The Healing Word

Guest (Male): The Healing Word Ministry, on one place, is brought to you by the generous donations of people like you. At any time during today's message, feel free to send a prayer request or make a donation using the links provided. Now, I pray you will be blessed as Pastor Jack Morris delivers a message from the word of God that will encourage and strengthen your faith in him. The Healing Word program is a ministry of the Largo Community Church where Christ is honored and people are loved. You're invited to join us in worship via live streaming this Sunday morning at either 9:00 or 11:00.

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Pastor Jack Morris: Hey, when God is with you and God is leading you and he will be with you and he will lead you, he is our God through Jesus Christ.

Guest (Male): Welcome to The Healing Word, a ministry of the Largo Community Church. On today's program, Pastor Jack Morris is continuing to look at Joshua and the leading of the Israelites to the promised land. So, let's join Pastor Morris now for an introduction to the message of today, a crossover time.

Pastor Jack Morris: Just a moment, we'll go into the sanctuary and I have a message entitled crossover time. It has to do with the people of Israel crossing the Jordan River over into the land of Canaan, the land of milk and honey. There are crossover times in all our lives and right now your life may be in a state of transition, crossing over from the old to the new, from the familiar to the unfamiliar. Friend, you can do it with Jesus. He'll be your constant companion. He'll give you wisdom and insight and he'll show you the way. He's a shepherd provided you allow him to be your shepherd.

He loves you, friend. He wants to help you and he wants to make your life a great success. So, crossover and experience the mighty power of God. Do it in his name, by his might. Let's go into the sanctuary and hear the sermon. A crossover time. You know, there are crossover times in our lives and I'm convinced that some of us this morning, we're standing on the bank of our own Jordan, ready to cross over into something beautiful and wonderful, but there may be something, something that is holding us back. We're hesitating. We're not quite sure.

There's a little bit of anxiety. You listening to me today? It's crossover time. We are a crossover people and there's going to be great victory. God's leading us into the land of blessing of milk and honey. The Lord is doing this. Now, crossover time means when we cross from the old to the new, from the familiar to the unfamiliar, uh from the known to the unknown. How do we make those transactions and transitions smoothly without faltering and stumbling and doing things that we we will regret. How do we make those transitions? Everybody is moving. Life is not stagnant.

The earth is turning on its axis right now. Time is ticking away. Nothing can stop it and your life and my life is forever changing. Trans transition time, some are going to go from a job to a new job. How's it going to be on the new job? How am I going to get along with the people on that new job? Is my supervisor going to be kind? What's up ahead? Career change. People are changing careers all the time. How about marriage? You're leaving your parents' home. You're going now into a new home. You've lived with people you've been familiar with, parents and brothers and sisters and now a new person you're going to be living with that.

What about a divorce? How are you going to transition, crossover from being married to being single again? And how about retirement? You've worked hard all your life and you've done the best you can and now it's retirement time and there's a little anxiety. What's it going to be like when retirement time comes? How about an illness? How am I going to make it through transition with a sweetness and with the love of God in my heart, with faith without doubting? How am I going to make it all the way to healing? The biggest transition any of us have ever made is when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

That's when old things passed away and all things became new. That's that's perhaps the biggest transition we'll ever make. But there's one more and I'm talking about death when this life is over. Now, I know nobody in here is going to die because you're all too young to die. Everybody else is dying, but we're not going to die. But we are. How are we going to make that transition? Are we going to be ready for it? Can we go without fear knowing that the favor of God is upon us? Friends, it's crossover time. How do you crossover?

I want to tell you about a crossover experience that I had a long time ago, just about 42 years ago when I started the Largo Community Church and I do not mean to hold myself forth as a hero because I know I'm not. My feet are as much clay as anybody else's feet. But that was a crossover time. You see, for quite a number of years, I was an ordained minister in one of the largest denominations in America with over 3 million uh members with literally thousands of churches and I had pastored three churches at three different times and I knew that when I would pastor a church, maybe 5 years, I could move on to another church.

