First Baptist Church of Highland Park

Rev. Dr. Henry P. Davis III: Hi, I'm Henry Davis, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Highland Park in Landover, Maryland, a Bible-believing, Christ-centered, and Spirit-led congregation. I want to welcome you to our radio broadcast. And remember, there's power at the park.

Joshua chapter 3 is where we turn our spotlight in this worship experience, turning our attention to verse 14. We'll read down through the 17th verse of this passage, reading from the New Living Translation of this text.

So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them. It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the ark touched the water at the river's edge, the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan.

And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho. Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Lord's Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground.

These are the words of God. May you go to your seats around the building. I want to take again even a closer look at that 15th verse that we find ourselves in. Joshua 3:15: "It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the ark touched the water at the river's edge." I want to talk in this service about the subject, "Keep Walking."

Throughout this weekend, I've been preaching from the theme "Walking What God Worked" because God is working in you, according to Philippians 2:12 and 13, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. There is something frustrating about living between God's promise and God's fulfillment. Most believers don't struggle believing God can do it. The struggle is really walking while He's working, walking while God is doing it in that waiting period, that in-between time.

God is working it out, but we don't necessarily see it yet. Joshua has inherited leadership from Moses. An entire generation has died in the wilderness. Forty years of funerals, forty years of wandering, forty years of waiting. Now they finally stand at the edge of Canaan, but one problem remains: the Jordan River. We hear a lot of sermons about the Red Sea, but we don't hear as many about the Jordan River.

The Jordan River, they're standing there, and it's not in the dry season. It's not ankle-deep. Verse 15 tells us it was harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing all its banks. The timing almost seems to be unfair. "Lord, if You're bringing us into a blessing, why do You choose flood season?" But God often waits until the obstacle is impossible so His power can be undeniable.

Don't miss this. It is flood season, and here it is that they are being led to cross a body of water. Notice something: God never removes the Jordan before they arrive. He lets them stand there looking at everything that says you can't make it. The priests are carrying the Ark of the Covenant, which was the visible symbol of God's presence. Yet with God's presence, they still have to walk.

Even though God is present in my life, it does not mean that I lay down or give up, but I keep pressing on. God says, "I'm going with you, but you're still going to have to move." That's Philippians chapter 2. God is working in you, so now walk. Walk in confidence. Walk in faith. Walk believing. Walk understanding that the wind of God is behind me.

Joshua chapter 3 represents one of Israel's greatest transition moments. The Jordan River served as the eastern boundary of Canaan. Crossing it meant more than changing geography; it meant changing identity. No longer were they to be wanderers; now they would be inheritors. The Ark of the Covenant led the procession because Israel's victories were never built around military strength.

The Ark of the Covenant is leading. In other words, you need to have God leading you. There are survivors in the room, persons who know that we would not be where we are if it were not for the grace of God. They were built around the presence. The priests had one assignment: not to stop the flood, not to explain the miracle. The only thing they had to do was simply keep carrying God's presence into impossible places.

I don't know where you think you are in life and what you're walking into, whether in person or online, and sometimes we have to navigate to what seems to be an impossible place. But here it is, simply keep carrying God's presence. The Hebrew word for "stood firmly" carries the idea of remaining steady and established. The priests remained planted while everyone else crossed.

Notice what the text says. They get in the middle, but they stay there and wait until others will pass by. Sometimes your assignment is to stand faithfully until everybody else gets safely across. That sometimes is our assignment: not to pass the buck, not to see somebody else do it, but God is empowering you to stand and stand firm. There are three points we're going to look at in this worship experience.

Number one: faith steps before it sees. You're not going to see what's around the corner, but I'm going to trust You, God, that You can order my steps. I thank You, God, that You sit high and You look low, and You know about every challenge that might present itself. The second thing is: God makes a way while you're moving. We don't need you to be stationary. We don't need you to be sluggish.

We do not need for you to be spiritually lazy, but keep on moving. You might not move as fast as you used to move, but keep on moving. It's a funny thing that even when folk are in church, seemingly struggling to move from one place to another as they make that move. It's a funny thing that if I put on music that is able to remind you of your life, all of a sudden something starts jumping up in their spirit.

