If walls could talk

Joshua 6:16–21 KJV 1900

16 And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city. 17 And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the Lord. 20 So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.

If Walls Could Talk

.Throughout the pages of scripture we find that walls play a very significant part in very important stories. it is the placement of walls both in location and in situation that gives voice to the narrative of these walls.

If walls could talk...Throughout the pages of scripture we find that walls play a very significant part in very important stories. In many places walls were the very symbol of safety and security. Their purpose was thew insurance of safety and security to the inhabitants dwelling within.

In the book of Daniel, chapter 5, as the Babylonian king desecrated the holy and the sacred vessels of the temple, a hand appears at begins to write upon the wall. There, upon the plastered partition within the kings palace, the wall became a voice declaring the end of mercy and the beginning of judgment. There, upon the wall, the raspy voice of reproof cries out “you have been weighed in the balances, and has been found lacking”. If walls could talk

In the book of Nehemiah as messengers come from carrying news of the walls of Jerusalem…Nehemiah listens with eager intent. His interest and concern are focused upon the state of the people still living within the Holy city and the condition of the walls. The messengers proclaim that those yet dwelling within Jerusalem suffer great affliction and the walls are broken down. 900 miles away in Babylon, the cry of Jerusalems walls reaches Nehemiahs ears. Their lamentation pierces the heart of Nehemiah. Nehemiah interprets the sad refrain of Jerusalems walls as their ruin and rubble declare a nation that has turned her back on God. If walls could talk

and In many places walls were the very symbol of safety and security. Their purpose was thew insurance of safety and security to the inhabitants dwelling within.

In addition to their purpose being the safety of those within they also provided an elevated vantage point over the happenings without. Through the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 62 vs. 6, the Lord declares to Israel “I have set watchmen upon your walls”

We could continue on through the hours of the night exhausting the appearance of walls within the pages of scripture and listening intently to what their declaration might be…if walls could talk…some would be words of judgment, as found in the book of Daniel.

Some would be words of lamentation and repentance, as found in nehemiah chapter 1.

Still other instances and occasions, they would be words of shelter and security.

yet, I would turn our attention to the book of Joshua chapter number 6 and the renowned walls of Jericho...

Oh…if walls could talk...

these mighty walls would be worth listening to.

If walls could talk…it would be worth our while to sit and listen to the mighty walls of Jericho tell their story.

In addition to their purpose being the safety of those within they also provided an elevated vantage point over the happenings without. Through the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 62 vs. 6, the Lord declares to Israel “I have set watchmen upon your walls”

in the chapters of the book of Nehemiah we read of walls that had been reduced to rubble by the invading armies of Babylon. These walls had been built with the purpose of protecting the temple. It was the walls of Jerusalem that guarded sacrifice and worship.

Safety, security, protection,..

Intro needs A LOT of work!!

Here in the book of Joshua…if ever there were walls within the scripture that would talk…if walls could talk…it would be these, the magnificent walls of Jericho.

AS the children of Israel stood on the wilderness side of the Jordan river and peered into the land of promise, the intimidating walls of Jericho declared an impassability and impossibility.

A study of the architecture of the walls of Jericho would reveal a three tiered structure that would have towered some 10 stories above the ground level perspective of the Israelites. These walls were not just towering in their height but also massive in their expanse. Some historians have stated that the measure of the walls thickness was of such magnitude that chariot races were held atop the colossal structures.

The walls of Jericho said:

your hope is a hoax

your promise isn’t plausible

The object of your faith is a farce

Im preaching tonight to people that, like that lying spirit that we talked about Wednesday night, the enemy has showed up like the walls of Jericho and told you that God’s promises will never come to pass…that your faith is a farce and your hope is a hoax...

that you walked all this way for nothing.

that you allowed your faith to get all stirred up…and for no good reason...

That what the walls of Jericho would have said…if walls could talk.

But to a generation that had witnessed the supernatural work of God…that were tired of wondering and sick and tired of eating qual and mannah…they came to the Jordan River with the realization and the determination that turning back wasn’t an option. That another lap around the wilderness wasn’t even a choice.

And sometimes, the greatest gift that God can give us is the absence of options.

Often times, Jerichos walls that are meant to move us forward, serve to paralyze us…because we still have options.

I can always go back to this..

if the walls are too big, I can always do that....

But when you are determined…when you have a made up mind…when you’ve already decided that there is no way I’m making another lap around the wilderness...

