Joshua 4:1-7, 8-24

Introduction: What a thrill to be able to visit the “Promised Land,” called Israel! Indeed, it was a life-changing experience. While there, I discovered and confiscated numerous kinds of ROCKS…..some on the Temple Mtn, Sea of Galilee, Jordan River, Mt Carmel, Mt of Olives, Engadi caves, Dead Sea, Golan Heights, Negev desert, tunnels of Petra, Garden of Gethsemane, Nazareth, Jezreel valley – Megiddo, and even in the hills of Bethlehem. After arriving back home, this collection of ROCKS developed into a message entitled, “If these Rocks could Talk”!

There are three (3) ways you can ROCK your World!

1. The first way to Rock your world is by “ROCK FINDING”! (Josh 4:1 -7)

“1And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying, 2Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, 3And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night. 4Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: 5And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: 6That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? 7Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.”

{After crossing over the Jordan River – ON DRY GROUND- God instructed Joshua to take some 12 “stones” and set them up as a object lesson, “a sign” for the next generations to witness….demonstrating our Lord’s FAITHFULNESS}

Do we have some “Signs” of our Lord’s Faithfulness?

*** How about “Answered prayers” for Healing, Help, Hope!

2. The second way to Rock your world is by “ROCK COLLECTING”! (Joshua 4:8, 9)

“8And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. 9And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.”

{Do you and I have a set of “ROCKS” stacked up inside and outside of our homes as reminders to our children and grandchildren, etc. of our Lord Jesus Christ’s FAITHFULNESS?

*** A ROCK of SALVATION- when saved – forgiven

*** A ROCK of DELIVERANCE- mind altering drugs, lifestyle of immorality, etc.

*** A ROCK of FREEDOM- walking in fellowship with Jesus

*** A ROCK of USEFULNESS- serving our Lord

*** A ROCK of LEAVING – a Lasting LEGACY

3. The third way to Rock your world is by “ROCK TELLING”! (Joshua 4:19-21)

“19And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho. 20And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal. 21And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? 22Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. 23For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: 24That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.”

Application: Start a ROCK PILE today!

*** Look around, there are ROCKS everywhere

4. The fourth way to Rock your world is by “ROCK CLIMBING”! (Joshua 4:7)

“7Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.”

{Our FAMILIES these days desperately need some “ROCKS to REMEMBER” – “memorials”(v .7) and then to learn to do some ROCK CLIMBING!}

Conclusion: Why should we ROCK our world?
Here’s why……..

“24That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever,” (Josh 4:24).

That’s it!!

{Hopefully our children, grandchildren and extended family can do some ROCK FINDING, ROCK COLLECTING, ROCK TELLING, and ROCK CLIMBING for themselves. That’s the way…..we can ROCK our world!