The Power of a Silent March

Text: The Power of a Silent March

Sub Text: Don’t Shout Just March

Well, if you know God Loves you let’s put those hands together. That God has don’t somethings for you that you didn’t deserve. But because of His grace and merch He afforded it a privilege and a opportunity to be in Hos presence one more time.  And I don’t take it lightly.

One more time let’s give the Lord the fruit of you lips and let’s celebrate God in a big way. The scripture says this is the day that the Lord has made and we share with rejoice  and be glad in it.

Are there any redeeming folk in here this morning that is excited to be in the presence of God one more time.

Joshua 6:10

Joshua 6:10

10 And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.

With the Lord help and your Prayers. I want to talk about.

Text: The power of a silent march!!

Sub Text: Don’t shout yet, Just march!

“Marching Toward Miracles”

Before we navigate to Joshua chapter 6. Let’s not rush past the road to get us here. 

Joahua Chapter 1

We are reminded that God tells Jashua tells Moses, my servant is dead.  But the mission is still alive.  God literally gives Him a charge Be strong Be courageous and literally take the land.

Joshua Chapter 2

We are reminded that Rahab literally hide the spies. Reminding us that God can use anybody to fulfill His divine purpose.

Joahua Chapter 3

The priest steps into the Jordan and the water literally receives back.  Because when God leads even rivers know how to make room for the word of God.

Joahua Chapter 4

They build a memorial out of stone proof that if God did it before, God can do it again.

Joahua Chapter 5

The people are literally circumcised and recommitted back to God.  God says today I have rolled away your reproach.  They celebrate the pass over and for the first time I the life of the church Israel, they make it to the promise land.  The Manna stops, Y, well I’m glad you asked. The manna stopped because new territory require new trust.

Then Church we now get to navigate Joahua Chapter 6.

Before the walls of Jericho fell, God required His people to march in silence. The miracle didn’t come from the shout alone — it came from obedience before the shout.

Sometimes, God will have you move quietly while He’s working powerfully behind the scenes.

And in verse 1-5 Jerricho is literally locked up.  They are now looking at the periphery of What God is getting ready to give them.  But before they can get it God literally gives them a blew print in order for them to manifest what the been praying for and believing in what God can ultimately do.  When they look at the wall just standing in Jerrico.  Nobody goes in.  Nobody comes out.  But God says something strange.  He says I have already given it to you in spite of what it looks like. 

I don’t want you to talk, I literally wants you to circle the city and blow the trumpet and on the 7th time I want you to shout like you have lost your mind.  And FB, this aint military strategy, this is a miracle in the making sequence that God is giving the children of Isreal how to get the breakthrough that they need in their lives. 

Because FB you got to understand when God does about this situation is to help them to appreciate that it’s not going to happen by might, it’s not gonna to happen by power but it’s going to happen by obedient worship to God. 

And I stop you to let somebody know today that maybe the breakthrough that you need will not show up in you might.  Maybe the breakthrough that you need will not show up in who you talk too, but the breakthrough that you need is going to show up in your obedience to your worship to God. 

And Fb, I don’t care if you got to worship yourself, because every now and then you got to do some things by yourself.  But if I got to worship God all by myself, I mightiest well give Him all that I got. 

And so, the text is tailored to teach us today, that if we are going to get the breakthrough that we need from God, that it will not manifest by us doing our own thing, but its gonna manifest by being obedient to God’s word. 

FB when we jump into this text there are a few things that is Taylor made to teach us how to get the breakthrough that we need from God.

First thing that we see in the text come from verse 6, that helps us to appreciate that the weight hits that the weight hits before the wall falls. 

Joshua 6:6 (KJV 1900)

6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, I want you too Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns (in front of them) before the ark of the Lord. (When they carry it}

And FB, you got to understand that there will always be a weight that you got to carry before you see the manifestation of God of what you been praying and asking God to do. 

