1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:01,800 Hey, hey, St. City, how we feeling today? 2 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:07,080 It's good to see you guys. Happy Sunday morning to you that 3 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:10,120 that promo video reminds me every single time that bumper 4 00:00:10,120 --> 00:00:14,000 that not even one of God's promises will fail. 5 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:17,400 That's the whole point of that video is to help you see week 6 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:20,480 after week, month after month as we go through this book, one, 7 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:23,160 that we're an energetic church, apparently see that. 8 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:28,760 But two, that not even one promise of God has ever failed. 9 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:31,480 And the whole book of Joshua is helping you. 10 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:37,640 And I not only see that, but believe that that God is a God 11 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:42,240 who keeps his promises, not just to the people of Israel that 12 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:45,960 we're learning about in Joshua, but to you and I, to his people. 13 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:49,400 That's who God is. Not one promise failed, not one 14 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:53,040 enemy beat him only he is the God who is the God who is like 15 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:54,000 that. Amen. 16 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:58,200 Amen. I I have never had the 17 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:01,480 experience of tearing down goal posts before on a football 18 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:05,200 field, but according to my father, it is a legendary 19 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:09,320 experience. Back in the late 1900s, as the 20 00:01:09,320 --> 00:01:13,520 college students call it 1990, he was a college student at 21 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:17,320 Northern Illinois University in Northern Illinois University. 22 00:01:17,320 --> 00:01:19,760 You've never heard of it because they're terrible at just about 23 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:23,320 everything. And not on this day, though. 24 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:27,880 This day they play #24 ranked. Yet this is the this is the 25 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:30,560 highlight of their team. They beat the 24th best team in 26 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:33,320 the country in football on that day. 27 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:35,680 And what did the student section do before the game? 28 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:38,840 As the game was wrapping up, the student section stormed the 29 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:40,920 field. They tore down the goal posts in 30 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:45,040 triumphant victory over the 24th ranked Fresno State Bulldogs. 31 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:49,080 In fact, I have a picture of my father helping tear down the 32 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:52,360 goal post that is him. That is a grainy picture, but 33 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:56,840 that is literally my dad in a YouTube video ranking down this 34 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,000 goal post with a bunch of students of his. 35 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:01,720 I think that's amazing. I wish I had that memory. 36 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:04,800 But they end up not only taking down this goal post, the 37 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:06,640 students begin. You know, what should we do with 38 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:10,400 this massive hanging thing? We're going to take it to the 39 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:13,480 campus lagoon. So the students then proceed to 40 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:18,320 lift it above their heads and March this goal post to the 41 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:20,520 lagoon. So it literally, you can't hear 42 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,240 it in the video, but the students like chanting to the 43 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:26,400 lagoon, to the lagoon, and they're chanting it as they're 44 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:30,320 bringing it out. They're marching this goal post 45 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,160 in victory and the fight song is blaring behind them. 46 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:36,520 And they get to the lagoon and they dump the field goal post in 47 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,720 triumphant victory over the 24th best team in the country. 48 00:02:40,640 --> 00:02:42,720 I think that's my fun. The funniest detail about the 49 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:47,280 whole story. What I find interesting about 50 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:53,160 that though, is on that day, that student section, they 51 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:55,720 marched after they saw the victory. 52 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:01,640 They won that game by 50 plus points and they marched after 53 00:03:01,640 --> 00:03:05,080 they saw the victory. But what God is about to invite 54 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:08,240 his people to do, you and I to do what he's about to call us 55 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:12,120 to, is to March before we see the victory. 56 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:19,320 Joshua chapter 6 is about to help us March in faith, to have 57 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:22,720 marching faith as God's people, the kind of faith that marked 58 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:24,600 the people of Israel. And Joshua 6 should be the same 59 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:28,080 faith that marks you and I today, The kind of faith that 60 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:31,600 trust God to be the God who cannot lose, who keeps all of 61 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:34,160 his promises. We are intended to be a people 62 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:36,200 who March. In fact, turn to your neighbor 63 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:39,000 and say we March. That's right. 64 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:43,520 Let's head to Joshua chapter 6, Joshua chapter 6 before we get 65 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:45,840 there. Joshua chapter 1 is the 66 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:48,120 introduction of the book. We learned that Joshua's 67 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:50,880 appointed the new leader and he's like, hey, who's with me on 68 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:53,560 this? Joshua chapter 2 is about them 69 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:56,520 doing it right this time and taking the promised land for 70 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,720 themselves. Joshua chapter 3 and 4 is about 71 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:03,160 them getting to their very first significant and miraculous 72 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:07,160 obstacle of the Jordan River and they cross it and they remember 73 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:09,560 it. And Joshua chapter 5 is about 74 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:12,120 the people of God before they get into this battle with 75 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,720 Jericho, consecrating themselves before the conquest. 76 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:18,200 That is the book of Joshua so far. 77 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,440 And we get to Joshua chapter 6 and we get to a very familiar 78 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:23,920 story, probably the most familiar story of the whole 79 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:26,720 book. It is the battle air quotes of 80 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:32,560 Jericho, Joshua chapter 6. It says this. 81 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:35,520 Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the 82 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,720 people of Israel. None went out and none came in. 83 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:45,720 And the Lord said to Joshua, See, I have given Jericho into 84 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:50,400 your hand with its king and mighty men of valor. 85 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:55,840 You shall March around the city, all the men of war going around 86 00:04:55,840 --> 00:05:00,920 the city once, and you shall do this for six days. 7 priests 87 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:03,160 shall bear 7 trumpets of ram's horns before the ark. 88 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:07,120 And on the 7th day you shall March around the city 7 times. 