This month we celebrate the 50th anniversary of a small upstart congregation that, on September 28, 1975, voted to become a recognized community church. From that step of faith, Burke Community Church has grown into a thriving ministry with significant spiritual impact. Join us as we spend this month celebrating God’s faithfulness and looking ahead to all He has in store for the future.
Today, we begin a new series designed to look back at the faithfulness of the living God to this church over the last fifty years, and to look forward to what He challenges us to do in the next fifty years. This is an exciting opportunity, one of those special moments in your life and in the life of this body of believers, so I urge you to enjoy every minute of it. Be ready to give the Lord thanks for His provision, to commit again to our founders’ biblical basis and big vision, and to stand ready to serve and support where the Lord leads us in the future.
On July 27, 1975, when I was a young man anticipating my Senior year in High School, 57 courageous saints stepped out, under the leadership of Pastor Mike Winship, and felt compelled by the Spirit of God to found a non-denominational, Bible-believing church. Initially, they met at the Burke Elementary School, and by September of that first year, they had 83 members who signed a sacred covenant to not only formally become a non-denominational body, but to build the church firmly on the Great Commission of Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:19-20). The next fifty years had their share of ups and downs, challenges and victories, losses and gains, but in the final analysis, the Lord faithfully showed up and blessed the church beyond what any of those founders could contemplate. Today, we are recipients of the initial vision of those early members, but we, too, have our own history and story of the continued faithfulness of the Lord to us.
So, as we look backward this morning at this rich spiritual history undergirded by the powerful presence of the Lord, it is most fitting that we consider our responsibility in light of His loving provision. Yes, as we consider the miracle of this church’s birth and growth in testy times, we must pause and ask, “Lord, what would have us to do? Lord, how would you have us respond?” Answers to these questions are readily found in chapters like Joshua 4.
Before we dig into this powerful historical passage, please permit me to paint the historical background first. Israel just finished forty years of wandering in the wilderness of the Sinai because they failed to take the Promised Land due to their fear of the presence of formidable enemies. It was now 1406 B.C., and Israel just watched the mighty Jordan River part as the priests carrying the holy Ark of the Covenant entered the turbulent waters. Several miles upstream, the waters, which descended from 1,500 feet near Mount Hermon in the north to 1,400 feet below sea level into the Dead Sea, suddenly piled up, as if held back by an invisible divine hand. As the priests carrying the Ark stood firmly in the dry river bed, all two million people quickly entered it and headed west toward the land God foretold they would possess (Josh. 3).
Talk about the faithfulness of God. He sovereignly guided His people to the Jordan River at the height of its flow in the springtime to test them, showcasing His power and provision. How would they get across the fast-moving current? The same God who parted the mighty Red Sea to deliver His people from Egypt would part this river to deliver His people into the land He had promised their forefathers. All they had to do was step out in faith and watch the God who created water, miraculously control the laws of nature He instituted to divide these waters, while instantaneously turning the muddy river bottom into firm, dry dirt. Wouldn’t you have loved to have been there?
How should you respond when you witness God’s faithful and powerful movement? Joshua chapter 4 gives us the much-needed answer, which certainly applies to how He has, at times, challenged us as a growing church to do the impossible so that we, like these Israelites, could live to witness His jaw-dropping provision. The thoughtful rhetorical structure of this chapter of Scripture slowly and methodically develops God’s intended answer and message for us. It all starts with . . .
The Rule (Josh. 4:1-3)
I’m sure it took several hours for two million Israelites to cross from the eastern to the western side of the Jordan just north of the Dead Sea. Once they arrived on the other side, God audibly spoke to Joshua, the leader who had replaced Moses. His instructions were clear and concise:
1 Now it came about when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, 2 “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe, 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet are standing firm, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the lodging place where you will lodge tonight.'(Josh. 4)
Imagine the ask here. Twelve men, one from each tribe, were asked to head back into the riverbed to pick up one large stone per man near the location of the stationary priests who held the Ark of the Covenant. Would you have done this? God sometimes asks His people to do illogical things, but His ask tests their faith, and when they obey, that faith flourishes. How big were the stones? They probably weighed 50-80 pounds since they had to place them on their shoulders. These stones would have been highly different from those on the western shore because years of water running over them would have made them smooth. Why twelve stones? God wanted Israel to know that each tribe had received His miraculous provision that day. None were excluded.
