WEBVTT 00:00:03.040 --> 00:00:13.919 Ministering to the heart of Western Arkansas's River Valley for over 165 years, welcome to Chapter and First, the Bible teaching ministry of Fort Smith's First Baptist Church. 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:19.359 You'll find sermons and teachings from Pastor Greg, our ministry staff, and guest speakers. 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:21.280 Thank you for listening. 00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:25.359 Turn with me in your Bibles to Joshua chapter. 00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:29.679 Uh we're going to the Battle of Jericho, chapter six today. 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:33.280 What I want to talk to you about is how to experience victory. 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:36.399 Now, this is an important, important battle. 00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:47.439 It's not just important because it's famous and the walls come tumbling down and, you know, all that stuff that we know if you've been in church in any time. 00:00:47.679 --> 00:00:53.359 If you put in the context of the book, this is very important because it is the very first battle. 00:00:53.439 --> 00:00:58.159 And because of that, it sets the pattern for the rest of the battles. 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:07.840 This explains to the children of Israel that God is faithful to provide victory, and this is how He provides victory. 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:18.799 Now, if you look at a map of Canaan at that time, you will see there that you have the Dead Sea, you have the Jordan River that comes down. 00:01:18.959 --> 00:01:28.319 You see in blue the pattern of the children of Israel as they come across to the land of Gilgal and then to that first major dot there, Jericho. 00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:37.519 So you can see that this is an incredibly important spot because this is one of the few places where you come into the land of Canaan. 00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:47.920 And that red line represents that main highway that geographically has always been the main highway that would lead north and south through the land of Canaan. 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:58.400 And so Jericho sits there right at the place where you come in and re and can gain access into the whole land of Canaan. 00:01:58.560 --> 00:02:02.640 Because of that, Jericho is a mighty fortress city. 00:02:02.799 --> 00:02:12.319 It is also a city that all the other pagan nations and people groups and whatever that live there, they would all look towards Jericho and what was happening there. 00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:20.240 And so here is this incredibly strategic spot, and God brings them to this major obstacle first. 00:02:20.560 --> 00:02:26.159 There is no sort of practicing with some little place or some other kind of thing. 00:02:26.319 --> 00:02:29.120 The Lord takes them right into the heart of Canaan. 00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:33.199 He takes them right to the heart of one of the major enemies. 00:02:33.439 --> 00:02:39.520 He takes them right to the heart of one of the most evil regimes at that time. 00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:48.000 And we've seen in the story of Rahab and several of those how these people have dramatically rejected God. 00:02:48.159 --> 00:03:01.840 Even though they recognized the things that he had done for the children of Israel, they were clear enough that Rahab and her family understood who God was and placed their faith in him and turned to him. 00:03:02.240 --> 00:03:11.439 And yet these other kings and leaders in this Jericho area, the people groups that they represented, they rejected God. 00:03:11.599 --> 00:03:19.439 They fortified themselves against the person of God and the people of God, and we bring ourselves to this battle. 00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:27.039 And so what I want to talk to you about today is how to experience victory in our lives spiritually. 00:03:27.280 --> 00:03:29.840 How to experience victory. 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:43.599 Because there is a way that we can know that God is at work in our lives, a way that we can walk with him, and a way that we can experience what he has promised in our lives. 00:03:43.840 --> 00:03:51.919 The Bible says in the book of Romans, yet in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 00:03:52.240 --> 00:03:56.800 And so victory is an important word for us as believers. 00:03:56.960 --> 00:04:00.400 Now it does not mean the absence of battle. 00:04:00.639 --> 00:04:05.919 In fact, victory itself means we won the battle, right? 00:04:06.159 --> 00:04:13.759 And so God never promises that life won't be filled with battles and struggles and obstacles and enemies and everything else. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:16.240 In fact, that's the picture of this book. 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:35.439 And the same way that he's training the children of Israel how to face these enemies, how to walk by faith, how to receive the inheritance that he has promised them and how to walk in victory, he is teaching us by this life, real life illustration, how we can do that in our lives as well. 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:37.040 So let's read here this battle. 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:43.199 Even though it's somewhat familiar, if you've been in church any amount of time, you're familiar with sort of the walking around the walls. 00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:47.519 But there are some incredible details in here that I want to make sure we are reminded of. 00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:50.079 So let's read this battle of Jericho this morning. 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:52.399 Joshua chapter 6, verse 1. 00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:58.560 Now Jericho was strongly fortified because of the Israelites. 00:04:58.720 --> 00:05:08.319 Again, before we even enter the battle, the Bible is reminding us that these are people who have rejected the people of God in the person of God. 