89 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:09,200 And the priest shall blow the trumpets. 90 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:12,600 And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, when you 91 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:18,200 hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people of Israel 92 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:22,560 shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will 93 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:26,480 fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight 94 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:29,320 before him. We'll stop there for a moment. 95 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,840 Why are why is Joshua 6 in our Bibles to help us understand 96 00:05:34,840 --> 00:05:37,480 God? What is it for us in this life? 97 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:42,000 Jot down this thought, this big idea that cities aren't taken by 98 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:43,880 strategy, they're captured by faith. 99 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:48,600 God wants to show you something about himself. 100 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:51,120 He wants to reveal a part of his character, a part of who he is, 101 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:55,320 how he works in the world. Cities are not taken by human 102 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:59,480 strategy. They are captured by faith and I 103 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:01,360 think that's real. I think that's relevant as a 104 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:04,120 church plant. We're about 8 months into this 105 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:07,240 thing and we're looking at a city like Jericho and Tempe and 106 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:10,040 saying, man, Lord, this feels impossible to break into a city 107 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:12,440 like this. There's 200,000 plus people 108 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:16,280 here, 80% of whom do not go to a Church of any kind whatsoever, 109 00:06:16,280 --> 00:06:20,000 have no religious activity. Less than 2% go to any kind of 110 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:23,120 gospel preaching church. How, Lord, is Saint City going 111 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:25,000 to make a dent in that kind of darkness? 112 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:27,840 How are we going to get through the impossible and impenetrable 113 00:06:27,840 --> 00:06:30,120 wall that is known as the veil of Tempe? 114 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:33,560 How are we going to do it? What kind of faith captures a 115 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,720 city like Tempe? I think this text is going to 116 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:38,800 give us faith for that. I think it's going to give us 117 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:41,440 the right kind of faith, the right strategy. 118 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:43,480 And going after a city like this one. 119 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:46,360 How are we going to do it? Well, first let's jot down like 120 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:48,800 this. How are we going to capture what 121 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:50,960 kind of faith, excuse me, captures a city like Tempe? 122 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:53,640 Well, we March in faith that first. 123 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:58,480 He has already won the fight. What kind of faith do you need 124 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:01,800 to have? What kind of trust, What kind of 125 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:05,600 trust that you need to put into action that you are looking to 126 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:09,080 God not just as a concept, but as a being who works and 127 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:12,360 operates and moves in the world? How are we going to have faith 128 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:15,120 together? Well, we're going to March in 129 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:19,600 faith in this conviction that he has already won the fight. 130 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:26,920 God has already won. He's already done it. 131 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:29,480 Look back at the text with me verse one. 132 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:36,360 Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the 133 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:40,320 people of Israel. Now Jericho there it's it's 134 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:43,640 helping you remember that this is a very fortified city. 135 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:48,040 The city of Jericho had two outer walls, 2 walls that 136 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:52,520 surrounded the city that made it almost inconceivable that anyone 137 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:56,120 would ever conquer it. The first wall was 6 feet thick, 138 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:02,480 so my generous here wingspan, 6 feet thick, was the outermost 139 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:05,240 wall. Then there was a gap, and then 140 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:13,120 there was two of these 12 feet thick wall, 18 feet of wall to 141 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:18,280 get into the city. I don't know if you've ever 142 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:23,160 tried to breakthrough any kind of thick glass or wood or 143 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:27,920 concrete before, but 18 feet thick feels pretty impossible, 144 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:34,400 feels pretty impenetrable. And not only do you have a city 145 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:38,840 that is fortified like this, you have a city that for the time 146 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:41,120 was very large. Jericho. 147 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:45,000 The perimeter of the city was about .37 miles wide. 148 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:49,200 According to church historians, that is the equivalent of 149 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:51,400 mountainside fitness at Tempe Town Park. 150 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:54,520 If you're looking at the lake, that's about the distance that 151 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:57,080 the city was in length. We'll get back to that in a 152 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:00,400 second. If I want you to feel how 153 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:05,280 impossible it felt to get through the walls of Jericho, I 154 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:10,960 want you to have a sense for this army of Israel who is not 155 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:13,040 trained. Think about this. 156 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:16,040 These people just wandered the desert for 40 years and now 157 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:17,520 God's telling them to take a city. 158 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:21,440 He's telling them that they need to go have a conquest of the 159 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:24,960 land of Canaan and they are untrained nor do they have the 160 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:32,000 best technology to compensate for their lack of competence and 161 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:37,200 God says to them in verse 2 something insane the Lord said 162 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,560 to Joshua and I believe this is continuing the conversation from 163 00:09:40,560 --> 00:09:42,160 chapter 5. I believe this is the commander 164 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:45,640 of the Lord's army saying to Joshua, here's your battle plan. 165 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:50,960 See look at verse 2. I have given Jericho. 166 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:55,000 Do you notice that in your Bible underline? 