Coming Down
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In 2017 when Hurricane Harvey hit I think that we all remember the devastation. The overwhelming flooding and destruction.
As a church we commited to doing whatever we could. I had a few pastor friends in the area who were doing awesome work.
We connected with them on needs. So we bought and loaded up a truck and trailer with supplies they needed, waters, etc.
But we had a problem. We knew where we needed and was supposed to get to deliver, but we couldn’t get there.
Every path we looked at had roads and bridges flooded over and out. We were so close but just couldn’t make it.
It honestly looked impossible.
We had people calling police stations and city between here and houston to see if there was any way in.
Finally. We found a path. We had to go to college station, head south until we hit i10, took small roads that were clear all the way until we finally made it!!
A 2 hour drive took over 5.
I wonder if today in your life there are some places that look and feel impossible.
You can look into some places that you hope to be, wished you could be. But maybe it seems impossible to get there.
Something seems in your way.
THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITIES ARE OFTEN DISGUISED AS GREAT IMPOSSIBILITIES.
THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITIES ARE OFTEN DISGUISED AS GREAT IMPOSSIBILITIES.
There is not way past.
Maybe it’s your marriage.
An addiction.
Your past.
maybe it feels impossible. But I really believe it can be your greatest opportunity.
We’ve been following the Hebrew people (the Israelites) through their journey from being freed from slavery in Egypt, to finally walking into their own land, their own country.
God had promised them this land for generations. It was a promise they knew what there, but had almost forgotten. and know they can finally see it.
Last week we say that God performed a miracle and stopped the water of the Jordan river and the entire people of Israel walked across on dry ground, now they are standing in the land that God says will be theres!
There was a small problem, The city of Jericho.
They had to overtake and conquer this City, it was the gateway to all of the rest of the land they were meant to go in and take.
Joshua 6:1-2
Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.
This impressive city would have seemed overwhelming to look at especially to think they could conquer it.
These were a bunch of people with not military training, had been in slavery and homeless in the wilderness all of their lives.
Jericho was majorly fortified.
An excavation of Jericho in the 50’s revealed it was a double walked city built on a hill.
(show pics)
Walls were approximated at up to 30 feet high and 6 feet thick. At the bottom of an embankment with double walls, it would have looked like a 10 story structure!
Every door and gate was shut up tight.
Imagine how intimidating it would have been to look and see that as your target...
Intimidation is still how our enemy works.
If satan can get you intimidated by what looks like is in front of you, he will knock you out and discourage you before you even try.
What they could have seen and an impossibility, God recognized as an opportunity (see I have deliver it into your hands)
If your scared and intimidated by things you see in front you right now, just know God isn’t limited in the ways we are.
Sometimes we can falsely view God as just a little bit bigger and better version of us. But he is nothing like us. Nothing limits him!
Joshua 6:3-5
March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”
The walls will come down!!
He told them look, the very thing keeping you out I will bring down.
I we believe that God brought this wall down, we have to also believe that our walls aren’t impossible for him either.
Their impossibility became a God opportunity.
In life we face a lot of walls that try and stand in the way of us walking out God’s plan and promises for our lives.
It’s time for some wall to fall.
It happened just as God said! They listened to him and the walls collapsed, and they went in and took the land!!!
WALLS STILL FALL DOWN!
1) WE FIGHT FROM VICTORY NOT FOR IT.
1) WE FIGHT FROM VICTORY NOT FOR IT.
Joshua 6:2
Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.
Not you may be victorious, it’s possible you will win.
I have delivered. Already.
It was already, but not yet....
The victory was sure! But they still had to go and do it.
Just because we see a battle we question the possibility of victory. But God always makes a way where he leads.
You aren’t trying to find Victory, you are victorious. Now we just live it out.
We see the victory, IN HIM.
In in the places of impossibility, with the walls in your life, you have to give it to him.
It IS too big for you. ALONE.
Romans 8:37
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Fighting with God is assured victory!!
2) IT’S BY FAITH WE FIGHT
2) IT’S BY FAITH WE FIGHT
Joshua 6:8–14 (NIV)
When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!” So he had the ark of the Lord carried around the city, circling it once. Then the army returned to camp and spent the night there.
Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding. So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
Seems to make no sense.
This isn’t a strategy we’ve seen used ever before or ever since.
Not one that is militarily sound.
Everyday march around the city with the army, but don’t say a word only blow a bunch or horns..
Can you imagine what Jericho must have thought.
Can you image what the armed guard thought… Ok well at least I got my steps in.
How was you day hunny, well the took a walk and they blew some horns again....
Day 1 nothing, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6… Walls not shaking, not cracks.
BUT here’s the reality, God doesn’t battle the way we do.
The reason our walls are still standing may be because were trying conquer the in our strength and it’s only with HIS power.
Faith is saying, I may not understand, now how, or even when, but I keep trusting.
Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
It may look like something physical.
A sickness, relationship, job.
But we know that the fight we are really in is spiritual, not physical.
Fighting with physical means will never remove a spiritual wall.
2 Corinthians 10:4–5 (NIV)
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
We fight by faith.
God I don’t understand how marching around this wall makes sense, but I trust you.
TRUST AND FOLLOW GOD.
Strongholds are spiritual walls that need to come down!
The greatest strongholds are often in your mind.
So often the greatest walls are right here, in our minds. In our thoughts life.
Convincing us we never can. It is impossible.
Are you fighting in the physical?
With your words, efforts.. Realize this is spiritual.
Isaiah 30:18
Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!
Long to pour out his grace on you, Blessed are you who WAIT!!
day 1, day 2, day 3. waiting. Trusting. Faithing.
3) GOD GET’S ALL GLORY
3) GOD GET’S ALL GLORY
Joshua 6:15–17 (NIV)
On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.
Joshua 6:18–20 (NIV)
But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”
When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.
On the seventh day, March around 7 times and this time SHOUT.
This word shout means to let out a victory battle cry!
Before the walls came down, they shouted!
Before they ever saw the result. they lifted their voiced in praise!
When they did go in everything valuable was dedicated to God.
After the battle the valuable were put in God’s treasury, devoted to HIm.
Praise was the key.
Before the walls fell, while they were in the battle and after it was over.
God got the praise and glory every step of the way.
swords wasn’t their weapons, they didn’t have to fight!!!
Praise was the weapon.
Praise is our weapon!!
Praise has to be your pattern.
No matter your impossible wall, we shout out to God. Lift our voices.
When he goes before you, your impossibility becomes and opportunity.
CONCLUSION
Walls still come down.
What’s in front of you?
it may feel impossible.
Alone it is. No way to scale it.
but god isn’t just a better version of you.