Before the walls fall Joshua have to carry the weight of what God said, before He can shout about what God did.  Because FB you got to understand that before there is a shout there is a shouldering of a sacred responsibility that each of us got to carry.  And let me summit you this morning, before you can shout, advance in shouting and praising God you got to be obedient and be able to carry the wright and the burden of what it takes to shout the way you shout. 

And I wonder if today is there anybody here that you are carrying the burden of last week, month, quarter, year.  You are carrying the burden of the things that should have destroyed you, but when you shout, you not shouting for applause, you are shouting because you realize.

Can’t nobody do me like Jesus. Can’t anybody do me like the Lord. 

Pause!!!

FB, when we look at this text verse #6 it does not begin with the walls that are shaken, it begins with Joshua moving with divine instruction.  This little word so,it ought to make you shout because it connect the command that God gives to the compliance that Joshua got to follow. 

Notice that there is no debate, delay, just wait there in obedience. There is a scholar name Richard hats, which notes The Ark represented the manifest present of God and His leadership and covenant fidelity.  So when Joshua tells the priest to take up the Ark, He’s not just moving furniture. But He’s moving His faith forward.  Fb, can I tell you something, that before you manifest what you believe God is getting ready to do, you go to move forward in your faith. That means you got to

Fill out the application,

Go look for a now hiring job,

Go ahead and start the catering business,

there are some things you got to do before you see God manifest what you believe Gop is getting ready to do. 

FB, notice that Joshua carried the weight before the wall falls.  That word by itself, Joshua doesn’t wait until he see results but he response to responsibility, which mean there is something you and I must do before we see the manifestation of what we believe God is getting ready to change.  Church leadership often comes with weight before it comes with a win.  In other words, child of God, you got to carry instruction before you see the impact. In other words, you have got to walk in obedience before you see break through.  Can I tell you why some of you have not seen the breakthrough that we need from God, it’s because we are not obedient to what God said. And contrary to your belief God is not faithful to you, God is faithful to His word.  It’s not about God bending His will you your will but it about You bending your will to His will.  And when you line up with the word of God has to do exactly what God said.  In other words, you are putting God words back into His mouth,

God you said!!!!

Go Forward

I have already given it to you

Be strong and be of good Cheer

Hold your peace and you will fight for me

The Battle is not mines but its yours

I’m the head and not the tail

You said you would be with me until the ends of the earth

That why scripture says God is not a man that He should lie nor the son of man that he should repent. You ought to know it. You ought to be able to quote it whatever God said God will do.  I need about 20 of yall and I’ll make 21 that don’t mind testifying that whatever God said God is gonna do that thang.  Can you look at your neighbor with your God self-made image self, and say neighbor Just stand on His word.  Because whatever God said, God is gonna manifest that thang.  I need about 5 of yall and I’ll make 6 that can shout for what’s on the way because you believe that God is getting ready to manifest come thangs. 

Fb, here it is.  He moves with God’s word.  While the wall is still standing. Because the wall falling is not proof the obedience their.  Before the wall falls he has to move in obedience.  He has to be willing to carry it before he can see God demonstrating.  You have to be careful with the text.  God doesn’t need the wall to move to know if you trust Him.  He need to see if you carry the weight before the Maricle shows up.  And I came to 1116 to tell somebody today you want God to move but God wants to see if you can lift it first.

I know. I know you got anointing all over you.  I know you got business all over you. I know you got a church all over you.  I know it looks like things are going well but God allowed me to come by 1116 to tell somebody at FBC to CARRY THE WEIGHT.  Becausethe more you carry the weight, the more you carry the load.  God knows how to turn some things around. 

This text reminds me of weight training.  Me and my son, and my wife goes to the gym from time to time.  And I must remind him that you don’t see results the first time you lift the weights.  If you anything like him, He goes to the gym for one day and lift one dumbbell and he is flexing in the mirror.  But how many know it don’t happen in one day?  I have to remind him it’s the consistency of carrying the weight what you have been given. 

