God's Battle, God's Way

Joshua 6:1-5, 15-21

Good morning church I've got to see everyone this morning have fun glad to be back with y'all.

We had a very good time away celebrating Blair being nine years cancer free and getting to celebrate my father-in-law turning 70 it was a blessing and I'm glad to be back.

I learned I I don't do well with roller coasters still and as bad as I do my in laws do much worse.

But it was fun- I got a Turkey leg out of it so it was all good.

 But I am thankful to be back with my church family so if you have your Bible go ahead and make your way to Joshua chapter 6 and this is the fourth week that we are stepping into the book of Joshua where we are just walking through and hitting the major hence throughout the book we're going to be doing this all the way up till Easter Sunday.

And today we come to one of the most famous events in the book of Joshua. And that is when the walls start tumbling down.

And what we're going to see in our time together this morning is we're going to see radical obedience to the Lord and also our need to trust him fully and completely. Even when it doesn’t make sense. Especially when it doesn’t make sense.

Because like last time we were together we were talking about crossing the Jordan river and how the priests had to go forward and it didn't really make sense to send the priests forward.

Well I don't think the battle strategy for the people of Jericho to fight the people of Jericho would have been done by any of us. This was clearly a God thing.

And sometimes we just need to trust God instead of relying on ourselves and trying to do things our own way.

And praise the Lord I think there are a lot of people who are on this campus or watching online are relying on the Lord and not relying on themselves.

And for a lot of us, that looks different in a lot of ways.

and things might be going really really well for you right now. and praise God for that.

But think about this- In the entire history of Israel—honestly, from its very beginning until right now—there were maybe seven good years. That's it—seven years where things were actually going smoothly.

And you know when those seven years kicked off? Right here at Jericho.

So maybe you're here today, and life's just awesome. Things are clicking, and everything's going your way. Praise God, truly—enjoy that.

But let me lovingly warn you: hang onto this message, bookmark it somewhere, because give it six months, and chances are the wheels are gonna fall off.

And for many of us today- we are staring down something that feels absolutely impossible.

Maybe your situation feels impassable, like Jericho itself. For some of you, it’s financial. You look at your bank account, then you look at your bills, and you're thinking, "God, if You don’t intervene here, I’ve got nothing—I have no idea how this is gonna work out."

If that's you, you're exactly where God loves to show up and flex His strength.

For some of you, it's relational. Your marriage is so far off track that the only future you can see involves divorce. Maybe you're already separated, and you've exhausted every option you know—you're thinking, "God, this thing is impossible.

I don't know what else to do." And then there's some of you wishing you could at least get to the point where a breakup was even possible.

For others, it’s internal. It has nothing to do with what's happening around you; your external situation says you should be happy, but you just can't get there. So you come to church, and when people ask, "Hey, how are you?" you smile and say, "I'm blessed," but inside you're screaming, "I am not blessed—I’m messed up, my life’s messed up."

And everyone else's life seems perfect, at least on their Instagram or Facebook feeds.

Now, Joshua chapter six—this isn’t a fairy tale. These were real people, walking through real impossibilities. Jericho was locked tight, impossible to breach. But God's plan was simple and honestly kind of crazy: "Walk around, blow some trumpets, and shout." And I bet after the first couple days, the people were like, “This is ridiculous. We need a new strategy.” But God knew something they didn’t: His ways aren’t our ways. When it looks impossible to us, that’s when God’s like, "Perfect! Now watch me work."

here's the good news for us today: impossible situations are exactly where God loves to do His greatest work. You are perfectly positioned to see God move in ways only He can.

But seeing God move doesn’t mean we are ideal. That we just sit around. As we are about to read there were things that God had the Israelites do.

But let’s read Joshua 6:1-5

Joshua 6:1–5 ESV

1 Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. 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.”

Joshua 6:15–21 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. 17 And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. 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.

Pray

1. God would have His People Work.

We are unapologetically a people who preach the doctrines of grace.

It is by grace you have been saved.

And let’s be clear—those doctrines are not cold, dead concepts.

They are the rich, fertile soil where the fruit of good works is meant to grow.

We preach that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

But listen—while works don’t give you life, the life that comes from the Spirit will absolutely produce works.

Not to earn God’s love, but because you've already been radically and eternally loved.

And just like the people of Israel standing on the other side of the Jordan, we’re not called to sit back in spiritual ease and just wait for the walls of Jericho to fall on their own.

