This
is the third iteration of the ring. But it's not
about the ring. It's about the symbolism. And I wear
this ring all the time. I don't take it off.
(03:43):
I wear it wherever I go. Why? Because this ring
is a reminder of the covenant relationship that I have
with my wife. It's a reminder wherever I go. Uh,
people from the outside look at my hand. They say, oh,
he's married. When I look at it, I remember the
vows that I made years ago to my wife. And
(04:05):
until death do us part. So it's a it's a
memory jogger. It jolts us to remember some of those
things that are important for us to remember. So, Joshua,
chapter four, you know, the story probably, uh, Joshua and
(04:27):
the people of Israel have gathered together after 40 years
of the desert, a long detour because of disobedience. God
is taking a people to the Promised Land. He's got
a destiny, a purpose. They've come out of slavery. They've
made it the long way. Moses is no longer with them,
(04:49):
and they camp on one side of the Jordan. They
don't know how they're going to get across. Miraculously, God says,
consecrate yourselves. I'm going to make a way for you
to get across. and you remember the story. The Ark
of the covenant goes first. As soon as the priest
step on the waters of the Jordan that were over
flooded at the time, a a a path clears like
(05:13):
the Red sea. A path clears for the people to
walk across to the other side. It is a powerful, compelling,
momentous occasion in which supernaturally God's presence provides a way
for them to go into the next stage of their
destiny and their future. Powerful. Imagine the image of the
(05:38):
priest in the middle of the Jordan with the Ark
of the covenant. Of course, the Ark of the covenant
is symbolic of the presence of God. And there, standing
in the middle of the Jordan, the waters have parted
to the side, and thousands upon thousands of Israelites are crossing.
I'm sure some weeping as they remember. Uh, just the
(06:00):
Just the faithfulness of God. I'm sure some nervous hoping
that these walls of water aren't going to crash down
on them. Some amazed and trying to figure out how
this is happening, but nonetheless, they realize this is a
a God moment. And I want you to notice what
happens when they get on the other side of this
(06:21):
God moment in Joshua chapter four verse one, it says,
when the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the
Lord said to Joshua, choose 12 men from among the people,
one from each tribe, and tell them to take up.
Here it goes, 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan,
(06:44):
from right where the priests are standing, and carry them
over with you, and put them down on the place
where you stay tonight. So, uh, if you're taking notes,
I want you to write this down. The greatest reminders
come from the deepest and darkest challenges of life. It's
(07:10):
interesting that Joshua told Commanded by God, but he picked
up 12 stones that were in the middle, not on
the side, in the middle of the Jordan and right
where the priests were standing. The middle of the river
usually is the deepest part of the river, and so
pick up the stones from the deepest part of the river,
(07:33):
where the challenge were the greatest, where you thought will
never make it through this. And I love that. And, uh,
it tells us a few verses later in the future
when your children ask, what do these stones mean? Tell
them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off
before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. I
love that. That your greatest challenge was interrupted by the
(07:56):
presence of God. He here that That your greatest challenge
was interrupted by the greatest power on earth, which is
the presence of God. And so when it crossed the Jordan,
the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones
are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.
(08:21):
Verse eight. So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them.
They took 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan,
according to the number of the tribes of Israel, of
the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua, and they
carried them over with them to their camp, where they
put them down. Now I want you to notice that
Joshua was asked to take these stones from a particular place.
(08:43):
Very specific. The deepest place where the priest in the
middle of the Jordan. And where the priests were standing
with the ark. So the deepest challenge and the strongest presence.
You know, the testing of our faith usually happens at
(09:05):
the intersection of our greatest challenge and the deepest presence
of God. And that's where our faith grows. That's where
we're transformed. That's where perseverance takes root. That's where we
become different individuals. And our faith has been challenged in
(09:27):
the last year. 2020 has been a very challenging year
for so many people. And I want to remind you
the words of James where it says, consider it pure joy.
