Sermon
“Church Without Walls”
Brian Mann
I want to talk with you tonight about what it means to be a church without walls. And how we become a church without walls. And what is the reality of being a church with walls. The bulk of our text tonight is from Joshua chapter 6. So if everyone could turn there Joshua chapter 6. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua. Here we have the amazing story of Joshua and the city of Jericho, and its enormous walls. To set the scene Joshua the Son of Nun had just led the 3million Jews into the Promised Land where Joshua proceeded to circumcise all the men of Israel at Gilgal. Once that had taken place they sat and tasted of the fruits of the land flowing with milk and honey for the first time. The manna has ceased and the journey into the Promised Land was almost complete. So they celebrated and worshiped God with a Passover celebration. Right after the Passover celebration the Commander of the Army of The Lord appeared to Joshua And we all understand that this is Jesus Correct” just for a little bit of knowledge any physical appearance by Christ in the old Testament is called a Theophony, and we will pick up the scripture again, the Commander of the Army of The Lord appeared to Joshua and said to him Joshua son of nun take off you sandals for where you are standing is Holy Ground, so Joshua took off his sandals and fell to the ground on His face and began to worship the Lord. And this leads us to chapter 6 and I will pick up reading from the Text.
Joshua 6
1 Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. {was...: Heb. did shut up, and was shut up}
2 And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.
3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him. {flat: Heb. under it}
6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD.
7 And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD.
8 And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.
9 And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rereward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. {rereward: Heb. gathering host}
10 And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout. {any noise...: Heb. your voice to be heard}
11 So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.
12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.
13 And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
14 And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.
15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.
16 And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.
17 And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. {accursed: or, devoted}
18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. {accursed: or, devoted} {a curse: or, devoted}
19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD. {consecrated: Heb. holiness}
20 So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. {flat: Heb. under it}
21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.
22 But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.
23 And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel. {kindred: Heb. families}
24 And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.
25 And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
27 So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.
Wow what a miraculous week in the life of Joshua and the children of Isreal.There are some amazing revelations within this text and I want to bring them to light tonight. When I began to study this text the main point that the Holy Spirit impressed upon me was that were are to be a “Church without walls”
Well what does it mean to be a church without walls? Well to really understand what it means to be a church without walls we must 1st look at what it means to be a church with walls. A church like Jericho... You see as I began to study this text I realized that Jericho was a type and shadow of the modern day “Religious Church” or an example of a Religious Spirit, or religion in general. God never indented us to be a people of Religion we are to be a people of relationship. Not a people bound behind walls of Religion but a people free to run with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Isn’t it interesting that Jesus showed up in the flesh to meet with Joshua and to tell him that He had delivered Jericho into his hands along with its Kings and its fighting men? Why is the Lord’s appearance so important here? Have you ever thought about it before? All throughout the Old testament the children of Israel are mention in connection with Jericho or the land of Jericho or the fields of Jericho. Jesus was wanting to show that there will always be an imposter church amongst God’s children “His Church” And we know from the New Testament that the true enemy of God is not Satan for Jesus defeated Satan when He hung from a bloody cross and rose three days later haven taken the keys of Death and Hades back from Satan. No the real enemy of Christ is Religion. A religious spirit, A Jericho. You may have heard the song “Give me that Old Time Religion, give me that Old Time Religion” Well I am here to tell you tonight, That the Lord doesn’t want us to have some old time religion he wants us to have a new time relationship: to taste of the new wine, A fresh outpouring of His Holy Spirit. A later rain, an end times movement of God. Church we have been stuck into past for far too long. Jesus time after time after time spoke out against the Pharisees and the Sadducees and their wicked yeast which is the seed of religion. Some of you may ask” Well what is religion?” Nothing but man’s attempt to reach god but praise the Lord that we are in a relationship tonight. And what is a relationship well nothing short of God sending his son down to earth to reach a wicked and perverse generation of sinners. God hates sin but listen to me tonight he loves sin filled people. He loves you and me . The Bible says that while we yet sinners God sent His son to die for us. Jesus has been fighting the spirit of religion ever since the second he set his foot on the earth. He was there at the City of Jericho, and he was there to speak out to the Pharisees and the saducees.Religion will bind you up. You will never hit the mark; you will constantly struggle and always fall short. Religion straps its full weight of the law squarely upon our back and will drive you right into the ground. But thank the Lord that relationship starts and finishes with Grace, God’s unconditional love for a fallen world. The sooner you get out from under the Law and religion the sooner you can start to live for Christ and Christ can start to live through you. Do you mid if I preach this thing tonight. Listen here you cant earn your way to heaven, you will never be sister super Christian, it doesn’t matter if you pray 4 hours a day and read thought the Bible 3 times a year, don’t get me wrong those things are great but if you walk around with them as a spiritual badge of honor be careful brother watch out sister because pride cometh before the fall, and you have been blinded by religion. Ask me sometime about it in private and I can tell you all about being puffed up with Religion and I can also tell you how painful the fall is too. Aren’t you glad church that Jesus loved and accepts us just the way we are? He loves you as much as he ever will right this very second and nothing will ever change that. Oh did you hear what I just said. That was for somebody in here tonight. He loves you as much as he ever will right this very second and nothing will ever change that. He wants to take off the blinders of religion for somebody tonight and exchange them for His uncondional love.