Yes, God brought the victory. Yes, He decreed the fall of Jericho. But He didn’t tell His people to pull up a lawn chair and watch it happen. He called them to march. Daily. Faithfully. Obediently.

They didn’t get to skip a day. They didn’t get to cut corners. The priests had their role. The warriors had theirs.

The ark, the things that represented the presence of God, was central, and everyone had to move in rhythm with the command of God. Day after day, even when it felt pointless or confusing, they marched. That was faith in action.

And church, the same is true for us.

We are not passive spectators in the mission of God—we are His soldiers. We’re not sitting on the sidelines waiting for culture to crumble and revival to magically break out. We’re called to move. To witness. To preach. To pray like it matters. To obey even when it’s hard. To circle the city with the Gospel, again and again and again. As R.C. Sproul once said, “The Christian life is not a playground; it is a battleground, and we must always be prepared for spiritual warfare.”

The work God called Israel to wasn’t selective—it was universal. Everyone had a role. The warriors didn’t get to fight alone.

The priests didn’t get to stand aside and observe. No, both the spiritual leaders and the soldiers—every tribe, every role—marched together. Everyone moved in obedience. No spectators. No sidelines.

And listen—it's a dangerous day for the Church when we start acting like ministry is just for the "professionals," like a few trained leaders are supposed to carry the weight while the rest of us just show up on Sundays to sing a few songs and maybe critique the sermon. That’s not the Church Jesus died to build.

And Let me just say I do not think that is a reflection of Cedar Bay- we have a lot of folks- who faithfully serve- we faithfully proclaim- we are faithfully working for the kingdom of God.

If you're in Christ, you’re not just saved from something—you’re saved to something. You are part of a royal priesthood. That’s not poetic language—it’s your calling. You have been set apart to carry the presence of God into the world.

There’s no “laity” in the Kingdom. There’s just the redeemed—and the redeemed are called to work.

But here’s the problem: while we say that in our minds, we don’t always live it in our calendars. Too many of us take our seats in the pew like spiritual consumers. We hear a sermon, maybe toss a few dollars toward a cause, maybe once in a while get involved in some ministry or mission—but that’s the exception, not the rule.

We are called to the church just to receive information- we gather to exalt the Lord and equip the saints- not the bad football team in New Orleans- the saints are disciples of Jesus.

What are we equipping the saints for? To do the work of the ministry- to make a disciple. And the person might be in your own house. We aren’t just to sit here and collect information- we are to share it so others can come to know the real and living God.

Church, we’re never going to see the strength and beauty of the Church unleashed until every single believer realizes their responsibility in the mission of God. There are no small roles. No unimportant callings. No disposable members of the Body. Everyone is to play a part.

Let’s press in a little closer.

When Jesus fed the five thousand, He didn’t ask for the best bread in town. He didn’t take part of the loaves and stash the rest for later. He didn’t save one fish “just in case.” No—He took all of it. Every crusty barley loaf. Both tiny, unimpressive fish. Nothing was held back. Nothing was saved for a more convenient moment. He broke it all. He used it all. And in His hands, it was more than enough.

This is the Kingdom math we need to remember.

Church, we’ve got to stop holding back what we’ve been given. We can’t afford to keep spiritual stock in the pantry while the world starves. You’ve got gifts. You’ve got time. You’ve got a voice. It might feel like barley bread and sardines—but in the hands of Jesus, it’s more than enough.

We bring it all. We use it all. And as we go, grace multiplies. Capacity grows. Courage increases. Faith deepens. That’s how God works—in the using, comes the multiplying.

Let me give you something real to think about. Just do the math.

Imagine- we have 62 official members in this church. We have some that are home bound- we have some that don’t come for whatever reason- we also have a bunch of ya’ll that come faithfully but have never officially joined the church- and i’m thankful for every single one of ya’ll.

But lets just say 60- if 60 believers took the call seriously- —if each one, in the course of a year, simply led one. other person to Jesus—now we’re 120. The next year, 240. And in six years? That would be over 15,000 eternities changed.

Not by some program, not by a celebrity preacher, but by ordinary, Spirit-filled people being obedient with what’s already in their hands.

We here that and we think “no way.” Pure fiction.

This is not fantasy. This is the multiplication power of the gospel. But it doesn’t happen if we stay in the pews. It doesn’t happen if we hoard the loaves and hide the fish. We’ve got to bring it out, put it all in the hands of Jesus, and watch what He does.