My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
And let perseverance finish its work so that you may
(09:49):
be mature and complete, not lacking anything. In other words,
it's the testing of your faith that actually brings about
a transformation of Transformation of your character that grows you
to a more mature individual. You know, I think that
oftentimes we experience faith amnesia. We quickly forget when we're
(10:14):
out of the trouble. When we're out of the challenge,
we quickly forget the power of God's presence. The answer
to prayers that we've been through. I know that it's
so easy for that to happen. And so we need, uh,
memory jolters that remind us of what God has done.
(10:38):
If you walk into my home office, uh, you'll see that. Well,
there's a lot of things that I have in my office,
but I keep a few things that jog my memory,
a few things that remind me of really important occasions.
And to be honest with you, I have diplomas Us, and, uh,
(11:01):
I have certificates, and none of them are hung up
on my wall. Uh, because although those are important, they
symbolize an accomplishment made. They're not the most important moments
in my life. Um, I have a picture of my father, uh,
with a horse, uh, because it reminds me of their journey.
(11:27):
Risking everything to go to a different country, a rustic place. And, um,
he would ride a horse to these little villages in
the mountains to share about Jesus. And I want to
be reminded. Hey, um, don't get too comfortable. Remember, you
come from a legacy of sacrifice, of risk taking, and
(11:50):
it's a picture. But it reminds me. I have a
a beaded necklace that was given to me by Steve Saint,
whose father was martyred in the in the Amazon jungle.
But he his mother stayed on and helped reach the tribe,
(12:14):
the Guarani people. And he gave it to me. Uh,
we were speaking at a conference together, and I told him,
you know, it was your parents, your dad's death, that
helped inspire my parents journey to the mission field. And, um,
so I keep it as a reminder that, um, there's
never a sacrifice that's too great. Don't get too comfortable.
(12:36):
It's a great reminder of my heritage, of my past. And, um,
I have a few reminders like that in my office
that are significant. You may see them, and they don't
mean much to you, but to me, they recall some powerful,
important lessons. Uh, just like 12 stones, a passerby could
(12:57):
walk by the 12 stones and it would just look
just look like a pile of stones. Not beautiful. No, uh,
sculpture involved in it. But those 12 stones attached to
a memory become powerful reminders of the faithfulness of God.
S1 (13:25):
Discovering that our deepest challenges produce the most powerful lessons.
That's the takeaway from today's message so far regarding the
12 stones. You're listening to Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe.
He'll continue our lesson in just a moment, but just
a reminder if you'd like to hear this message again,
or if you'd like to send a link with today's
program to someone who might need to hear this message,
(13:46):
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(14:08):
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All right. Now let's get back into Mark Jobe's message
in Joshua chapter four. It's titled 12 stones.
S2 (14:25):
And I love what Deuteronomy chapter six says. When you
settle down, when you built houses, when you've come out
of your challenging season, he says, then watch yourself that
you do not forget the Lord who brought you from
the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Uh,
he's reminding them how quickly we forget. So never forget
(14:45):
what God is teaching you. Remember? Remember, remember. And, um.
I think these 12 stones were reminding them that the
flow of your hour. Their challenge was cut off by
the flow of the presence of God. Secondly, not only
(15:05):
remember that the greatest lessons come from the greatest challenges,
but number two, pick reminders from the place where the
challenge was the greatest and the presence was the strongest.
Verse nine Joshua set up 12 stones that had been
in the middle of the Jordan, at a spot where
(15:25):
the priest who carried the ark of the covenant had stood.
And they are there to this day. Again, this was
a unique spot. God said to Joshua, don't pick any stones.
I want you to pick 12 stones from where the
priest were standing with the ark, which symbolizes the presence
(15:48):
on their back. This is a place of presence and
challenge the intersection. And, um, I believe at the intersection
where the problem meets the presence. That's where we find
the greatest reminders I know in my life. That's where
I learned the greatest lessons, where my faith was challenged
(16:10):
the most, where I didn't see a way forward, where
I wasn't sure how we were going to cross over.
And it's the presence of God just saying, okay, God,
I'm going to trust you. I'm going to believe that
it's you, your presence, your power that can take me through.
