Safe Room

(NLT) — 19 If they go out into the street and are killed, it will not be our fault. But if anyone lays a hand on people inside this house, we will accept the responsibility for their death.

(NLT) — 15 Then, since Rahab’s house was built into the town wall, she let them down by a rope through the window.

I want to speak to someone tonight who is looking for their safe room…

If you are here and your guilt haunts you there is a room you can step in to where guilt can not come…

If you are here and fear cripples you, there is a room fear has no invitation…

There is a room for those who feel judged, unloved, forgotten, who are overwhelmed with guilt and regrets…

-What I looked at I can never unsee, what I said I can never unsay, what I did I can never undo, if that is you tonight there is a room for you… The door is mercy and grace seals it shut…

Is there someone looking for your safe house here tonight???

Let me give you just a little background into our text here…

Moses lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

Moses is dead and the Israelites are on the door step of their homeland, but it is being occupied by people who are rejecting God, rejecting God’s people, and have walled in God’s promise. -Jerhico.

Joshua chapter 2 verse 1 we see he decides to send some spies into Jerhico in order to create an attack plan.

These spies end up hiding in the house of a prostitue named Rahab because they were detected by the king and the guards.

Rahab then tells the spies that she has heard the things God has done and she knows that God is going to give them the city, she pleads with them and says spare my life and the life of my family when you invade the city.

(NLT) — 11 No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.

The spies agree and give her these instructions…

(NLT) — 17 Before they left, the men told her, “We will be bound by the oath we have taken only if you follow these instructions. 18 When we come into the land, you must leave this scarlet rope hanging from the window through which you let us down. And all your family members—your father, mother, brothers, and all your relatives—must be here inside the house. 19 If they go out into the street and are killed, it will not be our fault. But if anyone lays a hand on people inside this house, we will accept the responsibility for their death.

QUESTION- Can you see yourself in the story???

KEY POINT- We are Rahab.

You’re sitting here thinking, “did he just call me a prostitute???” truth is, yes.

Think about how many times we have “sold” ourselves for whatever the world would give us… If I say that they will give me their respect, if I wear that they will give me their approval…

For so many of us we live our lives selling the best of who we are for what will not last and leave us broken. We will sell out our purpose for convince, our morals for companionship…

But we have all been there… that moment when we realize we are more broken than before, and now we can see judgment surround us like the army that surrounded Jerhico, and our hearts melt as we cry out the question, “what have I done?”

Can you see yourself in Rahab’s shoes…

KEY POINT- But there is a room we can walk into freed from judgment and our mistakes. It’s our MERCY ROOM.

(NLT) — 12 “Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that

DEFINE- This word for Kind comes from the Hebrew word hesed, this is the same word used in the Old Test. for Mercy and Grace.

QUESTION- How do I get into the Mercy room???

MAIN POINT- The mercy room is the only place that can stand under the wait of judgment. It is clearly marked, and all those who rest in it will find Mercy and Grace.

The mercy is room is marked.

1. Marked By Surrender

ILLUSTRATION- My life long goal was to get Troy to tap out.

(NLT) — 9 “I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. 10 For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. 11 No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.

KEY- I have come to find the more I pull on my issues the tighter the knot gets, it’s not until I let go can God begin to untie everything I have tangled together.

ILLUSTRATION-

POINT- Rahab was looking for her opportunity to surrender. —God clearly was setting her up.

KEY POINT- What was a failed mission for the spies was a dub for God.

I just think of Rahab worried wondering what is going to happen to her, all she can think is how they are out there, judgment is out there and I am going to be destroyed… I wonder if she thought, if only there is a way for me to be spared…

KEY- When the cross was lifted up with the son of God hanging on it, it provided a point of surrender for every person everywhere, because while Rahab couldn’t get her mind off the demonstrated power of God, now we can’t get our mind of the incredible love of God.

POINT- God’s love and passion is unmatched. Surrender to his way, he will never let you down!

CHALLENGE- Start viewing your set backs as set ups, God is just working surrender into you.