When you don’t have any options...Jericho’s walls don’t say impossible, impassable, or impenetrable…they say somehow, some way, whatever it takes…I don’t know…but I know He will!

it was the iconic

Jericho’s walls don’t say impossible, impassable, or impenetrable…they say somehow, some way, whatever it takes…I don’t know…but I know He will!

These walls symbolized the passage from wandering to possessing for the Chosen People of God.

These walls symbolized the moving from wilderness to promise

the transition from the death of a doubting generation to the birth of a generation that would inherit promise.

And on the 7th day, after the 7th lap around Jericho when the priests blew the trumpet and the children of Israel shouted with a great shout…the walls came tumbling down.

If

and oh...If walls could talk…they would testify of the incredible strength of the Almighty God.

If walls could talk…they would testify of the death of doubt and the formation of faith

If these walls could talk…they would tell of the power of a shout.

They would talk about the incredible supernatural power possessed by a people that move together in unity.

They would speak of the supernatural work of a people that walk forward on a word from God rather than the reasoning of man.

They would speak of the Power of priase

the power of unity

They would speak of victory

IF walls could talk…Those walls would have said we thought we had them....we thought for sure there was no way they were going to pass from wandering to possessing…we thought for sure they would shudder instead of shout. We thought for sure they would be discouraged not determined...

Those walls would testify of

And I believe what I preached last Sunday…i believe that in this year some of you, your walls are going to testify...

To the power of your praise...

To the victory in your shout

To the might of unity

The supernatural authority of a church that is moving in unity!!

But that is not all that these walls would say if walls could talk...

these walls would say…that while you are on your way to victory!

People of God…while you are on your way to possessing promise...

Children of Promise…while you are celebrating your transition from doubt to faith...

And I do believe what I preached last Sunday morning…there is a shift taking place…and I am already rejoicing for the great victories that I am watching many of you experience in 2020.

Great victories are coming!

Jeremy and Stephanie…testified…something is shifting…something is changing...

Justin and Mia..something is shifting…something is changing

Cortez

Chris

Erick and Karla

Junior and Etel

James and Naomi!!!

Moses and Angie!!!

But…while we are on our way to victory…as we are celebrating once impassable impenetrable walls that miraculously and supernaturally been brought...

Don’t forget that within these walls, there is a Rahab!

its so easy to become so preoccupied with my blessing…my breakthrough…my victory…my miracle…my transformation...

It’s so easy to become

That we forget there is a Rahab waiting within the walls!

And in Joshua chapter 6 vs. 22 as the sounds of victory are echoing through the air…the victorious cries of Israel as they take the city of Jericho…the crackling and the grinding of the still settling stones that make the walls of Jericho…And above the sounds of victory is lifted the voice of Joshua…old testament type of Jesus Christ …GO…Go the house of the woman…the harlot…and bring out the woman, and everyone in her house and everything she has...

I’m sure there are problems within the church…there are undoubtedly a few issues…but overall, there is such a strong feeling of community and togetherness in this church.

They would recall that after the shout…and after the trumpet…after the walls fall and the city is taken…the voice of Joshua…old testament type of Jesus Christ is lifted above the sound of still shifting stones and victories shouts…GO…Go the house of the woman…the harlot…and bring out the woman, and everyone in her house and everything she has...

While you are celebrating your victory don’t forget Rahab!

If walls could speak…the walls would declare that God has been preparing Rahab...

Joshua 2:9–13 KJV 1900

9 And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. 12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father’s house, and give me a true token: 13 And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.

Joshua 2:9-

speaking here to give confidence that we are in partnership with God. We aren’t doing this on our own....

If these walls could could talk, they would say Church…God is preparing them. they are your neighbors, your co-workers, the waitress at your favorite restaurant…And these walls would say…God is working.

Closing point…and if walls could talk…these would would say “Church…don’t forget that Rahab is a harlot”

If these walls could talk…they would say Rahab is coming..she is waiting…but Rahab is a mess…Rahab is broken…Rahab is going to take work…Rahab is going to require your patience. If you’ll be patient with her…there’s value in Rahab (as we spoke of during our Christmas series…Rahab would be in the lineage of Jesus)…but Rahab is a harlot.

Many churches today aren’t to big on this side of the walls…because Rahab is a harlot…Rahab is messy....Rahab doesn’t worship the God that we worship…Rahab doesn’t know our songs…She doesn’t know our church lingo…Rahab means you might have to shake someones hand on Sunday that you didn’t play Monopoly with on Friday night. you might have to pray with someone that didn’t attend your small group last November.

Rahab is a harlot...

If these walls could talk

Rahab isn’t coming alone...

Rahab is waiting...

Rahab is broken

But when you find her…she isn’t coming alone!