It's those lessons learned in those moments that have literally
(16:30):
transformed my life. So find that intersection. Think back for
a moment over 2020 and ask yourself, what is the
intersection where my challenge was the greatest? But the presence
of God was the strongest. And the lessons that you learned, uh,
(16:54):
the Bible is clear in this passage that App. It
was not until the priest, carrying the presence stepped into
the problem and the challenge that a way was made.
And this is a continual reminder that without the presence
(17:16):
and the power of God that we just can't move forward,
we can't make it. And I know some of you
are very, very attuned to that and very aware of that,
especially as we end up 2020. Number three, if you're
taking notes, write this down as you stand in his presence, remember,
(17:37):
you are making a way for present victory and preparing
for future battle. I want you to notice this. You
may have never seen this in the passage before, but
in verse ten it says, now the priests who carried
the ark remain standing in the middle of the Jordan
until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua Was done by
(18:01):
the people. So the priest, they were standing there a
long time. Just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people
hurried over, I would hurry. Wouldn't you, if there were
walls of water beside me? I wouldn't be strolling. I
would be at a nice jog to get out of
that situation. And as soon as all of them had
(18:24):
crossed the ark of the Lord. And the priest came
to the other side while the people watched. Verse 13
says this. Listen, about 40,000 armed for battle crossed over
before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war.
So here's what I want you to understand about this.
(18:47):
Keep this in mind. Listen, God was setting things up
with his presence under pressure for future victories. Um, it
was the army of 40,000 that crossed through the Jordan.
While the presence of God was making a way for
(19:08):
them to cross. Now, they didn't really know that Jericho
was right around the corner. They didn't fully comprehend that.
But but listen, God, in this challenge was allowing the
army that would defeat Jericho on the other side to
(19:29):
position themselves to fight the battle in the future. And
I believe that's the way it is in our lives,
is that sometimes right now, the challenge that you're in
with the presence of God is making a way, and
you're trusting God. You may not be fully aware of this,
but God is actually using that to prepare you, to
(19:52):
set you up for future victories. Some of the lessons
I had to learn early on in on in life
that were challenging to my soul. They actually prepared me
for future victories. I didn't know it at the time.
I look back and I think, wow, those were small
battles I fought back then. But those small battles actually
(20:13):
prepared me for the greater battles that later on I
would have to fight. You see, you have to stay
in the place of his presence in the midst of
the deepest challenge until everything that God wants to accomplish
is done. And that's what it says early in the
passage that they stayed there until everything, everything passed over
(20:36):
until everything that God wanted to do got done. But
they had to maintain that place, which is not easy
to maintain. It's difficult. But and it wasn't just about today.
This was a great victory to cross over the Jordan,
but it was about the preparation for the battle that
was coming tomorrow. Some of you have gone through some
(20:58):
major challenges in 2020. For some of you, you've been
tested like you've never been tested before. But I have
a sneaking suspicion that for many of you, this is
just a preparation phase. I don't want to scare you,
but this is just a preparation phase for some other
(21:18):
battles that you'll be facing in the future that will
make 2020 seem like very small battles. Because God is
preparing you for some major battles in the future. The
Jericho battles in which again, we have to trust the
presence and the power of God. It's actually a word
(21:40):
of encouragement because of that. And then, number four, I'm
talking to you about remembering. Remembering and the 12 stones, um,
set up these reminders where you can see them Often
because greater battles are yet to come. Verse 19, it says,
(22:05):
on the 10th day of the first month, the people
went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on
the eastern border of Jericho. Verse 20 And Joshua set
up at Gilgal the 12 stones they had taken out
of the Jordan. He said to the Israelites, in the future,
(22:26):
when your descendants ask your parents, what do these stones mean?
Tell them Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground. For
the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you
until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did
to the Jordan what he had done to the Red sea.
When he dried it up before us, until we had
(22:47):
crossed over. He did this. Listen, he did this so
that all the peoples of the earth might know that
the hand of the Lord is Powerful and so that
you may always fear the Lord your God.
S1 (23:14):
Mark will expand on that last point in our message
next weekend, so be sure to join us then. This
is Bold Steps weekend and you're listening to Mark Jobe.