FB, there are so many of us under the sound of my voice, you quit while you was carrying. But I want to remind somebody in there this morning that if you carry it consistency the more God is compelled to move and deal with your crisis. 

FB you got to see the text, the weight hit before the wall falls, but if you carry what God says. God will crumble what’s standing in your way.  Because you must understand that your feet may be heavy but you faith must be Holy.  Because when the time is right the walls got to fall in response to the weight of what you are carrying. 

I know you’re tired but

Carry it anyway regardless of what it feels like. 

Carry it with your doubt, in silence.

Carry it until God says it’s going to fall!

Pause!!!

But then, notice what Joshus tells them to carry.  Its right here in the text.  He says Take up the ark of the covenant.  HE didn’t say roll it.  He didn’t say get a dolly.  He didn’t say call the wrecker.  But Joshua says carry the ark of the covenant, because what they were lifting was not just wood overlayed in gold.  They were lifting the manifest presence and the weight of the Glory of who God is.  See the ark of the covenant carried at least 3 things, let me teach it before I preach it.  See the ark literally carries the stone tablets, it carries Arron butting rod, it carries the Golden jar of manna.  So, when Joshua says take it up and carry the weight, he really saying lift the receipts of God faithfulness in your life. 

I got chills when I said that.  Somebody should have shouted. 

You missed that let hit rewind and play it again.

1.The ark literally carried the stone tablets, (which is God’s word when they were in a wilderness land) it reminds us that when they were crying to their master’s and asking that God would deliver them.  400 years they were dealing with rebellion.  For 400 years they were dealing with, problems and God sent a stuttering Moses to tell Pharah by His word to let my people go.  

2.But then it is it carries Arron butting

rod, because it helped you and me to appreciate that God’s authority it still works.  In other words, God still work because He still chose you in spite of you.  And when you think about your life, all the things you done, all the places you been, the obstacles you tripped over and, God still chose you? Somebody should have shouted.  You mean to tell me I told untruths, I stole, I deceived, I went around the block, I ducked and dogged, I did something I had no business doing and

God, you chose me?

That ought to give you chills.  I wish I had a church this morning that don’t mind testifying to Fb, He chose me.  You aint got to never choose me. But God chose me and because God chose me, I Give His praise. 

3.it carries the Golden jar of manna.  So, when Joshua says take it up and carry the weight, he really saying lift the receipts of God faithfulness in your life. 

See you got to watch this, see when you learned how to lift receipts.  It don’t take long to give God praise.  Which is why I suggest that the reason why some of us we come to church and sit In our seat, as if we can’t be moved and can’t be touched and you got the case of leave me alone.  Because we don’t lift enough receipts.  But when you look back over your life and begin to think about where God found you, and the way God raised you. And the way God turned some things around.  That means I got some receipts baby.  And maybe I’m making too much noise on this 4thSunday.  Maybe you mad because I didn’t preach a traditional communion message. Well let me help you this morning, Tradition becomes Toxic when  it choles out the spirit.  Matthew 15:6 says, thus you have made the commandments of God of none effect by your traditions.

But this morning I’m suffering with a case of I just can’t help it. 

FB, when I think about the goodness of Jesus. And all that He’s done for me.  My soul begins to cry out hallelujah.  Just look at your neighbor and tell them you got some receipts too.  Look and the other neighbor and tell them oh I got some receipts.  And the more I look at my receipts,

The more I got to lift my hands and tell God, thank you

Thank you for pulling me out of the mud. 

When I look back over my life all those dangers seen and unseen. 

Thank you for making ways out of no way,

Thank you for opening up doors that man closed in my face. 

Somebody shouted, I got receipts. 

I’m trying to behave now.  I’m trying to stay hermernutilly sound but oh I got a whole lot if receipts.  Yall don’t know what I have thought this year.  The devil has been trying on every level.  He has tried me through my children, my ministry, my marriage, but oh I got some receipts.  I’m the head not the tail.  I am above and not beneath.