And listen—this isn’t some impossible dream.

What we’re talking about here isn’t out of reach. It doesn’t require a seminary degree. It doesn’t demand quitting your job or abandoning your family. What it does require is grace. Power from on high.

So what do we do? We plead. We ask. We cry out for the Spirit to move, for hearts to be softened, for God to breathe life into dry bones.

And when that grace falls—and it will—the results won’t hinge on how much time you’ve got or how polished your presentation is. God has used five minutes and a handful of words to change eternities. He doesn’t need your eloquence—He just wants your obedience.

So take courage, brothers and sisters. The work is massive, yes. But it’s not beyond us. Not when God’s in it. Not when His blessing rests on the labor.

Let me give you a picture.

You know how it goes after a hurricane rolls through which Praise God its been a long time since we have had a really bad one— but we will branches down, every street in San Marco is flooded and the news will hang out there because they think we forget every year, debris scattered everywhere.

Now imagine waiting on one massive cleanup crew to come through and handle the entire city. It’d take forever. Too many neighborhoods, too many streets, too much ground to cover.

But what actually happens? People step outside. Neighbors grab chainsaws and rakes and garbage bags. Everyone clears their own yard, their own street, their own driveway. And in a few days? The city starts to look like the city again. Not because one person did everything, but because everyone did something.

That’s how this works. You don’t have to reach everyone—you just need to reach your someone. The person next to you. The people God has already placed in your path. Just clear your yard. Love your neighbor. Share the gospel. Be faithful with your part.

And if we all do that—with the Spirit empowering every step—the landscape starts to change.

If we could just grasp this concept—that our job is to sweep in front of our own door. That we’d stop waiting for someone else to fix it, clean it, reach them, build it. What if every single believer took responsibility for the brokenness right outside their own home or the brokenness inside their own home? What if we stopped looking around and started looking within and right in front of us?

Just like in Nehemiah’s day—when each family got up and started rebuilding the wall right outside their own house—God moved, and the wall went up. Fast. Strong. Unified. And I’m convinced we’re not going to see real, lasting spiritual breakthrough until the people of God start doing the same. Until every one of us owns our space, owns our call, owns the work right in front of us.

But listen—it’s not just about doing the work. It’s about doing it God’s way.

When Israel marched around Jericho, they didn’t just wing it. They didn’t take a vote. It wasn’t a chaotic scramble like a bunch of kids racing to the end of a field trip. No—there was order. The soldiers had their role. The priests had theirs. The ark was central. Every step, every trumpet blast, every silent march—it was all done in obedience to what God had said.

And we need to hear that today. We don’t get to improvise the mission of God.

We don’t get to redefine the path and still expect the presence. God blesses obedience—not creativity divorced from conviction.

Think of it like this: we got any boaters here this morning? Any body got a boat? Blair make sure you get those names down- I think they might need some extra time with the pastor.

Every fishermen I know has there secret honey hole- that spot they swear by that they always catch the most fish- and if you got a friend that was to write out directions to that spot- well you got one or two things- a really good friend or fake directions.

But lets say you got a really good friends who maps it out for you-

—you don’t get to ignore the directions and expect the spot. You can’t stand on the boat ramp and complain that you didn’t get the experience. You’ve got to follow the directions. You’ve got to go where he said to go.

Same with the Church. We can’t expect power, and blessing of God—if we’re not walking in obedience to what God has already revealed.

So let’s hold tight to the Word. Let’s be people who walk humbly, reverently, with consciences tender to the Spirit and hearts set on doing things God’s way, not just the efficient way, or the popular way, or the comfortable way.

Because if we want to see the walls fall—if we want to see the impossible happen—we’ve got to march according to the plan. Not ours. His.

And let’s not miss this part—they marched around that city daily. Not once. Not whenever it felt meaningful. Not just when they were feeling spiritually hyped. Every single day.

And in the same way, God has called His Church to daily faithfulness. But let’s be honest—most of what we see in the modern church is way more moment-driven than mission-driven. We love the big push, the dramatic story, the spontaneous generosity when the pressure’s on. We’ll pull off a huge campaign, rally big crowds, make a scene on social media—and then slowly slide back into apathy until the next crisis or fundraiser.

But that’s not how the Kingdom advances.