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:21.519 They are evil in their worship patterns, they're evil in their behavior, they do all kinds of things like temple prostitutes and child sacrifice and all manner of just horribleness. 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:27.279 And they have seen and understood who God is, and yet they reject him. 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:37.920 As we saw in the story of Rahab, as you see here, they have fortified themselves and prepared themselves to do battle against the people of God. 00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:44.720 Now Jericho was strongly fortified because of the Israelites, no one leaving or entering. 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:56.079 The Lord said to Joshua, Look, I, God, have handed Jericho, its king, and its fighting men over to you. 00:05:56.480 --> 00:05:58.720 And then he tells them how we're going to do this. 00:05:59.040 --> 00:06:04.319 March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. 00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:07.519 Do this for six days. 00:06:09.759 --> 00:06:23.279 Have seven priests carry seven ram's horn trumpets in front of the ark, but on the seventh day march around the city seven times while the priests blow the trumpets. 00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:32.639 When there is a prolonged blast of the horn and you hear its sound, have all the people give a mighty shout. 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:40.240 Then the wall will collapse, and the people will advance, each man straight ahead. 00:06:40.399 --> 00:06:52.319 So in other words, they're going to put the army in the front, then you're going to put these priests with these long ram's horn trumpets or shofar trumpets. 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:57.519 And then you're going to have the Ark of the Covenant, they're carrying that, and then you'll have a rear guard behind that. 00:06:57.680 --> 00:07:03.920 And so each day, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, they walk one time around the city. 00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:08.800 On the seventh day, they'll walk seven times around the city, blowing the trumpets. 00:07:08.959 --> 00:07:16.319 And when they complete that final circle, it means that the city will be encircled or surrounded. 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:19.600 And then they will blow a long blast. 00:07:19.759 --> 00:07:28.720 The people will shout, God will knock the walls down, and then they will descend into the city to do battle and have victory. 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:38.079 So Joshua, the son of Nun, summoned the priests and said to them, Take up the Ark of the Covenant, have seven priests carry seven trumpets in front of the Ark of the Lord. 00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:45.199 He said to the people, Move forward, march around the city, and have the armed troops go ahead of the Ark of the Lord. 00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:51.759 After Joshua had spoken to the people, seven priests carrying seven trumpets before the Lord moved forward and blew the trumpets. 00:07:51.920 --> 00:07:56.079 Now, just a note here, this is not being repetitive. 00:07:56.319 --> 00:08:07.040 Remember, this is the model of how we have victory, of how we see God accomplish his work despite enemies or obstacles. 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:10.959 And so what God is telling us is here is the instruction. 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:24.720 This is God's instruction, and he's going back and laboring these details again to show us specifically that the people of God are obeying the instructions of God. 00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:34.720 So it is affirming that the people were obedient in every detail and did this exactly the way God instructed them to do it. 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:42.159 While the trumpets were blowing, verse 9, the armed troops went in front of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard went behind the ark. 00:08:42.320 --> 00:08:47.840 But Joshua had commanded the people do not shout or let your voice be heard. 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:53.759 Don't let one word come out of your mouth until the time I say shout. 00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:55.519 Then you are to shout. 00:08:55.679 --> 00:09:00.320 Now keep in mind, these first six days, man, they are making a statement. 00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:03.120 And there is a seriousness to what they're doing. 00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:12.639 And there is a reverence, and they are also making a statement to the people who are on the walls watching all this weirdness happen. 00:09:12.960 --> 00:09:16.320 I was laughing with Bobby and some of the guys in the sound room this morning. 00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:23.919 I was really tempted at this point to show the scene from the Veggie Tales where they're walking around the wall. 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:30.879 And you have the great, the uh, you know, you have those peas on top with the French voices, and they're saying, Really, you're gonna walk around the wall? 00:09:31.039 --> 00:09:34.639 And all that, and I decided, no, I'll try to be more spiritual. 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:40.559 Just a thought. 00:09:41.840 --> 00:09:46.559 So, verse 11, the ark of the Lord was carried around the city, circling it once. 00:09:46.799 --> 00:09:49.279 They returned to the camp and spent the night there. 