SAVING YOUR HOUSEHOLD

TEXT: Joshua 2:1 (NKJV)

Rahab Hides the Spies

2 Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.”

So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.

Joshua 2:17–19 (NKJV)

17 So the men said to her: “We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, 18 unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home. 19 So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him.

ILL: Some years ago a young girl was very sick and not expected to recover. Because of her love for Jesus, she was troubled that she had not been able to do more for Him in her short life. Her pastor suggested that she make a list of people in their little town who needed Christ and pray that they might put their faith in Him. She took his advice, made a list, and prayed often for each person.

Some time later God began to stir a revival in the village. The girl heard of the people who were coming to Christ and prayed even more. As she heard reports, she checked off the names of those who had been led to the Lord.

After the girl died, a prayer list with the names of 56 people was found under her pillow. All had put their faith in Christ and the last one on the night before her death.

Such is the power of definite, specific, fervent prayer. Do you have a prayer list?

I. THE SCARLET CORD

A. IS SYMBOL OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

1. In our text the thing that is going to save Rahab and her household is the scarlet cord hanging from her window so that when Israel would attack the city they would see the scarlet cord and avoid attack that house.

2. This is similar to the blood on the lintels or the door posts of the Israelites in Egypt when the death angel passed over and killed all the first born of Egypt but spared all those who had the blood covering them. Exodus 12:23 (NKJV)

23 For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you.

a.) Today what saves you and I from death is the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for us! Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV)

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

Ephesians 1:7 (GW)

7 Through the blood of his Son, we are set free from our sins. God forgives our failures because of his overflowing kindness.

B. THE ONLY WAY TO BE SAVED

1. Note what the spy’s told Rahab, the scarlet cord must be hung out the window and she and her family must be in her house an stay there if they were going to be saved. Joshua 2:17–19 (GW)

17 The men told her, “We will be free from the oath which you made us swear, ⌊if you tell anyone what we’re doing here⌋. 18 When we invade your land, tie this red cord in the window through which you let us down. Also, gather your father, mother, brothers, and all your father’s family into your house. 19 Whoever leaves your house will be responsible for his own life. We will be free from that responsibility. But we will take responsibility if anyone inside your house is harmed.

II. BRINGING YOUR FAMILY INTO YOUR HOUSE

A. IS SYMBOLIC OF SALVATION

1. Rehab's task was to get her family into her house. She said to the spy’s promise me you will show kindness to me and my father’s house… The said yes but you have to get them under your roof. Joshua 2:18 (GW)

18 When we invade your land, tie this red cord in the window through which you let us down. Also, gather your father, mother, brothers, and all your father’s family into your house.

2. Just like Rahab god promises to save you and your house but it’s your task to get them under your roof so to speak. Acts 16:31 (NKJV)

31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16:32–34 (NKJV) ILL: God spoke this scripture to me while reading after my family started to get saved. You’ve got to get them into the house.

32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

3. You Church you’ve got to get them into the house! The H.O.G. ILL: I remember inviting my dad Eddie to my class on Thursday nights, he came and got saved then my mom. Praise God! It wasn’t our Church but they got converted.

4. I know you desire for loved ones to be saved so do whatever you can to get in the H.O.G. or back in the house of God because if you remember what the spy’s said, Joshua 2:19 (NKJV)

19 So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him.

b.) You may not be able to lose your salvation but you can choose to go outside the doors… into the street which means to leave God’s covering, your blood will be upon your own head.

1. This is talking about leaving God and going out into the world! 2 Timothy 4:10 (GW)

10 Demas has abandoned me. He fell in love with this present world and went to the city of Thessalonica. Crescens went to the province of Galatia, and Titus went to the province of Dalmatia.

2. If you want to make it for the long haul, you’ve got to stay in the house, and keep your family in the house too!

III. HOW TO GET THEM IN

A. EVANGELISM AND PRAYER

ILL: D. L Moody used to tell the story of a man who came to him and said, “When the Mexican war began I wanted to enlist. My mother, seeing I was resolved, said if I became a Christian I might go. She pleaded and prayed that I might become a Christian, but I wouldn’t. I said when the war was over I would become a Christian, but not till then.

“All her pleading was in vain, and at last, when I was going away, she took out a watch and said: My son, your father left this to me when he died. Take it, and I want you to remember that every day at 12 o’clock your mother will be praying for you. Then she gave me her Bible, and marked out passages, and put a few different references in the fly-leaf. I took the watch and the Bible just because my mother gave them. I never intended to read the Bible. “I went off to Mexico, and one day while on a long, weary march, I took out my watch, and it was 12 o’clock. I had been gone four months, but I remembered that my mother at that hour was praying for me. Something prompted me to ask the officer to relieve me for a little while, and I stepped behind a tree away out on those plains of Mexico, and cried to the God of my mother to save me.”

God saved him, and after the Mexican war was ended, he said, “I have enlisted again to see if I can do any good for my Master’s cause.”

1. I prayed for my family for years and they started getting saved. My niece got witnessed by Cathleen Gamboa in high school, they in turn witnessed to my sister who in turn witnessed to her husband and nephew…

2. My sister Alice, I remember specifically praying for her that God would bring someone into her life to witness to her and He did.

3. Praying for my grandmother Clara, she couldn’t read I didn’t know how to witness to her, God spoke trust me with the other half of the story, I did and God moved. My sis Angie took her to a church service she answered alter call a couple weeks later went to be with Jesus.

4. It was through witnessing to them in person and through letters and prayer that they got saved, they were brought spiritually speaking into the house! Luke 14:23 (NKJV)

23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

a.) You’ve got to compel them to come in Church if you want them to get saved. Witness to them and pray for them that they may be saved. 1 Timothy 2:1 (NKJV)

Pray for All Men

2 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 1 Timothy 2:3–4 (NKJV)

3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

1. Supplications= want or need.

Prayers= always to God.

Intercessions= meeting with God about self or others.

And be grateful for all people. Just give God thanks.

2. God did it for me and many others, He will do it for you.