The third thing that we've got to talk about: somebody else crosses because somebody was willing to step. Because you are willing to step, you can now help somebody else to keep walking. That's what I want to talk about in the moments that are ours this morning, in the middle of the summer as we get ready to transition to the month of August. Keep walking. Keep walking even though persons might say negative things.

Keep walking, keep trusting the process, and understanding that God can make a way out of nowhere. Here it is as soon as, in verse number 15, the feet of the priest touched the water's edge. Faith steps before it sees. Notice the sequence. The water didn't stop, then they walked. They walked, then the water stopped. There's a whole lot of folk who stop walking because you want things to stop.

But what God is saying is, "Trust Me." And if you trust Me, you will understand. I believe I've got some witnesses in here, and you have kept on walking. Your money looked funny and your change looked strange, and you had all kinds of family drama, but you kept on walking. I kept on worshipping. I kept on praising God. I kept on coming to church. I kept on paying my tithes. I kept on believing.

They walked, then the water stopped. The miracle was waiting on movement. The movement begins with us. God rarely reveals the whole staircase; all He's going to show you is the next step. That is why Hebrews says faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen. Faith isn't blind; faith simply trusts God's character more than visible circumstances.

This week in Dallas, Texas, is the E.K. Bailey Preaching Conference. E.K. Bailey often reminded listeners that the text itself gives birth to the sermon. In other words, here the text hinges on one phrase: "as soon as." "As soon as." That phrase changes everything. The miracle is attached to obedience, not emotion, not certainty. Obedience. Sometimes we pray, "Lord, show me," and God says, "Step."

I'm not going to show you anything. All I'm going to tell you to do is step. And as you step, you've got to realize that God is going to show up. Sometimes we say, "Lord, explain it," and God says, "Walk." I want you to keep on walking. Sometimes we are waiting for courage; God is waiting for movement. I thank God that some of us moved this morning even though you're dealing with challenges all around.

You're going to keep it moving. You're going to keep it moving. I'm not going to stay in the bed. I'm going to keep it moving. I'm going to keep on lifting up my hands and giving God the praise. I'm going to keep it moving. Don't let the devil sit you down. Don't let the devil steal your joy, because the joy I have, the world didn't give it and the world can't take it away.

Somebody this morning, you are standing at the edge of your Jordan. You keep asking God for another confirmation. God says, "I've already confirmed enough. All I need for you to do is take the next step." Your healing may be one step away. Your ministry may be one step away. Your breakthrough may be one step away. But you've got to move. You've got to keep walking.

You've got to walk that thing out. I'm thanking God that some folk had to walk because of construction on our campus. We've got to park and walk places and walk into the sanctuary. I know we've got some folk online who say they're going to be back when we finish all that work. But I'm grateful for everybody who doesn't mind walking. I thank God we need to do some walking anyway.

Do you know that two of the healthiest cities in America are places where you've got to walk? You've got to walk in New York, and you've got to walk in San Francisco. There are hills in the walking in San Francisco, and I thank God that what ends up happening is that we end up being healthier because we're walking. Matter of fact, let me just do a throwback for somebody.

When you went to college, you had to walk to this class and that class was across campus. You didn't have a whole lot of time to dilly-dally between one class and the other, and you had to not only walk, but you had to walk briskly. I'm working them. I'm going to see how good y'all are up there. Oh yeah, oh yeah, you've got to keep walking, got to keep moving.

You've got to move, you've got to move, you've got to move. You can't be stationary. You've got to move. You've got to stick and you've got to move. That was the gift of Ali. He was floating like a butterfly, he was stinging like a bee, he was moving spiritually. You can't be stationary. You've got to move because you have to understand the other thing about movement is that the devil wants you to be stationary.

But God says move. Move in faith, move in confidence, move trusting, move believing, move realizing that the wind is behind me, lifting me, loving me, leading me. I'm moving, but I'm moving understanding that God is able. I know you've got aches, you've got pains, but keep moving. It's going to be worse if you don't move. If you stop moving, there isn't an option for you.