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(23:35):
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(24:15):
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(25:21):
Hear Mark's insightful teaching all week long on your way
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the Bold Steps podcast. I'm Wayne Shepherd, inviting you to
join us again next weekend for the conclusion of our message.
12 stones when Mark will focus on telling stories that
(25:42):
help us remember God's faithfulness. That is next time on
Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe. Bold Steps Weekend is
a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.
Today on Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe. We're learning
how to remember even when forgetting is so easy.
S2 (00:07):
You know, I think that oftentimes we experience faith amnesia.
We quickly forget when we're out of the trouble. When
we're out of the challenge, we quickly forget the power
of God's presence. The answer to prayers that we've been through.
We need memory jolters that become powerful reminders of the
(00:28):
faithfulness of God.
S1 (00:41):
Welcome to Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe. Mark is
president of Moody Bible Institute and the senior pastor of
New Life Community Church in Chicago. My name is Wayne Shepherd.
You know, it's amazing how quickly we can forget God's
faithfulness in our lives when we're in the middle of
life's challenges, we often experience what Mark calls faith amnesia, Nesia.
Forgetting the ways God has worked in our past. Today
(01:03):
he shares a powerful message. He spoke at the President's
Chapel a few years ago, exploring how we can create
lasting reminders of God's faithfulness that will strengthen our faith
for future challenges. You can find additional resources and information
about today's teaching at Bold Steps. But let's join Mark
now in Joshua chapter four as he begins today's message.
(01:24):
12 stones.
S2 (01:27):
I get interrupted by my dog barking or the doorbell
ringing or a phone call. Hey, you understand, right? But
today I wanted to talk to you about something that's
been on my heart. Found in Joshua chapter four. I
want to talk to you about remembering. And in particular,
I've entitled this message 12 stones. You know, there's something
(01:52):
about remembering what God has done, what he's taken us through,
the lessons that we've learned That equips and empowers us
to face our present and to have perspective about our future.
And I'm amazed that over and over in the Old Testament,
(02:13):
God seems to tell the people of Israel, hey, put
a pile of stones there and they say, why? He says,
so your children will ask, why is that pile of
stones there? And you tell them what God did at
this place. So there's a pile of stones everywhere, reminding
the people, hey, remember what God did in this place?
(02:34):
Remember what God did there? There's something powerful about telling
the stories of what God has done and remembering what
God has done. Because it empowers us. It helps us. Uh,
we quickly get amnesia, I believe. And so there there
are things that help us jog our memory. Uh, years ago,
(02:57):
I exchanged with a beautiful woman at my side a
a symbol of remembrance. I still remember that day. I
was nervous looking at her face and the pastor said,
and what symbol do you give of the love that
you have promised to D? And I said, this ring.
(03:20):
And I gave her a ring that she has worn
until this day. And she gave me a ring also
that I wear every day now. This is not the
original ring. The original ring unfortunately got lost. It's. This
is the third iteration of the ring. But it's not
about the ring. It's about the symbolism. And I wear
this ring all the time. I don't take it off.
(03:43):
I wear it wherever I go. Why? Because this ring
is a reminder of the covenant relationship that I have
with my wife. It's a reminder wherever I go. Uh,
people from the outside look at my hand. They say, oh,
he's married. When I look at it, I remember the
vows that I made years ago to my wife. And
(04:05):
until death do us part. So it's a it's a
memory jogger. It jolts us to remember some of those
things that are important for us to remember. So, Joshua,
chapter four, you know, the story probably, uh, Joshua and
(04:27):
the people of Israel have gathered together after 40 years
of the desert, a long detour because of disobedience. God
is taking a people to the Promised Land. He's got
a destiny, a purpose. They've come out of slavery. They've
made it the long way. Moses is no longer with them,
(04:49):
and they camp on one side of the Jordan. They
don't know how they're going to get across. Miraculously, God says,
consecrate yourselves. I'm going to make a way for you
to get across. and you remember the story. The Ark
of the covenant goes first. As soon as the priest
step on the waters of the Jordan that were over
flooded at the time, a a a path clears like
(05:13):
the Red sea. A path clears for the people to
walk across to the other side. It is a powerful, compelling,
momentous occasion in which supernaturally God's presence provides a way
for them to go into the next stage of their
destiny and their future. Powerful. Imagine the image of the
(05:38):
priest in the middle of the Jordan with the Ark
of the covenant. Of course, the Ark of the covenant
is symbolic of the presence of God. And there, standing
in the middle of the Jordan, the waters have parted
to the side, and thousands upon thousands of Israelites are crossing.
