Momentum
Scripture: Joshua 3
The momentum is building - no pun intended. Can you feel it? Today, we’re going to talk about momentum. Here’s a definition of momentum from Wikpedia:
In classical mechanics, linear momentum or translational momentum is the product of the mass and velocity of an object.
Like velocity, linear momentum is a vector quantity, possessing a direction as well as a magnitude. Linear momentum is also a conserved quantity, meaning that if a closed system is not affected by external forces, its total linear momentum cannot change. Although originally expressed in Newton’s second law, the conservation of linear momentum also holds in special relativity and, with appropriate definitions, a generalized linear momentum conservation law hold in electrodynamics, quantum mechanics, quantum field theory, and general relativity. In relativistic mechanics, non-relativistic linear momentum is further multiplied by the Lorentz factor.
Now if you understood all that big long definition, you’re way smarter than I am. Listen to the next sentence about the history of the definition. THIS I understand!
Momentum was not merely the motion, which was motus, but was the power residing in a moving object, captured by today’s mathematical definitions.
Now there’s a whole sermon in there if you take that statement, combine it with Faith Bible Church’s most recent decision and read Joshua chapter 3!! Wow!
1. Momentum is not merely the motion!
That tells me we can move and wiggle and have all kinds of motion and not have any momentum, huh? We can! And you know where we see that the most? When a church is in conflict. When spouses are so busy blaming one another they can’t see the good in each other. When employees are so busy complaining about their bosses, they can’t see the great job they have when so many are out of work.
Momentum is not merely the motion!
Momentum
2. Is the Power residing in a moving object. Wow!! Notice the capital “P” on POWER!! We’re the moving object, and it is the POWER residing in US, that gives us momentum!!
It is the power residing in us AS WE MOVE, that gives us momentum. It is THE POWER - the one and only, living, active, all-knowing, always present, all mighty God RESIDING in US when we’re moving!
If we’re not moving, we’re dead. But the movement is DEFINED by the power residing in us!!
3. Captured by today’s mathematical definitions.
Captured by our FAITH!!!
Without faith, it is impossible to please God! We capture the momentum when we are God-focused.
So the momentum that Faith Bible Church is experiencing right now then, is:
THE POWER OF ALMIGHTY GOD RESIDING IN US AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN FAITH!!
That’s spiritual momentum.
And that’s the introduction! Now, let’s look at the message.
When the Israelites got to the Jordan River, they camped there for a while - three days.
We’ve camped HERE for a little over 2 years. Actually, 2 years, 1 month and 9 days as of today. 770 days the Lord has had us camped here.
And it’s good to camp in one place for a while. When we stop, it gives us time to get cleaned up, empty the garbage, and take in some nourishment for the next leg of the journey. God never intends for us to stay camped out permanently.
As we leave THIS camp, we are going to encounter two forces. One is a Momentum Builder, the other is a Momentum Buster.
A Momentum Builder is one where Momentum is developed by humbly creating a God-focused movement.
A Momentum Buster is where momentum is drained by pridefully establishing a man-centered movement.
When I was very young, I remember my dad sitting down with me to help me with my homework. I was trying to draw a map of some sort. Dad told me to keep my eye on the point ahead, the next point, and I would draw a perfect line to it. He was right. What do we tell our children when we’re teaching them baseball. “Keep your eye on the ball.” When we go bowling, we keep our eye on the mark on the lane for a perfect strike. Teachers tell their students, “Keep your eyes on your own paper.”
Focus - where our eyes are - determines the difference between success and failure. What we focus on influences the direction of our life.
I had a friend in seminary who signed his emails, “The focused life is a successful life.”
How many of you have seen the Apostles of Comedy. FOCUS!!! (Hand to head, and outward)...
Churches that fail to center on Christ do like Esau did - they trade their birthright for a bowl of soup. They trade eternal consequences, for temporary influence, that brings some kind of fleeting satisfaction.
