JOSHUA 6 : 1 - 5, 20

1Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. 2And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. 3And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. 4And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. 5And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.

20 So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE BATTLE IS OVER, SHOUT NOW

MANY OF US IF NOT ALL OF US HAVE HEARD THE NEGRO SPIRITUAL THAT SAYS JOSHUA FIT THE BATTLE OF JERICHO AND THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN. BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT THE SONG CONTRADICTS WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IN THE SCRIPTURES. WHEN THE WALLS CAME DOWN THERE WAS REALLY NO FIGHT AT ALL. WHEN THE WALLS OF JERICHO WERE DESTROYED THEY WERE DESTROYED WITHOUT SHOTGUNS OR WITHOUT CANNON BALLS. THE WORD SAYS: ISRAEL HAS COME BEYOND AND ACROSS THE JORDAN RIVER AND GOD IS LEADING THEM TO THE PROMISED LAND OF CANAAN THAT FLOWS WITH MILK AND WITH HONEY. BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT BEFORE THEY COULD GET TO CANAAN, JERICHO WAS IN THERE WAY. AND IF THEY WERE GOING TO MAKE IT TO CANAAN, THEY HAD TO DEAL WITH THESE WALLS OF JERICHO. NOW LISTEN, THE PROMISED LAND WAS TO BE A LAND OF REST. AND YET THE LAND OF REST WAS ALSO A LAND OF CONFLICT. NOW THAT'S PARADOXICAL BUT IT'S TRUE IN THE LIFE OF EVERY BELIEVER. BECAUSE THE GREATEST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN TO ANY OF US IS TO BE A CHILD OF GOD. AND YET MANY OF US HAVE DISCOVERED THAT SINCE I'VE BECOME A CHILD OF GOD, IT HAS NOT ONLY BEEN A POSITION OF BLESSINGS, IT HAS ALSO BEEN A POSITION OF BATTLES. YOU NOT ONLY HAVE THE PRIVILEDGE OF REJOICING BECAUSE YOU ARE SAVED BUT YOU DISCOVERED THAT BEING A CHRISTIAN WAS NOT A PICNIC. YOU DISCOVERED THAT CHRISTIANITY WAS NOT A PLAYGROUND IT'S A BATTLEFIELD. AND I'M TALKING TO SOMEONE WHO KNOWS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THE ENEMY IN YOUR LIFE. AND SO THIS WALL THIS JERICHO WALL STANDS AS A SYMBOL OF THE SPIRITUAL POSITION OF YOUR ENEMY AND MY ENEMY. BECAUSE GOD HAS PROMISES HE WANTS US TO ENJOY, GOD WANTS US TO LIVE IN THE LAND OF PROMISE. BUT WE ALWAYS GOT TO DEAL WITH A WALL THAT'S IN OUR WAY. IF I HAD TIME I WOULD TELL YOU THAT THIS WAS NO ORDINARY WALL I'M TALKING ABOUT. THIS WALL WAS SIXTY FEET HIGH AND THIRTY FEET WIDE. I'M TOLD THAT THIS WALL WAS SO WIDE THAT TWO OR THREE CHARIOTS COULD RIDE ON TOP OF IT AT THE SAME TIME. BUT THE POINT I WANT TO MAKE FOR YOU IS THAT THIS IS NOT ONLY A TRUE STORY IN THE BIBLE BUT IT IS A STORY THAT CONTAINS SOME VALUABLE PRINCIPLES THAT IF YOU AND I WOULD CLAIM THEM TODAY WE WOULD LEAVE HERE A BETTER PEOPLE.

