Unconventional Victories

Announcements

This Saturday Dec 10th at 10:30 is the children's rehearsal for the Christmas play.

This would have been the week that the men have their meeting and we normally meet at the church but we are going to a city wide mens event held at the Nazarene Church from 8:30-9:30. They have a $5 suggested donation because they will be having breakfast.

Natalie singles Christmas party.

Christmas eve service

Tithe and Offering - Building Program

Recap from last week

Talking with my new friend from NY and he called and said, I finally got to watch one of your sermons from last week and you were preaching on foreskins.

We laughed and talked it through a little bit and I have realized that the circumcision that the Lord commanded Joshua to do was a reminder to the men that God has done a miracle. That they have stepped into something supernatural.

So let’s get into Chapter 6.

Joshua 6:1 NLT

1 Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in.

When I read this I think that Jericho is like myself and alot of Christians. We are so closed off. We either don’t want others to come into our life or we don’t want to step out of our safe place. It is a natural way that we try and cope with pain. We retract back to the safety of our castles and lick our wounds. Unfortunately God will send people along the way that will try to step into your world but everyone is treated as an enemy.

Marching orders

Joshua 6:2–5 ESV

2 And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. 4 Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.”

So the Lord speaks to Joshua and gives him some very unconventional marching orders. We have the Ark which is the presence of God, the fighting men, 7 priests. The fighting were to lead the you have the 7 priests the the carrying rams horns then 4 priests carrying the ark and then some more fighting men in the back.

Now they were to walk around the city once a day for 6 days. The priests were to continually blow the trumpets as they marched around the city.

What an unusual way to take a city. It took faith and trust in God which was later recorded in Heb 11:30

Hebrews 11:30 ESV

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.

They were left exposed but regardless they continued to march.

They had to keep quite

Joshua 6:10 ESV

10 But Joshua commanded the people, “You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.”

I love how Joshua added an extra step and told everyone to keep quite as they marched. Maybe this was a military strategy or maybe Joshua knew what kept the last generation out of the promised land. If you recall back in Numbers 13 and 14. Moses sent out spies into the promised land and they all complained that the giants and the forces were too big. So what did they do. They complained and wanted to elect a captain to take them back to Egypt.

But who was one of the two that brought back a good report? Joshua. Joshua knew the consequences of the complaining. He was like, I know what happened last time.

So let’s talk about complaining

There is absolutely no faith in complaining. You are voicing a reality or projected reality of results that you don’t like.

There are a few types of complaining

Complaining about a situation

Complaining about another person

The truth with complaining is that it’s contagious.

Numbers 11:1 ESV

1 And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp.

We have to be careful about complaining about someone else.

James 5:9 ESV

9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.

(Read through and then go back through the scripture)

Philippians 2:12–18 (ESV)

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, (Are you the same person when you are around other Christians that you are around you work friends) work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (It’s not about us. Our prayers should be what can bring God the most Glory)

14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Back to the story in Joshua

So they walk around the fortified city for 6 days and then we go to the 7th day.

Joshua 6:15–16 ESV

15 On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. 16 And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city.

Everyone played a role in the miracle and each of you get to be apart of the plan.

God has gifted each of you, let’s walk in that gift.

The gift or the dream

Strict instructions on what to do when the walls come down

Joshua 6:18–21 ESV

18 But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. 19 But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.” 20 So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. 21 Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword.

2 Kings 17:16–17 ESV

16 And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. 17 And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.

Closing - Worship team come up

What a mess the world was in. It was God’s plan not just to give a place for the children of Israel to rest but also for God to deal with the wickedness of the world.

I can see why things got to a place where he wanted to reconcile the world back to himself. Sending Jesus to become the perfect sacrifice.

Communion-