Go out the center gate, make a right. Go down 200 yards, make another right, and then you will be right there at Harmony Memorial. And you don't have to worry about moving. But as long as God gives you breath in your body, keep moving. Keep moving. God does not want you to be stationary, sluggish, but keep moving. That's the text. God said, "I need you to move."

The second point is that God makes a way while you're moving. Verse 16: the water above that point began backing up. And the water backed up because they moved. God didn't build a bridge; He stopped the river. He didn't build a bridge over Jordan; He stopped the river. The miracle happened while they were already in motion.

Sometimes we expect God to prepare everything before we obey. You hear folk all the time, "I'll be back to church when my life comes together." No! Move. Get yourself up and move. God wants us to move. Joshua says movement activates miracles. Notice the water backed up all the way. Many scholars note this city was miles upstream.

God wasn't just working where Israel could see; He was working far beyond their vision. He backed the river up so far they couldn't even see where it went. While they watched the river, God was already handling the source. Isn't that just like God? He's fixing things you haven't even discovered yet. He's answering prayers before you finish praying.

He's moving people you've never met, opening doors you've never seen, working in places you will never visit. Philippians says it is God working in you. Joshua says it is God working ahead of you, like a GPS. It recalculates while you're driving. Sometimes when you turn on your GPS, it has not kicked in yet, and the way you are able to trigger it is to move.

It's not doing anything; start moving. Last year I was at Norfolk State University homecoming. I was blessed to have a person who was driving me because I wanted to get back for worship. I told him that I was going to call him and tell him what time we were going to get out of here. But what I didn't realize was that there were thousands of other people on cell phones at the same time.

And what ended up happening was that the system was crashed. Here I am in Norfolk, Virginia, trying to get back to the DMV, and I'm trying to call the gentleman to tell him where to meet me, but I can't connect with him. All I had was to say, "I remember when I got out of the car, I said to him, 'Meet me here.'" And I gave him a spot: Booker T. Washington High School.

I said, "I hope he remembered that." And so I couldn't reach him, but all I could do was walk to the location. And when I walked to the location, when I got there, he was there eating a sandwich. He said to me, "You know, I realized that the systems had gone down. I could not reach you. I'm just going to stay right where I am."

We get in the car and then he says, "We've got to get out of here now. Let me put on the GPS." But there was no GPS. The system is down. And so what I told him, I said, "Start driving." I said, "If you start driving, eventually we will get out of the dead zone." But if I stay where I am, I'm not going to get to my destination.

God is saying, "Don't stay where you are. Start moving." God is not lost. He knows where He is; we don't know where we are, but we have to trust Him every step of our lives. The recalculation. Now, because a GPS does not guide a parked car. It doesn't work while you're parked; it works while you're moving. And when you move, you realize God can show up and God can show out.

Direction comes to moving people. Thank You, God, for moving. Some of you are retired, but thank God you're still moving. Do I have a witness here? Thank God that you're still moving. Thank God that you can move. Grandmothers, grandfathers—I was talking to my grandparents. From the day I came in the world, they were old.

I mean, we weren't playing ball, we weren't none of that. I didn't know any grandpas like that. My grandparents were old. The only thing we could do together was eat. That's it. But see, we've got these new wave grandparents now. I mean, grandparents look like the mama, not the grandma, and you can keep up with everything. You know all the latest music, all the latest steps, and you taking them with you. You hanging out, all that. Thank God for this new wave.

But the goal is: keep moving. Keep moving. Somebody ought to thank God for every unseen place where God has been working. Before your interview, He's working. Before your diagnosis, He's working. Before your children come home, He's working. Before your next chapter begins, God is already upstream. So what do you have to do? Keep walking, keep moving.

My third point, and I'm through: somebody else crosses because somebody was willing to step. I can't go R. Kelly; that's not correct, he's been canceled. But some of y'all still remember his music. Even Diddy's trying to get a release now, but anyway, that's a whole other subject. We've got the authorities in here today.

Keep moving. Somebody else crosses because somebody was willing to step. Meanwhile, verse 17, the priests stood on dry ground. And as they stood on dry ground, all the people crossed safely. The priests reached the other side last. Everyone else benefited from their obedience first. Here it is because we've got leaders in the room.