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:56.559 Joshua got up early the next morning, the priests took the ark of the Lord, the seven priests carrying seven trumpets marched in front of the ark of the Lord. 00:09:56.720 --> 00:10:01.360 While the trumpets were blowing, the armed troops were in front of them, and the rear guard went behind the ark of the Lord. 00:10:01.600 --> 00:10:05.039 On the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:06.639 They did this for six days. 00:10:06.799 --> 00:10:11.039 Again, God is not taking for granted that we just sort of read this. 00:10:11.279 --> 00:10:17.600 He is making clear that the people of God obeyed the instruction of God. 00:10:17.919 --> 00:10:24.799 Verse 15 Early on the seventh day, they started at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same way. 00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:29.360 That was the only day they marched around the city seven times. 00:10:29.600 --> 00:10:36.720 After the seventh time, the priests blew the trumpets, and Joshua said to the people, Shout, for the Lord has given you the city. 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:42.080 But the city and everything in it are set apart for the Lord's destruction. 00:10:42.320 --> 00:10:49.360 Now here he gives instructions about how the battle itself, after the walls have fallen, is to happen. 00:10:49.679 --> 00:10:57.759 Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone with her in the house will live, because she hid the man w hid the men we sent. 00:10:58.080 --> 00:11:02.320 He is faithful to that promise of redemption for she and her family. 00:11:02.559 --> 00:11:11.200 But keep yourselves from the things set apart, or you will be set apart for destruction. 00:11:11.600 --> 00:11:17.759 If you take any of those things, in other words, if you start looting, then that's sin. 00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:19.759 That is not God's instruction. 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:23.360 You are instructed, and God is making a plan here. 00:11:23.519 --> 00:11:28.320 I am going to defeat evil and the enemies of God. 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:36.720 If you take any of those things, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster on it. 00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:47.360 For all the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are dedicated to the Lord and must go into the Lord's treasury. 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:50.320 So the people shouted, the trumpet sounded. 00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:56.399 When they heard the blast of the trumpet, the people gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. 00:11:56.639 --> 00:12:00.960 The people advanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city. 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:08.240 They completely destroyed everything in the city with the sword, every man, woman, young, and old, every ox, sheep, and donkey. 00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:13.279 And so there you have the victory over Jericho. 00:12:13.519 --> 00:12:29.360 Now, at the beginning of this series, I gave you a s uh a sort of a four-truth pattern here that would be established throughout the book on how we experience victory, how we walk with God. 00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:30.960 And you'll see this. 00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:34.799 This it's five, this five deal all the way through. 00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:36.320 You'll see it in every battle. 00:12:36.480 --> 00:12:45.679 In the battles they win, you'll be able to point these out, and the battles that they lose, you'll be able to see exactly the point that they violated in this pattern of how you follow God. 00:12:45.840 --> 00:12:48.240 And so if you look at it here, here's what happens. 00:12:48.399 --> 00:12:50.000 Understand your inheritance. 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:52.159 Understand that we are walking by faith. 00:12:52.320 --> 00:12:54.480 We are trusting God for what he's done for us. 00:12:54.639 --> 00:13:04.240 The Bible says that God told them very clearly, he reminded them, I have given you, Jericho, all the armies and the king. 00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:06.399 It is God's inheritance. 00:13:06.639 --> 00:13:13.360 And when we come to him and we walk by faith as a believer, we are standing in the promise. 00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:18.080 Jesus said it this way, I've come, you might have life, and you might have it more abundantly. 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:24.000 Again, the Bible says in the book of Romans, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us. 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:30.960 When we walk through this Christian life, we are standing on the promises of God, first and foremost. 00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:36.480 We are walking by faith that God gives as he promised he would give. 00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:40.960 Number two, trust God for victory over every enemy and over every obstacle. 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:46.960 Now you can imagine in that day and time with the technology, how in the world do we knock all those walls down? 00:13:47.039 --> 00:13:48.159 How did we defeat that? 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:50.799 Josh was thinking, what's the military strategy here? 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:53.279 And God says, no, we're not going to do it that way. 00:13:53.440 --> 00:14:01.360 I'm going to do it the way that it's clear that I am the force that accomplishes this victory in battle. 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:04.320 And so he does this walking around, all that business. 00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:13.120 So for seven days, in Scripture, often seven, is a picture that illustrates the completeness of the work of God. 00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:18.639 Six days God labored, uh labored when he created the earth. 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:21.039 The seventh day God rested. 00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:22.799 So you see that pattern. 00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:24.879 And so here you see seven days. 00:14:25.120 --> 00:14:27.120 So they walk around it for seven days. 00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:29.519 On the seventh day, they walk seven times. 