So we see the mighty Jericho with its huge walls, what is the purpose of a wall? Walls are meant to keep everything inside nice and safe and to keep everything else or everyone else out. So a church with walls is a church bound by religion and a religious spirit. A church that only believes that a preacher is anointed if he wears a tie. Joyce Myers put it the best way I have ever heard it. And I quote” If Jesus can anoint polyester he can anoint Denim Jeans” AMEN? A church with walls is A church that doesn’t want to grow, a church that doesn’t want to reach the lost, us four and no more. And do you know what they call that in those churches? Discipleship?
Now I know that this is a church that wants to reach the lost a church that wants to help the needy, feed the hungry and comfort the sick and truly live free from the curse of the law and be loosed from a spirit of religion.
Well I am going to explain to you tonight how we become the church without walls. And the secret is found right here in the scriptures of Joshua chapter 6.
The only way we can become the church with out walls is by having the best Sunday school teaching in the district, or maybe its by having the most profound preaching in all the land, or possibly its by doing a cool church growth program, you know pack the pew? Be a banana be one of the bunch. No No the only way we can be the true church without walls is through our worship. Worship. Worship. Brothers and sisters when we become radical about our worship of God, The Community will stand up and take notice. The walls will come tumbling down. The Spirit of Religion will have met its maker and its makers name is worship. Its al right here in Joshua Chapter 6.
There are walls in our lives and walls in our church that can only be torn down through the radical praise of God’s people. To become the church without walls we must get excited about what god is doing. Our community isn’t looking for some old time religion they are looking for the real deal something they can relate to. Not three hymns ,read the epitaph and go to the buffet. They want to see the manifest presence of an awesome God. A god that can lead them out of their addictions, out of there financial problems, reconnected with their spouses and families. Our community is looking for a church like that. I believe that we are that church. But in order for us to truly fulfill our destiny church we must learn to Worship God in a radical way. A crazy praise. A scream at the top of your lungs praise because He has delivered you from yourself. He has delivered you from your sinful life. Don’t worry about what the person next to you thinks stop looking at what brother bobby and sister Suzy are whispering about. Get crazy for God Get crazy for God Get crazy for God. He’s crazy about you.. I am reminded about the Story in Luke chapter 19 where Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. You know the story, Jesus sent his disciples ahead of him to secure the colt, and they end up bringing the colt to Jesus and they threw their cloaks upon the donkey and they sat Jesus upon the colt, and as he went along all the people spread their cloaks along the road. And in the 37th verse it says “the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in LOUD VOICES for all the miracles they had seen” Loud voices church, loud voices, loud voices a radical praise. Hosanna,hosanna,hosanna,blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,peace in heaven and glory in the highest. Then the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus you must rebuke you disciples for being so radical. You see religion has been trying to shut up the worship of God for thousands of years, But it’s what Jesus said next, the rock that breaks the hammer of religion. And I quote “I tell you he replied if they keep quiet the rocks would cry out. You don’t want some rock to cry out for you do you?
Let’s go back to our Main text tonight. Joshua chapter 6. And what I am about to share with you tonight if you can grab a hold of it just may be the quintessential turning point in your Christian walk. God tells Joshua to march the people around the city once a day for 6 days and on the 7th day march the people around the city 7 times with the priests blowing the trumpets and when you hear the them sound a long blast give a shout of victory and begin to praise God. So let’s look at verse 9 The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. But Joshua had commanded the people” Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the time I tell you to shout. Then Shout!!
