Just Trust Me

Goldberg!

No, not the goalie from Mighty Ducks

The cartoonist and inventor who created machines to do simple tasks in the most complicated way possible

Show video of a Rube Goldberg machine

https://youtu.be/GOMIBdM6N7Q?si=6VF2W2HuehvQ-n-h

I’ve never built a Rube Goldberg machine

But my friends and family will tell you

Sometimes I find the most unusual and complicated ways to do simple tasks

Even though I think it’s the simplest

Fixing the BBQ last year

Saturday, we were introduced to our theme and invited to be open to being surprised by God from Job

Yesterday, we touched on the subject of God asking His people to do unusual things and the excuses we give

Similarly, he can ask them to do “simple” things in an unusual way

This morning during devotions you read about God feeding Elijah with unclean ravens

Tonight we’re going to look at one of top ten children’s Bible stories: Jericho

Today was your first day on job sites

Still trying to figure things out

Haven’t quite built trust or relationships with group members yet

Hopefully by the end of the week that will be different - kind of like Joshua

Like so many other people we read about in the Bible

God gives Joshua some Unusual Instructions

From our perspective, Joshua’s Unlikely Obedience is surprising

Yet, even for Joshua and us, we get to see the Unexpected Results of that obedience

Unusual Instructions

Read Joshua 6:1-5

This is not quite as dramatic as Moses’ burning bush

But the instructions are still bizarre!

Joshua had experienced the Red Sea, manna and quail in the wilderness, unlikely military victories, and crossing the Jordan River

He’s seen what God can do, so it’s no surprise that he obeys

Yet I’m sure at least a few Israelites were uncertain

Whenever I’m struggling with something I think God is leading me to do

I’m encouraged by the 12 disciples

Jesus chides them a lot (storm at sea, casting out demons, etc.)

My journey has had some unusual twists and turns

Texas

ATS - layoff / call-back

Candidate - no call - interim at Calvary

I had this clear sense of call, but took some unusual detours along the way

Yet, I carried on

Like Israel, it became a little bit easier each time God brought me through

Unlikely Obedience

Read Joshua 6:6-16

Imagine Jericho’s reactions

Imagine being the people of Israel (is this really going to work?)

Notice, too, v. 10

Maybe, as we’ve said, their obedience wasn’t as unlikely as we might think

But there had to be doubts

Yet, they carried ahead with God’s unusual plan

Have you ever received strange instructions but followed anyway?

Why?

Most likely because you trusted the source of the instructions

This applies, too, when talking to unbelievers about Jesus

Coming from a random person is different than hearing from a friend

When we consider the Gospel, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense

But it does all at the same time

The people of Israel didn’t expect it or believe it at first

Some came around, but many didn’t

Which is surprising in light of stories like Joshua and Elijah

God can … (plagues of Egypt, Red Sea, Manna + Quail, Jericho, etc.)

But God can’t raise Jesus from the dead

Example: Peter’s sermon at Pentecost

3,000 converts after Pentecost (but not before)

When we see God’s unusual instructions or unconventional methods in the Bible bear fruit

It should give us confidence

Esp. when He might be encouraging us to do something

That maybe doesn’t make sense in our eyes

Our obedience, then, can seem just as unlikely as the instructions

My family has struggled with my sense of calling into ministry

As this story shows (among many others)

When we obey God’s unusual instructions, they lead to …

Unexpected Results

Read Joshua 6:20

Comical aside: did Joshua actually say all of verses 17–19 before they shouted?

Optional illustration: Shofar

Wow! It actually worked

I’m not the most handy guy, and sometimes my solutions surprise me

That’s nothing compared to the initial shock Israel had I’m sure

Similar, probably, to Elijah and the ravens

Which brings us back to our theme verse

Job 5:9 NIV

He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.

The results are unexpected, but they shouldn’t be!

It comes back to trust

Going through situations like this build our trust in God

It’s only Monday

Keep an eye out the rest of the week for “unusual instructions”

Take a chance and obey

And expect the unexpected

Because, and only because, “the one who calls us is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Thess 5:24)