Taking the Stronghold
Committing to the Promise • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewTaking the stronghold we must maintain our identity in the Lord.
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Trusting the Lord
Imagine for a moment with me if you will… the promise you have longed for is now at hand and you begin to reach out to take it into your possession, you are aware of the battle and know you will have to fight only you will not fight as the command is for you to stay quiet…
It is a far cry from taking by force or at least not the force you thought you would have to exhibit, in this case it is the Lord guiding your every foot step as you await what to do next.
The commands are precise but they only arrive as you meet the previous one.
Suddenly the command comes to take what the Lord has given you but you realize you never raised your sword, in fact, you realize you did not do anything except listen and obey what you have been told.
Remember your identity is not dependent on your past, on who someone else says you are, you are not what the enemy says…
Your identity is rooted in the living God. Your ear needs to be in tune with what He is speaking over you. Which means you wait for the Lord to give you the battle plan, you move when He moves you and fight according to His voice.
Taking the stronghold we must maintain our identity in the Lord.
Taking the stronghold we must maintain our identity in the Lord.
The Lord Will Fight
The Lord Will Fight
When we last saw Joshua he was talking to the commander of the Lords Army
Joshua receives instructions as a commander
Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in.
And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor.
The Lord causes the enemy to hide and sets them to flee
look at the reaction of Jericho
Made aware of the Lord is already working before you could lift a finger and all you have to do is show up
You may not immediately know the why, but understand these are the spaces where you have not been and have to rely on who you are and whose you are
Strategy with Precision
Strategy with Precision
Up to this point they have had to rely on the Lord they will need to continue to do so.
The battle does not look like you want it to it will come with strategy and a way of doing things you may not be familiar with
You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days.
Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.
And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.”
Take note they will have to walk around this 8 sq acre fortified city and not say a word
They could not speak
imagine the insults
imagine the things spoken against them
Imagine what they were thinking
This is war? this is more a ceremony than it is a war strategy
In ceremony the Lord would conquer for them
Ceremony to give God the victory
The effort would be in remembering their identity in the Lord
You’re on your 7th lap do not surrender the call now
it seems impossible but the God of impossible is fighting for you
7 days of waiting speak of the perfect dependence on the Lord.
Warning to the Leaders
Warning to the Leaders
You will cause the people to enter into the promise
Your role is to relay the word of the Lord and not to cave to what you think they want to hear
Stay true to what the Lord is speaking
Notice Josh 6:10 the command went out to keep the nay saying silent
remember theyre walking around a city that they will eventually just destroy
the plan doesnt make sense them
The naysaying may get to them
Causes them to tame their tongue so they dont speak death into the promise
Remember Your Identity
Remember Your Identity
But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it.
Let’s add this to the equation you realize this space will be completely destroyed
You cannot take any of with you
Jericho was home to the moon goddess and had things that would draw the Israelite to abandon their faith
Their utter destruction did not come without grace Rahab and her entire family are saved for her desire to turn away from the city norm
The intent in the destruction of this land was to preserve the identity keeping their possessions spoke to the dependency on their own and not on God
Jericho represented a stronghold that Israel would have to face. The land had plenty to offer. This is where we get stuck… We think the first stop is the end
We cannot pick up the customs and ways of this world and act as though we are listening to the plan and strategy of the Lord
You’re on the 3rd 4th 5th time around this stronghold you will have to overcome only you must stay silent and allow the Lord to remove it for you
6th time around you feel like youve been here before but even now you must follow the presence of the Lord, you must rest on His presence
Now on the 7th lap you hear the signal to shout for victory as the walls are falling and the victory is being given to you and the only instruction left is to not pick up what belongs to the strong hold the Lord just conquered.