Imma try to behave.  I got a whole lot of receipts.  Somebody sitting in your row has a whole lot of receipts. 

When they talked about me. I have some receipts that God made ways out of no ways.

Oh, when they lied to me, I have some receipts that says but ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people.

When they didn’t give me the job I qualified for, I got some receipts that says God open doors that was closed in my face. 

When they say you are not going to be nothing, I got some receipts that says, I’m the head and not the tail.  I am above and not beneath.

If I got some receipts!!!!

Is there anybody here that shouts because you got some receipts. 

Less I hold you too long.  2 more things and we are out of here. 

Not Only

the weight hits that the weight hits before the wall falls. 

When you look at verses 6-8The text is tailored to teach us that worship starts before the wall shifts.

Because when we look at this,7-priestey take up the ark of the covenant, and He said to the people proceed and I need you to march around the city and let him who is armed advance with the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the Bible says, that Joshua had spoken to the people and the 7 priest bearing the 7 trumpets of ram horn before the Lord in advance and the blew the trumpet. 

When we enter Joshua 6, we read battle instructions.  We are witnessing a divine order of breakthrough.  God has given us a script and if you follow the script, you will see how a breakthrough can manifest in your life.  Jerricho is shut up tight.  The walls are high.  Gates are locked.  Fear is the air.  Nothing is going in and nothing is going out.  But God says, in Joshua 6 verse 1-2, I have already given it to you. 

Now you have to watch this because they are standing at the promise that God said belongs to them but the wall is shut up, the gates are closed, and now they are standing there and I’m sure we had some uncles, aunties, cousins, brothers and sisters  in the crowd, that said, I thought you said? //////That God said that this is ours.  And God Gives him a manifest blueprint for the breakthrough.  He says this is what I need you to understand.  He says “I know what you see, Hold me up in here Holy Ghost.  I know wat you see but I’ve already given it to you. 

And FB you got to understand that the manifestation of your worship is not based upon what you see.  It’s based up on what He said. 

He said, I’ve already given it to you, so you don’t have to wait until the battle is over but you can shout right now.  So watch what He does, because when you watch the movement According to the scripture, Victory is already promised. 

Shout with me, victory is promised. 

Not through swords./////  But through submission. 

Not through strategy///// but through sequence. 

And here is the divine revelation that he gives the people of God.  Stay with me here.   Before the wall falls, he says worship got to begin. God doesn’t say fight first but God says lift me up first, worship me first, honor me first, magnify me first.   And once you do that, The ark of the covenant and He says the walls will come down. 

Now don’t miss the theology in the text, The first sound that Jerrico hear is not Boots on the Ground.  But its shofars in the air.  The first action isn’t the march but it’s the ministry.  God teaches us that walls fall after worship and not before worship.  Not after worship but before worship.  Now this is what I call Heavenly orders for earthly obstacles.  Let me see if I can put some weight on it.  We keep asking God to tear down the walls that are in our lives.  We want God to deal with the walls of anxiety, fear, addiction, family dysfunction, But the question is had you worshipped yet?

Because this is a primary responsibility, of every believer because your faith is tested in your ability to worship God.  Most of us worship after God does something.  But Joshua says worship and trust in God does not happen after the victory, it starts before the victory. And so, the real test of your faith is not after God comes through for you, it’s while you are waiting on God to do what God said. 

Let me paint the picture.  I have 5 grandchildren and one God Daughter.  And when they all come to the house at one time, they call Pop-Pop and Gi-Gi like they popping popcorn.  Yall pray for me.  And 3 of them are boys, and 2 of them are girls.  They know when they come to Pop-Pop house, Pop-Pop give them what they want.  And the grandchildren of mine taught me what premeditated worship looks like.  When they come to the house, they always want to go to the candy store.  Pop=Pop we want some candy.  So, before we leave the house and go to the store, they are discussing what kind of candy they are gonna get.  But watch this Minister Johnson, they start celebrating before we leave the house.  I ask them to calm down or we not go to the store.  They start jumping like they have ants in their pants.  They started clapping and we haven’t left the house yet.  And so, I ask them why are yall acting like this.