NOTICE IF YOU WILL THAT THE WALLS OF JERICHO WERE CONQUERED WITH A STRANGE STRATEGY. GOD DIDN'T CALL GENERALS TOGETHER OR SCIENTISTS TOGETHER TO DECIDE WHAT KIND OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS THEY WERE GOING TO USE. HE SIMPLY SAID I WANT ALL OF ISRAEL TO GET UP ONCE A DAY FOR SIX DAYS AND MARCH AROUND THE WALLS ONE TIME ON EACH OF THOSE DAYS AND THEN ON THE SEVENTH DAY I WANT YOU TO MARCH SEVEN TIMES. THE PRIEST WILL BLOW THE RAM'S HORN AND WHEN YOU HEAR THE HORN, I WANT EVERYBODY TO SHOUT. OH I WISH I HAD BEEN THERE AND I'M NOT GOING TO TRY AND SPECULATE AS TO WHAT THEY SHOUTED, I JUST KNOW THAT THEY SHOUTED BEFORE THE WALLS CAME DOWN. AND I'M TRYING TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN PROGRAMMED SUCH THAT WHEN WE HAVE A PROBLEM, WE PRAY ABOUT IT, AND THEN AFTER GOD ANSWERS OUR PRAYER THEN WE SHOUT AND TELL HIM THANK YOU. WELL THIS WORD TELLS US THAT SOMETIMES WHEN YOU HAVE PRAYED EVERY PRAYER YOU KNOW TO PRAY AND HAVE EVEN BORROWED SOME PRAYERS BUT AFTER ALL OF YOUR PRAYING, YOUR WALL IS STILL THERE. WELL THE TEXT IS TELLING US THAT THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN'T PRAY YOUR WAY THROUGH, YOU JUST HAVE TO PRAISE YOUR WAY THROUGH. YOU SEE SOME OF YOU WHEN YOU GET THROUGH PRAYING AND AIN'T NOTHING HAPPENING YOU GIVE UP AND GO HOME AND SAY I DON'T HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO DO BUT THE LORD IS SAYING, OH YES YOU DO WHEN YOU STOP PRAYING, THEN YOU CAN START PRAISING.

AND SINCE YOU'RE STILL LOOKING AT ME I NEED TO TELL YOU WHY YOU CAN SHOUT BEFORE YOUR BATTLE IS OVER. YOU CAN SHOUT FIRST OF ALL BECAUSE VICTORY IS GUARANTEED. DO YOU SEE VERSE TWO, BEFORE THEY EVER GOT TO THE WALLS, GOD TOLD JOSHUA, I HAVE ALREADY GIVEN JERICHO INTO YOUR HANDS. BUT BEFORE I GET TO THAT, DO YOU KNOW WHAT I LITERALLY SHOUTED ABOUT, A LOT OF TIMES WE SEE GOD AS SOME FAR OFF GOD WHOSE SITTING IN SOME LABORATORY PUNCHING BUTTONS MAKING OUR LIVES MOVE. BUT DO YOU KNOW WHAT REALLY SPEAKS TO MY HEART IN THIS MESSAGE IT'S THAT JOSHUA HAD A GOD WHO TALKS TO HIM. AND I'M TRYING TO TELL SOMEBODY TODAY THAT IT MATTERS NOT HOW YOU PLOT AND SCHEME AND TRY TO GET YOUR PROBLEMS SOLVED, UNTIL YOU HEAR WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY YOU'LL END UP BUMPING YOUR HEAD AGAINST THE WALL. JOSHUA 1: 1 AND THE LORD SAID TO JOSHUA, JOSHUA 3: 7 AND THE LORD SAID TO JOSHUA, JOSHUA 4: 1 AND THE LORD SPOKE TO JOSHUA, JOSHUA 4: 15 AND THE LORD SAID TO JOSHUA, JOSHUA 5: 2 AND THE LORD SPOKE TO JOSHUA, JOSHUA 6: 2 AND THE LORD SAID TO JOSHUA. THANK GOD HE WALKS WITH ME AND HE TALKS WITH ME AND HE TELLS ME THAT I AM HIS OWN. NOW IF I WERE AT ANOTHER CHURCH, I WOULD SAY TO THEM THAT YOU NEED TO TAKE NOTE THAT GOD DIDN'T SPEAK TO A COMMITTEE. IF I WERE AT ANOTHER CHURCH IT'S NOT NEEDED AT THIS CHURCH BUT IF I WERE AT ANOTHER CHURCH, I WOULD SAY TAKE NOTE OF THE FACT THAT GOD DIDN'T SPEAK TO A BOARD, HE SPEAKS TO ONE MAN AT A TIME. BUT NOT ONLY THAT, SOME PEOPLE IN THE CROWD HAD TO DIE BEFORE JOSHUA COULD GET THE PEOPLE WHERE MOSES WAS TRYING TO GET THEM.

