Knock Knock
Knock, Knock
Hebrews 11:6 (NLT): 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
You can’t please God unless you have faith
Some people think that faith is believing
The Bible says the demons even believed
Some people use faith has wishful thinking
I’m just going to believe that shod is going to do what I want Him to do and if I believe enough then God will have to do what I want Him to do.
That’s not fair!!!
That’s not how the Bible talks about faith
The faith that pleases God is a daily step by step faith
Faith that pleases God is the faith that keeps taking the next step of obedience
Hebrews 11:30 (NLT): 30 It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.
Faith. But all they did was March around Jericho
Jericho means “a place of concealment”
A place that is canceled by walls. That is what this place meant
Wall 30 feet tall
12-15 feet wide
That’s just the outer wall
Then you have 12-15 feet of space
Then you have the inner wall
30 feet tall
12-15 feet wide
Identify something in your life that God wants for you but it’s walled off right now
We often think about what we want instead of what God wants
So we need to be careful
It’s peace
It’s living with hope
It’s living with joy
It’s living in a community of other people
It’s living with eternity
What does God want for you
What are these walls that are keeping this from happening
Your walls may be built by people who did something to you to keep God from doing what He wants for you
You got a wall of bitterness
You get past that wall you have a wall of anger
For some people these walks were built by you because of something you done
You have a wall of guilt. Get past that then you have a wall of shame
For some of you it’s a wall of anxiety and a wall of stress
For most of us it’s a wall of pride
We keep tearing down these walls that God has for our life
Joshua 6:1 (NLT): Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in.
Why were the people afraid of the Israelites?
These people have been wondering around in the wilderness for 40 years.
We begin to see that there is nothing impossible for God
Joshua 6:1–2 (NLT): 2 But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors.
See God said I have given you Jericho
What does Joshua see?
He sees walls. Oh I tell you what I see, I see walls!!
I see a wall so big I can’t even look over it!!
A wall so wide I can’t see around it!!
God, I’m looking. I see nothing but walls !!
This is the faith that pleases God
Faith sees a wall from where God sits rather than from where you stand
It’s faith that looks at a wall not from where I stand but from where God sits
Isaiah 66:1 (NLT): This is what the Lord says:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
Could you build me a temple as good as that?
Could you build me such a resting place?
The earth is shy of 16 billion acres
Jericho is 6 acres. 6,000 people piled into Jericho
Joshua 6:1–2 (NLT): 2 But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors.
Joshua says. You haven’t given me Jericho yet God. There’s a huge wall here
So what do you mean you have given ?
You’re talking like it has already happened but it hasn’t happened yet
This is faith!!
It’s speaking about Gods promises that haven’t happened as if they already have
It’s Gods promises we can put that kind of confidence in
Faith that pleases God is faith
It’s speaking about Gods promises that haven’t happened as if they already have
What you do and what you see is different from God has said
Joshua is hearing what God is saying
But what he sees is different from what God has said
This is where faith comes in
The headlines you read is different from what God has spoken
God said I will never leave you or forsake you
God says all things work together for good for those who love me and are called according to His purpose
Faith is putting your confidence in what God says
Hebrews 11:1 (NLT): Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.
Now God give them
Instructions for battle
Joshua is a experienced warrior
He has spent the past 40 years with nothing to do but plan for this day.
He has been drawing this plan up
He’s a battle commander
40 years Joshua has been planning this strategy to lead the people to victory
God gave Joshua a battle plan he never thought it would be
Joshua 6:3 (NLT): 3 You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days.
God, this is not the plan I had in mind
How about if we do this for 1 day
God, if we do this for 6 days we are going to be exposed to the enemy
The warriors on the wall will be able to get to us easily
We can’t do this !!!!
Joshua 6:4 (NLT): 4 Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns.
So now we are taking the Priests with us
Really God, I mean they are good guys and I don’t have anything personal against them
But do we really have to take them with us God?
Do we want the priests out there leading us ?
So is this a matching band of priests
I’m trying to picture this God
God I have a idea. Why don’t we just do all 13 laps at once and just knock it out
That way we can get this done quick
Joshua 6:5 (NLT): 5 When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.”
