The Power To Change

Because You Believed

Pastor John Talcott
Christ's Community Church

Read Part 2

(10/21) We’ve been talking about the power to change and for the past two weeks we have been looking at Joshua chapter five. We’ve been focused on the Word of God because if I teach faith apart from God, it’s only positive thinking, and one step away from witchcraft. And so, we’re not talking about faith apart from God, not believing that you can will things into being by your thoughts, but the power to change that I am talking about is what Jesus said in Mark chapter 11. He said,

"Have faith in God" (Mark 11:22).

And so, our faith and the power to change has to be grounded in the Word of God.

In other words, whatever you and I are dealing with right now, whatever we need the power to change, it didn’t start with what we are dealing with. In fact, the Bible says in Hebrews chapter 11,

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible" (Hebrews 11:1-3).

And so, the things that have popped up, the things that are seen, that which has appeared was not made out of what was visible. In other words, it started in the Spirit before it manifested itself in the physical realm.

Some of you came to church today because you were believing God for something. Maybe you came out to church today because you were believing in a deeper encounter with God in worship. Or maybe you’re expecting bread from heaven, a fresh word from God, something that is going to propel you on a trajectory to greater things. And so, that’s why you’re fighting the good fight of faith, because you’re believing for something unseen, and that’s why you’ve got the courage to declare that you’ve got the power to change.

But it all began because you believed, because faith is received through your ears and processed in your mind. And so, it’s in the mind itself where thoughts are forming, shaping, and developing, because the Bible says,

"Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17).

In other words, that word that you heard, that message is floating around in your ears before settling in your mind, because the gestation of faith is a process. And so, that word of faith has to stick, it needs to grow roots, which is why the Bible says,

"Humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you" (James 1:21).

And so, it’s a planted word, an engrafted word that attaches itself, that is applied, and that saves you.

It’s that word that sticks so that every time a storm comes into your life your mind reminds you to stand firm. Then you’re able to remain steady, keeping your hands on the wheel, not letting the winds of your emotions move you or the situation shake you. Instead, as the Bible says, you’re able to stand firm,

"Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58).

You see, once you’ve got that word planted, you’re able to grow by it, you’re able to feed off of it, and even though storms are coming, you can be steady and immovable in the storm. Not being tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching (Ephesians 4:14).

And so, you’ve got to stand flat-footed, boldly and confidently trusting the Word of God.

The problem today is that many people struggle with faith because they don’t get the expected outcome that they wanted. You know, they walked the aisle, they prayed the prayer, they gave an offering, and they expected God to be like a magic genie in a bottle. And so, they’re not serving God out of love, but they have this strange idea that God works for them, and until we get this figured out, we’re not going to see the kind of faith that breaks out with revival in America.

Many people in America today say, "Oh yes, I believe," but they’re using faith like witchcraft, and they don’t have a theology that embraces when things are bad. And so, God is good when things are good, but when everything goes wrong, then they run out of answers. In fact, the gospel is actually a very big clue that everything doesn’t always go right, because the cross is not just jewelry, the cross of Jesus illustrates that the will of God can land you in trouble. And that’s why the Bible says,

"Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you" (1 Peter 4:12).

In other words, if they came against your Lord and your Master, they will come against you as well, but nobody wants to teach about the testing of your faith today. However, your faith can’t be conditional and the genuineness of your faith flourishes when it stands on trial.

That is so important because we’re talking about the power to change and you need to know if your faith embraces God for who he is or do you just love him because of what he did. You see, if you have a genuine faith that embraces God for who he is rather than what he does you will have a faith that is immovable and unshakable. A faith like Abraham’s that trusted God when it took too long, when it didn’t make sense, and yet the Bible says,

"Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend" (James 2:23).

And so, even though Abraham made some mistakes along the way, God overlooked all of that because Abraham’s faith was anchored in the character of God.

Now, I’ve got to stop right there because we’re talking about the power to change. That was just my introduction and I want to draw out one more point from Joshua chapter five. Turn to Joshua chapter five, if you want to follow along in your Bible or on your phone. Verse one says,

"Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until we had crossed over, their hearts melted and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites" (Joshua 5:1).