We build churches in bursts. We pay off debt with emotional appeals and last-minute miracles. But the deeper issue? We don’t like sustained effort. We’re not wired—or maybe we’ve just unlearned—the beauty of long obedience in the same direction. We guard our time. We protect our energy. We clutch our wallets. We know our limits and we rarely let Jesus push us past them.

And let’s be real—our legacy as the Church isn’t one of reckless overexertion. We haven’t exactly been accused of too much zeal. If anything, we're more likely to be found debating our differences than sweating shoulder-to-shoulder in the trenches, pushing back the darkness and declaring Jesus to the lost.

But that’s exactly where we need to go.

If we’re going to see the gospel advance—if we’re serious about this city, this nation, this world—then it’s going to take daily obedience. Not drama. Not performance. Perseverance. The kind of steady, Spirit-fueled movement that doesn’t slow down when the crowd thins out or the applause fades.

Like a wheel that turns over and over, day after day, generating power and momentum—that’s what kingdom work looks like. The constant, gritty, often unseen rhythm of faithfulness. Prayer. Discipleship. Generosity. Bold witness. Again and again and again.

That’s what builds spiritual wealth. That’s what wins souls. That’s what topples strongholds.

So don’t wait for the next big thing. Just show up. Today. Tomorrow. And the day after that.

Some of us have been in the fight for a while. We’ve drawn swords. We’ve bled a little. The younger among us have tasted what it’s like to stand against the enemy—and maybe now we’re tempted to slow down, to pull back, to settle into the kind of quiet our forefathers earned after long years of battle.

But hear me—we’re not done.

The war’s not over. Not even close. We must not grow silent. We must not grow still. We’re called to contend—for truth, for the gospel, for the doctrines that define us and the mission that drives us. We fight for Christ, and we fight for Him every single day.

This isn’t a weekend hobby. This isn’t a part-time volunteer gig. This is war. And we don’t take the armor off just because the sun goes down. We sleep in it. We breathe with a sword in hand. It becomes part of us—like it did for David’s mighty men. Our identity isn’t negotiable. Wherever we go, whatever we do, people should know: they belong to Jesus, and they’ve got work to do.

So let’s keep moving. No retreat. No pause. No turning down the volume on the trumpet. Every ram’s horn matters. Every voice counts. Every step in this mission is a declaration: Jesus reigns, and the walls of this Jericho will fall.

We preach. We pray. We serve. We disciple. We suffer. And if it comes to it, we die—daily. All for the name and glory of Christ. Until the fortress of unbelief in this world collapses. Until hearts are set free. Until the King returns.

And don’t miss this—our text gives us one more word: faith.

Paul tells us, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell.” Not by logic. Not by force. Not by a clever strategy or a well-organized event. By faith.

Can you imagine that first day? That first lap around Jericho? Step after step, no cracks in the wall, no evidence that anything’s happening. Just obedience. Just faith. I guarantee there were critics on the sidelines saying, “This is pointless. You’re not even doing anything. You’re just walking.”

But they kept walking.

And by day five? Day six? Still nothing. No trembling ground. No tumbling stones. Just heat, dust, footsteps, and trust.

But the faithful kept saying, “She’s coming down. I know it looks impossible. I know nothing’s moved. But she’s coming down.”

That’s the kind of grit God honors. That’s the kind of trust that brings walls crashing.

So here’s the question—will we be that kind of church? Will we walk when nothing seems to be working? Will we preach when nobody’s listening? Will we pray when heaven feels silent? Will we live by faith when everything in us wants to walk by sight?

Because Jericho will fall. But only if we keep marching.

And so they marched. Day after day. Step after step. No bodies in the streets. No blood on their swords. No screams of retreat, no roar of victory. Nothing.

Just dust, heat, silence—and faith.

But make no mistake—they were just as confident on lap six as they were when the first stones finally cracked and the city fell like thunder. That’s what faith looks like. It’s not loud. It’s not flashy. It’s not always victorious on the outside. But it knows what’s coming. It keeps going.

And don’t miss this: those men walked with patience and courage. They weren’t naïve. They weren’t blind to the obstacle. Those walls loomed over them every single day. You think they didn’t notice? Of course they did. They had every tower, every stone burned into their memory. They could probably describe the mortar between the bricks in detail.

“This wall hasn’t moved an inch,” one might’ve said. “Seven times was supposed to be the number of completion—perfection—and we’ve already gone beyond that. And still, nothing.”