00:14:29.679 --> 00:14:36.879 All of this is a spiritual picture, and they are just trusting God to knock that wall down miraculously. 00:14:37.039 --> 00:14:48.000 Okay, the first day you walk around that wall, if I'm in the army, I'm probably looking at the guy standing next to me and I'm going, Do you think this is really gonna work? 00:14:48.720 --> 00:14:50.399 Like, how's this gonna work? 00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:56.159 And I'm sure by the fourth day, the people in Jericho are probably just like you would imagine. 00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:59.919 They're ridiculing, they're probably throwing stuff at them, they're doing all this. 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:02.559 Is this really gonna work? 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:08.879 And the guy says, Look, God departed the Red Sea. 00:15:09.519 --> 00:15:17.440 He promised us victory, and they messed up, and my mom and dad died in the wilderness, and I ain't dying in the wilderness, bro. 00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:19.600 We're gonna trust God to do this. 00:15:19.759 --> 00:15:23.279 And then the next guy says, God opened the Jordan River for us. 00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:24.559 He did all that for us. 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:25.840 We've seen God do this. 00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:27.279 He's going to do this. 00:15:27.519 --> 00:15:30.320 Trust in his plan to give us victory. 00:15:30.559 --> 00:15:32.720 God has promised us victory. 00:15:33.039 --> 00:15:36.879 Third thing you see is you recognize the reality and necessity of God's presence. 00:15:37.039 --> 00:15:48.000 We talked about last week, how when Jesus showed up in his Old Testament personhood to Joshua and communicated to him, I am with you and you need to be with me. 00:15:48.159 --> 00:15:51.200 And he communicated his presence with Joshua. 00:15:51.360 --> 00:15:54.480 He affirmed his promise to be with him as he was with Moses. 00:15:54.879 --> 00:16:05.039 And so here you see all of this detail given to the Ark of the Covenant being in the midst of the army and a part of this journey. 00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:06.639 And what is God saying? 00:16:06.879 --> 00:16:15.919 The Ark of the Covenant is the place where they understood when they set up the tabernacle and it went into the Holy of Holies. 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:21.679 That was the place where God sat and his presence resided in the Holy of Holies. 00:16:21.919 --> 00:16:29.120 And so when they would take the Ark of the Covenant with them, it represented to the children of Israel the presence of God. 00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:37.679 And so God instructs Joshua look, Joshua, I met with you in the desert, and you know I'm with you, and now we need our people to know I'm with them. 00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:39.679 And so here's what you're going to do, Joshua. 00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:49.759 You're going to be very clear about the presence of the Ark of the Covenant and where it is and what we're doing, because I am doing this battle, and I need my people to know that I am with them. 00:16:50.080 --> 00:16:54.799 And so we talked about last week how the presence of God is a part of our identity as believers. 00:16:54.960 --> 00:17:02.480 And so you see in this battle, the presence of God is clearly explained and illustrated to the people. 00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:28.319 In our lives, when we are pursuing Jesus, when we're walking through life, if it's a normal moment or if you're facing an enemy and an obstacle, the most important thing that you can do is grab a present, is grab a promise of God and step into the presence of God through prayer and worship and Bible study and seek his face and be in his presence and wait on him to affirm that he's with you. 00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:32.720 It is so vitally important that we understand the presence of God. 00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:41.680 Listen, it's interesting as a pastor when you're trying to teach these how-to things and you're trying to explain and equip people how to do this. 00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:57.039 Unfortunately, sometimes these lessons, when we're trying to explain details, they come out like five steps to know God or ten steps for victory or eight ways to have a great marriage or nine ways to raise spiritual kids or whatever. 00:17:57.119 --> 00:17:59.599 And we're trying to break this down to teach through that. 00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:05.519 But listen, Christian life is not a formula, it is a relationship with Jesus. 00:18:07.359 --> 00:18:12.960 And victory flows from the person of God who gives the victory. 00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:23.039 And so when we are walking through life, listen, we're not trying to go do these four things and then this works, you know, A, B, C, D, E, and then this automatically happens. 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:23.519 No. 00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:27.200 We are trying to teach and encourage each other. 00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:37.440 This is how you use Scripture, how you use prayer, how you use the promises of God to step in the presence of God, and we are lost without the presence of God. 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:53.119 Listen, the most important thing that happens in a church on Sunday morning is when we come to worship and we come to pray that that is not some program moment in the order of service that we've always done it that way. 00:18:53.440 --> 00:19:03.839 It is God's people coming to the throne of grace and looking to the heavens and looking to Jesus and saying, Lord, we are yours. 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:05.680 We surrender ourselves to you. 00:19:05.920 --> 00:19:17.039 Nothing good that happens in the church happens without the person of Jesus doing it, and we cannot do this on our own, and we need your presence with us this morning. 