Courageous Obedience
Notes
Transcript
June 28, 2020
Dominant Thought: When God shows up, we shape up.
Objectives:
I want my listeners to realize that we are in the presence of God.
I want my listeners to walk seven days in a row to remember Jericho.
I want my listeners to feel encouraged by God’s presence.
When I was in fourth grade, we came back to the classroom from lunch. Mrs. Nolan, our teacher was late coming back to class. She was making copies on the mimeograph machine with purple ink at Westview Elementary School. The boys were horsing around and pushed someone else into the trashcan that started a chain reaction of events on the bookshelves that ended with the globe at the end of the bookshelf falling and rolling across the floor. We thought we had outfoxed the teacher and replaced everything back to normal. Then, we looked at the globe. We had put the globe upside down. We were caught. We had disobeyed and dishonored her. She had the evidence of the upside down globe and she was close enough to hear the commotion. We got a lecture and consequences that day.
Life would have been better and recess would have been longer if we had come back to class and sat down. If we had realized, that Mrs. Nolan could still hear what was happening, we would have made different choices. If we’d have realized that her presence was closer than we knew we would have made better choices.
Today, we’ll look at three stories from the Bible on how God’s presence motivates our obedience. The first two are found in Joshua 5.13-15 and Joshua 6. The third story which is shorter comes from Luke 19.
Story 1: Joshua and the Commander of the Lord’s Army (Joshua 5.13-15). As we come to the end of Joshua 5, the children of Israel have crossed the Jordan River on dry ground. The men have endured the covenant sign of circumcision. The people have celebrated the Passover to remember God’s rescue from Egyptian slavery. They have enjoyed the food of the new land and the manna that sustained them for forty years stopped.
Then, we come to Joshua 5.13-15 where Joshua encounters what a divine warrior. Listen to this experience
Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”
“Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”
The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
The setting is near Jericho. Joshua asks him, “Whose side are you on?” The reply may surprise many. “Neither, but as commander of the army of the Lord I have come now.” Joshua falls facedown to the ground in reverence. He recognizes that this is no ordinary soldier.
Joshua looks up from the ground with the question, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” What’s the plan?
Instead of offering a battle plan, Joshua receives a command, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” This may sound familiar. Joshua’s mentor, Moses, had a similar experience in Exodus 3. In that experience, it was an angel of the Lord that appeared to Moses in a flame of fire out of a bush that didn’t burn up. In Exodus 3.5, God commands Moses, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”
Moses led God’s people from Egypt. And now, Joshua will lead God’s people into the promised land.
Take off your sandals for the place you are standing is holy. It was a simple command. Take off your shoes. Most of us do that a few times each day. The reason to take off his sandals was important. Take off your sandals for the place you are standing is holy.
I remember serving on a mission trip to Matamoros, Mexico with Way of the Cross Ministries. We had come to the city dump just a few miles away from the United States border. Mexican families had left the interior of Mexico to find work in the United States only to be turned back at the border. Instead of returning back home, they made their home in the city dump. It was mountains of trash. We came out in a old bus driving through the roads of trash. I remember passing out pink candy to the children, and smoke and fire in the distance. We had a church service. I taught from John 3.16 that God loves the world. And before we left, two girls in our group sang a song, called, “Holy Ground.” Some of the lyrics to that song, “We are standing on holy ground. For I know that there are angels all around.” As they sang, I looked down on this mountain of trash and realized that the presence of the Lord makes a place holy.
So, outside the city of Jericho, Joshua receives the message to take off his shoes because the place where he is standing is holy. The last four words from Joshua 5.15, stood out to me, “And Joshua did so.” Joshua took off his shoes. Four simple words that speak volumes. He believed God’s message. He honored God’s message. He obeyed God’s message.
Today, I’ve chosen to preach this message in my bare feet to remind myself that this experience of worshiping together is a holy moment. You may want to take off your shoes or socks now as a visible sign to say, “I’m listening God to the message you have for me today.”
Story 2: God’s commands to Joshua and the People (Joshua 6.1-5). In many ways, this is the next scene of the story.
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. 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.”
Jericho is still scared of God’s people. The Lord speaks to Joshua, “Behold! See! I have given Jericho into your hands.” Warren Wiersbe reminds us that “we fight from victory not just for victory"(Be Strong). God has already given Jericho into his hands.
God lays out the plan to Joshua, “March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days” (Joshua 6.3). Notice, “do this for six days.” Marching around a city really shouldn’t be hard. Much like taking off your shoes to honor God’s presence. And Joshua did so. Now God is calling Joshua to lead the people in doing something similar.