167 00:09:55,000 --> 00:10:02,160 If you would, I have given not. I will give Jericho not. 168 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:05,640 I might give Jericho. I have. 169 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:12,520 I have given Jericho to you, into your hand with its king and 170 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:14,800 its mighty men of valor. You might see its ruler, You 171 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:17,040 might see its army, Joshua. But listen to me. 172 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:19,000 I am the commander of the Lord's army. 173 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:21,040 And hear me, I have given this to you. 174 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:25,360 It is as good as done. The fight has already been won. 175 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:33,040 It is a battle that has already taken place in God's mind, and 176 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:39,240 there's no stopping his verdict. And this is a hilarious battle 177 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:45,960 plan, if you ask me. Priests who are not exactly the 178 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:49,440 most spectacular of specimens. I would imagine they're not 179 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:51,240 exactly the guys you'd send out to war. 180 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:53,920 They're going to walk around with Ram's horns and blow 181 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,280 trumpets, and you're going to just take a nice leisurely 182 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:00,080 stroll around the city of Jericho for a week and then 183 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:02,680 we're going to call it done. And you know what? 184 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:04,680 For good measure, you guys can shout about it. 185 00:11:05,560 --> 00:11:09,120 That's how we're going to win. That's the battle plan of 186 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:13,440 winning the fight. I'm no military tactician. 187 00:11:14,560 --> 00:11:18,480 That doesn't sound like the battle plan of that would work 188 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:25,160 according to human strategy, but it works here because this isn't 189 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:27,920 even really a battle plan. This is a victory March is what 190 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:30,880 it is. It's a triumphant parade that 191 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:35,280 this is already. This is our city, this is our 192 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:38,160 land. We are going to take it because 193 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:42,480 God said it's ours. It was his to give and it's ours 194 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:47,560 to take. So let's go do a victory parade 195 00:11:47,560 --> 00:11:51,720 before the battle even happens. They're basically tearing down 196 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:54,400 the goal posts before the game even starts. 197 00:11:57,160 --> 00:11:58,720 Now, St. City, we're not marching around 198 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:00,840 Jericho. We're not here in the Bible. 199 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:02,840 That's not us. That's not why this is even 200 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:04,680 preserved for us. God is not prescribing that we 201 00:12:04,680 --> 00:12:06,040 do that. Though that might be pretty 202 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:07,240 neat. If one of you guys did the walk, 203 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:13,760 you can let me know how it goes. But this text, not written to us 204 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:16,560 but for us, is revealing something about the war we do 205 00:12:16,560 --> 00:12:19,800 find ourselves in, not against flesh and blood, but against 206 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:23,360 powers and principalities. We do still wage a holy war on 207 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:26,920 behalf of God as his people. We still are soldiers in a fight 208 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:32,000 in that God that we serve, that commander in chief that he has 209 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:33,960 deployed us. Guess what? 210 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:42,080 He has already won the fight. Do you believe that God has 211 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:45,560 already won? You are not fighting for victory 212 00:12:45,560 --> 00:12:48,800 for that God. You are fighting from victory. 213 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:52,760 It's already taken place. It's in the past tense. 214 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:57,480 We are still on command, on mission for our commander in 215 00:12:57,480 --> 00:12:59,400 Chief. The fields of Tempe are white 216 00:12:59,560 --> 00:13:03,360 unto harvest and we can still get caught up in fear of our 217 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:07,200 defeated enemies. We have defeated enemies just 218 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:10,120 like they do. Our enemies aren't Jericho 219 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:12,920 citizens, but rather there's three enemies that the Christian 220 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:15,880 has today. It's sin, Satan, and death. 221 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:22,080 Satan, Sin and Death 3 defeated enemies first Satan Matthew 1618 222 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:24,240 Jonathan, if you'd like to read your Bible, it says that the 223 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:28,160 gates of hell shall not prevail against God's Kingdom. 224 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:30,920 Gates are like Helms deep in Lord of the Rings. 225 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:33,800 They're holding people back as a defensive weapon. 226 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:36,440 And guess what? It cannot stop God's people 227 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:41,440 advancing on the mission of God. Satan and his and his minions 228 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:43,920 cannot stop Jesus from advancing his Kingdom. 229 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:49,640 They can't stop him. The church is the one who has 230 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:53,120 promised to hold the gates, to hold the keys, and saying hey, 231 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:55,400 we have the gospel, we have a commander in chief, and the 232 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:57,680 gates of hell will not prevail against God's church. 233 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:00,320 We will keep advancing. We'll keep taking Kingdom 234 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:01,120 ground. Why? 235 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:03,040 Because Satan is a defeated enemy. 236 00:14:04,720 --> 00:14:07,440 We need not fear him. We need not worry. 237 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:11,880 Spiritual attack is normal, but guess what, he is beaten. 238 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:18,560 Colossians chapter 2 says that Jesus trampled over death in 239 00:14:18,560 --> 00:14:21,160 Satan and paraded him triumphantly. 240 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:26,480 Satan is beaten. You do not need to be afraid of 241 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:30,200 him. He 11 theologian said it this 242 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:33,360 way, that he might be the devil, but he's still God's devil, 243 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:40,000 meaning he's still on a leash. That's one enemy that's beaten. 244 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:44,640 Second, sin. Romans 314 says that sin has no 245 00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:49,600 dominion over us anymore. You might feel like sin is 246 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:53,640 beating you, that it is not defeated at all actually. 247 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:56,960 But guess what? The penalty and the power of it 248 00:14:57,240 --> 00:14:59,800 are paid for in full by the blood of Jesus Christ. 249 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:02,480 There might be some remaining presence of sin in your life, 250 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:05,520 and there surely is. And one day Jesus will come back 251 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:07,480 and He will extinguish sin forever. 252 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:09,200 But listen to me. It is defeated. 253 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:11,360 It has no dominion over you, believer. 254 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:15,160 It doesn't have power over you. It is a defeated enemy. 255 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:19,840 Be strong and courageous. See that the victory has been 256 00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:22,520 given in your hand. You are fighting a battle that 257 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:25,480 has already been won over the sin struggle in your life. 258 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:28,840 Don't look at that habit anymore as a giant and you a 259 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:31,760 grasshopper, but rather look at it and say no, no, no. 260 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:36,120 My God has beaten it, He has overcome it and he lives in me. 261 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:41,320 Satan, sin and now death. I want to read for you a passage 262 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:44,560 from First Corinthians chapter 1522 or 52. 