Now Jericho

INTRO

* I’ve taken you on a journey

o Out of Egypt to Canaan

* They are finally in Canaan

* And they are facing Jericho

Jericho = stronghold

strength

protection

* Jericho marks the place of battle before blessing

* They are now at Jericho

o Now is a time word

o Something had to proceed it

o Something happens before now

* On the other side of Jericho is their blessing

* We’ve heard many messages on how the wall came down

o Many message on Jericho

o Zero messages on now

* Have you ever felt like one: Stronghold

Habit

Sin

Broken emotion

* ...was keeping you from your blessing?

„X They couldn’t just face Jericho

„X The Bible doesn’t say Jericho

„X It says now

* The cast / and script is not Jericho

o Moses -- Joshua -- Jericho

* The cast and script is now

o Then -- now -- after

o A timing word identifying that something had to happen before they were ready for Jericho

* New levels bring new devils

* But something has to get you ready.

EXAMPLE: 49’s on Monday night football

Lack of now on first yard line

* Before your walls (strongholds) come down we need to set some things in order

* We often see people who are blessed and want what they get.

* People

„X Blessed

„X Living in favor

„X Prosperity

* We see the fruit / the flow

* But we don’t see the now

* Now tells us that there was a:

„X Fight now favor

„X Sacrifice now finance

„X Battle now blessing

EXAMPLE: District Council in our building...

Pastor said, "I could grow a great church too if I had these facilities"

He didn’t see my now.

Deuteronomy 34:1 THEN Moses died

Deuteronomy 34:9 NOW Joshua

* Then moments: Then I lost my job

Then I got a divorce

Then...

o Then moments can lead to now moments

o If we keep reading.

* I am not concerned with Jericho...

* Only God can tear it down

* God will take care of your Jericho if you take care of your now

* If you get stuck in your then you’ll become a desert dweller

* Land of ’not enough’

* Land of ’just enough’

* Land of ’more than enough’

* Now moments never come until we set some things in order

Order = Divine Dozen

We accept order at work, at school

* But many times resist it in our spiritual walk.

* I see 7 things they had to set in order to get to their now moments

7 ORDERS SET IN MOTION...

...to get beyond their Jericho-stronghold

1. CONTROL

„Ï When I speak of control I am primarily interested in leadership

Leadership = influence

Joshua 1:1-2

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them--to the Israelites.

„Ï After the death of Moses

„Ï The influence they had needed to die

„Ï So that new influence -- leadership could help do

„X What they haven’t done in 40 years.

„Ï My question to you...

„X ...is who/what is influencing your life?

„Ï The same leadership...influence...that brought them out

„Ï Isn’t the same influence that brought them in.

„Ï The old way had to die...

„Ï So the new influence could take me further

„Ï You will never go as far as you should in life

„Ï Unless you allow;

„X Someone

„X Something

„Ï To place a demand on your life

EXAMPLE: 8TH grade football

Matt in boot camp

„Ï Moses was a great leader;

„X With the people

„X In front

„X Above

„Ï Moses’ downfall is that he sacrificed success for peoples feeling

„Ï Moses died after 40 years of trying to get in

„Ï New influence says in 3 days

„X No debate

„X No politics

„X No vote

„X No ballots

„X No power struggle

„Ï They might not like Joshua as much as Moses

o Some of you are still being influenced by:

„X Old friends

„X Mom

„X Dad

„X Old neighborhood

o They were only supposed to pass through the desert

o But they got caught there for 40 years

„Ï I declare if you don’t allow...a new influence...

„X Book, teaching, philosophy

„X Someone to put a demand on your life

„Ï You will get stuck (desert) in things you should pass through

„Ï Stuck in...

„X Debt

„X Broken emotions

„X Bad marriage

„X Wrong thinking

„Ï Parenting the same way as your parent raised you