The plan continues, “Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark” (Joshua 6.4). Remember, the ark of the covenant was the golden box that the priests carried when the crossed the Jordan River on dry ground. It represents the presence of God among His people. Then, “on the seventh day, march around seven times, with priests blowing the trumpets” (Joshua 6.4). Notice, seven priests with trumpets, seven days, and seven times. Seven, Seven, Seven.
Do you remember anything else in the Bible associated with seven? The creation of the world is described in a cycle of seven days. God created and filled the universe in six days and stopped on the seventh day and made it holy (Gen. 2.2-3). Could it be that God wanted Joshua and the people to remember that this new land would be a fresh start? In a sense, God was bringing them to a new creation for them.
Steven Furtick with Elevation Church challenged his people with a message, “Don’t stop on six.” He imagined what it was like for the warriors to come home each night to their families after marching around Jericho once each day for six days. Walking around the city could have been quite boring especially after three or four days. Do you think the people got tired of marching by the time they got to day seven. And do you think they wanted to go around Jericho seven times on day seven. Furtick challenged the people “don’t stop on six,” because God’s reward may be just around the corner. We give up too quickly in marriages. We give up to quickly when faced with challenges. Who knows that maybe God’s reward may be just around the corner, but we stop short of receiving God’s gifts.
For a reference, some believe that Jericho at the time of Joshua was about 9-10 acres which is about the size of the property of Berlin Christian Church. So, we are not talking miles of marching. You could march around in 10 minutes. Again, sometimes the most difficult things are the simplest.
Can I encourage you to walk for seven days in a row and remember Jericho? Walk seven days a row if you’re able and use that as a moment to reflect on this story. Use it as a time to pray for your neighbors. Use it as a time to connect to God’s presence. You don’t have to walk miles, but walk for 10 minutes for seven days in a row and remember Jericho.
On day seven, the people march around seven times and the priests blow the trumpets. God instructs Joshua, “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” (Joshua 6.5).
Long blast, loud shout, wall of city will fall down. Do you remember anything earlier in our story falling down? Do you remember Joshua’s experience with the commander of the Lord’s army. Joshua fell down on his face before the commander. Now, as the people shout, the walls fall down. When we fall down in worship, God brings down the walls that separate us from His promise.
All the walls fell down, except for one part, Rahab’s house. Rahab, the prostitute, protected the spies. The spies said they would save her and her family if she kept their secret and hung a scarlet cord out her window. I wonder as they marched around Jericho, do you think they saw that scarlet cord hanging from Rahab’s window?
Joshua experienced God’s presence and did what he was told. The priests and the armed men submitted to the presence of God did what they were told. Rahab recognized the presence of God and kept her promise and was rescued when the wall fell down. The presence of God motivated his people to obedience.
All except for one person that you can read about in Joshua 7.
But in chapters 5-6, we see example after example of God’s children honoring His presence and taking Him seriously and obeying in the simple thing that God asked that brought them a great victory.
What small thing is God asking you that will make a big difference?
God’s presence motivates our obedience. When God shows up, we shape up.
Story #3: Jesus and Zacchaeus (Luke 19.1-10). Years later, God in the person of Jesus Christ would walk by Jericho. As Jesus entered Jericho in Luke 19, he saw a man named Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, up in a tree. We read about the encounter in Luke 19.5-6.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
Notice Zacchaeus’ response, “So he came down.” Four words again that made a big difference. He welcomed Jesus into his house in Jericho. He declared that he would give half of all he had to the poor and would pay back those he had cheated.
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
When God’ shows up, we shape up. Not only can God bring down the walls of cities, but he can bring down walls around hardened hearts and create a new person. I’m sure we still gave Mrs. Nolan trouble from time to time, but that day when the globe went rolling across the floor was a defining moment that we knew she was always near and watching. The same is true for Almighty God.
5 Day Devotional Guide on Joshua 5-6
When God Shows Up, We Shape Up.
You may want to refer to the sermon notes for further discussion. Take a moment to read the assigned Scripture and then reflect or discuss the questions. Customize this outline to your situation. Here are some questions to ask from the Discovery Bible Method:
What are you thankful for today or this week?
What challenges are you facing?
Have 2 or 3 people read the scripture out loud.
Can you summarize this passage in your own words?
What did you discover about God from this passage?
What have you learned about people from this passage?
How are you going to obey this passage? (What is your “I will” statement?)
With whom are you going to share what you have learned?
Based on this passage, what can we pray about?
Day 1: Joshua 5.2-9
Day 2: Joshua 5.10-15
Day 3: Joshua 6.1-7
Day 4: Joshua 6.8-21
Day 5: Joshua 6.22-27