I want you to notice how everything in this text is based on its perspective of the Jordan River. The Amorite kings are west of the Jordan, the Canaanite kings are along the coast of the Jordan, and they heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan.

Isn’t it funny how God will stop everything to make a way where there is no way? How God will go to any length to make sure that you have the opportunity to experience life to the full. And so, I wonder what you need the power to change? And what he is willing to stop for you today?

For the past two weeks we’ve been in the book of Joshua and I have camped out in the book of Joshua because it is a book of transition. It’s a powerful book, like Ephesians of the New Testament, and so it’s not for the weak but for those who are going to take back what the enemy stole. We’ve already been through the first fifteen verses, and maybe I should have done this first, but I couldn’t move on because the Jordan is so very important to the text.

And so, I wanted to spend some time discussing the Jordan, because it was the Jordan that made the difference. It was the Jordan that motivated the heathen Gentiles to respect the Israelites, all because of what their God did through the Jordan. Now, if you don’t understand the geography of this area, the landscape surrounding the Jordan, then the text loses its power, but if we begin with an understanding of the power and transitional nature of its flow it will bring so much more meaning to this text.

The Jordan River itself begins on Mount Hermon and it was the dew that fell on Mount Hermon that made it famous. You may remember when the Bible said,

"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion" (Psalms 133:1-3).

Now, the dew made it famous, but there were many contributing forces that caused it to flow with such power. It started on the mountain as freshwater from the snow, springs, and condensation flowing down through the Sea of Galilee and traveling a total distance of 138 miles to the south before ending at the Dead Sea.

Like Jerusalem an unmistakable characteristic of the Jordan is that it is flowing down. And so, there is this downward movement like when you are leaving Jerusalem because you are in a high place. That’s why Jesus made the reference to Jerusalem saying,

"A city on a hill cannot be hidden" (Matthew 5:14).

Because Jerusalem is a high place. Everything from there is down, which is why the Bible says,

"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho" (Luke 10:30).

And so, on your way down to Jericho, you are coming down like the Jordan, flowing with such power and grace. Its waters were plentiful, fresh, and drinkable, flowing down into the Sea of Galilee.

The Jordan River is going down. The Hebrew word for Jordan means "the descender," because it flows from north to south in a deep valley, much of its course a rapid descent, flowing with power, going down lower and lower until it goes below sea level. The waters of the Jordan which started so fresh upon the mountain keeps going down and down until the freshwater flows into the Dead Sea which is nothing but a large pool of minerals where nothing can survive.

We’ve been talking about the power to change which is so aptly illustrated by the Jordan because it began on Mount Hermon as fresh mountain water, spring water, but as it goes down it begins to change, as it keeps going down and down the freshwater turns to saltwater. Now, at the time of Joshua, when the Israelites crossed the Jordan, it was full and flowing, swollen over and overflowing its banks in a foaming torrent.

I wanted to lay this foundation because the Jordan River is important for many reasons. Not only is it the dividing line between what was and what shall be, separating the desert wilderness from the land of milk and honey, but it is the fault line between Jerusalem and the area now called Jordan. But even more importantly, the Jordan River is where Jesus went down to be baptized. The Bible tells us,

"As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:16-17).

I wanted to bring up Jesus’ baptism because he brings us into the promise just like Joshua went through the Jordan to bring the Israelites into the promise. And so, the Jordan is the dividing line between the old self, the old life, and the new life. Everything on one side of the Jordan is dry and lifeless, but everything on the other side is plush and green with all types of life.

Today, I want to remind you that you have the power to change and the only thing separating you from the promise of blessing and a dry and parched wilderness is the Jordan River. The sweet psalmist of Israel knew that place because David said,

"He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters… even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death" (Psalms 23:2,4).

And so, sometimes you have to call upon the Lord because you didn’t come this far, you didn’t go through all the tests, you didn’t survive all of these years, enduring all the pain, just to be swept away down into the Dead Sea.

In other words, sometimes you have to ask God to break a natural law, to break the gravitational pull, the centrifugal force that creates the flow, because you are having trouble resisting the downward movement. And so, "Lord, whatever you’ve got to do, stop me from going down." You see, because even though gravity is pulling me, even though the circumstances are pulling me, when God gets ready to stop it, he will break a law to create a dry place for you to cross over.