Leadership often means your faith creates a path somebody else didn't have to create. I am on my third church of pastoring and my last. But my first two churches, if you go to either one of them, they have new facilities. They didn't have those facilities when I got there, but both of them have new facilities. My first church, they did a remodel.

I left them with two plans. One plan was expansive, visionary, and then I left them with a safe plan. And they chose the safe plan. If God had me there, we wouldn't have chosen the safe plan. It would have been much more expansive. My second church, another brand new facility as well. If you go there today, brand new, beautiful—I mean, it is immaculate. Beautiful place.

But while I was there, we had an older building, was once a theater, and I would talk to them about building, growing, and they were scared. It was tough. I had tough meetings, and it was rough, and I kept on. It was not easy. But once they were able to build, the pastor told me, he said, "The reason why I could build is because you took all the hits. You stood in the place where you took the hits, and so when the opportunity came because of what you had to go through, it made it easier for us today."

The point that I make is that sometimes it's not going to happen for you, but sometimes it's going to happen for somebody behind you because of what you have to go through. Somebody is going through some stuff. You didn't get there, but God got your grandchild there. God got your child there. God got your neighbor there. Thank God for everything.

He's able to do it. So keep walking, keep moving. You've got to understand that your children can cross because you prayed. Your grandchildren cross because you remained faithful. Your church crosses because somebody refused to quit. Joshua's story is never just about one generation; it is about legacy.

I say to people all the time: when you are in Highland Park, you are sitting in legacy. Legacy, legacy. I ran into a person this week, said, "I remember when Sheriff Road was a dirt road," and there are some folk in this room who remember it as a dirt road. But then I drive past Sheriff Road today and I drive up there and I see that illustrious church and I see all that construction.

I would have never seen anything like that, but God did. When Wally Lucas came out and said we're praying for men to come to church—look around this church. You've got men here, men there, men serving, men praying, men giving, glorifying God. It's about legacy. The priests became the bridge between God's promise and God's people.

Ultimately, Joshua points us to Jesus. Jesus stepped into the flood waters of sin. He stood where judgment should have swept us away. He made a way where there was no way. Because He stood, we can cross. Because He walked to Calvary, we can walk to eternal life. That is the Gospel hidden inside of Joshua.

You don't even know who's watching you—some young believer, some struggling mother, some discouraged father, some college student, some recovering addict. As you celebrated another year of being delivered, some grieving widow, they're crossing because you kept carrying God's presence. Don't stop now.

Don't quit now. Don't sit down now. God didn't bring you this far to leave you at the riverbank. You've got to tell your neighbor: "Keep on walking." Walking with God is rarely about having all the answers; it is about trusting the One who already has every answer. Philippians says God is still working in you.

Joshua says: "Keep walking." Jordan may be rising, the future may be uncertain, but God is working. Then keep on walking. If God is leading, keep walking. If God has spoken, keep walking, because the God who started the work will finish the work. And one day you'll look back, not with longing, but with gratitude and say, "I never would have made it if I stopped at the river."

Highland Park, here's your word on a Sunday morning: keep walking until faith becomes sight. Keep walking until the river becomes dry. Keep walking until the promise becomes your testimony. Keep walking because you're walking what God has already worked. Good morning, Highland Park.

Let's get ready for some stinking eggs, but I'm going to give God my best praise. Praise Him from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same. Say yes! Yes! Yes! Keep walking, keep praising, keep glorifying God. Don't give up, don't give out, don't give in. I will! I will trust in Him! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

Keep walking. Keep walking. And matter of fact, for somebody in the room, you need to start walking. You've been walking with your own pace, with your own program, but I want to make sure I'm walking in the direction God wants me to walk. Not where I want to be, but where does God want me to be?

And if you've never given your life to Christ, you can make that walk right now. If you say, "I started out, but I got off track," you can start walking right now. You can start walking right now. "I want to be a part of this church." Start walking. Come down, give us your hand, but most importantly, give Jesus Christ your heart.

You've been listening to the radio broadcast of the First Baptist Church of Highland Park in Landover, Maryland. If you want to receive a CD or DVD of what you have just heard, please call (301) 773-6655, or visit us on the worldwide web. And remember, there's power at the park.