“And The Wall Came Tumbling Down” Mini-Series (Part 2 of 2)
Joshua 5.13-6.16, 20
January 18, 2015 CFBC Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction:
A
B Joshua 6:6-16 (NASB) 6 So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD." 7 Then he said to the people, "Go forward, and march around the city, and let the armed men go on before the ark of the LORD." 8 And it was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the LORD went forward and blew the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. 9 The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while they continued to blow the trumpets. 10 But Joshua commanded the people, saying, "You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard nor let a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you, 'Shout!' Then you shall shout!" 11 So he had the ark of the LORD taken around the city, circling it once; then they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp. 12 Now Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. 13 The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew the trumpets; and the armed men went before them and the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while they continued to blow the trumpets. 14 Thus the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp; they did so for six days. 15 Then on the seventh day they rose early at the dawning of the day and marched around the city in the same manner seven times; only on that day they marched around the city seven times. 16 At the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout! For the LORD has given you the city.
Joshua 6:20 (NASB) 20 So the people shouted, and priests blew the trumpets; and when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight ahead, and they took the city.
1 (ETS) Joshua was reminded by the Lord that he, Joshua, was second in command.
a (ESS) We will never know the full true measure of victory until we realize there is a God and we’re not Him.
b (Obj.) I hope you’ll discover the victory that only comes by unconditionally surrendering to the Lord.
2 (PQ) Who is the decision maker in your life?
a Last Sunday we learned two of four results that we can expect when we unconditionally surrender to the Lord:
aa Reveals our hearts (second in command)
bb Reaffirms His Will (I’m going to give you this land; I’m a Wall Breaker, Josh.)
b Let’s look at the final two results that we can expect if we’ve unconditionally surrendered to the Lord.
III We Realize God’s Command
A God gave very clear instructions to the man in charge of the assembly, Joshua.
1 God’s command to Joshua reveals that the battle of Jericho wouldn’t be won militarily, but spiritually.
a After God revealed His plan to Joshua, he didn’t call up his captain/generals . . . he called up the preachers.
Joshua 6:6 (NASB) 6 So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD."
aa Get the priests with the horns in place (victory is already ours.)
bb But first, get the Ark (His Presence)
b The Lord didn’t want there be any doubt of whom was going to win this battle.
2 In v. 7-8a, Joshua tells the people the instructions he got from the Lord.
Joshua 6:7-8 (NASB) 7 Then he said to the people, "Go forward, and march around the city, and let the armed men go on before the ark of the LORD." 8 And it was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the LORD went forward and blew the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.
a I can tell immediately these people aren’t Baptist.
aa If they were, they would have formed a committee, offered improvements on the plan, reported to the body and taken a vote.
bb You get a word from God that lines up with the rest of His Word . . . you don’t need a committee, meeting, vote . . . You need to act upon. . . He’s already voted.
b It’s important that leaders get their orders from the Lord and that those who follow them obey their instructions. (That ain’t Baptist, we’ll it’s Bible.)
c When God’s people rebel against spiritual leadership, as Israel often did, it lead too discipline/defeat.
aa When God gives the leadership a vision that’s the mission.
bb If you have “two” visions, it no longer is a vision, it is division.
cc That’s sounds militaristic, preach.
B There is a militant (aggressive, combative, fighting) side to our faith that has been greatly abandoned.
1 Many of our ol’hymns reflect the “fighting side” of our faith.
a “Stand up, Stand up for Jesus ye soldiers of the cross.”
aa Isaac Watts (Joy To The World) wrote, “Am I Soldier of the Cross?” (1991 Baptist Hymnal, No. 481, VS. 2)
Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood.
Is this vile world a friend to grace, to help me on to God?
bb Baring-Gould’s Onward Christian Soldiers is not for bead-wearing, bare-footed, “Give Peace A Change” singing crowd.
Onward Christian soldiers! Marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before. Christ our royal Master leads against the foe; Forward into battle See His banner go!
Like a mighty army, moves the Church of God; Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.
b The idea of warfare, battle, combat seemingly disturbs the sensitivities of today’s church.
aa Genesis 3:15 (TLB) From now on you and the woman will be enemies, as will your offspring and hers. You will strike his heel, but he will crush your head."
bb Revelation 19:11-21 (NASB) And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." 17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, "Come, assemble for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great." 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
2 If you ignore/marginalize the militant aspect of the Christian faith, they you are ignoring/marginalizing what Jesus won on Calvary’s Cross.
a Colossians 2:13-15 (NASB) 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
b We are the Church and We’re built to tear down/storm/rip apart the gates/walls of hell.
Matthew 16:18 (NASB) 18 "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
II Relish in God’s Glory
A If God could have blasted the walls of Jericho in a nanosecond . . . why didn’t He? (Why take a week of marching, blowing trumpets, circling the city?)
1 God tested Israel’s faith, obedience, patience over the course of those seven days.
a On the seventh day when the walls came down, it wasn’t due anything that the Hebrews had physically done.
b Hebrews 11:30 (NASB) 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.
aa Through seven days of just being “faithful” they learned patience & obedience.
Hebrews 6:12 (NASB)12 so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
bb They waited for God to do what He promised . . . for seven days they waited, endured, acted on faith for God had promised to bring down the walls, give them the land and He would prove Himself faithful.
2 Patience wasn’t the only lesson being taught, so was self-control.
a Imagine what the Jerichoian soldiers were saying from atop that wall. (Taunting, mocking, ridicule . . . yo mama jokes).
aa Yo’momma so ugly. . .
*that when she enters the bank they turn off their security camera . . .
*One Direction went the other way. . .
*Hello Kitty said “good-bye.”
bb Joshua 6:10 (NASB) 10 “But Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard, nor let a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout!”
b There first impulse was to run up and do a Rambo, jam & flat bust’em . . . but they chilled because they’re trying to get right with Lord.
aa They’re praying & marching, “Lord, give me patience because if you give me strength I’m gonna need bail money to go with it.”
bb They probably wanted to go throat punch some alley-cat coat wearing, hush puppy shoe wearing, crumb cake eating Jerichoians.
B You ever want to do a Rambo, verbally throat punch somebody and God tells you, “Don’t say a word.”
1 We are called to be faithful, obedient, have SELF-CONTROL and let God reveal His Glory.
a On day seven we think God finally shows up; Read it again, He showed up in Joshua 5.13 . . . God doesn’t get in a hurry but He always shows up right on time.
Joshua 5:13 (NASB) 13 Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us or for our adversaries?"
b All we have to do is the right thing, even when things seem to be going wrong, we keep our eyes on Him.
c Feed our faith & starve our doubt & trust in Him and what ever wall we come up against will come down for HIS GLORY!!!!
2 On day seven, the enemy wasn’t shouting insults anymore . . . and the time for the people of God to remain silent had finally came to an end, it was time to Shout!!!!
a We have a big God. (How big is He, Preach?)
aa He’s bigger than any wall you and I will ever encounter.
bb He’s bigger than cancer, addiction, depression, rejection, oppression, bankruptcy, church splits, divorce, loss of innocense, heart disease.
cc If our God is for us, then who can be against us?
b My Jesus is tougher than nails.
c God doesn’t give us what we can’t handle, He helps us handle what we’re given.
Conclusion:
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Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