263 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:52,280 It says this in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last 264 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:56,920 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and 265 00:15:56,920 --> 00:16:01,000 the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be 266 00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:03,480 changed. For this perishable body must 267 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:06,560 put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on 268 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:09,160 immortality. And when the perishable puts on 269 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:12,960 the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall 270 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:14,960 come to pass the saying that is written. 271 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:17,640 Death is swallowed up in victory. 272 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:21,840 Oh, death, where is your sting? Oh, death, where is your 273 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:24,600 victory? Listen to me. 274 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:26,440 You need not fear death, believer. 275 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:30,280 One of the greatest promises that God will keep for your life 276 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:33,960 is that when you die, when this earth comes to pass and you pass 277 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:36,640 on into what's next, guess what? You don't even need to be afraid 278 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:38,400 of that because you will finally, for the first time, 279 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:42,720 truly be living. What was thought to be mortal is 280 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:45,960 now immortal because of the gospel that Jesus Christ has 281 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:49,080 come to save you from your sin, has come to save you from Satan, 282 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:51,560 and has come to save you from death so He could have life with 283 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:56,880 you, everlasting, eternal life. It is available to you. 284 00:16:56,880 --> 00:17:00,720 So we need not be afraid of the enemy of death, that sickness 285 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:02,600 might come, death might come into our life. 286 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:05,400 Grief might be real as an experience here. 287 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:07,599 But listen to me. Though it is a certain reality 288 00:17:07,599 --> 00:17:10,880 that we will die, it could be a certain truth and promise that 289 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:15,160 you get to spend life forever with God Himself, not under 290 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:22,880 suffering or sickness or despair, but of life, true, 291 00:17:23,079 --> 00:17:29,720 abundant, flourishing life. And Jericho reminds us that he 292 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:31,440 has already won the fight over death. 293 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:34,640 He didn't stay in that grave. That tomb is still empty to this 294 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:36,640 day. Get on a plane, go to the Middle 295 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:39,120 East, and you'll find a tomb that was empty, where Jesus 296 00:17:39,120 --> 00:17:42,560 Christ rose from the grave. That's my commander in chief. 297 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:44,120 That's why I'm following into battle. 298 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:46,560 And he has already won the fight. 299 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:49,880 So we keep marching in faith of that, but second, not only 300 00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:52,880 marching in faith towards that, but also he gives no small 301 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:58,000 commands. Our military leader, in this 302 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:01,360 case, Jesus Christ. Remember, we're not waging holy 303 00:18:01,360 --> 00:18:04,040 war, slaughtering people. That's not Christian's job. 304 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:06,360 We love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. 305 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:11,160 But listen to me. Our commander gives no small 306 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:13,960 commands. Go back to Joshua with me. 307 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:19,760 Joshua chapter 6, verse 10 says this. 308 00:18:20,360 --> 00:18:25,320 But Joshua commanded the people, You shall not shout or make your 309 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:29,240 voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth until 310 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:35,160 the day I tell you to shout. God gives a command right now 311 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:37,800 through Joshua to the people. He gives further marching orders 312 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:39,440 to the ones we just read in the first earlier verses. 313 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:41,840 He elaborates and he says to the people, here's what I want you 314 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:43,800 to do. I want you to be silent for six 315 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:48,560 days. Don't talk. 316 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:52,160 Embrace being a mute for six days. 317 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:55,880 I imagine to myself how terrible I would be at this. 318 00:18:56,320 --> 00:18:59,000 I, I've, I've watched this show growing up called Silent 319 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:04,280 Library, where they were in, in tasked with being quiet despite 320 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:07,760 all kinds of pranks and hijinks happening inside of the library. 321 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:09,920 And the whole point was to get people to laugh so you could win 322 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:12,240 the game. And I can just tell you right 323 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:15,000 now, Brandon de Lodge was not built for that game. 324 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:18,400 I, I am not a quiet person. I'm not a person who enjoys 325 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:21,720 silence. I'm not a person who thrives in 326 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:28,200 being shut up, but the instruction, the command given 327 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,440 to the people of Israel was to stay silent for six days. 328 00:19:34,360 --> 00:19:42,520 And I think in our energy, in our fervor and our passion to be 329 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:47,560 on the mission of God, sometimes we forget that the small command 330 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:50,280 of silence is also available to us. 331 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:53,640 And here's what I mean. I think many of us will go out 332 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:55,520 on the mission. We will we will share the gospel 333 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:59,120 and that and keep doing that. We will embrace the human 334 00:19:59,120 --> 00:20:02,560 strategy of going out on corners and partnering with 335 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:04,560 organizations and doing all kinds of fun things. 336 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:07,120 But cities aren't taken by human strategy. 337 00:20:07,120 --> 00:20:09,760 They're captured by faith as even forget the faith filled 338 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:12,800 prayers that sit in silence before God and say God, what do 339 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:18,440 you want to do with my life? How do you want to reach my Co 340 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:20,520 workers? How do you want to reach my 341 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:22,920 family? How do you want to reach my 342 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:25,160 neighbors? And we think to ourselves, we 343 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:27,880 need to do more talking instead of just being still and 344 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:31,600 listening to God, maybe even heard him speak because you're 345 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:33,920 too busy talking instead of listening to what God has to 346 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:36,800 say. This is a small command given to 347 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:39,480 the Israelites to just be silent for six days. 348 00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:43,320 And I imagine as they're walking around the perimeter and they 349 00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:47,720 have to remain silent, I imagine the teenagers wanting to crack 350 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:53,000 jokes. I imagine the parents wanting to 351 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:56,200 work through that tiff they just got back in before they even 352 00:20:56,200 --> 00:21:00,280 started the walk. And the command given was as 353 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:05,680 simple as silence. But it is not a small command. 