But they kept walking.

They didn’t let the size of the wall silence their faith. They didn’t let the delay kill their obedience.

They just trusted—if God said walk, they’d walk. Even if they had to do it with doubt in their gut and Jericho’s shadow in their eyes.

That’s our call too. To live with the obstacle always in view—but faith even closer.

To stare down the impossible and keep marching anyway. Because our God doesn’t lose battles. He doesn’t forget His promises.

Let’s be clear—faith is not blind.

Real faith doesn’t pretend the wall isn’t there. It doesn’t squint and try to ignore the obstacle. Faith doesn’t put on rose-colored glasses, sprint headlong into a brick wall, and call it obedience. That’s not faith—that’s foolishness.

No, true faith sees the wall. It surveys the height, the thickness, the sheer impossibility of it. It measures the gap between what is and what should be. And then—with full awareness of the challenge—faith says, “By my God, I’ll leap this wall.” And it does.

Faith doesn’t wait for the cultural tide to turn in its favor. It doesn’t sit back and read flattering reports from “Signs of the Times” and say, “Well, it looks like things might be turning our way now.”

Faith doesn’t rely on rumors of spiritual undercurrents or invisible movements whispered about in Christian circles. Faith isn’t afraid of bad news. Faith says, “Make the report worse—it changes nothing. My God is still on the throne.”

It likes the [3- say the names] about to be thrown in the fiery furnace. They refused to bow down Nebachnazer- they had options- you either bowed or you go to the furnace- and they said we know God is able, we just don’t know if He is willing.

And the Israelites knew God was willing here because its God telling them what to do.

Faith keeps Jericho’s walls right in front of her—doesn’t flinch, doesn’t blink.

How I wish we understood the hopelessness of this mission in purely human terms.

Because honestly—if we’re talking about converting a hard, gospel-resistant culture with the power of human strategy or persuasion—we’re sunk.

There’s nothing likely about this. There’s nothing predictable or probable about what we’re doing. In fact, if God doesn’t move, if heaven doesn’t break through—then the mission fails.

And that’s exactly where we need to be.

Because when you get to that point—where you know deep down, “This is impossible unless God does it”—and still you obey, still you march, still you circle the city... that’s when you’re walking in real faith.

That’s when God steps in. When pride is stripped away. When every ounce of success has to be pinned to His name and not ours. That’s when the walls begin to tremble.

And when that shout finally comes—when God moves in power—it won’t be for our glory. No man gets the credit. No system, no strategy, no brand. It’ll be all God. His sovereignty. His victory. His crown.

So yes—God wants His people to work. That’s not up for debate. But He also wants us to trust. To walk with eyes open, hearts surrendered, and souls blazing with confidence in His power.

Secondly-

2. God Would Have His People WAIT.

Let’s be honest—this delay must have tested Israel’s faith deeply.

They’d crossed the Jordan. They were ready. The momentum was strong. And then… God slows the whole thing down. Walk the city. Once a day. Quiet. No charge. No surprise attack. Just circle and wait.

Can you imagine what they must have thought?

“Time is ticking, Lord. This is enemy territory. If we’re stuck here this long just dealing with Jericho, how long will it take to conquer the rest? And the longer we wait, the more time our enemies have to rally. To reinforce. To prepare their counterattack.”

There’s that great theologian from Gainesville that would always say that the wait is the hardest part.

We went on that ride at Disney called the Carousel of Progress. Blair and my father-in-law both fell asleep during this thing. It starts out talking about the inventions right around the 1850s- it mentioned you could get to the west coast by train in 2 weeks.

And here I am thinking our 5 hour lay over in Miami when we go on the mission trip to Ecuador was going to be bad.

I don’t enjoy waiting. It’s not my favorite.

To the strategic thinkers in the camp, this must have seemed insane.

Take Jericho fast—that’s what made sense. Secure the win. Build momentum. Give the people a base of operations, a place to rest, regroup, maybe finally settle down. These people had been sleeping in tents for decades. Can’t we just get on with it?

But God said, “Wait. March. Trust.”

And that’s where the real test was.

Because when you’re standing on the edge of the promise, when the first wall is right in front of you, and you're ready to move forward—but God says, not yet—that’s when faith stops being a concept and becomes a battle.

And let’s be real, some of you are living right there right now.

