Israel stood at the flooded Jordan River — the last barrier between 40 years of wilderness and the land God had promised. The river was raging. The timing was impossible. And God told them to step in anyway. In this sermon from Sonflower Community Church's 2nd anniversary service, Pastor David Hong draws from Joshua 3–4 to show that God's people have always been called to move from promise to fulfillment, and that the crossing is never as clean or comfortable as we imagined. Through the story of the Jordan crossing, this sermon explores three moments every Christian and every church must navigate:
Before the Jordan — What does it mean to consecrate yourself before God acts? The ark went ahead of the people by 1 km — out of reach, out of their control. Following God means exactly that: following, not managing. Consecration through prayer and God's Word is how we align our hearts to where He is already going.
In the Jordan — The priests didn't wait for the river to stop before they stepped in. They walked to the middle — the most dangerous place — and stood there while everyone else crossed. God demands commitment before provision, because He cares more about your character than your circumstances. Worship is not just for the dry land.
Past the Jordan — God told Israel to carry twelve stones out of the riverbed so that when their children asked, "What do these stones mean?" — they would have an answer. The fear of the LORD is not terror; it is the deep unwillingness to disappoint the God who has shown His steadfast love again and again. What stones are you building for the people who come after you?
This sermon was preached by Pastor David Hong at Sonflower Community Church in Burnaby, BC on the occasion of the church's 2nd anniversary. Scripture: Joshua 4:1–7