354 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:10,880 It's obeying God himself in this case. 355 00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:14,880 It's not the only command. He told them to walk around the 356 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:17,440 city. They're walking around the city, 357 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:21,840 just walking around the city. And they're doing that for six 358 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:24,880 days now. A little bit more than 1/4 mile 359 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:27,600 walk isn't that far. Doesn't take that long. 360 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:32,640 They had to do it in silence. And I wonder what was going 361 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:35,400 through their brain as they looked at that giant wall and 362 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:38,800 how thick it was as they're walking around this city where 363 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:42,160 they thinking to themselves, man, my feet must be really 364 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:43,920 powerful if these are going to come down. 365 00:21:45,120 --> 00:21:48,880 I wonder if they thought, man, maybe he's just going to like 366 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:50,800 start an earthquake or something. 367 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:54,120 I have no how, but apparently he just wants me to walk. 368 00:21:59,430 --> 00:22:03,870 They had a daily walk. It was deliberate, but listen to 369 00:22:03,870 --> 00:22:06,790 me. It was also devoted to the Lord. 370 00:22:08,550 --> 00:22:11,670 We are not intended to walk very differently around our lives. 371 00:22:11,950 --> 00:22:17,400 We walk with Christ and we walk through our lives wherever God 372 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:20,680 would have us, walking and talking with Jesus, saying God, 373 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:23,120 what would you have me do? What would you have me be? 374 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:26,360 What would you do in my life? And I would just walk with you. 375 00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:28,920 That is the journey. It is to follow Jesus. 376 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:32,720 It's just to walk and step with him, one step at a time, daily, 377 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:35,920 deliberately and devoted unto him. 378 00:22:36,120 --> 00:22:37,880 That is all it means to walk with Jesus. 379 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,320 It's just taking the next step and the next step and the next 380 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:43,080 step. You see, they didn't just do 381 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:45,560 this for day one. They did this for day 2 and day 382 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:48,880 three and day four and day five and day six. 383 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:51,840 They kept walking and I can't imagine how stupid I would have 384 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:53,960 felt to just keep putting 1 foot in front of the other. 385 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:56,160 When is this actually going to happen? 386 00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:58,840 When is he going to do the same thing he said he was going to 387 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:00,640 do? Listen to me, Do not give up in 388 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:02,520 walking Jesus just 'cause you don't see the walls come down 389 00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:05,480 yet. Keep walking with Him. 390 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:09,760 Do not lose heart. Walk and walk. 391 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:12,840 Just take one step after another, one foot in front of 392 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:15,240 the other and keep walking with Him. 393 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:20,400 It is a simple command of ours is to be a disciple of Jesus 394 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:24,240 Christ, which we have taken to define here at Saints City, is 395 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:26,320 just taking your next step of obedience with Him. 396 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:29,880 That's all a walk is. It's just obeying Jesus 397 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:34,360 patiently day after day, putting 1 foot in front of the other, 398 00:23:34,360 --> 00:23:38,040 walking. Verse 16 gives us one other 399 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:42,240 small command God gives them. And at the 7th time. 400 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:45,160 So now they've walked around the city for six days. 401 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:47,040 Now they get to the 7th day and they don't just walk around the 402 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:49,280 city once, they walk around it 7 times. 403 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:52,000 That's God's command for they honored that by the way, they 404 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:54,200 could have walked around it five times or three times or two 405 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:55,920 times, but they did what God said. 406 00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:59,200 They obeyed the seemingly strange command of walking 407 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:02,200 around at the 7th time as if that was the magical number, but 408 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:03,720 it wasn't what was magical about it. 409 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:06,560 It rather was what God said. Therefore it activated God's 410 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:09,440 power. So they get to the seventh time 411 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:12,560 in verse 16, and at the 7th time when the priest had blown the 412 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:16,880 trumpets, Joshua said to the people, shout, for the Lord has 413 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:20,840 given you the city, and the city and all that was within it shall 414 00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:22,440 be devoted to the Lord for destruction. 415 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:27,640 Jumped down to verse 20. And so the people shouted, they 416 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:31,440 screamed, they cheered, they celebrated, and the trumpets 417 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:34,200 were blown. And as soon as the people heard 418 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:37,360 the sound of the trumpet, they shouted even a great shout, and 419 00:24:37,360 --> 00:24:46,600 the wall fell down flat. Walls still fall, and there is a 420 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:50,800 time to shout, a time to cheer, and it's not even before you see 421 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:52,520 the victory, after you see the victory. 422 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:56,040 It's before you see it that you believe God is still worthy of 423 00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:57,840 worship. He's still worthy of your shout 424 00:24:57,840 --> 00:25:00,560 to praise before you see him do the thing you're praying for him 425 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:04,520 to do, that the victory. The praise is before the 426 00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:07,760 victory. The shout comes before they see 427 00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:11,480 the walls fall. But they did, and they trusted 428 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:13,360 God. They took him at his word and 429 00:25:13,360 --> 00:25:16,640 they shouted. The divine demolition of Jericho 430 00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:19,680 was to demonstrate for all people, for all time, that God 431 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:23,800 is above every city and there is nothing or no one who could stop 432 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:27,240 him. He is the God who breaks down 433 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:32,440 walls, the God who would just the shouts of people crush and 434 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:41,600 flatten 18 feet thick walls. And they captured the city. 435 00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:48,080 There are no small commands. The Israelites follow Joshua's 436 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:49,800 orders given to him by Jesus Christ. 437 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:51,520 And they said we're going to listen to God. 438 00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:52,880 We're going to take him at his word. 439 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:57,920 And so we'll shout, we'll walk, we'll be silent. 