00:19:18.480 --> 00:19:30.160 There's nothing more important for a church family collectively or for a Christian individually than to be in the presence of Jesus and to be searching for the presence of Jesus. 00:19:31.039 --> 00:19:41.279 When God moves in a church, it moves because the people of the church have come to the Lord and have surrendered themselves and they are seeking his presence. 00:19:42.319 --> 00:19:44.079 They're seeking his presence. 00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:48.640 And then finally, immerse yourself in and obey God's word. 00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:54.400 It's great to read this whole chapter, even though we know the story about walking around the walls. 00:19:54.799 --> 00:20:08.480 God is reiterating over and over, this is what you do, and Joshua took it seriously, and this is what they did, and then they got up and did it the second day, and they did it six days, and then the last day they did this, and they did everything as God had instructed them to do. 00:20:08.880 --> 00:20:09.920 Now, why? 00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:18.000 The Christian life is not about just doing the right things, you know, be right and do right or whatever kind of a thing. 00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:22.240 It is a relationship with Jesus, and we come to him, and he has instructions for us. 00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:37.119 And those instructions matter because it's how he guides us, it's how he resides in our lives, it's how we pursue him and we take his word and we are obedient to his word because we are depending on him for victory. 00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:41.359 We are looking to him personally, we are counting on him to be a part of this. 00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:51.839 And you got to think God puts them in this moment because every other battle they're going to have, every victory resides on these five things, on understanding these things. 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:54.640 I am stepping into this battle with the promise of God. 00:20:54.799 --> 00:20:56.720 I am trusting him to give us victory. 00:20:56.880 --> 00:21:00.480 I am seeking his presence, and I can do nothing without him. 00:21:00.799 --> 00:21:16.880 And then I am going to be in his word and his instructions because I am looking to him and trusting into him, and so I am not going to go either to the right or to the left, but I'm going to stick directly on the word of God because I am trusting him and I'm looking for him and I'm depending on him. 00:21:17.359 --> 00:21:19.039 That is what the Christian life is. 00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:20.240 That's what it looks like. 00:21:20.480 --> 00:21:26.880 And so God puts the children of Israel in this pattern, and he is training this pattern. 00:21:27.039 --> 00:21:33.920 This is a classroom for them to continue to deepen their trust and walk with the Lord in these moments. 00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:42.000 And it's important for us to understand every time you face a Jericho in your life, it is a classroom. 00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:45.279 It is a training moment. 00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:59.599 It is a time when you are rehearsing again these principles, these four principles of standing on the promises of God, of looking to Him and trusting Him to be greater than any. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:03.599 Enemy or obstacle that we overcome or that we face. 00:22:03.759 --> 00:22:08.160 And we do that through his presence, and I'm not going to panic over that enemy. 00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:10.319 I'm not going to panic over those obstacles. 00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:13.680 I'm not going to run off and create my own way to do this. 00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:19.440 I am going to go to the Word of God, and I am going to the promises of God, and I'm going to seek the person of God. 00:22:19.599 --> 00:22:25.359 And in His presence, obeying His instructions, man, I'm not worried about this anymore. 00:22:25.599 --> 00:22:28.000 Now I can face this as I want. 00:22:28.400 --> 00:22:29.759 Face this as I need. 00:22:29.920 --> 00:22:32.880 I can believe that there's victory in these moments. 00:22:33.119 --> 00:22:35.279 Now, there are certain things in this battle. 00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:37.920 We could spend weeks and weeks on Jericho. 00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:45.359 We're not going to do that, but I just want to highlight a few things that are important that are set up in this pattern that God is establishing. 00:22:45.519 --> 00:22:48.799 Let me just run through these real quick and then I'm going to highlight just a couple. 00:22:49.039 --> 00:22:54.640 First of all, he is setting up here that they need to trust God's promises and his provision. 00:22:54.960 --> 00:23:04.400 He is doing this battle in a way that he is giving them victory and it's clear he puts his thumbprint on the battle and he is teaching them, you trust me and I will accomplish it. 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:07.359 God is faithful to his promise to his people. 00:23:07.599 --> 00:23:10.880 He gives a clear instruction, he gives a clear promise. 00:23:11.119 --> 00:23:13.359 I have given them to you. 00:23:13.680 --> 00:23:26.240 And he is going to construct this battle where he can accomplish what he promised, and they will learn every time I face a struggle, and God gives us a promise, God will always meet his promises. 00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:29.359 God will always be faithful to what he promised. 00:23:29.599 --> 00:23:39.039 God will always be honorable by his character as holy God to never welch on a promise that he has ever made to his people. 00:23:39.519 --> 00:23:44.640 You can always count on the character and person of God to meet whatever he's promised. 00:23:44.880 --> 00:23:48.160 Here's the juxtaposition of judgment and redemption. 00:23:48.319 --> 00:23:51.119 This is all throughout the book of Joshua. 