How did Joshua respond to this divine request? Read on and you will see.
The Response ( Josh. 4:4-5)
Joshua, a military man to the core, could have argued with God: “Lord, you know our people are now in enemy territory, so wouldn’t it be wiser to set up a protective perimeter instead of wasting time picking up twelve large stones?” Joshua didn’t do this because he knew the importance of listening to God instead of himself:
4 So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe; 5 and Joshua said to them, “Cross again to the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel.” (Josh. 4)
As crazy as the divine command appeared at first blush, it wasn’t because God had a plan for these particular smooth river rocks. What was that plan? The following two verses give us the answer:
The Reason (Josh. 4:6-7)
God didn’t leave Joshua wondering about His intent with the twelve stones:
6 “Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall say to them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.” (Josh. 4)
God wanted the stones erected in a specific place on land so that future generations of Israelites would be reminded of God’s power and faithfulness to His people. The stones were designed to prompt children to ask their parents, “Mom and Dad, what is the meaning of these particular twelve stones that don’t resemble other stones in the area?” The parents, not the priests, were then divinely challenged to educate their children regarding God’s past act of faithfulness at the mighty Jordan to provide His people, while also propelling them forward to achieve His greater purposes.
Educating children concerning God’s faithfulness was nothing new in Israel. When God instituted the first Passover to deliver Israel from Egyptian bondage, Moses offered this challenge to the people:
26 And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’ ” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped (Ex. 12).
Slaying an innocent lamb and painting its blood on the doorposts of a home would cause any child to wonder, “Dad, what are you doing?” That question would prompt an answer that taught the child about the cost of redeeming their forefathers from bondage. God did not want the people to ever forget this.
When God gave Israel the detailed Law, He anticipated questions from children again. Hence, His counsel to Moses concerning questions from children is most enlightening:
20 “When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ 21 then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. 23 And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. 24 And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day (Deut. 6).
Once again, the miraculous giving of the Law by God to the people was never to be forgotten, and every parent was responsible for making sure their children remembered the reasons for the divine disclosure of said Law.
It was fitting, therefore, for God to command Joshua to memorialize the parting of the Jordan for His people, for it showed that He was, in fact, with them in their quest to fulfill His will for the land of Canaan. The Jordan was a massive obstacle, but with God going before them, the obstacle was nothing but an opportunity for God to showcase His faithful and awe-inspiring provision for His chosen people.
So, why do we pause to reflect on fifty years of God’s provision for us as a church? Because it is the biblical thing to do. Saints of old did it to remember how great God was and is, therefore, stand in their sandals. We also do it so our children can remember that the obstacles we have faced were designed to grow our faith as we watched Him turn them into opportunities.
When BCC grew and flourished, and we knew we needed a worship center larger than our founders had envisioned, our leaders proposed we do the impossible and raise $9 million for a down payment on an $18 million project. This ask by our leaders seemed like crossing a mighty river at flood time; however, we moved out in prayer and lived to watch God do the miraculous as you stepped up to the plate and gave almost $14 million for that down payment. The thirty-year loan we have had for only five years is about to be paid off toward the end of this year! I think we all just witnessed the parting of the Jordan again, metaphorically.
How should we respond to this miraculous activity? Like ancient Israel, we should ensure our children understand what God has done. No, I’m not saying you need to build a memorial in your yard for this, but a little education concerning the ways of God prepares little ones to stand courageous when they face new raging rivers as they grow up to replace all of us one day.