440 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:01,680 We will let trumpets go around. We'll let the order take care of 441 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:03,080 itself. We will listen to God. 442 00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:07,760 And I wonder if there's a command in your life that you 443 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:12,480 have shrunk or thought to yourself that it's a small 444 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:13,760 command. It's not a big deal. 445 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:17,400 I wonder if there's something that God has asked you to do 446 00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:22,160 that you're like, yeah, it's not that big a deal. 447 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:27,840 There are no small commands with God because His Holiness and his 448 00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:29,440 reputation is on the line every time. 449 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:32,880 And he wants what's best for you and for me. 450 00:26:33,360 --> 00:26:35,720 Every time God tells you to do something, it's not because he 451 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:37,600 wants your life to be miserable, because he wants your life to be 452 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:39,640 great and he knows what you're made for. 453 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:41,880 He built you. He said, hey, I made you for 454 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:43,800 this, Go do this. And you're like, no, I would, I 455 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:46,480 would like to reject that operating system and I'd prefer 456 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:48,440 to live a life that I think is better. 457 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:52,720 In fact, I think that highlights one of the heart postures that 458 00:26:53,360 --> 00:26:57,280 we have to be watchful for. We need to be watchful for 459 00:26:57,280 --> 00:26:59,120 arrogance in our heart when we're trying to obey God's 460 00:26:59,120 --> 00:27:02,200 commands. It's the idea that I know better 461 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:07,560 than God. Do I know better than God what 462 00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:11,280 to do with my life? Does He get to have a say? 463 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:14,720 And what I watch, what I say, what I do, who I marry, how I 464 00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:17,760 spend my time, how I spend my money, do I know better than 465 00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:21,240 him? That would be arrogance to say 466 00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:24,040 that you would. But watch for that. 467 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:27,920 Not only watch for that, watch for impatience. 468 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:31,680 I think sometimes why we appeal to human strategy instead of 469 00:27:31,680 --> 00:27:35,000 faith is because we feel like we're playing way more of a part 470 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:38,640 in it than we are. We actually are that God is the 471 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:43,000 one who's actually behind Saint City, that he is the one behind 472 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:46,600 your life with his goodness and mercy rushing towards you and 473 00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:48,760 carrying you toward the next thing after the next thing after 474 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:51,440 the next thing. But I think we in our little 475 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:55,000 faith, sometimes we look to ourselves and we look to our 476 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:57,880 impatience and we say, you know what God, I'm sick and tired of 477 00:27:57,880 --> 00:27:59,560 waiting on you. Let me take matters into my own 478 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:01,600 hands. Let me start dating the guy who 479 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,840 does not know Jesus anymore. Let me start spending my money 480 00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:07,760 this way. Let me start this way because I 481 00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:09,800 think I know better than you. But listen to me. 482 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:12,320 Human strategy is not what takes over a city. 483 00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:14,600 Faith does. And faith is what needs to be 484 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:16,360 leading your home. It needs to be leading your 485 00:28:16,360 --> 00:28:18,040 relationships. It needs to be leading your 486 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:25,200 business. Faith is the thing, and with God 487 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:27,960 all things are possible. But if it is of man, guess what? 488 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:32,760 It will fail at some point. But if it is of God, guess what? 489 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:35,400 There's nothing anyone can do to stop it. 490 00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:40,120 You might be wrestling through your career decision. 491 00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:43,160 You might be wrestling through a relationship in your family. 492 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:52,040 My appeal to you this morning is to be as watchful after victory 493 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:56,000 as before the battle. There's a battle that you're 494 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:59,480 facing and that you are fighting, and as you consider 495 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:02,040 that relationship, as you consider that move, as you 496 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:06,480 consider that next step, you need to be as watchful after 497 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:08,080 Victor as you are before the battle. 498 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:12,040 Meaning we need to be praising him and thinking that he's 499 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:15,600 already won and trusting him by obeying his small commands even 500 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:19,040 here and now before we get to that next thing and appealing to 501 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:21,880 him in faith and saying, God, I don't know what to do, but my 502 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:26,520 eyes are on you. So don't let arrogance or 503 00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:28,840 impatience get in the way of that. 504 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:30,560 Be watchful for them in your heart. 505 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:34,560 So I think that's what blocks us from taking God's commands 506 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:38,880 seriously, no matter how small they might seem. 3rd and finally 507 00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:43,920 we March in faith, not just towards the small commands, not 508 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:46,280 just towards him we already winning the fight, but third and 509 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:49,240 finally that he will keep his promises. 510 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:53,960 He will not even one promise has failed. 511 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:59,120 And God is gracious, He is kind, He welcomes the repentant. 512 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:05,280 There's a there's a lie that's in the world today that I want 513 00:30:05,280 --> 00:30:07,800 to gently correct. It's that all people are God's 514 00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:09,800 children. That is not true. 515 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:13,160 What is true according to the Bible is this, that God is 516 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:18,520 creator to all. He is father to some, which 517 00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:21,880 means if he's father to some, then only some are his kids. 518 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:29,360 And the ones who are adopted, the ones who went from orphan to 519 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:31,280 having a spiritual father, guess what? 520 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:36,280 It came through repentance and faith in him that he was who he 521 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:41,200 said he was, that he did what he said he did, and that he will 522 00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:47,320 judge those who do not. And verses the rest of this 523 00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:51,040 chapter highlights for us the grave nature of that decision. 524 00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:55,640 Verse 24 and 25 I think captures it perfectly. 