I'm sure some weeping as they remember. Uh, just the
(06:00):
Just the faithfulness of God. I'm sure some nervous hoping
that these walls of water aren't going to crash down
on them. Some amazed and trying to figure out how
this is happening, but nonetheless, they realize this is a
a God moment. And I want you to notice what
happens when they get on the other side of this
(06:21):
God moment in Joshua chapter four verse one, it says,
when the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the
Lord said to Joshua, choose 12 men from among the people,
one from each tribe, and tell them to take up.
Here it goes, 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan,
(06:44):
from right where the priests are standing, and carry them
over with you, and put them down on the place
where you stay tonight. So, uh, if you're taking notes,
I want you to write this down. The greatest reminders
come from the deepest and darkest challenges of life. It's
(07:10):
interesting that Joshua told Commanded by God, but he picked
up 12 stones that were in the middle, not on
the side, in the middle of the Jordan and right
where the priests were standing. The middle of the river
usually is the deepest part of the river, and so
pick up the stones from the deepest part of the river,
(07:33):
where the challenge were the greatest, where you thought will
never make it through this. And I love that. And, uh,
it tells us a few verses later in the future
when your children ask, what do these stones mean? Tell
them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off
before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. I
love that. That your greatest challenge was interrupted by the
(07:56):
presence of God. He here that That your greatest challenge
was interrupted by the greatest power on earth, which is
the presence of God. And so when it crossed the Jordan,
the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones
are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.
(08:21):
Verse eight. So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them.
They took 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan,
according to the number of the tribes of Israel, of
the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua, and they
carried them over with them to their camp, where they
put them down. Now I want you to notice that
Joshua was asked to take these stones from a particular place.
(08:43):
Very specific. The deepest place where the priest in the
middle of the Jordan. And where the priests were standing
with the ark. So the deepest challenge and the strongest presence.
You know, the testing of our faith usually happens at
(09:05):
the intersection of our greatest challenge and the deepest presence
of God. And that's where our faith grows. That's where
we're transformed. That's where perseverance takes root. That's where we
become different individuals. And our faith has been challenged in
(09:27):
the last year. 2020 has been a very challenging year
for so many people. And I want to remind you
the words of James where it says, consider it pure joy.
My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
And let perseverance finish its work so that you may
(09:49):
be mature and complete, not lacking anything. In other words,
it's the testing of your faith that actually brings about
a transformation of Transformation of your character that grows you
to a more mature individual. You know, I think that
oftentimes we experience faith amnesia. We quickly forget when we're
(10:14):
out of the trouble. When we're out of the challenge,
we quickly forget the power of God's presence. The answer
to prayers that we've been through. I know that it's
so easy for that to happen. And so we need, uh,
memory jolters that remind us of what God has done.
(10:38):
If you walk into my home office, uh, you'll see that. Well,
there's a lot of things that I have in my office,
but I keep a few things that jog my memory,
a few things that remind me of really important occasions.
And to be honest with you, I have diplomas Us, and, uh,
(11:01):
I have certificates, and none of them are hung up
on my wall. Uh, because although those are important, they
symbolize an accomplishment made. They're not the most important moments
in my life. Um, I have a picture of my father, uh,
with a horse, uh, because it reminds me of their journey.
(11:27):
Risking everything to go to a different country, a rustic place. And, um,
he would ride a horse to these little villages in
the mountains to share about Jesus. And I want to
be reminded. Hey, um, don't get too comfortable. Remember, you
come from a legacy of sacrifice, of risk taking, and
(11:50):
it's a picture. But it reminds me. I have a
a beaded necklace that was given to me by Steve Saint,
whose father was martyred in the in the Amazon jungle.