When asked to go back into the dry river bed, with the wall of raging water located just north of them, these twelve muscular men did not hesitate. They eagerly returned because they wanted to be instrumental in helping establish what I’ll call . . .
The Remembrance (Josh. 4:8-9)
Joshua gave the word backed up by the reason for the word, and these men got to work immediately:
8 And thus the sons of Israel did, as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, just as the LORD spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel; and they carried them over with them to the lodging place, and put them down there. (Josh. 4)
Where did they carry the twelve stones? They walked each stone to Gilgal, which was, as best as scholars can determine from limited facts, a few miles from the Jordan, and about two miles northeast of Jericho (Josh. 4. 19). Because Gilgal in Hebrew means “circular,” it is also probable they stacked the stones in a circular format, which would certainly grab anyone’s attention when they traveled here. Despite all of this, let us not forget that these men were instrumental in making sure others remembered the miraculous and faithful work of God that day regarding the Jordan River. In light of them, I must ask you, “Will you, too, be instrumental in doing your part to educate people regarding how God has been faithful to us? Are you ready and prepared to share the stories of His faithful provision?”
When the church originally purchased four to five acres for the growing church in June of 1978, by September of 1986, it had grown so rapidly that everyone realized their vision for land was too small. So, they followed the Spirit, stepped out in faith, and purchased the thirteen acres we enjoy today, but back then, this location wasn’t great. Old Keene Mill Road was a small two-lane road, and this property was pretty countrified. God knew better, so He opened the door for these saints to take a big step of faith and purchase land beyond their vision . . . and probably their comfort level. And look at what happened from 1986 to the present. Thousands, now hundreds, of people call this their home for learning about the Lord, studying His holy Word, connecting with other saints, and impacting our world and culture for the Savior. Who would have ever thought back in 1986 that this would happen, but it did because God is a miracle-working, faithful God. It behooves us to tell the story so He gets the glory. So, will you carry a stone of remembrance today?
Joshua was so excited about the prospects of doing something tangible to help others remember God’s miraculous and faithful action to His people that he, too, entered the dry river bed and erected his own memorial smack dab in the middle of the river.
9 Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing, and they are there to this day. (Josh. 4)
Joshua ventured out to the exact spot where the priests stood with the Ark, and he (probably with some help) stacked twelve stones to (really) call people to remember what had just happened in this location. With an average width of one hundred feet and depths running between three and ten feet, depending on the time of year, you can readily see how twelve large stones stacked on each other would have easily stood out in the middle of the river. Their unmoving presence would have aroused the attention of anyone who stood on the riverbank in this area. Questions would naturally arise: “Say, how did those rocks get there?” “What do they mean?” Granted, God commanded Joshua to erect a memorial altar on the land of this great, miraculous event; however, that did not mean Joshua couldn’t go above and beyond God’s original word, and he did. So, will you follow suit? Will you go above and beyond what we’re talking about today to direct others to the faithfulness of God toward this church over the last fifty years? Will you share stories you are aware of?
Once Joshua finished his work, he headed west toward the bank of the Jordan River. He no sooner climbed up to a safe position than God spoke again.
The Return (Josh. 4:10-18)
You have got to admire these priests. They stood for hours in the middle of the river, while holding the heavy Ark of the Covenant on poles. Did they get tired? I’m sure. Did anyone get a muscle cramp? You know it. Was the sight of the churning wall of water unsettling? You bet. But these men didn’t move. While everyone else ran past them to the safety of the western bank, these men stayed at their post. What faith. What loyalty to God.
10 For the priests who carried the ark were standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything was completed that the LORD had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. And the people hurried and crossed; (Josh. 4)
Since verses 15 through 18 chronologically occur before verses 11 through 14, we shall read them first.