This is the moment you may have been waiting for your entire life. Its time Church God is giving you the command to shout, He is giving you the command to lift up a battle cry, raise your voices Church, your day to shout unto God with a voice of triumph has come, shout unto God with a voice of praise. Today is you day Christian today is our day Church its time to shout its time to shout, its time to shout. I want to see the walls of religion fall in this community, I want to be the church without walls, and I want to taste of the rivers of revival, Shout unto God Heritage church, Shout…Shout ..Shout.. I don’t some rock to cry out for me. I will bless the Lord and His praise will continually be on my lips. Hosanna, hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.
Listen church when begin to get radical about our praise god will tear down the walls just like he did at Jericho. How many people would raise their hands and would say I want to be a part of a true revival before the end of my time here on earth? How do we get it church? It’s through our Worship. God is looking for a people that are hungry for His presence. You see when you get hungry enough you will do anything to satisfy that hunger. I can tell you that having lived off the streets I have been hungry enough to do anything to get some food. I didn’t care what anybody said about me as I rummaged through garbage cans looking for a scrap of food. That’s the type of people God is looking to pour out His Spirit upon. A people so hungry for His presence that they will stop caring about people are saying about them because their focus is upon an awesome God. Lost in His presence. Have you ever been lost in the presence of God? Have you ever tasted and of his new wine? Be ye not drunk on wine but be ye filled with the Holy Ghost. A week seldom passes by at work where the guys on Friday don’t talk about going out on the weekend and getting drunk. And I can’t wait to hear that because that’s my Curtin cue. That’s my time where I get to say I am going to get drunk this weekend too. I am going to taste of the new wine. And usually at that point they look at me like I am crazy and I tell them once you drink of this wine you never thirst again. Worship Worship worship. They may think I am crazy and I am I am crazy about Jesus.
It’s time Church. I believe this is a prophetic message tonight for our Church. Tonight there is going to be loosed in the spirit a wave of growth for this church like we have never seen. I am speaking tonight to things that are not as thought they are. There is a wave of the spirit of God that is going to permeate this Church Like we have never known. And it’s all going to start with your radical praise to God. It’s all going to be birthed out of Worship.
Point #1 on being the church without walls is Worship
Point #2 on being the church without walls ties directly to Worship and that is evangelism.
You see when we become the church without walls through our worship it will always lead directly into evangelism. Not some religious effort at evangelism but one born out of worship. Evangelism that is birthed out of worship is one that will truly stand the test of time. Because it always meets people where they are. Not where we think they should be. I am going to say that again in case some of you missed it. Evangelism that is birthed out of worship is one that will truly stand the test of time. Because it always meets people where they are. Not where we think they should be. Acts chapter 2. Here we have 120 Christians in the upper room at Pentecost waiting for the Power of The Holy Ghost to fall. Now what do you think the atmosphere is like in that room? Do you think it was a room full of the chosen frozen glaring around at each other to see who was going to raise their arms first and have enough guts to praise God. Or do you think it was a wide open throttle of praise and worship of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords?. Let me tell you friend I guarantee there was some Holy Rolling Going on that night long before the Holy Spirit ever came in its fullness. Acts 2 vs. 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. Let me tell you why it was a mighty sound because it would have taken a very loud sound, to rise above the sound of worship that was being lifted up unto the Lord they wouldn’t have heard some wimpy little sound so God sent the sound of mighty rushing wind worship that would have caught their attention. That’s what our community and our Country is waiting for a worship that will catch their attention. Something different than the status quo of the religious experience. Guys we are that type of church. And catch this when we become the church without walls through a radical worship of God it will always lead to evangelism. Lets pick up the story in acts chapter 2 here we have the 120 Christians baptized in the Holy Ghost and what happens next? Evangelism. Evangelism birthed out of worship will always stand the test of time. Peter addresses the crowd and explains the radical worship they had just witnessed and 3,000 were saved. And we see the Church was established out of worship. When Heritage church begins to radically worship God the community will begin to ask “What must I do to be saved”
My friends there are people whose names you don’t know that are waiting right outside these walls for you to become radical about God. Waiting for us to become the church without walls. The only chance they have is you. The only chance they have is you. The chance that you just might become so in love with Christ that it becomes the most important thing in your life. My friends the time to shout has come upon this church. The walls of Jericho are ready to fall in our community the time and the season of the harvest is upon us. We must lift up out voice and get ready for the end time harvest. And God is saying tonight are you going to be one of the 120 Holly Ghost filled Christians, are you going to be on of the voices that shouts against the walls of Jericho or are you going to be a rock. Are you going to let some rock cry out for you. Are you going to let the blinders of religion keep you from receiving your miracle tonight or are you going to put down your pride and pick up your praise. That’s the edict here tonight. Its time we put down our pride and pick up or praise.
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