Now it’s at this point on Friday as I was typing up my sermon, that I got convicted. So I’m just going to stop here and confess something to you, that includes “green chairs.”
That statement I just made, listen to it, “Churches trade eternal consequences for temporary influence that brings some kind of fleeting satisfaction.”
You know what that is - it’s brand new green chairs that are 21" instead of 18" - it’s the color of the carpet, or the stained glass window, or the sign on the building, or the vacation we think we need, or the round tables or long ones. It’s projectors or HMDI TV’s, it’s wireless mics or ones with cords, it’s hymns or choruses, it’s pot lucks or catered banquets.
It’s ANYTHING where WE WANT OUR OWN WAY!! Bottom line, it’s our OPINION that we want to IMPOSE on other people, so we can have the POWER to get what we WANT!!
We can’t have our own way all the time and expect to gain any eternal significance in the Kingdom of God. Why do I say that? Because Jesus said, “Unless a seed falls into the ground and DIES, it cannot bear fruit.” And Paul said, “I am CRUCIFIED with Christ, nevertheless I live.”
It doesn’t matter whether we have green chairs, gray chairs, or NO chairs. When we die to our selfish ambitions and pride and focus solely on loving people and getting them into the kingdom of God so their lives are changes and miracles are happening, we’ll be so caught up in what GOD is doing, it won’t matter what WE are doing.
Those cold gray folding chairs will be ON FIRE - because the love of God, the Father, and the movement of the Holy Spirit will be so strong, we won’t be worrying about whether our butts are cold or not. Amen?
Momentum - it has to be GOD-FOCUSED movement. The power residing in us has to be HIS power, not our selfishness.
Verse 3: “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them.
Verse 4: And since you have never traveled this way before, THEY will guide you.
The territory the Israelites were going into was unfamiliar to them. They had never traveled that way before.
The territory we are going into is unfamiliar to us. Has anyone here ever done this before?
But look what Joshua did. He had the people FOCUS on the Ark of the Covenant.
He pointed them to something that was familiar to them (the Ark) as they entered a land that was unfamiliar (Canaan).
What did the Ark represent? First and foremost,
1. God’s presence.
The Ark contained
2. God’s written Word
Listen - we’ve had both of those in abundance for the last two years.
God has poured out His Holy Spirit in this place in ways we never dreamed possible. And we’ve been strengthened by that. We’ve been encouraged by that. We’ve been fed with meat and bread and occasionally the milk of the Word. And now it’s time to exercise.
Joshua never allowed the people to remain where they were and get completely familiar with the new territory before moving them on.
Some of you are doubting that we can even pull this off.
Remember where you’ve come from? 40 years of wandering around in the wilderness! 2 years being fed with manna from on high - blessing after blessing after blessing. Do you not think that the God who brought us to this place, can carry us to the promised land if we but keep our eyes focused on Him, and our hearts open to His leading.
There are things God has in store for us that we will never experience until we place our complete confidence in Him, trust in Him, obey Him, and commit to being fully and completely, the church, the people, the individuals, men and women together, that He is calling us to be.
Folks, we are world changers. We are! You’ve changed MY whole world!! If you ever doubt that you’re changing the world, just ask me.
We have precious people serving right now in a country whose name three weeks ago, I couldn’t even pronounce.
We are world changers!
We have a young man who we pray for regularly who is a witness for Christ in a country whose history is full of war, insurgency and brutality.
YOU are making a difference in this world.
We support and pray for two families in Mexico who are building the Kingdom of God, planting churches and touching the lives of people we will never, ever meet on this earth.
We are rockin’ their world!
With the life-giving, life-changing momentum of the Power of Christ residing within us.
We’ve made a difference in Mapleton. Our obedience to Christ, has made an ETERNAL difference in the lives of a few. Isn’t it time we make a difference in the lives of a few more?
Our God’s arm is NOT too short.
God is not a man that he should lie,
Or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Has he spoken, and will he not make it good?