00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:57.279 And what you see here is people are rejecting God, and there is judgment for rejecting God. 00:23:57.519 --> 00:24:05.359 Listen, the overarch of Scripture begins in the Garden of Eden, where we are made in a relationship with Him, and Adam and Eve sin. 00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:12.319 They sin against Almighty God, and He warned them there would be judgment. 00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:15.200 And they are judged because of their sin. 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:20.160 Death happens in our world because it is the judgment of sin. 00:24:20.319 --> 00:24:25.440 The Bible makes clear in the book of Romans, for the wages of sin is death. 00:24:25.759 --> 00:24:27.599 There is judgment for sin. 00:24:27.680 --> 00:24:34.079 And he needs his people to understand that because the overarch of this is about redemption in God's plan for redemption. 00:24:34.240 --> 00:24:41.440 And just as in the Garden of Eden, he takes Adam and Eve aside and he says, Okay, you guys have sinned and you'll be judged for this, and here's the result of your sin. 00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:49.200 But I am going to give you a promise of redemption, and I am going to redeem you from that judgment. 00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:56.240 And the entire Old Testament is unpacking the plan of how God brings the promised redeemer to the world. 00:24:56.400 --> 00:25:02.880 Jesus comes, he dies on the cross, he pays the price for our sins, he's raised again, conquering death and life. 00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:05.279 He provides the means of redemption. 00:25:05.519 --> 00:25:13.039 And so when we come to these stories, we need to understand God never steps away from the reality of judgment. 00:25:14.079 --> 00:25:16.640 Hell is a real thing. 00:25:18.640 --> 00:25:20.799 The wages of sin is death. 00:25:20.880 --> 00:25:33.920 And if you live your life under the judgment of sin without ever the redemption of Jesus, you will die and spend an eternity separated from God in the misery that is so awful. 00:25:34.240 --> 00:25:40.640 Scripture struggles trying to find a way for us to understand how horrible sin is. 00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:44.720 Not because scripture's struggling, but it's a struggle for us to understand. 00:25:45.359 --> 00:25:51.599 Even in this world right here, the Bible says that all things consist by the person of Jesus. 00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:54.079 We're living in the grace of God. 00:25:54.319 --> 00:25:55.839 He makes all this work. 00:25:56.319 --> 00:25:58.079 Jesus is coming back. 00:25:58.319 --> 00:26:09.759 We don't know when Jesus is coming back, but the Bible makes clear when Jesus is hesitating in this moment, not coming back, it is because of his grace to offer redemption to more. 00:26:12.319 --> 00:26:25.680 But when Jesus returns and the final battle occurs, and God judges sin finally and completely, there is no more redemption. 00:26:26.319 --> 00:26:28.799 And there's an eternity spent in hell. 00:26:29.759 --> 00:26:41.200 And God is making clear all throughout scripture: judgment for rejecting God is death and is real and is serious. 00:26:41.440 --> 00:27:03.039 And so God is making clear here as he is painting the plan of redemption, as he is accomplishing those promises, as he's working towards the Messiah, he's making it clear the reason Jesus had to come to die for our sins is because we have sinned and we are under judgment, and our sin will be punished. 00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:07.279 The question for each of us is who's going to pay the price for our sin? 00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:10.559 When I was a nine and a half-year-old boy, I understood all this. 00:27:10.720 --> 00:27:12.160 It began to make sense. 00:27:12.400 --> 00:27:24.880 Since I, my earliest memories as a kid, my parents, they would, they would, they would, my dad believed in the book of Proverbs, and he believed in the spare the rod and spoil the child and punishment and all that kind of stuff. 00:27:25.039 --> 00:27:33.759 And ever since I could ever remember, before I even understood, when my parents would punish me, they would say something like this, son, this is gonna hurt me more than you. 00:27:34.400 --> 00:27:36.240 And I thought, Dr. 00:27:36.319 --> 00:27:39.119 Rogers is right, you're really a sinner because you lie. 00:27:42.720 --> 00:27:46.240 But they would say, Listen, son, we have to punish you. 00:27:46.319 --> 00:27:47.759 We love you, but this is wrong. 00:27:47.920 --> 00:27:50.799 You lied, you beat up your brother, but he deserved it. 00:27:50.960 --> 00:27:52.000 But I don't care. 00:27:52.160 --> 00:27:53.200 It's wrong. 00:27:53.519 --> 00:27:58.160 You didn't clean up your room, and then you lied to us that you cleaned up your room, and all of that stuff, son. 00:27:58.319 --> 00:27:58.960 All of that is wrong. 00:27:59.119 --> 00:28:00.240 The Bible calls that sin. 00:28:00.319 --> 00:28:01.440 One day you're gonna understand that. 00:28:01.519 --> 00:28:05.279 So we're punishing you so that you understand that sin always has punishment. 00:28:05.519 --> 00:28:11.759 But son, one day you're gonna be old enough to understand that Jesus loved you so much he stepped out of heaven, he took your punishment on the cross. 00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:18.480 Over and over and over and over and over and over and over until I was a nine and a half-year-old boy. 00:28:18.640 --> 00:28:20.160 Over and over and over. 00:28:20.480 --> 00:28:21.759 God punishes sin. 00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:22.960 Son, that is sin. 00:28:23.119 --> 00:28:25.440 God punishes sin, but Jesus loved you so much. 00:28:25.680 --> 00:28:31.279 He stepped out of heaven and he went to the cross and he took the full wrath and punishment of God for your sin on the cross. 00:28:31.359 --> 00:28:32.720 He died in your place, son. 00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:34.799 No one will ever love you as much as Jesus. 00:28:34.960 --> 00:28:36.559 He died for your sins on the cross. 