The kind of faith that pleases God is the kind of faith that follows His plan even when it’s not what we preferred
This is the kind of faith demonstrated in obedience even if we are asked to do something we necessarily want to do or agree with
Now that’s faith
Faith isn’t doing parts of Gods plan
Faith is obeying God s as Nd following His plan even if it doesn’t make sense
Let’s apply this to our lives
Sexuality and Money
God has given clear instructions about sexuality in the Scriptures
One of the things we struggle with is, what do you do if what God has commanded is different from what you desire
What do you do if what God has commanded is different than what is culturally acceptable
This is where faith is demonstrated
It’s obeying it even Gods plan when it doesn’t match up with your preferences
Let’s say your struggling with greed and your having a hard time Being obedient to what God has asked concerning generosity
Do you believe what God has said about this area of your life
Do you believe in His provision
The way you live that out is a demonstration of your faith
Joshua was asked to have victory but wasn’t given the right tools
His tools were Priests and trumpets
What he needs is battering rams, catapults, 30 feet ladders
Gods plan is different from what Joshua could have imagined or thought about
So Joshua has to decide, do I put my faith in Gods plan or do I put my faith in the plan I have been putting together for the past 40 years
Joshua 6:8–10 (NLT): 8 After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams’ horns started marching in the presence of the Lord, blowing the horns as they marched. And the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant followed behind them. 9 Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns. 10 “Do not shout; do not even talk,” Joshua commanded. “Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!”
Notice Joshua tells everyone to be quiet. Don’t say a word until I tell you to shout !!!
God didn’t tell Joshua to say that. That is all Joshua
He knows after he finishes talking that the emails are going to start coming and and everyone is going to be blowing up social media
Joshua will soon start hearing the people complain.
Maybe Joshua knew that is these warriors said anything that these people of Jericho were going to mock them so he just tells them to not say anything
Some things are better left unsaid
No matter what they say. Keep marching. Don’t say anything back
Be obedient to what God has asked you to do
People around you will look at you and they won’t understand what you are doing
It doesn’t make any sense but it’s foolish. We are going to be the joke of the town.
People on the wall are taking pictures and posting them
On social media
Just keep walking in obedience
Joshua 6:10–11 (NLT): 11 So the Ark of the Lord was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp.
Joshua 6:12–14 (NLT): 12 Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the Lord. 13 The seven priests with the rams’ horns marched in front of the Ark of the Lord, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the Lord. All this time the priests were blowing their horns. 14 On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days.
What did they do? THEY FOLLOWED THIS PATTERN
What pattern is that?
It’s a circle. They marched around the city.
That’s the pattern they followed
Sometimes faith is like walking in circles
You’re waiting for God to do something and it feels like your walking in circles
You’re the only one fighting for your relationship and everyone is shouting to be done with it
You’re fight for your relationship and it doesn’t feel like you’re getting anywhere and it feels like your going in circles
This is what faith looks like sometimes
Faith that pleases God keeps walking even when the walking doesn’t seem to be working
And about the moment you don’t think it’s working and about that moment God breaks through in ways you did not expect
Joshua 6:15–16 (NLT): 15 On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times. 16 The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the town!
And the walls came tumbling down!!
Let’s look at the end of Joshua 5
Joshua 5:13–15 (NLT): 13 When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?”
14 “Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the Lord’s army.”
At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. “I am at your command,” Joshua said. “What do you want your servant to do?”
15 The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did as he was told.
Who is this man?
It’s not a angel. Anytime a person tries to worship a angel. The angel tells them to get up. You don’t worship me but God
This is what’s known has a Christophany
This is an appearance or manifestation of Christ.
But notice that Joshua heard these words probably from Moses.
“The place where you are standing is holy”
Joshua falls down and worships and surrenders
In doing so he finds the strength and courage that is not from himself
Strength and courage comes from spending time in the presence of God
Strength and courage comes from spending time with Jesus
Victory is coming if we have the faith to believe what God has said He will do