They say Pop-Pop you said, you was going to get us some candy from the candy store.  My grandchildren didn’t wait until we got to the candy store, but they started shouting jumping and screaming at the house.

And I just wish I had a hand full of yall, who has a shout on your lips, that it aint happen yet but you came to tell folk, and you need folk to know that God is getting ready to do some things and I aint waiting until the battle is over. Just look at your neighbor and say, neighbor, I aint waiting until the battle is over, I’m getting ready to shout right now.  Can yall just take 30 seconds and begin to give God praise. 

Can you tell Him thank you in advance. 

God I don’t have the car yet, but God you said. 

God I don’t have the house yet, but God you said. 

You own cattle of a Thousand hill.

God, you said that I, the head and not the tail. 

God you said that I am above and not beneath. 

God you said,

Oh, I wish I had some God you said folk up in herethat don’t mind telling God thank you in advance. 

I’m on my way out of here, I’m almost done. 

They are moving according to the will and the manifestation of what God said.  But according to the text, the priest are not holding any weapons.  They are holding their worship.  They are not wearing armor; they are clothed in concentrations.  They are not charging the wall, getting ahead of Joshua, they are circling it with obedience.  You have to understand that worship is warfare. You got to watch this play out in real time.  He says, once a day, every day, I need you to march around the wall once.  Keep your mouth closed.  Don’t say a mumbling word.  Do what I told you to do and on the 7th day I want you to march seven times and when you hear the horn, I want you to shout like you lost your mind. 

Now yall got to see this because yall don’t see this like I see it.  They are marching, some 1 million people And Joshua says, don’t say a mumbling word. This could have not been Baptist Folk at FBC.  Because somebody in the crowd would have said.  They can walk but not me.  Why we are doing this.  What wrong with Joshua.  You lead us here and you aint got anything else for us to do. Now the bible don’t say nobody said noting, but I know there was some morning in the crowd.  But I thank God that they had some folk in there.  That know if God did it before. That God can do that thang again. 

Just tell you neighbor, if God did it before, God can do it again.

But watch this, when they started doing what God told them to do.  Their worship now becomes assignment for what God is getting ready to do.  Worship instead of weapons becomes their strategy against the enemy.  And let me drop this for free.  You are trying to fight spiritual battles with your hands; I stop by to tell you on my way to glory that if your gonna fight spiritual battles it’s not gonna be with your hands it’s gonna be with your mouth. Because child of God your gonna have to learn how to worship God in spite of what you are going through. 

Come here child of God, I know it hurt you.  I know they lied on you, I know they scandalized your name. I know they said some untruth about you.  And I know you wanna deal with it your way.  I’m off the bloody back of the square and when I was young, we dealt with it a different way, but since I’ve grown up in my pastoral assignment, I’ve learned that some battles aint mines.Some battles belong to the Lord. And when you learn how to put it in His hands, you know that God can work that thang out. 

Fb, can I show you why this order is so important.  Let me give you this divine pattern that Joushua gives the children of Israel in order for them to have the breakthrough they need and the walls to come down.  Here it is: He says WORSHIP, WALK, WAIT, WATCH, AND WIN. Lord, I almost shot myself.  Let me try it again.  He says WORSHIP, WALK, WAIT, WATCH, AND WIN. This is the process for victory.  Its right here in the text because it says.

I want you to walk, and when you walk, I don’t want you to say a mumbling word. 

Then he says I want you to worship God first. 

Then I want you to walk this thang out. 

But then I want you to wait and see the manifestation of what God is getting ready to do. 

But then I want you to watch how God is going to make every hater fall in the presence of you.

Then he says I want you to win, stand in victory because of the win you are getting ready to have. 