You’re ready to move. You’re tired of wandering. Tired of the tent. You can see the wall that needs to fall, and everything in you is saying, “Let’s go!” But God is saying, “Walk. Wait. Trust me.”

And that’s hard. It’s disorienting. But it’s not random. It’s not punishment. It’s preparation.

God isn’t just interested in getting His people into the land—He’s forming a people who can live in the land. Who know how to walk in step with Him, not just run ahead of Him. He’s building patience, trust, dependence—not just military strength.

Because it’s not just about taking Jericho. It’s about being the kind of people who can carry the weight of the victory once it comes.

So don’t despise the delay. Don’t waste the waiting.

Keep walking. Keep circling. Keep trusting.

We want to see something happen. We want movement, momentum, proof that our effort is producing something. And when we don’t see it, let’s be real—it’s hard to wait.

What made the wait even harder for Israel was how absurd the method felt. Let’s not pretend it didn’t sound crazy. March around the city? That’s the battle plan?

I guarantee there were guys in the camp thinking, “Look, just give me a rope ladder and some hooks. Let me get to the top of that wall, and I’ll take the lead. There are thousands of us ready to go. We can take this thing in a day.”

But God said, “No. March. Circle. Wait.”

And the temptation today is exactly the same. “Couldn’t we do more if we had better methods? Better marketing? More resources? If we just partnered with this organization or got government support or leaned into strategy a bit more—then the walls would fall, right?”

No.

Not if it means putting our trust in something other than the raw, unfiltered power of the gospel.

Listen—this mission will not be won by cleverness. Not by politics. Not by funding, not by PR, not by any strategy birthed in the boardrooms of worldly wisdom. It will be won by the Spirit of God, through the proclamation of the cross of Christ.

That’s it.

So no matter how slow it feels, no matter how repetitive the march, we hold the line. We reject shortcuts. We resist the urge to dress up the gospel or replace it with gimmicks. We go on in simple, humble obedience—because our Father’s way is always the best way, even when we don’t get it.

And let’s not forget one more thing that had to make this whole situation especially hard: the mocking.

You know Jericho wasn’t silent. You know those soldiers and citizens were perched up high, looking down, laughing, taunting. Maybe they weren’t close enough for arrows—but they were definitely close enough for insults.

“Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries- go away or I will insult you again”

“Hey! How many laps before you knock us over with your trumpets?”

If they couldn’t hear the words, they could still feel the mockery. The hand gestures. The laughter. The sheer arrogance pouring off those high walls.

And let’s be real—as men and women of God, that burns. There’s something in us, especially if you’ve got a bit of fighter in you, that wants to reach for the sword. To step out of formation. To say, “You want a fight? I’ll give you one.”

We know that feeling.

We’ve heard the mockery too. People just openly mocking others. The Greek Word for that is Twitter. Bunch of people just throwing insults at one another behind the safety of a phone or keyboard.

Its like what Mike Tyson had to say about it- "Social media made people way too comfortable with disrespecting others and not getting punched in the face for it."

That’s why I had to delete it.

They say the gospel is Irrelevant. Outdated. Doesn’t Make Sense. It’s actually evil.

But what of it? Let them mock.

As humans, we might want to fight back- call them some things. Try Jesus- Don’t try me cause I throw hands.

But as followers of Jesus, we will not be moved by pride or shame. We will not retreat because it looks foolish, and we will not lash out just to feel powerful.

We will keep walking. We will stay obedient. We will keep proclaiming the gospel in its simple, scandalous, soul-saving truth.

Because faith doesn’t need applause, and obedience doesn’t require validation.

We’ll fight God’s battles in God’s way, no matter how absurd it seems to the world. And one day—when the walls fall and the mockers are silenced—every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus Christ is Lord.

Work- Wait and Win

3. God would have His people win

Nobody came away from Jericho with a trophy. No soldier got a medal. No tribe got a name engraved on the wall. The victory was the Lord’s, and the spoils went straight into His hands.

So don’t work for applause. Don’t serve for legacy. Don’t fight for denominational pride or platform-building. Let’s march with joy, knowing that every ounce of glory—every single atom of it—belongs to Him.

The only anthem that will matter is: “To God alone be the glory!”

That’s the reason Christ went to the Cross- John 3:16

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

and So his name would be glorified.

How does God have His people win? Its not giving them health, wealth and happiness.

Its through Salvation. Death is the biggest enemy every person will face and our default setting is Hell. We are black hearted wretched sinners in need of a savior.