(NLT) — 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

ILLUSTRATION- People have asked me how can you always forgive, how can you give up your whole life to live for Christ

So now on the sport field and in the gym it’s not about me it’s about him! Now when I

So now on the sport field and in the gym it’s not about me it’s about him! I’ve surrendered. My problems don’t discourage me now cause if he gave it all to have me he will keep me. I’ve surrendered. My set backs won’t crush me, my steps are ordered by the lord. I’m surrendered. Other people’s words don’t carry the same wait they use to because God’s words matter so much more. I’m surrendered.

ILLUSTRATION- When I surrendered to God he had me outside of the country to minister 6 times in less than a year, he put not just 1 but 2 sets of incredible mentors in my life, promoted me in the prossess, met all my needs and more… He allowed me to see miracles, salvations, churches go from concept to building in Africa…

POINT- When you surrender to God you only loose what was killing you anyway, and you gain a real life, with real fulfillment.

2. Marked By Obedience

(NLT) — 12 “Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that 13 when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families.”

KEY- From that moment forward she was adopted into the family of God, and even found her way into the lineage of Jesus.

Several thousand years later James remembers her when he writes… (NLT) — 25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road.

KEY POINT- Surrender and obedience go hand in hand.

Listen I’m not afraid to preach a message that challenges young people to live in a way that honors God.

ILLUSTRATION- The reason you would waive a white flag in battle when you surrendered is because it was a stripping of your culture, your identity, who you were… What you were saying is I am removing my culture, my language, my way of life, and we are now a blank canvas before you. Come paint your culture over me, I’ll speak your language, I’ll pick up your history, your legacy.

KEY POINT- We can not earn salvation with our works but the faith that leads us the mercy room will be the same faith that drives you to live in a way that will honor God.

ILLUSTRATION- Traffic in India is crazy, I asked a taxi driver why don’t you guys follow traffic lights, he said, “when we were a colony of the British they put those traffic lights in. We didn’t like the British, or their lights either.

The enemy is no longer apart of your life, he can’t come in the Mercy room stop allowing him influence in your life.

KEY POINT- What some of you don’t even reliaze is you are giving him what belongs to God, influence.

3. Marked By Blood

(NLT) — 18 When we come into the land, you must leave this scarlet rope hanging from the window through which you let us down. And all your family members—your father, mother, brothers, and all your relatives—must be here inside the house.

I know this might seem like a stretch or crazy so I will explain…

These Israelites that were ready to enter the land of Jerhico not that long ago were slaves in Egypt… The last of the pleauges to hit Egypt was the death of every first born in the land so God said if you want to be protected when righteous judgment falls on the land you need to be in a house, but over the doorposts you need to take the blood of a lamb that you sacrifice and smear it over the doorpost… you have to be in this house this is the only way to be protected when judgment falls…

You might ask why does God do all these things in the first half of the bible, it seems so random… He is foreshadowing what Jesus would do for us on the cross…

The blood on the doorpost represents the blood that Jesus would shed for us…

(NLT) — 22 In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.

(NLT) — 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

(NLT) — 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

POINT- The red chord she hung in the window of her house represented the blood of Jesus. The only way to find yourself in the mercy room is by trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus…

stop trying to pay the price for you sin trust in the red chord, the blood of Jesus.

Joshua and the Isrealites would be a judge for Jerhico but a savior for Rahab. In the same way Jesus is a savior for those who trust in him but a judge for those who reject him.

CHALLENGE- Are you in the room marked with the blood of Christ. Have you asked him to forgive me…

Conclusion…

God told the Isralites to march around the city of Jerhico once each day for 6 days then on day 7 march around it 7 times then give a loud shout and the walls of the city are going to fall…

But what about Rahab…

(NLT) — 15 Then, since Rahab’s house was built into the city wall, she let them down by a rope through the window.

I can just picture Rahab now, as the Isrilites would march around the city her looking out through her window and everyone else sees them but she sees them differently… She can see them behind the red chord in the window… And they march around again…

POINT- Judgement looks different behind the red chord.

So here it comes the 7th day they march around 1.. 2… 5… 6… 7… and they shout… and all around her walls are falling stone is moving, the works of man are crumbling…

Your “works” are not going to hold up to judgment

Your “good things” are not going to hold up to judgment

Your “acts of service” are not going to hold up to judgment

As the walls fell there had to have been 1 section of the wall that remained, one little sliver, that stood tall… IT WAS THE MERCY ROOM