That’s what’s so important about Jesus being baptized in the Jordan, because that let you know that every curse that was against us, every scheme of the enemy is going down into the Dead Sea. That’s why God doesn’t bring it up anymore, the prophet Micah declares,

"You hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea" (Micah 7:19).

And so, it’s gone down into the Dead Sea where nothing can grow, nothing can live, and the thing that caused the Canaanites to become so terrified is that the God of the Israelites stopped the flow of the Jordan.

Somebody here may be on a path that doesn’t look good, on a course downstream, a situation that could turn out badly, but you’ve got the power to change, because the Lord can stop the flow. You may have received the doctor’s diagnosis, you may be taking medication twice a day, but you have the power to break free, the power to change, the power to walk on dry land. I know it may feel like the odds are against you, the geography is against you, the environment is against you, and it looks like you’re headed down to a dead place, but God is getting ready to change some things. He’s going to stop the flow, he’s going to interrupt the current that is pulling at you, that is tugging at you, and he’s going to stop it.

Some of you are too busy worrying about how much is coming, how forceful the flow is coming down off the mountain, but it doesn’t matter how much force it’s got behind it because God is getting ready to finish it. The Bible says,

"He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion" (Philippians 1:6).

And so, you’ve got the power to change, it doesn’t matter the threat of impending danger, God still has the power to shut off the flow, and to turn everything completely around in your life. In other words, everything is getting ready to shift, everything is about to change in your life, because God is giving you the power to change. He said,

"Be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2).

I hope you get this word and hold onto it, because it’s not for your entertainment, it’s for your breakthrough. You’ve been telling yourself that you can’t change, but there are some things that God is about to do in your life. He is telling you that the devil is a liar and you do have the power to change.

In verse one, the Lord said,

"Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan… their hearts melted and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites" (Joshua 5:1).

In other words, your enemies are going to be terrified when they see the favor of God in your life. They’re not even going to understand how to deal with you, your haters are going to shut their mouths, your enemies are going to turn their backs, because God is making a way for you.

I feel like the Lord is breaking some chains in this place, and today I declare and confess Joshua chapter five, verse one over your life. That your enemies would be terrified when they see you stepping into the Jordan, resisting the gravitational pull, standing firm and steadfast against those things that are pulling you down, the thoughts that held you back, because God is giving you the power to change. He’s going to stop it, he’s going to stop the flow, he’s going to stop the pull of this world, those generational things that have trapped you.

I confess and declare in the mighty name of Jesus, that you have the power to change, because God is going to stop the flow upstream. He’s going to stop the witch, the curse, the depression, the liar and the gossip in the name of Jesus. Somebody give him some praise and declare it stopped over your life and your family. Say with me,

"As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).

And so, God stands at your side, this is holy ground, and he says in agreement, "You have the power to change. Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2).

There is a strengthening happening right now in the body of Christ, and the Lord knows that you’ve been through a lot, that you’ve been burdened and bound. But the devil is a liar because God said,

"If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36).

And so, I want to encourage you to seek the Lord, to call upon the Lord, because he is giving power to those who ask to change in his name. He’s going to set the table for you in the presence of your enemies, so you can just lift your hands and praise him.

You’ve got the power to change. I don’t know what. I don’t know how, but I do know who. And so, I’m just preaching it like he said it and I believe it’s getting in your heart and he’s going to use it because he said,

"It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11).

In other words, it will accomplish everything that God sent it to do. We don’t know how, but we don’t need to because he said, my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9).

And so, you may not know how you’re going to make it, but you don’t need to know how, because it might be manna that falls from heaven. It might be a widow from Zarephath. It might be a little boy’s lunch that seems so insignificant, but God might use a little thing to do so much more than you would ever ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us (Ephesians 3:20).

And so, I pray that this message would be really practical to your life and that you would be able to take something home. Most importantly, that you would understand that you have the power to change and that God has set you free from the responsibility to understand. His expectation of you is to walk in faith and not by sight, because obedience is your responsibility and the outcome is God’s responsibility.

Read past sermons by Pastor John Talcott