00:28:36.799 --> 00:28:40.319 He rose again to offer you forgiveness and to forgive you of your sins. 00:28:40.480 --> 00:28:46.240 And when I was a nine and a half-year-old boy, one morning at church, for whatever reason, that morning, it all came together. 00:28:46.400 --> 00:28:51.039 The Holy Spirit had been knocking on my head for how knows how long, but it made sense that morning. 00:28:51.119 --> 00:28:56.079 I was sitting in the front row of the balcony on that side with my people in the balcony. 00:28:57.279 --> 00:28:58.480 Y'all are asleep already? 00:28:58.640 --> 00:28:59.759 Wave at me. 00:29:00.880 --> 00:29:08.880 The invitation, I can't tell you what the sermon was about, but I can tell you at the end, the invitation, the pastor said something like this Nobody will ever love you as much as Jesus. 00:29:09.279 --> 00:29:12.319 He stepped out of heaven and he took your punishment on the cross. 00:29:12.480 --> 00:29:16.000 And I came down that balcony steps. 00:29:16.160 --> 00:29:18.960 I walked down the equivalent of this aisle right here. 00:29:19.119 --> 00:29:26.000 I put my hand in the one of the pastor's hands standing there, and I said, I need to give my life for Jesus because he took my punishment on the cross. 00:29:26.160 --> 00:29:30.000 And there was an old man who was a friend of my dad's, his name was Dewey Burton. 00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:34.480 And Dewey Burton had been one of my Sunday school teachers, deacon in the church, and they did counseling. 00:29:34.559 --> 00:29:36.079 And he said, Greg, what are you doing? 00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:36.720 I said, Mr. 00:29:36.799 --> 00:29:39.119 Dewey, nobody ever loved me as much as Jesus. 00:29:39.200 --> 00:29:42.640 He took my punishment on the cross, and that day I gave my life to Jesus. 00:29:42.880 --> 00:29:46.079 And I recognized that Jesus paid the price for my sins. 00:29:46.240 --> 00:29:50.240 I will pay them or Jesus will pay them, and it is every person's choice. 00:29:50.400 --> 00:29:55.200 And in these moments, God is very clear about rejection of God. 00:29:55.359 --> 00:30:07.200 And this destroying the people in the town of Jericho and the oxen and the wealth structure and all that, all that is about the wages of sin is death. 00:30:07.680 --> 00:30:11.279 But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 00:30:11.519 --> 00:30:13.440 And you see this pattern repeated. 00:30:13.599 --> 00:30:16.079 The necessity and power of God's presence. 00:30:16.400 --> 00:30:19.279 When God is with them, then they are victorious. 00:30:19.440 --> 00:30:28.880 And when they walk away from God and they do things their own way and they don't pray or they don't look for his presence or they don't pursue him, in those moments they fail. 00:30:28.960 --> 00:30:34.160 And he's trying to teach us listen, you will fail if you walk away from the presence of God. 00:30:34.319 --> 00:30:43.519 But if you are pursuing him and you are in his presence and you are walking with him and you are allowing him to walk with you, there is always victory. 00:30:44.160 --> 00:30:46.079 Because God is faithful to his promise. 00:30:46.319 --> 00:30:48.880 Obedience and holiness, you see it repeated all the time. 00:30:49.119 --> 00:30:52.160 They obey, they win, they disobey, they lose. 00:30:52.319 --> 00:31:02.400 At the end of the book, at the end of Joshua's ministry, we'll cover it when we get there, but there's an incredible moment where he stands up again and he says, People, listen to me. 00:31:02.640 --> 00:31:07.920 All of these journeys of seven years of battle and all this stuff, this is all about one thing. 00:31:08.240 --> 00:31:10.480 God has put in front of you a choice. 00:31:11.279 --> 00:31:14.000 If you trust him and obey, you're blessed. 00:31:14.160 --> 00:31:17.119 And if you reject him, there is judgment. 00:31:17.359 --> 00:31:22.000 And he says that famous verse, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 00:31:22.240 --> 00:31:24.000 It's about obedience and holiness. 00:31:24.160 --> 00:31:25.839 There's a couple other things. 00:31:26.240 --> 00:31:29.039 Victory comes from and belongs to the Lord. 00:31:29.279 --> 00:31:43.039 In every one of these battles, with all of these strange ways that God does all these things, later when you get to, you know, these moments where these miraculous things happen, it is always to prove that God is the one who brings victory. 00:31:43.279 --> 00:31:48.480 You see that God establishes his people as a whole, as well as individuals. 00:31:48.720 --> 00:31:51.039 Listen, God loves you as a person. 00:31:51.200 --> 00:31:54.799 The Bible says that you were fearfully and wonderfully made. 00:31:54.880 --> 00:31:58.880 And the Bible says that God knew you before you were formed in your mother's womb. 00:31:59.200 --> 00:32:16.319 But because we live in an American culture, and praise the Lord what we do, let me finish before you get frustrated with me, we live in a culture that is built around individual rights, and we can do whatever we want to do, and nobody can tell me what to do. 00:32:17.119 --> 00:32:25.200 And too often, that political philosophy, which I believe in as a political philosophy, I'm a proud American patriot. 00:32:25.359 --> 00:32:26.880 Praise to God we're here, right? 00:32:27.039 --> 00:32:28.319 Let me finish. 00:32:29.359 --> 00:32:39.119 We adopt that political philosophy and we write it into our Bibles somewhere where it is not. 00:32:42.720 --> 00:32:50.400 When you are a follower of Christ, by the blood of Jesus, you are bound to the body of Christ. 00:32:51.839 --> 00:32:57.599 There is no individual Christian deal anywhere. 00:32:58.160 --> 00:33:02.400 You are by definition a part of the body of Christ. 00:33:02.559 --> 00:33:10.799 And the body of Christ rises and falls on the obedience of the individuals to the work of God in the whole. 00:33:12.160 --> 00:33:13.519 We'll see that in a minute. 00:33:13.759 --> 00:33:17.359 And finally, grace in receiving those who come to trust the Lord. 00:33:17.440 --> 00:33:23.200 Again, this is not genocide, whatever you hear in modern woke culture or whatever. 00:33:23.440 --> 00:33:28.000 This is not destroying people who are not Israelites because they're not Israelites. 00:33:28.319 --> 00:33:29.359 Rahab. 