The Walls Will Fall
Hebrews 11:30
Jericho lay before the children of Israel.
God had promised the children of Israel a land that flowed with milk and honey, but between them and *God's promise and *God's plan and *God's provision was Jericho.
Jericho was strong and powerful, with walls all around it.
The walls around Jericho were 50 feet high and 50 feet wide. It looked like a city that was unconquerable.
It seemed as though it said to Joshua and to the children of Israel, Stay out and stay away from the fulfillment of God's promises.
*We know what it meant them. Here was an obstacle between the people of God and the promises of God that had to be removed.
*What does it mean today? It means today that there are people of God that still have obstacles and they still need to be removed.
*What does it mean to me personally? Through the Lord Jesus Christ and by Faith I can be victorious.
The devil will see to it that there is some great Wall or obstacle is between us and the plan of God. Something that says, Stop! You can go no further.
It can be some family problem, some financial problem,* an unhappy marriage, *an unholy life, an *unhealthy body, or *some unfulfilled dreams. I know that *we all are facing problems. We will see today through God's Word How to allow God to destroy these walls in our lives. *The Promise Land represents God's Best for His people.
Hebrews chapter 4 tells us that the reason that the first generation could not enter into God's rest was because of unbelief. Only people of faith can enter into the promises of God.
Hebrews 11:30 by Faith The Walls of Jericho fell.
I. THE WORSHIP OF FAITH. (Joshua 5:13-15 )
13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? 14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? 15 And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
A. We must be able to see God rather than our problem.
Joshua was looking at Jericho and trying to figure out what his next move would be. He was looking at his problem rather than his protector.
Sometimes we become problem conscience rather than God Conscience.
We need to be more conscience of the presence of God rather than the presence of our problems.
Don’t ignore your problem.
Faith is not blind to the problem, it sees the problem and says I see someone greater than you, I see God's Presence. God can handle any wall I face.
Joshua went to this man and asked are you for us or against. The reply was no, as captain of the host of the Lord am I come.
Joshua asked are you for us or against? The reply was no I come to take over.
When God shows up; *He doesn't show up to take sides *He shows up to take over, *He shows up to take over your problem; *He shows up to tear down the walls.
Joshua fell on his face and began to worship God. *True faith will worship God even though there is a wall standing between you and God's purpose. *True faith worships because there is no problem is too big or too difficult for God to take care of.
II. THE WALK OF FAITH.
This is the walk to Victory and Abundant Life.
A. THE STRONG HOLD
Josh. 6: 1. 1Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in:
The Walls around Jericho was a Stronghold that Challenged Their Faith.
Your Faith will be challenged and put to the test. A Faith that cannot be tested is a faith that cannot be trusted.
The Devils plan is to keep people locked out from God's promises and to Keep others locked into his bondage.
*We seem to come to a place where are about to have a breakthrough and a break out. *We never make it for one reason or another. *We are about to breakthrough to God's promises and break out of bondage.
Some have walls in there lives of their on making. These walls give them some since of security. They have been hurt by someone so they built these walls to keep people out of their lives. Some have been hurt by parents, children, Preachers, Pastors, Spouses, and even people in the church.
God wants you to be free but the Devil has convinced you that you cannot go out side the walls. He is a liar, you can go free and you can enter the promises of God for your life.
B. THE STRATEGY (Joshua 6:2-5)
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.
God did not tell them to get battering rams or build ladders to scale the walls. God just said walk around the walls once a day for six days and on the seventh day walk around it seven times and on the seventh time sound the trumpet and tell all the people to shout and the walls will fall down and you can take possession of the city.
That doesn't sound like a Good plan.
We need to realize that God's Plans are far better than anything that we can come up with.
The only way to conquer the Jericho's in our lives is God's way and that is by faith in *the Lord Jesus Christ, in *God's Word and in the *Blood of Cavalry's Cross. Hebrews 11:30, "by faith the walls of Jericho fell down . . .”
*Lets Quit looking at the obstacles in our lives as dead-ends. *See them as opportunities for the Lord to work in our lives! *We must see the promise of God's Word to us.
“2And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.”
Why walking around the walls of Jericho once a day for six days and then seven times on the seventh day? God’s Plan involved two things:
CONTINUED OBEDIENCE
We must continue to walk in obedience to God's Word even though we don't see any evidence of the walls falling or coming down. We must simple walk on because God said to.
Galatians 6:9 And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint. (The Amplified New Testament)
There are times when we all would rather quit and throw in the towel. We get tired, discouraged and depressed . We feel like surrendering to the strongholds. **Remember that there can be No Victory with out the Battle.