525 00:30:57,040 --> 00:31:01,320 The contrast between the two choices that Joshua and the 526 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:04,520 people of Israel did what God said and they burned the city 527 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:12,480 with fire and everything and everyone in it, only the silver 528 00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:15,080 and the gold and the vessels, the bronze and of iron they put 529 00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:16,800 into the treasury of the House of the Lord. 530 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:23,240 So you have destruction. Verse 25 you have deliverance, 531 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:27,920 but Rahab the prostitute in her father's household on all who 532 00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:33,520 belonged to her, Joshua saved alive, and she, Rahab has lived 533 00:31:33,520 --> 00:31:36,960 in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom 534 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:41,600 Joshua sent out in Jericho. So Joshua laid an oath on them 535 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:43,280 at that time saying, curse before the Lord. 536 00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:46,040 Be the man who rises up and tries to rebuild this city, 537 00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:48,120 Jericho, at the cost of its first born. 538 00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:51,280 Shall he lay its first, its foundation at the cost of his 539 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:53,040 youngest son? Shall he set up his case? 540 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:58,520 So verse 27, the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was in all 541 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:01,520 the land. I think when we read a sobering 542 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:05,000 text like that, we can be tempted to apologize for God, 543 00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:14,000 that we can try to clean it up. But listen to me. 544 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:17,920 This is quite literally a picture between human strategy 545 00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:20,200 and a faith. Between verses 24 and 25, 546 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:25,280 Jericho's strategy was simple. It's God hasn't killed us for 547 00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:27,120 400 plus years, He's not going to now. 548 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:32,160 Not only that, they are willfully unrepentant. 549 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:37,680 Rahab knew who God was, saw what God did, and in chapter 2 she 550 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:41,760 decided to give her life to Him. Every single citizen in Jericho 551 00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:45,200 had that opportunity. Only Rahab in her household took 552 00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:50,440 care of it. This wasn't God being Moody. 553 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:54,600 He wasn't being impatient all of a sudden in the in the 554 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:59,640 Canaanites wickedness again. He waited 400 years for them to 555 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:07,360 turn to him and they didn't. They refused to bow the knee to 556 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:12,800 him despite in hearing how big and great and powerful he was. 557 00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:18,400 And that's why Joshua 6 isn't about us, it's about God. 558 00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:23,480 It's about the greatness of God, not the significance of a man 559 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:27,040 named Joshua. They won this battle because of 560 00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:29,800 God. They did not win it because of 561 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:32,280 him. God made man small in the 562 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:38,080 universe, big to remind us that we are small and He is big. 563 00:33:40,720 --> 00:33:43,480 And he's giving us all a warning here. 564 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:50,960 This is a warning passage that He doesn't give small commands, 565 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:53,920 and if you choose to rebel against his commands, judgement 566 00:33:53,920 --> 00:34:01,480 and wrath is what you have chosen for yourself, that you 567 00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:04,240 got what you wanted, a life apart from God. 568 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:09,560 And if you think to yourself there's a command small enough 569 00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:12,840 that He won't notice your disobedience, that if your heart 570 00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:15,880 has grown hard and won't listen to Him anymore today, if you 571 00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:18,199 hear His voice, will you not harden your heart? 572 00:34:19,679 --> 00:34:23,719 Listen to me. God loves you and wants to save 573 00:34:23,719 --> 00:34:28,600 you from this. That hell is described as a 574 00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:34,440 consuming and hellacious fire of torment, and it would be 575 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:36,520 unloving to me to not represent that to you today. 576 00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:41,120 But that's what it means to turn away from God and to live for 577 00:34:41,120 --> 00:34:46,600 yourself, to turn to human strategy and brilliance to save 578 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:48,719 you from the fires of destruction. 579 00:34:49,639 --> 00:34:52,360 Listen to me. The only way to be saved is not 580 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:55,320 to save yourself. It's to look to the Savior. 581 00:34:55,840 --> 00:34:57,800 That's it. That's the only hope you got. 582 00:34:59,040 --> 00:35:01,520 You're not smart enough. You are not brilliant enough. 583 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:03,800 You are not powerful enough. You are not rich enough, you are 584 00:35:03,800 --> 00:35:06,440 not beautiful enough to be saved from hell. 585 00:35:07,040 --> 00:35:09,520 That is not the equation that we're talking about. 586 00:35:10,120 --> 00:35:13,840 The only ticket in is Jesus Christ and his blood and his 587 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:16,680 righteousness, because you have no righteousness of your own to 588 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:19,560 bring to God. That would be kind of like this. 589 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:23,360 It'd be kind of like like the the Bible says in Matthew that 590 00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:26,000 you have to have righteousness that exceeds that of the 591 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:28,880 Pharisees and the scribes, which would be like me telling you 592 00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:32,080 today that you have to be smarter than like Plato and Elon 593 00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:34,760 Musk. That's what it would be like. 594 00:35:34,760 --> 00:35:36,560 You're like, wait, I have to be smarter than Plato then to get 595 00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:39,560 into heaven and God's like, yeah, that guy's a dummy. 596 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:44,720 Elon Musk capital D dumb compared to how smart I am. 597 00:35:45,600 --> 00:35:49,680 It would be like that. Don't you see? 598 00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:52,440 There is no, there is no strategy. 599 00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:56,960 There is no way, there is no hope apart from faith in God and 600 00:35:56,960 --> 00:36:00,480 turning to him and belief and saying God, I can't save myself, 601 00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:04,200 but you can save me. It is a self denial to follow 602 00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:07,280 the commander of Heaven faith that you are not big enough, 603 00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:09,640 strong enough or smart enough to earn your way in. 604 00:36:09,720 --> 00:36:11,920 It is risking it all to have it all. 605 00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:14,800 It is putting it all on the line, going all in on Jesus and 606 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:17,800 saying you know what He is the way, the truth and the life and 607 00:36:17,800 --> 00:36:20,200 no one comes to the Father except through Him. 608 00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:24,360 I am banking my life on that reality and saying I have no 609 00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:28,400 righteousness, I need to be saved like Rahab and her family. 610 00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:36,520 That I don't want to be doomed, I want to be saved. 611 00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:41,880 And faith that God keeps his promise, including the ones to 612 00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:47,840 save all who call upon His name. Jesus Christ will save. 613 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:52,280 Romans chapter 10 says this. That if you believe in your 614 00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:54,720 heart and confess in your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, guess 615 00:36:54,720 --> 00:36:57,200 what? You will be saved. 