00:33:30.160 --> 00:33:45.039 From the first moment in the initial pattern, you see a person who is not an Israelite who turns to the Lord and looks to him for redemption, and they are embraced and redeemed. 00:33:45.200 --> 00:33:53.920 And we talked a few weeks ago about the fact that Rahab was so redeemed that she enters into the very lineage of Jesus. 00:33:54.240 --> 00:34:07.279 And here they stop, and Joshua screams at the whole of the city and reminds them of the promise of Rahab because Rahab was lost and was found. 00:34:07.599 --> 00:34:12.639 She was under judgment and she turned to God for redemption. 00:34:12.960 --> 00:34:17.039 She placed her faith in the redemption that comes through the God of Israel. 00:34:17.280 --> 00:34:30.480 She saw the message and the work of God and all of that, and she said, Our hope is not in this dead religion of this place where I live, but our hope is in the person of God and his plan for redemption. 00:34:30.639 --> 00:34:32.400 And she placed her faith in him. 00:34:32.800 --> 00:34:39.119 And every time they go throughout the land of Canaan, if someone turns to God, they are embraced. 00:34:39.519 --> 00:34:42.320 Because the whole thing is about the plan of redemption. 00:34:42.480 --> 00:34:54.559 And he takes a moment right in the center of this battle to remind us that someone places their faith in the Lord, they are embraced and redeemed because this is all about the redemption of God. 00:34:54.800 --> 00:34:57.920 Let me just highlight three things before we go, real quick. 00:34:58.880 --> 00:35:02.880 Number one, God is always faithful to accomplish his plan for his people. 00:35:03.440 --> 00:35:05.039 That is the point here. 00:35:05.599 --> 00:35:07.119 I have given you the land. 00:35:07.280 --> 00:35:08.719 I have given you the king. 00:35:09.039 --> 00:35:17.679 I am faithful to do this, and he details the falling of the wall and the going in to do that so that we understand God is always faithful to his promise. 00:35:17.840 --> 00:35:27.280 And it is so important for us as believers to have a fundamental perspective and trust in the Word of God that we believe God is always faithful to his promise. 00:35:27.840 --> 00:35:30.239 He is always faithful to his promise. 00:35:30.800 --> 00:35:37.840 Second thing, our responsibility is personal to the Lord, but it is also personal to the people of God. 00:35:38.639 --> 00:35:47.679 God commands this battle in a way that he is teaching the children of Israel that they are a whole and they are in this together. 00:35:48.239 --> 00:35:52.159 They are marching as a people and they are shouting as a people. 00:35:52.400 --> 00:35:54.719 They are obeying as a people. 00:35:55.119 --> 00:35:57.039 Do not shout on the first day. 00:35:57.280 --> 00:35:59.039 Do not shout on the second day. 00:35:59.199 --> 00:36:00.880 Do not shout on the third day. 00:36:01.039 --> 00:36:03.039 Do not shout on the fourth day. 00:36:03.280 --> 00:36:07.840 If one person starts screaming, they've messed up the plan. 00:36:08.559 --> 00:36:22.639 If one person doesn't obey, then there is noise and there is other stuff, and other people will start shouting, and all this stuff will happen, and it will mess up the plan that God has established to show that He is the one of victory. 00:36:22.880 --> 00:36:27.920 I remember when I was in high school, I went to a Baptist high school. 00:36:28.079 --> 00:36:30.079 Have you ever seen the blind side movie? 00:36:30.159 --> 00:36:31.840 I graduated from that high school. 00:36:31.920 --> 00:36:32.960 That's my high school. 00:36:33.360 --> 00:36:35.119 They renamed it in the movie. 00:36:35.280 --> 00:36:43.840 It is called Briarcrest, and in my day it was Briarcrest Baptist School System, and now it's Briarcrest Christian School System. 00:36:44.000 --> 00:36:46.239 So I graduated from Briarcrest Baptist High School. 00:36:46.320 --> 00:36:47.039 I was in the marching band. 00:36:47.280 --> 00:36:48.559 We had an incredible marching band. 00:36:48.639 --> 00:36:50.480 We had a high standard of what we did. 00:36:50.719 --> 00:36:52.239 Our people were really proud. 00:36:52.320 --> 00:37:02.800 When we went to competitions, we were always competing for the number one band across all sizes and categories of bands, if you know band ministry. 00:37:02.880 --> 00:37:06.639 And so we, our uh band director had a very high standard. 00:37:06.719 --> 00:37:10.159 He's also a godly man, and he put a standard of scripture on everything. 00:37:10.239 --> 00:37:12.880 So what he had us do was adopt this victory. 00:37:13.039 --> 00:37:18.639 And so when they were announcing all the bands, all these other high schools, they're screaming and they're running around and they're doing all this stuff. 00:37:18.719 --> 00:37:24.960 And here's what we did: we were always in one of the middle size classes because it was a private school, so it wasn't huge. 00:37:25.039 --> 00:37:27.920 It wouldn't be the size of Northside or Southside. 00:37:28.079 --> 00:37:33.119 And so it would be time for our class to stand up and we would stand at attention. 00:37:33.440 --> 00:37:35.840 And we were not allowed to make a noise. 00:37:36.000 --> 00:37:44.320 And they would always announce man, we had all straight ones across the board, and other bands would scream and cheer, and we stood there in honor. 00:37:44.480 --> 00:37:50.320 And then they would announce the Color Guard Awards, and our Color Guard always won awards, and we would stand there in honor. 00:37:50.480 --> 00:37:57.760 And they would announce the breast the brass awards, and we were always competing for best brass, and we would stand there in honor. 00:37:57.920 --> 00:38:08.559 And then they would announce the percussion deals, and we were always in the running for best percussion and best percussion deals, and we stood there in honor, and it was awe-inspiring to other people to watch that. 00:38:08.800 --> 00:38:12.960 Man, other schools began to copy what we were doing because there was a power in that moment. 00:38:13.119 --> 00:38:14.000 We were all in it. 00:38:14.159 --> 00:38:24.320 And I remember when I was a freshman and I was moving into this deal and I was watching all these people and the seniors, man, we would stand up and the seniors would threaten you within an inch of your life. 00:38:25.840 --> 00:38:28.719 Do not utter a word. 00:38:29.280 --> 00:38:35.760