“Driving Enemy Out”
TEXT: Joshua 6:1-5 (KJV)
1 Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.
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.
INTRODUCTION:
A. History of Jericho –
1) The Name Jericho was a Arabic baby name.
2) In Arabic --- The Name Jericho means, “City of the Moon.”
3) Jericho was a city in Canaan --- a city that had great walls and Pagan Practices within.
B. God had given Israel the Land of Canaan ---- but Israel would have to drive their enemies out of Canaan before they could enjoy a time of peace.
C. What Canaan Represents ----
1) Canaan doesn’t represent Heaven ---- there are no enemies in Heaven.
2) Canaan represents a New Life ---- A New Covenant, A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
D. The Walls of Jericho ---- This city was well fortified.
1) It was thought to be impregnable.
2) The Walls was massive ----
a. The Walls may have ranged from 13 feet high up to 28 feet high in places.
b. The Walls were thick enough that you could race two chariots side by side upon the top.
c. So the walls of Jericho could have easily been around 12 to 15 feet thick.
d. Watch Towers would have been built in along with dwellings and businesses.
E. I believe there’s a strong Contemporary Message here.
1) I believe the Story of Jericho ties in with the N.T. Story of Pentecost.
I. Jericho Blocked The Entrance Into Canaan.
A. The Israelites had to defeat this enemy that was living in their Canaan.
1) If you are ever going to enjoy your Canaan, Your Land of Promise, Your New Life in Christ, You WILL HAVE TO EVICT THE DEVIL!!!
B. Jericho was straightly SHUT UP because of the Children of Israel, Non Went Out and None Came In.
1) So many times we find ourselves fearing the devil and his minions.
2) Satan and his imps GREATLY FEAR the CHILDREN OF GOD.
a. Satan tries to turn the tables on us.
3) There is nothing that Satan and his crowd fear any more than a BLOOD BOUGHT, HOLY GHOST FILLED PRAYER WARRIOR.
a. All the World Starts Changing when the Church Starts Praying.
b. Prison Bars start shacking when the Church Starts Praising.
c. The Weapon of Satan melt away when the Church Starts Rebuking.
C. Satan knew the Covenant that God had established with Abraham ---- many years before.
1) The Location of Jericho was no accident.
2) Before we can you can enter YOUR CANAAN ---- Your NEW LIFE, Your New CALLING, Your NEW PURPOSE --- you will have to move satan out of the way!!
? Matthew 18:18-20 (KJV)
18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
II. It’s Time To See Things As They Can Be/ As They Were Meant To Be.
Joshua 6:2 (KJV) “And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.”
A. God said ---- “SEE.”
1) It’s time we see things as God sees them.
a. We are good at seeing fortified cities, cities that block the entrance way into our Canaan.
b. We are good at seeing Giants that defy, Mountains that Hinder, Valleys too Deep,
Rivers Too Wide, Sicknesses too Powerful, Bills that are Too Large
Task that are TOO BIG.
c. We are good at seeing IMPOSSIBILITIES, we can see them with the Natural eye.
2) God wants us to see what can be.
B. Jericho must be moved!!
1) The Enemy MUST BE DRIVEN OUT.
2) The HINDERANCE MUST BE OVERCOME.
III. God Gave the Israelites A Strange Battle Plan.
Joshua 6:3-5 (KJV)
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.
A. Satan loves to circle his wagons around us.
B. God told the Israelites to COMPASS THE CITY ---- YOU CIRCLE AROUND JERICHO.
1) 6 is the Number of Man.
2) For 6 days they would march in silence --- they would do nothing but march.
a. During these 6 days of marching One Lap each day, the Israelites would get good and acquainted with all of the Impossibilities, the thickness & height of the walls.
3) Man’s Impossibilities are God’s Opportunities.
C. The Seventh Day ----
1) The Number 7 symbolize PERFECTION, TOTALITY.
2) The SEVENTH DAY IS GOD’S DAY --- The Battle will be fought God’s Way --- and God will bring down the enemy.
D. Seventh Day --- Seven Laps, LONG BLAST OF THE RAMS HORN
1) The People are to shout --- this is a SHOUT OF VICTORY!!
a. Roo-ah ---- A form of Praise ---- A Shout Of Victory, ----- A LOUD TONE.
2) You shout, You Praise, You make the Sound of Victory and God will bring down the WALLS!!
E. Spiritually --- the SHOUT had everything to do with the wall falling down flat.
1) Physically and Materially, it had nothing to do with it at all.
2) The WALL FALLING FLAT was strictly a MIRACLE OF GOD.
3) The SHOUT OF TRIUMPH CAME BEFORE THE WALLS FELL.
IV. Pentecost and Barriers
Acts 2:1-6 (KJV)
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
A. Everyone Spoke One Language until the people got together and started to build the TOWER OF BABLE.
1) Who put the building of the TOWER OF BABLE into the heart of the people? SATAN!!
2) God divided the people --- LANGUAGE BARRIERS to hinder their evil practices.
B. Following the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, those language barriers were WALLS or hindrances to the furtherance of the Gospel.
1) Pentecost was the answer!!!
? Matthew 16:17-19 (KJV)
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
C. Now Think on This, Jesus came to His own (The Jews) and they received Him Not.
1) Some did, the majority didn’t.
2) Despite His Miracles.
D. Following Pentecost ---- the Disciples walked out of the Upper Room with a Fresh Anointing and Peter preached a Sermon and 3000 Jews in Jerusalem came to Jesus!!
1) The WALLS CAME DOWN.
2) The Was a Sound From Heaven ---- A Fire From Heaven -----
E. Satan is trying to prevent the Church from moving forward, from taking back territory, but there is wall tall enough or wide enough to keep the church from 100 percent victory!!!
1) MOVE DEVIL, MOVE!!!!
2) MOVE DEVIL, MOVE!!!
