DK - Who & Do

PRAYER

Joshua 2 (NASB)

Then Joshua the son of Nun sent two men as spies secretly from Shittim saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.”

JERICHO - impenetrable city / walls

PEOPLE WOULD HAVE FELT VERY SAFE & SECURE

1a So they went and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged there. It was told to the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men from the sons of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” So the King of Jericho sent orders to Rehab, “Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land.” Rahab had hidden the two men, but she replied, “Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn’t know where they were from. They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them.”  (Actually, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them beneath bundles of flax she had laid out.)

SO, LET’S GET THIS STRAIGHT, GOD IS WORKING THROUGH A LYING PROSTITUTE TO ACCOMPLISHED HIS PURPOSES AND DEMONSTRATE HIS GLORY ON PLANET EARTH This may mess with your theology

UNLIKELY PERSON

GOD IS A REWARDER OF FAITH EVEN WHEN IT COMES IN A MESSY PACKAGE

Faith is his currency                       Without it, it’s impossible to please Him

Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

FAITH IS WHAT MOVES THE HEART OF GOD FAITH IS WHAT IGNITES THE POWER OF GOD FAITH IS WHAT ENABLES US TO OVERCOME THE WORLD FAITH BRINGS THE THINGS GOD HAS PROVIDED FOR US FROM THE SPIRITUAL REALM TO THE PHYSICAL REALM FAITH IS WHAT BRINGS THE VICTORY / THE BREAKTHROUGH FAITH PRODUCES PEACE & JOY EVERYTHING GOD DOES IS ACCESSED THROUGH FAITH – not through anything in the world

GOD CAN WORK THROUGH YOU TO ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS – It happens through faith

AGAIN, I ASK WHY? WHY DID RAHAB LAY IT ALL ON THE LINE FOR 2 GUYS SHE DOESN’T KNOW

FOR 2 ENEMIES THAT HAVE COME TO SPIE OUT THE LAND SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE IT OVER

V7 So the men pursued them on the road to the Jordan, to the crossing places; and as soon as those who were pursuing them had gone out, they shut the gate. Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. “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.

V10 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. 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.

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE TESTIMONY

REHAB DIDN’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT GOD

SEE DIDN’T SEE THE MIRACLES FIRST HAND BUT…    40yrs earlier

Romans 10:17….faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

BEFORE IT WAS IN THE BIBLE, THE WORD OF GOD HAD REACHED HER ON THE GRAPE VINE & SHE BELIEVED

THAT WAS ENOUGH FOR HER TO SAY, IN SPITE OF EVERYONE ELSE AROUND ME I CHOOSE YOU GOD IN SPITE OF THE UNGODLY CULTURE AROUND ME – I CHOOSE YOU GOD

WHY? Because, “God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.”

WHEN RAHAB HEARD ABOUT THE MIRACLES SHE DIDN’T JUST FOCUS ON THE MIRACLES, SHE SAW WHO WAS BEHIND THE MIRACLES

IN ACTIVATING OUR FAITH – THE FIRST STEP IS ACKNOWLEDGING WHO

THE BIBLE IS ABOUT KNOWING WHO GOD IS FIRST & FOREMOST - Those with incredible faith all knew Him

WE ARE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND EVERY RELATIONSHIP REQUIRES TIME AND EFFORT / THE MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP IN OUR LIVES

DAVID: Psalms 63:1-8 (ON SCREEN)

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory.  Your unfailing love is better than life itself (IS THAT HOW YOU FEEL THIS MORNING? IS THAT HOW I FEEL THIS MORNING?); how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.

PAUL – Philippians 1:21: For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.

My whole life is focussed on you, you, you, you

REHAB DIDN’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT GOD AT THAT POINT BUT SHE SAW WHO SHE SAW WHO HE WAS & HER FAITH WAS ACTIVATED

EVERYTHING ELSE IN OUR WALK STEMS FROM WHO HE IS

RAHAB SAW WHO BUT SHE DIDN’T STOP AT WHO AFTER SEEING WHO, SHE WENT TO WHAT AM I GOING TO DO

ONCE WE KNOW WHO WE NEED TO BE READY FOR TO DO

Sometimes it’s easy to leave it with who God I see you in this but don’t ask me to do anything

SOMETIMES WE DON’T “DO” BECAUSE WE HAVE TO RISK SOMETHING

SOMETIMES WE SEE WHO AND WE MOVE TO THE DO, THEN WE BECOME SO FOCUSSED ON THE DO THAT WE FORGET THE WHO

LET’S BE PEOPLE THAT SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITIES WHEN THEY PRESENTS THEMSELVES CAUSE WE KNOW WHO

AFTER ALL THIS – RAHAB HAD SEEN WHO & DONE TO DO - SHE CUTS A DEAL

She asks them to swear that when they attack the city that they will spare her and her family

They agree

THE ISRAELITES MARCH AROUND THE CITY

Once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day then blew their trumpets - The walls fell

They collapse everywhere else except for Rahab’s section of the wall

The Israelites take the city and none are spared except Rahab and her family

AMAZING STORY BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE

RAHAB WAS ADOPTED INTO THE FAMILY OF FAITH

WE READ IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 1:

Normally women are not included in these lineage lists

There are 5 women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus –

Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary

A woman being mentioned in a genealogy is unheard of. And a prostitute? THAT’S SHOWS THE HEART OF GOD RIGHT THERE

THIS ALL STARTED CAUSE RAHAB SAW WHO – She saw who God is SHE STEPPED OUT IN FAITH & THERE IT IS

WHO & DO – The keys to our faith CONCLUSION – INVITE TEAM