B. CONTINUED SILENCE
Joshua 6:10 10And 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.
*Why did Joshua instruct the people not to say anything until the day the command was given to shout? *Why couldn't they talk as they walked around the walls? God knows it only takes a few negative people or complainers to discourage the whole group.
1 Corinthians 15: 33 Don't be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.” (New Living Translation)
Negative, complaining and criticizing people will Kill Faith. It spreads like cancer and counteracts faith.
If one person walking around Jericho said, “ This is silly and foolish.” Then someone else would say, “your right.” Then those two would talk to two more, then those four would talk to four more until the whole camp was infected with this negative and criticizing spirit.
Proverbs 10:14 14 Wise people treasure knowledge, but the babbling of a fool invites trouble. (New Living Translation)
Joshua knew this from experience so he said, “don't say a word until the day that I tell you to shout!!”
III. THE WAIT OF FAITH.
Every day that they marched around the City of Jericho they had to wait to see what would happen.
Sometimes it is hard to wait upon the Lord. I don't have time for all this waiting around. Good things come to those that know how to wait. Why does God make me wait?
A. You Need Patience
Hebrews 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
We are an impatient people. We have been spoiled by modern day conveniences that give us what we want when we want it. There is a great need in the body of Christ for patience. We need the ability to wait upon God and His timing.
B. You have Need of Strength
Isa. 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
There are times in our lives that we grow weak and weary as we travel through life. Sometimes we don't have the since to stop and rest in order to regain our strength. Sometimes we are just to busy to stop and God puts on the breaks and stop us for our own good. Sometimes it is God that keeps us from doing things that will make a mess of everything. It pays to wait upon God. If we are not careful we will get a head of God and miss out on the move of God because we didn't wait.
IV. THE WORD OF FAITH. ( Joshua 6: 15-16 )
Jos 6:15 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.
Joshua Says, “Shout, For God Has Given you the City ". Joshua reach back and get a hold of what God has already said. Look back at verse 2, " The lord said to Joshua, I have given into thine hand Jericho ".
“How can you say That God has Given Us the city the walls are still standing”. Joshua why Shout there is no evidence that these walls will ever fall.
*The walls only fell after the people shouted. *Maybe that is why many people in the church haven't had a break through, they forgot how to shout. *Some one says I will shout when the walls fall and not before then. Your loss not mine.
Psalms 47:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
Psalms 5: 11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
We all need to reach into God's Word and get a Word of Faith and shout the victory even though it may seem like nothing has changed.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
Joshua did not just decide there was something he wanted and he would believe for it. That's not faith. You cannot just believe God for something and make it so. You can only believe God for something that already is so in the heart and mind of God. God had already said, I have given you the city. Joshua says what God has already said. Faith is just simply agreeing with the Word of God.
V. THE WONDER OF FAITH. ( Joshua 6:20 ) Jos 6:20 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.
God works wonders when His people believe in Him.
*The God that we serve is a God of wonders and miracles. *When we move in faith God responds *There is no wall to high or to wide that can stand against power of God's Hand.
The walls fell not *because of Joshua, or *the trumpets, or the *loud shout of the people.
The walls fell because of the people's faith.
Hebrews 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down:
*People of Faith will always be willing to march in obedience to God's Word, *ready to give a victory shout rather than give in to the defeating doubt.
The Same God that brought down the walls of Jericho can bring down any wall that you and I face if we will just believe.
Matthew 9:29 Jesus say's, “ According to your faith be it unto you.
*God is not moved by the walls you face, * He is moved by the faith that you put in Him when you face those walls. * It's our faith that touches God's heart.
Today could be the day of your miracle. Do you have faith in God? Today is the day to allow God to bring down the walls that are keeping from God's best for your life.
If you are a sinner and you have not accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, there is a wall that God wants to destroy. That wall is a wall of sin. Will you step out in faith today and let God remove that wall of sin that separates you from Him?
Conc.
What kind of walled city are you facing right now? Does it appear to be unconquerable? Do the walls look too high and do they appear too thick?
Does it seem that victory is absolutely impossible? Let me remind you that if your walls haven't already fallen down flat, they can! They can fall right now!
Will you come before Him this morning with whatever your need is? Will you bring it to Jesus right now! He can do the impossible, think the unthinkable, do the undoable! He is still a miracle working God! He is Able to move any mountain, stronger than any barrier you might face today. Bring it to Him and watch Him work it out!