I when but when I crossed over and I came to Largo, all those churches were gone. And for reasons that I'm not going just to go into this morning is that it became necessary for me to think of the type of church that I felt God wanted in this community that I would be better off in making the move. Now, I still love that denomination. I still support it with my prayers. I have many friends there and some of the preachers have preached in this church. So, denominations are not bad as long as they lift up Jesus and magnify the Lord Jesus Christ.

But when I made that crossover, uh don't know that I was thinking of everything that I should have been thinking of. Sometimes faith is blind, but faith is really not blind. Faith is following Jesus when he lifts up his foot, you put your foot where his foot was and you just keep stepping in the way. But the crossover time, they're not easy times. So, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to transition to another church someday. That's maybe why I've been here 42 years, no place else to go. But there went salary. There went a retirement program that I was a part of.

There went my hospitalization. I it all went. It all went. It was a crossover time. It wasn't an easy time at all because there's family and finances and friends and history and I'd been trained in this theological schools of that denomination and again, I love that denomination. It's a great church and a great missionary denomination. But I felt that God was leading and it was time to cross my Jordan and do what I felt God wanted me to do and I did it. But crossover times are not easy. Sometimes it takes a long time to make that transition from where we are to where we're going and where God wants us to be.

And I believe in my heart this morning that some of you are on a crossover. You're on your own Jordan bank. There's a barrier in front of you, perhaps a a difficulty that uh you're you're being cautious and you should be. But you know, when God is with you, when God is with you, hey, when God is with you and God is leading you and he will be with you and he will lead you, he is our God through Jesus Christ and we call him father because Jesus told us to call him father.

Guest (Male): We'll be back with the conclusion of today's message in just a moment. But first, here's an invitation for you to make an impact on reaching souls with God's word.

Pastor Jack Morris: Hello, friends. I'm Pastor Jack Morris. I just want to take a moment to thank you for your prayers and your donations in that order, prayers and donations. I need both from you and if this ministry is to continue and I believe it's God's will for it to continue, I'm going to need your partnership more so than ever before. I thank God for you. I trust that the Healing Word is a blessing. Pray that God's word will go forth in mighty power for the saving of souls and for the healing of lives, emotions and bodies. God bless you, dear one, in Jesus name.

Amen.

Guest (Male): If The Healing Word has blessed you or someone you love, we invite you to prayerfully consider pledging your financial support. Simply visit thehealingword.com and click on donate now to make your tax deductible contribution. Together, let's continue to share the beautiful blessings of God's word with the world in need.

Pastor Jack Morris: It's crossover time. Now, how are we going to do that, make that crossover, that transition and do it smoothly according to God's perfect plan and will? Well, we're going to look at the children of Israel and see how they did it and the instructions that God gave them and if we follow those instructions, we'll go over into the land of milk and honey. We will go to the land of blessing, salvation land. Well, there are three specific instructions that God gave to the children of Israel. He gave them to Moses and Moses gave them to Joshua and Joshua gave them to the people of God and those instructions are still for the people of God and we are the people of God.

Friend, some of you are going to make a great transition. You're going to make a great move. You're going to be able to look back and say I did it and I did it well all because I trusted him and he led me. God leads his people. Remember, we're still sheep and we have a shepherd and he is out ahead of us and we're following him. Let's just make sure we do. Okay, here are the three instructions and I'm going to read from Joshua chapter three, verse three. Well, I'll start at verse two. After three days, the officers went throughout the camp giving orders to the people and here's what they said, when you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God and the priests who are Levites carrying it, you are to move out from your position and follow it.

As I said, life is not stagnant. Sometimes we think we're in the very position that God wants us in and we are up until that time and then all of a sudden something happens. Something happens and we know there's coming a change and it's going to be a big change. Our life is never going to be quite the same again. It might be a death of a loved one, it might be sickness, it might be a career change, it may be a marriage, it may be a divorce, it may be a retirement. I've already said all those things and who knows what else it may be.

But I'll tell you something, you have a God and you are the children of God. I want you to turn to your neighbor and say you're a child of God. Would you do that? And indeed you are. You are a child of God. Now, the ark was was portable. It was it was a uh the throne of God on earth. It was transitory and they would carry it and wherever they would carry it, Joshua said, follow the ark, follow the presence of God, keep your eyes on the ark. Wherever the ark is going, that's God's earthly throne.

Follow that ark. Now, notice what he said, when you see the ark. Friend, let me ask you something. What are you looking at today? You have to look up for your redemption draws nigh. You have to keep your eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ. You have to follow the Lord. Could it be that you're looking at somebody and that person is influencing you, looking at somebody and you're saying, how could a Christian act like that? Oh, I know nobody here has ever thought that. That's never crossed your mind, has it? But how about you as a Christian?

Could you act like that and have that attitude? Could I? See, we have to look. We have to keep our eyes focused on Jesus. There are so many things in this world that's trying to get your attention and my attention. I mean, when we look at television or read the newspaper, listen to the radio, they're always telling us we need to buy something, that you are poor and that you are are without and you start feeling sorry for yourself because I didn't buy that television or buy that car and and the sale is on and and that mattress is for sale and I mean, everything has out there trying to get your attention and get your money.

People, even your own secret thoughts are trying to get your attention. And those thoughts you think, my, God, help me to get those thoughts out of my mind. Well, if you do that, he'll get them out of your mind. But if you keep thinking them, playing with them, letting them come back, then those thoughts are going to drag you down, drag you down and hurt you desperately. When you see the ark, when you see the presence of the Friend, did you see the presence of God in the anthem this morning? Did you see the presence of God when we opened the hymnal?

Did you see the presence of God when we sang the choruses? Do you see or hear the presence of God right now? Did you feel the presence of God when you hugged a Christian and shook their hand? I mean, what are you looking for? That's exactly what you're going to see. You come to church looking for the presence of God. You're going to see the presence of God and you are going to leave blessed, wonderfully blessed of the Lord, blessed of God. Can you say I'm blessed?

Guest (Male): I'm blessed.

Pastor Jack Morris: Can you say I'm highly favored?

Guest (Male): I'm highly favored.

Pastor Jack Morris: Hey, keep thinking that. Keep saying that. Don't think, oh, I've been hurt. That has upset me. Of course it has. That's life. Your husband has upset you. Your wife has upset you. Your children have upset you. You've upset your children. You've upset you. That's life. That's the way it goes. But you keep looking at that. Friend, come on, let's look at Jesus. Let's look at Jesus who doesn't upset you, but establishes your feet on the solid rock and when the winds come and the rains come, your house isn't built on us on the sand. Let's look to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Keep focusing. Now, notice what he said, when you see the ark of the covenant. A covenant simply means you have a right relationship with God and I have to think about that every day of my life. I'm in right standing with God. I have a right relationship with the Lord. I give praise to God for that right relationship. Friend, when you start talking that way, thinking that way, praising God and thanking God for that right relationship, you won't see the faults in other people and the hard places you're going through. The transitions that you're making they'll get easy.

You think, well, you know, I am in a transition, but I'm feeling good about it. God's with me and God's blessing me. The ark of the covenant. He said, follow it. Isn't that what he said? Follow it. Don't follow your thoughts, don't follow other people. Don't follow anything but the shepherd, Jesus, the chief shepherd. Follow him. Follow Jesus. Can you say I'm following Jesus?

Guest (Male): I'm following Jesus.

Pastor Jack Morris: Now, did you tell the truth when you said that? Follow Jesus. Keep our focus on the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, notice what he said. When you see the ark of the covenant, move out. But now, listen what he said. Keep 1,000 yards between you and that ark. Now, I think there are two reasons we're to keep 1,000 yards. There's over 2 million people in this great huge migrating nation and Joshua is saying when you, individual, see the ark, when you see it Well, with a two over 2 million people, if everybody got up real close to that ark and got all around it, well, the people way back, they couldn't see it.

So, he said, keep a distance so everybody can have a good time, so everybody can see that ark and follow it. But you have to see it. Now, nobody can look at that ark but you. God has given you eyes to see and ears to hear. But there are things that are happening that's causing a blindness that we have eyes, but we see not. Jesus said we have ears, but we hear not. We can hear the message and sing the message. Now, I I can't nobody can enjoy the anthem for me. Nobody can be blessed by the sermon for me.

Nobody can love another person for I've got to do some things myself and I've got to take some initiative. And uh he said, keep 1,000 feet. Now, the second thing, I think the reason he wanted 1,000 feet is because of reverence. We sometimes are too casual with holy things. That's one of the reasons uh we started putting our hands on the ministers when they come up to serve communion. They're touching the holy. We're we're too casual. I mean, we can be caught up with a whole lot of things and a whole lot of business and and run in church and take our coat off and sit down and start singing and absolutely getting nothing out of it.

This is this is none other than the house of God. This is a place of holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. We're in the presence of God, in the presence of God's people. We're the salt of the earth. You are with holy people today and it can't be rushed. It can't be rushed. Friend, listen, listen to me. You cannot drift into holiness. You just can't drift into it. You you can't hit a service on the run. No. The ark is moving and I've got to keep my eyes on that ark and keep moving with the ark.

I've got to come believing I'm going to see Jesus. I think today and I've I've been I've studied Protestant churches and and Catholic churches for years, but particularly Protestant churches, we are a church of of of a lot of words. We are a teaching church, Protestant church in general and we're Protestant church. And we are a a singing church. And we are a preaching church. But are we a worshiping church? The awe of the presence of God until I just feel so overcome that I I I just I I I I'm in the presence of God with my face down, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty.

I mean, some of us we're being taught to death. We're ever learning, learning, learning. I'm but a child in the school of worship. The awe of the presence of God. Sometimes it comes, but sometimes I'm reading and I'll I'll slip out of my chair or drop from my desk, put my face on the floor. All of a sudden, there there's a holy atmosphere. Friend, I can't tell you what it's like if you have an experience it, but all of a sudden, I can almost see God's throne and almost see the angels of the Lord. I never have, but seem like I can almost and I can't I can't rush through a prayer and be flippant and oh, God, bless me, bless my family, bless the church, bless the people Amen, I got to go.

I think you know what I'm talking about, don't you? Yeah. No. And and it does doesn't happen by osmosis. You have to be intentional. Yeah. How did you get an education or a college degree? Did the knowledge just slip in or or drift in? No, you you got up. You did the homework. You burned the midnight oil. You got up, you went to class. You paid big dollars to for tuition and you worked at it and you worked at it and you worked at it and finally the day came. But salvation and the religiousness of Christ Oh, God, help us.

So, here two reasons that the ark of the covenant was 1,000 feet away. One, so everybody could see it and two, so they could reverence the presence of God. I pray that when we come to church that we would our hearts would be saying holy, holy, holy, the thrice holy God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Now, that was the first thing. He said, follow the ark. Secondly, verse five. Joshua told the people, consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you. You get it right on church on Sunday with prayer, confession, repentance, consecration.

That's what it means, consecration for the Israelites, the washing of their clothes, the washing of their body, abstinence. And now, what does that mean to us today? That means for you and me to draw close to Jesus. Have you ever I'm sure you have. Wouldn't it be great today if we had all say, Lord, is there something in me that needs your help? I think some of us are afraid to ask God that because he'll show it to us and then we'll have to do something and we're not willing to do something. But when we're willing, we're going to have a crossover experience and we're going to be a crossover people.

Guest (Male): We all go through difficult times, but remember that Jesus is with you during the good and bad times. Pray today for his presence in your life and you'll experience peace in the most turbulent times. Looking for a little extra support and inspiration, be sure to check out everything waiting for you at thehealingword.com. You can pray now with Pastor Jack Morris, lifting up the need in your life and access uplifting messages on topics that matter to you. All this in more is just a click away at thehealingword.com. Join us tomorrow for another Healing Word message. Until then, blessings on you.