Belov it I don’t hold you too long, but let me help you appreciate the real shout here.  When worship was leading the way walls don’t stand a chance. Because when you understand what real worship is, it help you appreciate that worship helps me to overcome some of the worry that may be in my life. FB you got to understand that worship can keep you when you can’t keep yourself.  Worship keeps you when everything else is falling apart. 

I’m closing.  There is a movie called Shaw Shank Redemption.  This movie will catch your attention.  It stars a young man by the name of Andy.  And Andy goes to prison for killing his wife.  Andy is wrongly convicted in prison.  But there is a scene where Andy is in prison and His homeboy Red is showing Andy the ropes while he is in Shaw Shank Prison. The warden see something in Andy that nobody else saw.  Andy used to be an investment banker.  The warden starts to use Andy so he can take money off the top.

There is a scene where Andy talks to the warden into letting him get into the PA announcement booth at the prison. Andy get there and begins to play Mozart for the prisoners.  Andy locked the door.  The warden can’t break in.  Andy is sitting there with his feet on the warden desk.  Leaned back in the warden chair having the time of his life, with Mozart music playing for the prisoners.

Andy now is put in solitary confinement. Red is now saying Andy can’t handle this kind of pressure, he aint built like that.  Andy goes into solitary confinement for 40 days.  Nobody knows what is going on with Andy.  They don’t know if Andy has lost His mind. 

When Andy Comes out of 40 days in confinement everybody starts running up to him.  And Red played by Morgan Freeman, He says Andy how did you make it 40 days of Solitary Confinement?  Andy says I made it because I had Mozart playing in my ears.

And I’m wondering if there is anybody here today.  That’s you testimony That the reason why I made it this far. The reason why I made it this far.  That the reason I’m here today is because I had wonderful worship playing in my ear.

And I had worship down in my heart.  And I wonder if there is anybody here that want to Give God some praise Because when you think of the goodness of Jesus and all that HE done for you.  Your soul begins to cry out. Hallelujah

For goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.  And so, I wonder is there anybody here that want to give God the fruit of your lips.

Well do me one favor won’t you.  Lean over to one neighbor. And say neighbor, this is my story, and this is my song, I’m praising my savior, all day long.

And if that neighbor don’t get it, lean over to your other neighbor, and say neighbor, this is my story, and this is my song, I, praising, my savior all day long.

Well, do me one more favor.  If you know the Lord has been good/kind.  If you know the Lord has made ways for you.  And you know the Lord has open doors for you. 

I dare you, to get out of your seat and begin to give God the fruit of your lips.  If you know God has made ways, when the enemy trued to close doors begin to tell God thank you, for opening doors the enemy tried to close.

And so, the Bible says on the 7th day.

That after they had marched on day one, two, three, four, five, six,

The bible says the 7th day that they march around 7 times and then they begin to cry out unto God.

Is there anybody here? That need some walls to come down.

Is there anybody here that needs some obstacles to be moved.

Is there anybody here that got praise in your heart?

Is there anybody here that got joy on your lips?

Well do me one more favor, if you know the walls are coming down.

Don’t wait until the battle is over, but shout right now!

Don’t wait until the victory is in your hand, but shout right now!

If you know the Lord will make a way

If you know the Lord will open doors

Then open up your mouth.

And give him the fruit of your lips. 

If you know the walls are coming down

Begin to testify today.

Start praising Him in advance.

Begin to give Him the fruit of your labor

Now do me one more favor

If you are not a hater today

If you did not worry about your neighbor today

Say neighbor, I’m giving God praise!

Because I believe God is getting ready to do in your life

For what I believe God is getting ready to come down in your life

I’m not waiting until the battle is over but I’m gonna rear my big head back and tell God thank you.

Shout Thank you 3 Times.

If you feel the walls coming down

Shouts, thank you.

If you feel the barriers are being broken shout thank you

If you feel you are marching now

Shouts thank you 4 Times.

I’m speaking blessings, glory, promise, life, to some dead situations.

Because the walls are coming down. 

Now put those hands together and bless His name.

Bless His name.

Bless His name.

Bless His name.