But he his mother stayed on and helped reach the tribe,
(12:14):
the Guarani people. And he gave it to me. Uh,
we were speaking at a conference together, and I told him,
you know, it was your parents, your dad's death, that
helped inspire my parents journey to the mission field. And, um,
so I keep it as a reminder that, um, there's
never a sacrifice that's too great. Don't get too comfortable.
(12:36):
It's a great reminder of my heritage, of my past. And, um,
I have a few reminders like that in my office
that are significant. You may see them, and they don't
mean much to you, but to me, they recall some powerful,
important lessons. Uh, just like 12 stones, a passerby could
(12:57):
walk by the 12 stones and it would just look
just look like a pile of stones. Not beautiful. No, uh,
sculpture involved in it. But those 12 stones attached to
a memory become powerful reminders of the faithfulness of God.
S1 (13:25):
Discovering that our deepest challenges produce the most powerful lessons.
That's the takeaway from today's message so far regarding the
12 stones. You're listening to Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe.
He'll continue our lesson in just a moment, but just
a reminder if you'd like to hear this message again,
or if you'd like to send a link with today's
program to someone who might need to hear this message,
(13:46):
you can do that online at Bold Steps. And if
you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to the Bold
Steps Minute, a special one minute feature that you can
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(14:08):
Bold Steps Minute. And to learn more, just visit Bold steps.org.
All right. Now let's get back into Mark Jobe's message
in Joshua chapter four. It's titled 12 stones.
S2 (14:25):
And I love what Deuteronomy chapter six says. When you
settle down, when you built houses, when you've come out
of your challenging season, he says, then watch yourself that
you do not forget the Lord who brought you from
the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Uh,
he's reminding them how quickly we forget. So never forget
(14:45):
what God is teaching you. Remember? Remember, remember. And, um.
I think these 12 stones were reminding them that the
flow of your hour. Their challenge was cut off by
the flow of the presence of God. Secondly, not only
(15:05):
remember that the greatest lessons come from the greatest challenges,
but number two, pick reminders from the place where the
challenge was the greatest and the presence was the strongest.
Verse nine Joshua set up 12 stones that had been
in the middle of the Jordan, at a spot where
(15:25):
the priest who carried the ark of the covenant had stood.
And they are there to this day. Again, this was
a unique spot. God said to Joshua, don't pick any stones.
I want you to pick 12 stones from where the
priest were standing with the ark, which symbolizes the presence
(15:48):
on their back. This is a place of presence and
challenge the intersection. And, um, I believe at the intersection
where the problem meets the presence. That's where we find
the greatest reminders I know in my life. That's where
I learned the greatest lessons, where my faith was challenged
(16:10):
the most, where I didn't see a way forward, where
I wasn't sure how we were going to cross over.
And it's the presence of God just saying, okay, God,
I'm going to trust you. I'm going to believe that
it's you, your presence, your power that can take me through.
It's those lessons learned in those moments that have literally
(16:30):
transformed my life. So find that intersection. Think back for
a moment over 2020 and ask yourself, what is the
intersection where my challenge was the greatest? But the presence
of God was the strongest. And the lessons that you learned, uh,
(16:54):
the Bible is clear in this passage that App. It
was not until the priest, carrying the presence stepped into
the problem and the challenge that a way was made.
And this is a continual reminder that without the presence
(17:16):
and the power of God that we just can't move forward,
we can't make it. And I know some of you
are very, very attuned to that and very aware of that,
especially as we end up 2020. Number three, if you're
taking notes, write this down as you stand in his presence, remember,
(17:37):
you are making a way for present victory and preparing
for future battle. I want you to notice this. You
may have never seen this in the passage before, but
in verse ten it says, now the priests who carried
the ark remain standing in the middle of the Jordan
until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua Was done by
(18:01):
the people. So the priest, they were standing there a
long time. Just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people
hurried over, I would hurry. Wouldn't you, if there were
walls of water beside me? I wouldn't be strolling. I
would be at a nice jog to get out of
that situation. And as soon as all of them had
(18:24):
crossed the ark of the Lord. And the priest came
to the other side while the people watched. Verse 13
says this. Listen, about 40,000 armed for battle crossed over
before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war.