15 Now the LORD said to Joshua, 16 “Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony that they come up from the Jordan.” 17 So Joshua commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.” 18 And it came about when the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come up from the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up to the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks as before. (Josh. 4)
God spoke again, just as God gave Joshua the word concerning what He wanted the priests to do with the Ark as they approached the category five waters. And as before, there was an immediate miraculous action. The exact moment the last priest stepped out of the riverbed onto the bank of the river, the wall of water to the north suddenly rushed back over the riverbed. Once more, the God who created natural laws and had suspended some of them for a few hours commanded the water to obey those natural laws again, and they did. The precise timing left no doubt that God had just performed another miracle for His chosen people. Anyone who witnessed this never forgot it, I’m sure. Yes, when God does something off the hook, whether in the life of a church or your life, no saint forgets it.
The final verses of this section tell us what happened once the priests reached the safety of the other side of the river:
11 and it came about when all the people had finished crossing, that the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed before the people. 12 And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over in battle array before the sons of Israel, just as Moses had spoken to them; 13 about 40,000, equipped for war, crossed for battle before the LORD to the desert plains of Jericho. 14 On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; so that they revered him, just as they had revered Moses all the days of his life.(Josh. 4)
The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the massive tribe of Manasseh originally made a deal with Moses to permit them to inhabit land east of Jordan. Moses consented with this one caveat. They had to join their fellow tribes in subduing the nations within the Land of Promise proper (Num. 32:16-31). They agreed, and now, years later, they are pictured fulfilling their commitment to their brothers by sending armed troops behind the Ark to prepare for battle and claim the land God promised to give them. Seeing this, coupled with the miracle of the parting of the river, naturally moved the people to respect Joshua as their new chosen leader. God used Moses to part water and to form the rag-tag group of former slaves into a nation, and now Joshua was used by God to part water while also assembling the nation into a massive fighting force. No wonder they revered the man. And this is how it goes: saints typically respect the leader or leaders who create unity, lead by leaning on God, and walk with the people when God does something jaw-dropping to show He is with them, no matter what.
The instructive passage closes with familiar words:
The Re-education (Josh. 4:19-24)
Verse 19 gives us a time marker:
19 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern edge of Jericho. (Josh. 4)
Why is this calendar information provided at this juncture? Nothing with God is trivial. Nothing. The tenth day of the first month was forty years earlier when God, through Moses, instituted the Passover sacrifice to free Israel from Egyptian bondage (Ex. 12:3). Interesting. As Passover delivered the Israelites out of slavery, the parting of the Jordan at the same time delivered them into the Land of Promise. How mysterious and awe-inspiring are the ways of God. The implication is clear, too. As He delivered them from slavery from a superior foe, He would now deliver them from superior foes as they trusted His leadership. Again, this speaks of God’s utter, unquestionable faithfulness to His people.
As the author builds this chapter to a powerful climax with the final verse, he circles back to remind us again of the purpose of these memorial stones:
20 And those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. 21 And he said to the sons of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ 22 then you shall inform your children, saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 “For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the LORD your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; (Josh. 4)
God’s miraculous and faithful actions were never to be forgotten, and parents were constantly challenged to teach their children about what He did on this occasion. And why were parents supposed to teach their children, and anyone else who would listen? The answer is given in the final verse:
24 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever.” (Jos. 4)
By recounting the divine exploits of the living God toward His people, unbelievers would be acquainted with Him. Hopefully, this information would move some of them to actually worship Him and not false gods. A second purpose is equally important. By recounting God’s faithful provision, especially in challenging times, God’s people are moved to revere Him even more than they did. The first goal of remembering concerns evangelization, while the second concerns sanctification.
If you are not a Christ-follower this day, I pray that what God has done in this body over the last fifty years will so speak to you that you will trade the kingdom of darkness for the kingdom of light by bowing, in faith, before the Savior, Jesus Christ.
If you are a Christ-follower this day, I pray that the incontrovertible evidence of God’s faithfulness to this group of believers will move you into a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him.
Both of these extended statements can be stated more succinctly because they do, in fact, represent the central spiritual motif of the passage:
