WEBVTT - The Crossing -- Part 2 0:00:00.760 --> 0:00:03.880 Today on Bold Steps, Mark Jobe shows us what it 0:00:03.880 --> 0:00:06.600 means to fully consecrate ourselves to God. 0:00:07.200 --> 0:00:11.039 Consecration is saying, I'm going to do things God's way. 0:00:11.200 --> 0:00:15.360 My mind, my heart, my body belong to God. I 0:00:15.360 --> 0:00:17.759 do things the way that God wants me to do them. 0:00:17.800 --> 0:00:21.320 I set myself apart unto God, and I belong to 0:00:21.360 --> 0:00:23.920 the King of kings and the Lord of lords. That 0:00:23.920 --> 0:00:25.200 is consecration. 0:00:37.840 --> 0:00:41.400 And welcome to Bold Steps with pastor Mark Jobe, founding 0:00:41.400 --> 0:00:44.840 pastor of New Life Community Church in Chicago. I'm Wayne Shepherd. 0:00:45.360 --> 0:00:47.840 Last time, Mark introduced us to the story of Israel 0:00:47.840 --> 0:00:50.040 standing at the edge of the Jordan River in a 0:00:50.040 --> 0:00:53.200 message called The Crossing. And today, he's picking back up 0:00:53.200 --> 0:00:55.400 right where he left off, talking about what it means 0:00:55.400 --> 0:00:59.120 to fully consecrate ourselves to God. If you miss the 0:00:59.120 --> 0:01:02.000 start of this lesson, just go to bold steps.org to 0:01:02.040 --> 0:01:05.479 catch up online or download the Bold Steps app and 0:01:05.480 --> 0:01:08.120 take all of Mark's Bible teaching content with you wherever 0:01:08.120 --> 0:01:12.480 you go. Now, here's Mark Jobe with today's lesson, The Crossing. 0:01:14.400 --> 0:01:16.960 This is where God woke me up. This is where 0:01:17.000 --> 0:01:20.839 God started leading. This is my moment of change right now. 0:01:20.840 --> 0:01:25.080 It's confusing right now. There's uncertainty right now. It's scary. 0:01:25.120 --> 0:01:28.120 Years later, you're going to look back and say, yeah, 0:01:28.280 --> 0:01:31.640 that's when I woke up to God. That's when he 0:01:31.640 --> 0:01:34.320 stirred my heart. That's when he started to change me 0:01:34.319 --> 0:01:37.720 and convict me. But right now, as God starts to 0:01:37.760 --> 0:01:40.959 lead you out of your comfort zone, it's a scary season. 0:01:42.120 --> 0:01:44.440 The Bible said that Joshua said, when you see the 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:47.680 Ark of the covenant, your God and the priests who 0:01:47.680 --> 0:01:50.960 are carrying it, you are to move out of your 0:01:50.960 --> 0:01:55.840 positions and you are to follow it. The Ark is 0:01:55.840 --> 0:02:00.040 mentioned 14 times in this chapter. Pay attention. Look at 0:02:00.040 --> 0:02:03.690 the presence of God. What is God doing? And then 0:02:03.690 --> 0:02:06.010 he says in verse four. Then you will know which 0:02:06.010 --> 0:02:14.090 way to go, since you have never been this way before. Listen, 0:02:14.090 --> 0:02:18.210 can I tell you something? Some of you have never 0:02:18.210 --> 0:02:21.610 been down the road of full consecration to God. You 0:02:21.610 --> 0:02:26.169 have never gotten serious about really following God and living 0:02:26.169 --> 0:02:29.370 for God. And so it's a scary path because you 0:02:29.370 --> 0:02:31.970 don't know what to expect. But if you look at 0:02:31.970 --> 0:02:35.290 the presence of God, if you follow him closely, God 0:02:35.290 --> 0:02:39.370 will lead you in ways that are amazing because you 0:02:39.370 --> 0:02:42.410 will know it's the presence of God leading you. You've 0:02:42.410 --> 0:02:49.770 never been this way before. Number two. So first of all, 0:02:49.810 --> 0:02:53.010 be willing to get out of your comfort zone and 0:02:53.010 --> 0:02:57.609 follow the presence of God. Number two be prepared to 0:02:57.650 --> 0:03:03.170 consecrate yourself wholly for the task that is ahead. Notice 0:03:03.169 --> 0:03:07.410 what it says in verse five. Joshua told the people, 0:03:08.450 --> 0:03:16.290 consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow. The Lord will do amazing things 0:03:16.290 --> 0:03:20.050 among you. Joshua said to the priest, take up the 0:03:20.050 --> 0:03:22.370 ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people. 0:03:22.370 --> 0:03:25.529 So they took it up and they went ahead. Joshua 0:03:25.530 --> 0:03:28.169 says to this people, a million people gathered on this 0:03:28.169 --> 0:03:32.370 side of the river. They're looking at the Jordan saying, 0:03:32.370 --> 0:03:35.410 how in the world are we going to cross? They're 0:03:35.410 --> 0:03:38.250 looking on the other side and there's battles that they 0:03:38.250 --> 0:03:43.610 have to fight. And God says to them, consecrate yourselves 0:03:43.610 --> 0:03:48.890 today for tomorrow. God will do amazing things among you. 0:03:49.650 --> 0:03:55.410 What does it mean to consecrate ourselves? It's an interesting word. 0:03:57.610 --> 0:04:01.980 The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and some Aramaic. 0:04:02.700 --> 0:04:06.140 The New Testament is written in Greek. So this is 0:04:06.140 --> 0:04:11.940 a Hebrew word here, consecrate in the Hebrew it's kadosh. 0:04:12.900 --> 0:04:17.860 It means to set apart. It means to be holy. 0:04:19.060 --> 0:04:25.219 When you consecrate something, you say this belongs to God. 0:04:27.460 --> 0:04:34.180 This is used for God. To consecrate ourselves means that 0:04:34.180 --> 0:04:40.580 you say, my mind, my heart, my body belong to God. 0:04:41.620 --> 0:04:44.060 If there's anything in my heart, my mind, and my 0:04:44.060 --> 0:04:46.260 body that is not of God, I will leave it 0:04:46.260 --> 0:04:52.580 behind because this belongs to God. And I'm going to 0:04:52.580 --> 0:04:55.300 make sure that it belongs to God and that it's 0:04:55.300 --> 0:04:58.299 not for anything else. I'm going to say, God, this 0:04:58.300 --> 0:05:04.460 is yours. That's consecration To set yourself apart for God 0:05:04.779 --> 0:05:09.300 so that as God takes you into the future, amazing 0:05:09.300 --> 0:05:14.299 things can happen in your life. You say, well, what 0:05:14.300 --> 0:05:20.260 exactly does that mean? The people of Israel had to 0:05:20.300 --> 0:05:24.860 align themselves with God. And typically, consecration, when we start 0:05:24.860 --> 0:05:27.740 aligning ourselves with God and saying, I belong to you, God. 0:05:27.940 --> 0:05:30.580 Typically it means that we have to leave some stuff 0:05:30.580 --> 0:05:35.740 behind and that we have to take some steps of obedience. 0:05:36.860 --> 0:05:39.180 I don't know what you have to leave behind to 0:05:39.220 --> 0:05:42.820 go to your new season, but whatever's not of God 0:05:43.339 --> 0:05:48.740 you leave behind, you say, like what, pastor? Well, let 0:05:48.740 --> 0:05:51.820 me just say your mind. If it belongs to God, 0:05:52.460 --> 0:05:56.420 it means that right now, if your mind and your 0:05:56.420 --> 0:06:00.060 thoughts belong to God, that you are saying before God, 0:06:00.060 --> 0:06:05.870 for example, that pornography that I go to at two 0:06:05.910 --> 0:06:10.710 in the morning on my smartphone that I just dabble in, 0:06:11.070 --> 0:06:14.150 that is no longer of you God. So I forsake that. 0:06:14.150 --> 0:06:17.590 I leave it behind men and women, by the way, 0:06:17.910 --> 0:06:22.070 because pornography among women has escalated in the last decade 0:06:22.070 --> 0:06:25.830 at a huge amount. And but you're basically what you're 0:06:25.830 --> 0:06:28.589 saying is that God, my mind belongs to you. The 0:06:28.589 --> 0:06:30.990 purity of my mind belongs to you. And so if 0:06:30.990 --> 0:06:37.990 something defiles my thinking, I leave it behind. It means 0:06:37.990 --> 0:06:40.070 that you say to God, God, my heart and my 0:06:40.070 --> 0:06:55.549 attitude belong to you. And so if there is bitterness. Resentment, anger, hatred, envy, 0:06:57.470 --> 0:07:01.110 then I choose to leave it behind and I will 0:07:01.110 --> 0:07:06.430 not go into this next season carrying resentment, anger, bitterness, 0:07:06.430 --> 0:07:13.630 unforgiveness with me. I will forgive my stepfather and keep 0:07:14.190 --> 0:07:17.430 and stop holding him in debtor's prison. I will let 0:07:17.430 --> 0:07:20.750 go of my anger I have towards my girlfriend or 0:07:20.750 --> 0:07:24.190 my ex-boyfriend, and I will release it so I can 0:07:24.190 --> 0:07:27.510 go into the next season. I will deal with the 0:07:27.510 --> 0:07:33.430 prejudice in my heart and the racism that clouds areas 0:07:33.430 --> 0:07:36.630 of my soul as I go into this next season, 0:07:36.630 --> 0:07:39.310 because that is not of God. And so if there's 0:07:39.310 --> 0:07:43.310 anything in my heart that is not of God, I 0:07:43.350 --> 0:07:49.310 choose to release it. Are you tracking with me? Consecration 0:07:49.310 --> 0:07:52.470 means that not only your mind belongs to God, your 0:07:52.470 --> 0:07:55.270 heart belongs to God. It means that your body belongs 0:07:55.270 --> 0:07:59.310 to God. The Bible says that your body is the 0:07:59.310 --> 0:08:02.760 temple of the Holy Spirit, that your body is the 0:08:02.760 --> 0:08:06.040 dwelling place of God. And if your body is the 0:08:06.040 --> 0:08:08.120 temple of the Holy Spirit, it means that you also 0:08:08.120 --> 0:08:12.400 consecrate your body to God. That means that you choose 0:08:12.400 --> 0:08:16.760 not to defile your body with anything that could pollute it. 0:08:17.080 --> 0:08:19.840 As you say, my body belongs to you, God. That 0:08:19.840 --> 0:08:25.320 means that, hey, if you're using substance to give you 0:08:25.360 --> 0:08:28.520 the happiness that the Holy Spirit should be giving you, 0:08:28.520 --> 0:08:33.240 then you forsake it. You stop popping mollies. You stop 0:08:33.640 --> 0:08:37.520 smoking weed on the weekends to relax yourself. You start 0:08:37.559 --> 0:08:41.679 stop smoking, uh, snorting lines of cocaine. Why? Because you 0:08:41.720 --> 0:08:45.240 are saying I don't get cheap substitutes from things that 0:08:45.240 --> 0:08:48.679 give me a thrill. My joy and my happiness and 0:08:48.679 --> 0:08:51.760 my peace of mind comes from God Himself and not 0:08:51.760 --> 0:09:00.640 substance that causes me a fake peace or relaxation. Listen. 0:09:00.640 --> 0:09:04.120 It means that you say that my body belongs to God. Yes. Hello. 0:09:04.360 --> 0:09:08.800 It means that your sexuality belongs to God. Hey, I, 0:09:09.040 --> 0:09:11.240 I want to say, first of all, that sometimes people 0:09:11.240 --> 0:09:13.800 here in church, uh, the only thing they hear about 0:09:13.800 --> 0:09:16.640 sexuality and sex is don't, don't, don't. Bad, bad, bad. 0:09:16.640 --> 0:09:19.160 Stop stop, stop. I want to say good good, good, 0:09:19.160 --> 0:09:26.080 go go go do it. Great. In marriage. Sexuality is 0:09:26.080 --> 0:09:29.000 a gift of God. It's something that is good. It's pure, 0:09:29.000 --> 0:09:32.360 it's holy. It's of God. It's to be enjoyed. In fact, 0:09:32.360 --> 0:09:34.280 I wanted to get a t shirt that said Christians 0:09:34.280 --> 0:09:35.959 do it better, but my wife wouldn't let me do 0:09:35.960 --> 0:09:41.319 that because it is a great thing, a gift of God. 0:09:41.320 --> 0:09:44.760 But it is. Listen to me. It is to be managed. 0:09:45.200 --> 0:09:49.559 It is to be managed God's way. And God says 0:09:49.800 --> 0:09:53.959 within marriage a covenant relationship. Man and a woman that 0:09:53.960 --> 0:09:57.839 have vowed before God until death do us part. That's 0:09:57.840 --> 0:10:01.130 God's way. Well, I know I hear you, some of 0:10:01.130 --> 0:10:04.490 you saying pastor like, wait a second, pastor like that 0:10:04.490 --> 0:10:08.530 is way archaic. Super old school. How in the world 0:10:08.530 --> 0:10:10.610 do you expect me, as a 25 year old, not 0:10:10.610 --> 0:10:13.569 to have sex until I get married? What are you thinking? Hey, 0:10:13.610 --> 0:10:15.810 I just preach it. I didn't write it. Go to 0:10:15.850 --> 0:10:18.050 God if you have the problem with it. But here's 0:10:18.050 --> 0:10:22.330 what I know. Here's what I know. That God's way 0:10:22.330 --> 0:10:25.970 is always the best way that God is calling us. 0:10:25.970 --> 0:10:29.170 I didn't say Christianity was easy. Listen, Christianity is a 0:10:29.210 --> 0:10:32.490 radical forsaking of the world and a radical choosing to 0:10:32.530 --> 0:10:37.530 follow God. It's a narrow way. It's counterculture. It shocks people, 0:10:37.530 --> 0:10:41.850 but it's the way of Jesus. So your body becomes 0:10:41.850 --> 0:10:45.089 the temple of the Holy Spirit. And by the way, 0:10:45.130 --> 0:10:49.689 can I just add this to it? If you're listen, 0:10:49.690 --> 0:10:51.850 if you're living with your girlfriend, I just want to 0:10:51.890 --> 0:10:53.610 warn you in advance. You probably don't want to come 0:10:53.610 --> 0:10:58.170 and talk to me. Because I'm going to ask you 0:10:59.210 --> 0:11:01.449 and I know what you come. I have this conversation 0:11:01.450 --> 0:11:03.890 all the time. People come before me, they say, hey, pastor, 0:11:03.890 --> 0:11:06.130 I say, who's this? Are you married? No. Well, she's 0:11:06.130 --> 0:11:11.250 my fiance. I said, oh, how long? What is it, baby? 0:11:11.290 --> 0:11:15.650 Uh eight years. Oh, I'm going to ask you. Are 0:11:15.650 --> 0:11:20.209 you living together? Uh, yeah, pastor, we are, but, you know, 0:11:20.250 --> 0:11:24.850 we're planning on getting married. Who's postponing this? Why aren't 0:11:24.850 --> 0:11:27.890 you married yet? I always know who it is because 0:11:27.890 --> 0:11:36.770 the person will go. And give me some long excuse 0:11:36.770 --> 0:11:38.969 about how you're getting the house ready, the dress and 0:11:38.970 --> 0:11:40.490 the wedding. Want to get it ready? Can I tell 0:11:40.490 --> 0:11:43.089 you something? If you've been living with your fiance, you 0:11:43.090 --> 0:11:45.010 know that person is the person that you're going to 0:11:45.010 --> 0:11:50.130 get married, stop living together, get married as quickly as possible. 0:11:50.130 --> 0:11:54.530 In Jesus name. We'll do the wedding fast. We will 0:11:54.530 --> 0:11:58.610 get you ready if you've been together, stop doing it 0:11:58.610 --> 0:12:02.339 the world's way and start doing it God's way. That's 0:12:02.340 --> 0:12:06.459 what consecration is. Consecration is saying I'm going to do 0:12:06.460 --> 0:12:10.980 things God's way. My mind, my heart, my body belong 0:12:11.020 --> 0:12:13.620 to God. I do things the way that God wants 0:12:13.620 --> 0:12:16.820 me to do things. I set myself apart unto God, 0:12:16.820 --> 0:12:18.940 and I belong to the King of kings and the 0:12:18.940 --> 0:12:24.900 Lord of lords. That is consecration. We don't have the 0:12:24.900 --> 0:12:29.540 power on our own to live the way that God 0:12:29.540 --> 0:12:33.579 wants us to live. In the New Testament, we're talked 0:12:33.580 --> 0:12:36.540 to about the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us. 0:12:37.340 --> 0:12:41.459 In Galatians chapter five, verse 16 and 17, he says, 0:12:41.460 --> 0:12:45.100 but I say to you, walk by the spirit, and 0:12:45.100 --> 0:12:48.660 you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. The 0:12:48.660 --> 0:12:51.980 desires of the flesh are against the spirit, and the 0:12:51.980 --> 0:12:55.059 desires of the spirit are against the flesh. For these 0:12:55.059 --> 0:12:58.620 are opposed to each other to keep you from doing 0:12:58.780 --> 0:13:01.780 what you want to do. So here's what I want 0:13:01.780 --> 0:13:04.740 you to know that if you consecrate yourself to God, 0:13:04.740 --> 0:13:06.980 you are making a choice to live for God and 0:13:06.980 --> 0:13:10.380 to surrender to God. You cannot do that without the 0:13:10.380 --> 0:13:13.420 power of the Spirit of God. If you try to 0:13:13.420 --> 0:13:16.620 do it in your own power, you will fail and 0:13:16.620 --> 0:13:20.580 you will ultimately get discouraged and give up. The Christian 0:13:20.580 --> 0:13:23.819 life is not meant to be lived by white knuckling 0:13:23.820 --> 0:13:27.179 it and trying to do what's right. The Christian life 0:13:27.179 --> 0:13:29.980 can only be lived through the power of the spirit 0:13:29.980 --> 0:13:32.660 of the God who comes inside of you. When you 0:13:32.660 --> 0:13:35.380 surrender to the Lordship of Jesus and gives you a 0:13:35.380 --> 0:13:38.180 supernatural power that you do not have on your own 0:13:38.940 --> 0:13:41.780 until you come to God, you are a slave to sin. 0:13:41.820 --> 0:13:44.020 Paul said, what I want to do, I don't do 0:13:44.020 --> 0:13:46.340 what I don't want to do, I end up doing. 0:13:46.500 --> 0:13:49.700 It's only the Holy Spirit that gives you the power 0:13:49.700 --> 0:13:52.020 to live in a way that you could never live 0:13:52.020 --> 0:13:56.140 in your own power. Are you with me here? So 0:13:56.140 --> 0:14:00.750 number one, as we consecrate ourselves and we cross over. 0:14:00.990 --> 0:14:02.709 We have to be willing to get out of our 0:14:02.710 --> 0:14:07.110 comfort zone and follow the presence. Number two, we have 0:14:07.110 --> 0:14:11.550 to be willing to consecrate ourselves unto God. And number three, 0:14:13.110 --> 0:14:19.110 be ready to step out in obedience and see God move. 0:14:20.190 --> 0:14:25.350 Verse 11 says, Joshua said to the people, see the 0:14:25.350 --> 0:14:27.590 ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the 0:14:27.590 --> 0:14:31.830 earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. Now then, 0:14:32.270 --> 0:14:36.310 choose 12 men from the tribes of Israel, one from 0:14:36.310 --> 0:14:39.670 each tribe. And as soon as the priests who carry 0:14:39.710 --> 0:14:42.470 the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, 0:14:42.510 --> 0:14:47.550 set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will 0:14:47.550 --> 0:14:51.350 be cut off and stand up in a heap. This 0:14:51.350 --> 0:14:58.350 is important. Don't miss it. What Joshua is saying is, 0:14:58.350 --> 0:15:03.359 as you Move out of your comfort zone and consecrate 0:15:03.360 --> 0:15:08.960 yourself and get ready to cross over. You probably won't 0:15:08.960 --> 0:15:14.200 cross over until you first of all, obey God, and 0:15:14.200 --> 0:15:19.320 then God will do what you can't do. The Jordan 0:15:19.320 --> 0:15:25.640 River was at harvest time. It tells us. So it 0:15:25.680 --> 0:15:32.680 swelled to double its volume of water. It was anywhere 0:15:32.680 --> 0:15:37.960 from 600ft to a mile wide. This river. It was deep. 0:15:38.320 --> 0:15:41.200 No way could they pass a million people with little 0:15:41.200 --> 0:15:44.800 children on their own. There had to be a supernatural 0:15:44.800 --> 0:15:49.640 way to get across this, this, this river. Especially during 0:15:49.640 --> 0:15:58.080 harvest time. Joshua tells the priest, I want you to 0:15:58.120 --> 0:16:01.920 go to the edge of the river. And I want 0:16:01.920 --> 0:16:06.160 you to step your feet in the river. Only after 0:16:06.160 --> 0:16:10.440 you step into the river will the water stop. You 0:16:10.440 --> 0:16:12.760 know what happens with a lot of us. A lot 0:16:12.760 --> 0:16:14.720 of us go to the river, but we want the 0:16:14.720 --> 0:16:18.600 river to stop before we step in. We want it 0:16:18.600 --> 0:16:22.080 to be clear before we obey. We want it to 0:16:22.080 --> 0:16:24.320 be easy before we say, okay, God, I'm going to 0:16:24.320 --> 0:16:27.560 follow you. And God says, no, I want you to 0:16:27.600 --> 0:16:30.680 step in in obedience, even though you don't see exactly 0:16:30.680 --> 0:16:34.040 how I'm going to solve the problem. Just obey me. 0:16:34.280 --> 0:16:37.040 And when you obey me, I will make a way. 0:16:38.080 --> 0:16:41.040 The priest, if they would have gone to the edge 0:16:41.040 --> 0:16:42.640 and said, God, we're going to wait for you to 0:16:42.680 --> 0:16:46.120 stop the water. They still wouldn't have crossed over. The 0:16:46.120 --> 0:16:50.040 Bible says that the priest stepped into the water before 0:16:50.040 --> 0:16:54.400 it stopped, and the moment that they stepped into the water, 0:16:54.400 --> 0:17:00.880 something started to change the river. Almost like though they 0:17:00.880 --> 0:17:04.159 were in an invisible dam, was built and the river 0:17:04.160 --> 0:17:08.520 stopped flowing and the water started heaping up. It's as 0:17:08.520 --> 0:17:11.679 though the hand of God stopped the water from flowing. 0:17:11.720 --> 0:17:14.400 And the Bible tells us later on that the priests 0:17:14.400 --> 0:17:18.280 marched through the river on dry land, and a million 0:17:18.280 --> 0:17:22.359 Israelites walk, walked through the river on dry land. But 0:17:22.359 --> 0:17:35.680 they had to take a step of obedience first. The 0:17:35.680 --> 0:17:40.320 first step of obedience is always hard. When you tell 0:17:40.320 --> 0:17:49.520 your boyfriend. I'm done sleeping with you on the weekends. Why, babe? 0:17:55.200 --> 0:17:59.400 Because I'm a follower of Jesus and I've decided that 0:17:59.400 --> 0:18:04.010 my body belongs to God. You say, well, what if 0:18:04.010 --> 0:18:07.929 he leaves me? He may. And if he leaves you, 0:18:07.970 --> 0:18:18.890 he was probably never worth dating. Hallelujah. But if he says, 0:18:18.890 --> 0:18:20.770 you know, I want to follow God as well. And 0:18:20.770 --> 0:18:22.850 if you're following God, I want to follow him too. 0:18:22.850 --> 0:18:24.810 And I'm going to make a commitment as well. And 0:18:24.810 --> 0:18:27.850 I'm going to lead us into this area, not just wait, 0:18:27.850 --> 0:18:32.730 then maybe he's worth keeping. But you take a step. Hey, 0:18:32.730 --> 0:18:37.770 the moment that you flush down the toilet, your little stash, 0:18:38.210 --> 0:18:40.409 you know, stash I'm talking about. Yeah, that stash in 0:18:40.450 --> 0:18:45.530 that drawer. Yeah, that stash in that drawer that you decide. 0:18:45.530 --> 0:18:47.410 You know what? I'm going to go to God to 0:18:47.410 --> 0:18:50.010 give me peace and tranquility. I'm not going to make 0:18:50.010 --> 0:18:51.970 an excuse and say I need it on the weekends 0:18:51.970 --> 0:18:55.330 to smoke, to get me tranquil. And you go to 0:18:55.369 --> 0:18:59.660 the bathroom and you flush it down the toilet In 0:18:59.660 --> 0:19:03.460 Jesus name. There's a step that you take and you say, well, pastor, 0:19:03.460 --> 0:19:06.379 what if I need it afterwards? No. Now you're saying, God, 0:19:06.380 --> 0:19:08.580 I'm going to go to you and I'm going to 0:19:08.580 --> 0:19:10.660 come to you in prayer, and I'm going to ask 0:19:10.660 --> 0:19:13.500 that you give me peace and tranquility, and that you 0:19:13.500 --> 0:19:16.020 take the edge off of my work week and not 0:19:16.020 --> 0:19:18.380 anything else. God, I'm going to go to you, but 0:19:18.380 --> 0:19:21.580 I first of all take a step of obedience. Don't say, God, 0:19:21.580 --> 0:19:24.020 give me peace. And when I have peace and feel 0:19:24.020 --> 0:19:25.980 like I don't need it, then I'll flush it. No, 0:19:25.980 --> 0:19:28.460 you take a step and you flush it first and 0:19:28.460 --> 0:19:38.580 let God give you peace. Then. You see, God asked 0:19:38.580 --> 0:19:43.540 us to take steps of obedience and then see him work. 0:19:44.900 --> 0:19:48.379 Instead of waiting for us to see the solution before 0:19:48.380 --> 0:19:54.980 we take the step. Let the priest, carrying the presence 0:19:54.980 --> 0:20:00.979 of God, step into the river. And look what it 0:20:00.980 --> 0:20:04.620 says in chapter three, verse 17. Then the priests who 0:20:04.619 --> 0:20:07.020 bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood 0:20:07.020 --> 0:20:11.820 firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan. 0:20:12.300 --> 0:20:17.940 And all of Israel crossed over on dry ground. Why? 0:20:19.060 --> 0:20:27.140 Because they took steps of obedience. Can I tell you something? 0:20:27.140 --> 0:20:30.820 I believe that some of you. It's time for you 0:20:30.820 --> 0:20:35.060 to go to a new season. In fact, I believe 0:20:35.060 --> 0:20:38.540 I'm praying that as a church, we'll go to a 0:20:38.540 --> 0:20:43.060 new season that God would move in ways that are 0:20:43.100 --> 0:20:47.660 far beyond what we could imagine or expect. I'm praying 0:20:47.660 --> 0:20:50.940 that we'll see more prodigals come to know, come back 0:20:50.940 --> 0:20:55.860 to God. Not just trickle, but that we'll see hundreds. 0:20:56.020 --> 0:20:58.459 I'm praying that we'll see thousands of people come to 0:20:58.500 --> 0:21:01.500 know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I'm praying for 0:21:01.500 --> 0:21:03.860 revival in this land. I'm praying that God will bring 0:21:03.859 --> 0:21:07.020 an awakening to this country. I'm praying that that seat 0:21:07.060 --> 0:21:11.260 next to you, of that spouse that you're believing will 0:21:11.260 --> 0:21:14.140 finally worship with you. I'm praying that God will get 0:21:14.140 --> 0:21:16.180 a hold of their life in such a way that 0:21:16.180 --> 0:21:19.060 they'll turn and come to Jesus. I'm praying for your 0:21:19.060 --> 0:21:21.820 prodigal sons and daughters, that they would bow their knee 0:21:21.859 --> 0:21:24.900 to Jesus and say, I need God in my life. 0:21:24.900 --> 0:21:28.020 I'm praying for your neighbor that laughs at you and 0:21:28.020 --> 0:21:31.100 calls you a Bible thumper to come to you and say, hey, 0:21:31.100 --> 0:21:32.860 I don't know what it is, but you know that 0:21:32.859 --> 0:21:35.460 church you keep talking about, can I go there? I'm 0:21:35.460 --> 0:21:39.220 praying that God would work in some unusual, extraordinary ways. 0:21:39.220 --> 0:21:43.020 But I believe before God does amazing things of people, 0:21:43.020 --> 0:21:45.220 consecrates themselves before God. 0:21:53.540 --> 0:21:56.179 That's Mark Jobe here on Bold Steps, the end of 0:21:56.180 --> 0:21:59.710 a lesson titled The Crossing. Now, Mark, before we go, 0:21:59.750 --> 0:22:01.629 I wonder if you would mind praying for that listener 0:22:01.630 --> 0:22:03.550 who's facing their own crossing today. 0:22:04.270 --> 0:22:06.909 That's right, Wayne, I would love to do that. Maybe 0:22:06.910 --> 0:22:10.470 it's a crossing because you're about to get married. Maybe 0:22:10.470 --> 0:22:13.950 it's a crossing because you're about to retire. Maybe it's 0:22:13.950 --> 0:22:16.990 a crossing because you've just moved. Maybe it's a crossing 0:22:16.990 --> 0:22:21.190 because God has awakened you and you realize this is 0:22:21.190 --> 0:22:25.710 a new chapter that I'm stepping into. Regardless, you need 0:22:25.710 --> 0:22:29.830 to consecrate yourself for the next chapter. Father, I pray 0:22:29.830 --> 0:22:34.109 in Jesus name for that person that's a bit anxious 0:22:34.830 --> 0:22:37.950 about the chapter ahead of them, that you would just 0:22:37.950 --> 0:22:42.030 give them a sense of peace, boldness, and courage to 0:22:42.070 --> 0:22:45.709 do what's right even when it's hard. I pray, father, 0:22:45.710 --> 0:22:48.869 for that person that feels ill equipped for the next 0:22:48.869 --> 0:22:53.190 chapter you've called them to. That they would sense your 0:22:53.350 --> 0:22:58.149 fresh power and anointing on their lives, getting them ready 0:22:58.150 --> 0:23:01.550 for this next chapter. And I pray for that person 0:23:01.550 --> 0:23:05.350 father that knows they have to change. I pray for 0:23:05.350 --> 0:23:08.149 a spirit of repentance, a spirit of surrender. I pray 0:23:08.150 --> 0:23:13.310 for a yes as they prepare to cross over. I 0:23:13.310 --> 0:23:15.350 thank you, Lord, that you are with us. And I 0:23:15.350 --> 0:23:17.990 thank you, father, that you never leave us or forsake us. 0:23:17.990 --> 0:23:20.910 And we pray this in Jesus name. Amen. 0:23:21.270 --> 0:23:23.310 Thank you. Mark. If you missed any part of this 0:23:23.310 --> 0:23:26.230 two part message titled The Crossing. You can catch up 0:23:26.230 --> 0:23:30.590 any time online at bold steps.org. Mark talked today about 0:23:30.590 --> 0:23:33.870 consecration not being something we can white knuckle our way through. 0:23:34.230 --> 0:23:37.070 It takes the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, 0:23:37.070 --> 0:23:40.470 and that's a perfect picture of this month's Bold Step gift. 0:23:40.510 --> 0:23:44.110 A book called Jesus in Me Experiencing the Holy Spirit 0:23:44.109 --> 0:23:47.950 as a Constant Companion by Anne Graham Lotz. It's a 0:23:47.950 --> 0:23:51.070 timely reminder that the Holy Spirit isn't a vague feeling. 0:23:51.310 --> 0:23:53.510 He's a person who wants to walk with you through 0:23:53.510 --> 0:23:56.869 every moment of life, including the hard work of consecration 0:23:56.869 --> 0:23:59.840 Mark talked about today. We'll send you a copy when 0:23:59.840 --> 0:24:02.399 you give a gift of any amount to support this ministry. 0:24:02.640 --> 0:24:08.679 Simply visit bold steps.org/give or call 800 DL. Moody. That's 0:24:08.680 --> 0:24:15.920 (800) 356-6639 or mail your gift to Bold steps. 820 North 0:24:15.960 --> 0:24:21.760 LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois. 606 ten. And if these daily 0:24:21.760 --> 0:24:24.919 messages have made a difference in your life, consider taking 0:24:24.920 --> 0:24:28.760 that next step in becoming a monthly bold partner. Brenda 0:24:28.760 --> 0:24:32.439 recently shared, Bold Steps is truly a blessing in my life. 0:24:32.440 --> 0:24:34.920 There's never been a message that doesn't speak God's truths 0:24:34.920 --> 0:24:37.199 into my life. She went on to tell us that 0:24:37.200 --> 0:24:40.480 she began sharing messages with her parents, and now they listen, 0:24:40.480 --> 0:24:43.400 share their takeaways, and they talk together about what God 0:24:43.400 --> 0:24:47.200 is teaching them through pastor Mark Jobe's preaching. Well, that's 0:24:47.200 --> 0:24:50.520 the kind of impact your partnership helps make possible. It's 0:24:50.520 --> 0:24:54.119 that consistent month to month generosity that allows us to 0:24:54.160 --> 0:24:57.800 plan ahead, invest in new platforms, and keep this ministry 0:24:57.800 --> 0:25:00.959 reaching listeners at home and around the world. When you 0:25:01.000 --> 0:25:03.879 give $30 or more each month, you'll receive a signed 0:25:03.920 --> 0:25:06.959 copy of Mark's book, unstuck. Out of your cave and 0:25:06.960 --> 0:25:10.640 into your call. You'll receive our exclusive biweekly Bold Partner 0:25:10.640 --> 0:25:14.280 post from Mark, and a 50% discount on everything at 0:25:14.280 --> 0:25:19.320 Moody Publishers. Sign up today at bold steps.org. And don't forget, 0:25:19.320 --> 0:25:21.919 you can always catch these daily messages by subscribing to 0:25:21.960 --> 0:25:25.160 the Bold Steps podcast. Just search for Bold Steps with 0:25:25.440 --> 0:25:28.280 Mark Jobe on your favorite podcast app, and be sure 0:25:28.280 --> 0:25:30.960 to also connect with us on social media. Search for 0:25:30.960 --> 0:25:35.399 Bold Steps Radio on Facebook and Instagram. That's all for today. 0:25:35.400 --> 0:25:37.480 We'll see you next time when Mark kicks off a 0:25:37.480 --> 0:25:40.120 brand new message called How to Walk by Faith and 0:25:40.119 --> 0:25:44.120 Not by Sight. That's Thursday here on Bold Steps with 0:25:44.119 --> 0:25:48.680 Mark Joe. Bold steps is a production of Moody Radio, 0:25:48.800 --> 0:25:51.240 a ministry of the Moody Bible Institute.