So here's what I want you to understand about this.
(18:47):
Keep this in mind. Listen, God was setting things up
with his presence under pressure for future victories. Um, it
was the army of 40,000 that crossed through the Jordan.
While the presence of God was making a way for
(19:08):
them to cross. Now, they didn't really know that Jericho
was right around the corner. They didn't fully comprehend that.
But but listen, God, in this challenge was allowing the
army that would defeat Jericho on the other side to
(19:29):
position themselves to fight the battle in the future. And
I believe that's the way it is in our lives,
is that sometimes right now, the challenge that you're in
with the presence of God is making a way, and
you're trusting God. You may not be fully aware of this,
but God is actually using that to prepare you, to
(19:52):
set you up for future victories. Some of the lessons
I had to learn early on in on in life
that were challenging to my soul. They actually prepared me
for future victories. I didn't know it at the time.
I look back and I think, wow, those were small
battles I fought back then. But those small battles actually
(20:13):
prepared me for the greater battles that later on I
would have to fight. You see, you have to stay
in the place of his presence in the midst of
the deepest challenge until everything that God wants to accomplish
is done. And that's what it says early in the
passage that they stayed there until everything, everything passed over
(20:36):
until everything that God wanted to do got done. But
they had to maintain that place, which is not easy
to maintain. It's difficult. But and it wasn't just about today.
This was a great victory to cross over the Jordan,
but it was about the preparation for the battle that
was coming tomorrow. Some of you have gone through some
(20:58):
major challenges in 2020. For some of you, you've been
tested like you've never been tested before. But I have
a sneaking suspicion that for many of you, this is
just a preparation phase. I don't want to scare you,
but this is just a preparation phase for some other
(21:18):
battles that you'll be facing in the future that will
make 2020 seem like very small battles. Because God is
preparing you for some major battles in the future. The
Jericho battles in which again, we have to trust the
presence and the power of God. It's actually a word
(21:40):
of encouragement because of that. And then, number four, I'm
talking to you about remembering. Remembering and the 12 stones, um,
set up these reminders where you can see them Often
because greater battles are yet to come. Verse 19, it says,
(22:05):
on the 10th day of the first month, the people
went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on
the eastern border of Jericho. Verse 20 And Joshua set
up at Gilgal the 12 stones they had taken out
of the Jordan. He said to the Israelites, in the future,
(22:26):
when your descendants ask your parents, what do these stones mean?
Tell them Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground. For
the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you
until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did
to the Jordan what he had done to the Red sea.
When he dried it up before us, until we had
(22:47):
crossed over. He did this. Listen, he did this so
that all the peoples of the earth might know that
the hand of the Lord is Powerful and so that
you may always fear the Lord your God.
S1 (23:14):
Mark will expand on that last point in our message
next weekend, so be sure to join us then. This
is Bold Steps weekend and you're listening to Mark Jobe.
If you'd like to revisit today's powerful message or share
these biblical insights with someone you know, you can find
all of our resources at Bold Steps. We also invite
you to join our vibrant and growing community of believers
(23:35):
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Just search for bold steps to become part of our
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(23:55):
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with the transformative power of God's Word in 2025. You
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That's 835 66639. Or you can easily give online at boldsystems.org.
And as our special way of saying thank you for
(24:15):
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(24:35):
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(24:59):
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I also want to invite you to join us throughout
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(25:21):
Hear Mark's insightful teaching all week long on your way
to work or at home by listening to bold steps
on your local station. You can also hear it online
by going to Bold Steps. Org or by subscribing to
the Bold Steps podcast. I'm Wayne Shepherd, inviting you to
join us again next weekend for the conclusion of our message.
12 stones when Mark will focus on telling stories that
(25:42):
help us remember God's faithfulness. That is next time on
Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe. Bold Steps Weekend is
a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.
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