Christ is the only savior for sinners and God cannot lose one of His own.

Look, if your salvation was up to you, you'd have already lost it a thousand times. But praise God, it's not up to you. Salvation belongs to the Lord. He saves you. You don’t save you. It's not your effort, not your striving, not your behavior on your best or worst day that keeps you in the family of God—it’s grace.

That means if you didn’t earn it, you don’t get to un-earn it.

You think God’s up in heaven like, "Oh wow, didn’t see that coming. He said he was all in on Sunday, but now it's Friday night and he’s acting wild—snatch it back!" No. That’s not how this works. He knew every sin you’d commit, every dumb thing you’d do, every moment of rebellion, every second of self-righteousness—and still chose to set his love on you.

Romans says while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Not future cleaned-up you. Not emotionally moved summer camp you. Sinner you.

And listen to Jesus in John 10:28-29—He says:

John 10:28–29 ESV

28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

You catch that? That’s double coverage. You're in the Son’s hand, and you’re in the Father's hand. Ain’t nobody prying those fingers open.

Now, here’s where we get tripped up. You get fired up, emotional, make a decision, walk the aisle, raise a hand, and then life hits. You mess up. You fall short. You blow it. And the enemy whispers, “See? You’re not really saved.”

But listen to me: your salvation is not fragile. You don’t misplace it like your phone or your keys. It's not tucked under a couch cushion somewhere because you had a rough weekend.

Here's what’s true—I've read the end of the Book. We win. If you're in Christ, it’s sealed. Finished. Done.

It may not feel that way right now. Jesus wins. And if you're in Him, you win too.

Not because you're good, but because He is.

And let me press this deeper: with God, nothing is impossible.

In Joshua 6, before the Israelites even take one step around Jericho, God says, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand.” Past tense. It’s already done.

But they still had to walk. Still had to trust. Still had to obey.

And day after day, they walked and saw nothing change. No cracks. No weak spots. No way in. But when God said shout, they shouted—and the walls came down.

The very stones that stood in their way became a testimony of God's power.

Some of you are staring at walls right now—walls of doubt, addiction, fear, shame—and you're thinking, “This is impossible.”

But I’m telling you: those very walls? God might be about to turn them into stepping stones. The bridge from where you are to where He's calling you to be.

Because with our God, nothing is impossible.

And if you’re in Christ, hear me: You are secure. You are sealed. You are His. And He does not do take-backs.

But let us go to the Lord in prayer.

"As we reflect on God's Word today, we now move into a special time of communion—a sacred moment when we remember and honor the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. At this time, I would like to invite our deacons to come forward and prepare to serve communion."

The Lord’s supper was ordained by Jesus, Himself, as a practice in the church.

We take this meal, one that represents the last supper Jesus had with His disciples before He offered Himself as the final sacrifice for our sins, to remember the work of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.​

Within the passages, we see Jesus literally saying “Do this in remembrance of me.”

Jesus’ aim during their time together was to remind them that His life and work is the center of everything we do.

Today, we take communion together to remember that we exist to make Jesus’ name known. To glorify His name.

He also wanted to impress the truth that He is the only one that could nourish our souls.We are spiritually fulfilled and eternally satisfied by Christ and Christ alone.​

Just as Jesus was physically present at the table during the last supper, His Spirit is present with us today.If you are a born again believer, you are indwelled with the Holy Spirit, meaning, God is with you in this very moment.

​Therefore, communion is for those who have publically proclaimed Christ and have been baptized into the life of the church. If you are not a believer, I ask that you take this time and instead of partaking in this meal with us, to consider what this meal is about.

"Now, as the deacons distribute the bread, reflect on the body of Christ, broken for us, bearing the weight of our sins, and offering healing and hope."

Luke 22:19 ESV

19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Brother- please pray.

His body

As the deacons distribute the juice, take these moments to quietly reflect on the blood of Christ, shed for the forgiveness of our sins, cleansing us and offering new life.

Luke 22:20 ESV

20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Brother- please pray.

His Body, His Blood, for me.

As we close, I want you to hold onto this truth: communion isn’t just looking back at what Jesus has done—it’s also looking forward to His return. We are proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes. So may we live with that expectancy, may we walk in that freedom, and may we continue to proclaim that good news until we see Him face to face.

Amen.

Brother- will you close us in prayer.