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
„Ï And wonder why things aren’t different!
„Ï Until someone will put a demand on your life
EXAMPLE: Nick Pagano
„Ï Get some new influence
o Can’t show affection because you’ve never seen it
„X Hang around a couple that can’t keep their hands off one another
o Can’t parent?
„X Hang out with...
„X Read books on...
„X Watch programs on...
„X Find a good church
„Ï Joshua comes up in the camp and says:
„X Moses is dead, vacation is over
„Ï Remember Joshua spied out the land, wanted to take the land
„Ï Moses let the people convince him otherwise
„Ï Now Joshua had to walk for 40 years with people that he was mad at.
„Ï Moses is dead, he is basically saying there’s a new sheriff in town
„Ï Moses was concerned with their comfort and happiness
„Ï Moses never had them circumcised
o He didn’t want anybody mad at him
o Moses forgot he wasn’t there to make them happy
„X But healthy (circumcision)
„Ï Joshua wanted to go in 40 years prior
„Ï Now had to walk around for 40 years with people who would let him get his promise.
„Ï He was ready to cut somebody!
Joshua 5:8
And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.
Circumcision = dying to the flesh
„Ï The reason a demand must be placed on us is because...
„X our fruit is tied to discomfort
* exercise
* money
* baby
„Ï The thing the Doctor is going to work on is the thing that hurts
o Dentist
o Councilor
„Ï Hang out with...
„X People from other side of tracks
„X Positive people
„X People with money
„X Buy a book
„X Good marriage
„Ï Moses is dead...
o Get ready
o 3 days
o The change is now!
o We are going into blessing
o And we’re going in
* NOW!
„Ï Order in the church
o God told Joshua (Joshua 1:1)
o Joshua told the leaders (Joshua 1:10)
o Leaders told people (Joshua 1:11)
„Ï Secular humanism has invaded our culture and church so much...
„Ï We think it’s all about us
EXAMPLE: -The gold coin in the fish’s mouth
-The fish was pulled out of his comfort zone
-Before the treasure could be pulled out