616 00:36:58,160 --> 00:37:02,920 And not even one promise, including Romans 10, will fail. 617 00:37:03,720 --> 00:37:07,520 God is a promise. Keeping God there is no strategy 618 00:37:07,600 --> 00:37:10,400 that will save you, no brilliance that can get you 619 00:37:10,400 --> 00:37:13,040 through. Only Jesus Christ, the friend of 620 00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:15,720 sinners who loves you and died for you. 621 00:37:16,280 --> 00:37:20,680 Such you would have life and life eternal is the only way in 622 00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:23,360 in love. He has comes that you would not 623 00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:27,240 be defeated or destroyed. He has comes that you might be 624 00:37:27,240 --> 00:37:31,120 saved, you may have walls that you put up, but listen to me, He 625 00:37:31,120 --> 00:37:35,640 is the God who collapses walls with a word, with a shout of 626 00:37:35,640 --> 00:37:39,120 regular people. And you need to not live shut up 627 00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:41,800 or shut in and shutting God out of your life. 628 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:47,240 You need not spend your days and doubt over his commands for you. 629 00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:52,160 You don't need to live in that anymore because he's a God who 630 00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:58,800 is a deliverer, A rescuer who's come to save you and all who 631 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:01,880 would say yes to Him because he lived the righteous life you 632 00:38:01,880 --> 00:38:04,520 need. And on that bloody cross, he 633 00:38:04,720 --> 00:38:08,120 atoned for your sin and he left behind an empty tomb so you 634 00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:09,840 would have victory over death forever. 635 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:12,440 And right now he sits on a throne ruling and reigning over 636 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:14,840 sin, Satan and death forever. Listen to me. 637 00:38:14,840 --> 00:38:17,160 Do you hear the words, the good news of Jesus? 638 00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:20,560 You don't have to be devoted to destruction, but rather you 639 00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:23,480 could be devoted to life and life forevermore because of 640 00:38:23,640 --> 00:38:25,920 Jesus. Jesus has torn down the goal 641 00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:29,120 posts for you and he said, hey, come join the parade. 642 00:38:29,280 --> 00:38:31,040 Hey, come be a part of what I'm doing. 643 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:34,000 Come help me build the Kingdom here on earth as it is in 644 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:35,200 heaven. Would you join me? 645 00:38:35,200 --> 00:38:41,680 That's His invitation to you so you might be saved from sin. 646 00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:47,440 Jesus trampled Satan, sin and death forever, and Joshua 6 647 00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:54,640 screams fully for you and I. It is by faith alone in God 648 00:38:54,640 --> 00:38:57,200 alone that saves us from our sin. 649 00:38:58,600 --> 00:39:03,320 Would you turn to Him in faith and would you join me as we be a 650 00:39:03,320 --> 00:39:07,440 church for our city? Listen to me. 651 00:39:08,480 --> 00:39:12,200 There are people right now, same city church members. 652 00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:15,320 I'm talking to you right now. There are people right now in 653 00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:21,760 our city who are not yet under the persuasion that Jesus Christ 654 00:39:21,760 --> 00:39:25,240 is Lord, that are headed to an eternity apart from it unless we 655 00:39:25,240 --> 00:39:30,040 do something, unless God uses us, unless we beg God to use us 656 00:39:30,040 --> 00:39:32,920 as a people and His sovereignty. Lord, would you use St. 657 00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:36,160 City to make a dent in the darkness of Tempe, to shine your 658 00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:39,480 light big and bright? Would we be a church for the 659 00:39:39,480 --> 00:39:40,520 city? Because I wonder what it would 660 00:39:40,520 --> 00:39:43,440 be like if by faith we would go to parks and pray that God would 661 00:39:43,440 --> 00:39:46,240 bring people there that would sit beside us as we're hanging 662 00:39:46,240 --> 00:39:48,480 out with our kids and we get to meet them and invite them to 663 00:39:48,480 --> 00:39:50,840 church. That by faith we would go to 664 00:39:50,840 --> 00:39:53,720 Scottsdale Run Club and meet people who do not know Jesus, 665 00:39:53,720 --> 00:39:55,840 who are living for the beauty of this world and say, hey, guess 666 00:39:55,840 --> 00:39:58,720 what, come here, I have a better thing to live for than this. 667 00:39:58,880 --> 00:40:02,320 Hey, by faith could we go and fast and pray that God would 668 00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:05,320 save many this Easter season? By Faith St. 669 00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:08,000 City, would we be a people marked by the courage? 670 00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:12,080 Cry out to God to say, hey, you capture this city and use us to 671 00:40:12,080 --> 00:40:15,360 do so. We would be a church for the 672 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:19,600 city together. I just think if we do that and 673 00:40:19,600 --> 00:40:23,680 we pray for more Rahabs in our city, God will blow our minds 674 00:40:23,680 --> 00:40:27,320 with what he's capable of. This is the God who made walls 675 00:40:27,320 --> 00:40:31,720 fall, who made a river parts. And I believe that that same God 676 00:40:31,720 --> 00:40:33,800 is still working and moving through people like you and I 677 00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:36,600 today. You don't need to be afraid of 678 00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:39,780 your roommate college student. You don't need afraid of your Co 679 00:40:39,780 --> 00:40:41,160 worker. You don't need to be afraid of 680 00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:43,800 the person at the park and be caught up in what they're going 681 00:40:43,800 --> 00:40:44,760 to think of you. Listen to me. 682 00:40:44,760 --> 00:40:46,760 God is still speaking and moving. 683 00:40:46,880 --> 00:40:51,680 And by faith, as we March toward him, I believe that we can 684 00:40:51,680 --> 00:40:53,680 capture this city for the glory of God. 685 00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:58,040 We'll see new and maturing disciples who worship, walk, and 686 00:40:58,040 --> 00:41:03,160 work witness for Jesus Christ because human strategy and human 687 00:41:03,160 --> 00:41:04,720 devices are not leading this church. 688 00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:07,040 That is not how we're going to capture this city. 689 00:41:09,680 --> 00:41:10,880 That's how we're going to breakthrough it. 690 00:41:12,720 --> 00:41:15,920 But let us have faith together that God has already won the 691 00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:18,640 fight. There's no small commands. 692 00:41:18,640 --> 00:41:21,120 We're going to obey Him at every turn, no matter how strange it 693 00:41:21,120 --> 00:41:24,160 might seem. And we know and believe He's 694 00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:27,040 going to keep His promises. And I believe if we do that, we 695 00:41:27,040 --> 00:41:30,640 will see a city captured by faith, and we'll tear down the 696 00:41:30,640 --> 00:41:33,360 goal posts together. Would you pray with me, Lord? 697 00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:37,400 Thank you, thank you for the opportunity to March in faith 698 00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:41,800 once again this week. That we can March in faith that 699 00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:44,480 God, you are God who keeps his promises, that you are saving, 700 00:41:45,240 --> 00:41:51,480 you will save, and you do save. Oh Lord, we are so grateful for 701 00:41:51,480 --> 00:41:56,360 Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith, the one who 702 00:41:56,440 --> 00:42:00,920 purchased for us life and life evermore, who rescued us from 703 00:42:00,920 --> 00:42:04,800 the fires of hell. God, that sounds harsh, it 704 00:42:04,800 --> 00:42:08,680 sounds graphic, but it is the reality of our future if we do 705 00:42:08,680 --> 00:42:11,760 not turn from you. And so in love, I, I ask you 706 00:42:11,760 --> 00:42:15,240 God, I beg you God to open up peoples eyes to see the 707 00:42:15,240 --> 00:42:17,960 opportunity and the gospel. They could be saved by the love 708 00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:22,000 of God who hung on a cross and conquered a tomb so they could 709 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:25,400 be saved from their sin and have life with God forevermore. 710 00:42:25,640 --> 00:42:27,800 God, you are going to keep waging war against sin. 711 00:42:27,880 --> 00:42:29,520 You're going to keep waging war against Satan. 712 00:42:29,520 --> 00:42:31,360 You're going to keep waging war against death. 713 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:33,400 And until that day we wait by faith. 714 00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:38,360 We walk by faith, not by sight. And we say God to hell with our 715 00:42:38,360 --> 00:42:44,480 human strategy, but when we March in faith, we March in 716 00:42:44,480 --> 00:42:48,920 faith that you can do it God. You can breakthrough in a city 717 00:42:49,440 --> 00:42:51,480 that might feel impossible and impenetrable. 718 00:42:51,600 --> 00:42:57,680 You can do it, God. So let's lay it aside and let us 719 00:42:57,680 --> 00:43:00,280 run as hard as we can in marching in faith towards you 720 00:43:00,280 --> 00:43:03,440 this week in Jesus name, Amen.