BUT WATCH THIS IN CHAPTER 5: 13 - 15 BEFORE GOD SPOKE TO JOSHUA, JOSHUA SAW A MAN WHO IN REALITY WAS THE PREINCARNATE CHRIST. A LOT OF YOU THINK THAT JESUS SHOWED UP FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE NEW TESTAMENT AS A BABY. BUT THIS IS WHAT YOU CALL A CHRISTOPHANY, WHICH MEANS THAT BEFORE JESUS SHOWS UP AS A BABY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT HE SHOWS UP AS A GROWN MAN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. YOU REMEMBER IN THE FIERY FURNACE DON'T YOU? THE KING SAID I PUT THREE IN BUT I SEE FOUR AND THE FOURTH MAN LOOKS LIKE THE SON OF GOD. AND NOW JOSHUA LOOKS AND HE SEES JESUS AND JOSHUA ASKS, I WANT TO KNOW ARE YOU ON MY SIDE OR ARE YOU ON THE ENEMIES SIDE. AND LOOK WHAT HE SAYS TO JOSHUA, I DIDN'T COME TO TAKE SIDES, I CAME TO TAKE OVER. HERE IT IS, JOSHUA DISCOVERED THAT HE WAS SECOND IN COMMAND. AND GOD TOLD ME TO TELL SOMEBODY THAT THE REASON YOUR WALL IS STILL UP IS BECAUSE YOU ARE IN CHARGE. THE REASON YOU'RE STILL FACING WALLS IS BECAUSE YOU'RE IN COMMAND. THE REASON THE MOUNTAINS WON'T GET OUT OF YOUR WAY IS BECAUSE YOU'RE TRYING TO BE A CO-PILOT. BUT I BELIEVE I HAVE SOME WITNESSES HERE WHO KNOW THAT GOD DOES NOT NEED CO-PILOTS, HE CAN HANDLE IT ALL BY HIMSELF. IF YOU WOULD LET GOD TAKE OVER AND YOU GET IN THE BACK SEAT, GOD SAYS EVERYTHING WILL BE ALL-RIGHT. THE LORD SAID TO JOSHUA IN VERSE TWO, I HAVE GIVEN JERICHO OVER INTO YOUR HANDS. THAT'S A FUTURE ACTION BEING SPOKEN OF AS IF IT HAS ALREADY TAKEN PLACE. THE LORD IS SAYING TO YOU AND TO JOSHUA, THAT WHENEVER YOU HAVE TO FIGHT, NOW DON'T LET THE DEVIL IN ON THIS, BECAUSE HE MIGHT TRY TO FILE SUIT AGAINST YOU, BUT WHENEVER A CHILD OF GOD HAS TO FIGHT, IT'S A FIXED FIGHT. DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE PROBLEM YOU'RE DEALING WITH, IT'S A FIXED FIGHT. SO WHY IS YOUR HEAD DOWN, WHY ARE YOU WEEPING AND SOBBING, GOD HAS SAID YOU'RE ALREADY A WINNER.

NOW REMEMBER THAT THEY ARE MARCHING WITH THE ARK OF THE COVENANT, AND THIS ARK OF THE COVENANT REPRESENTED THE PRESENCE OF ALMIGHTY GOD. THEY KNEW THEY HAD THE ARK WITH THEM, THEY KNEW THEY HAD THE PRESENCE OF GOD WITH THEM BUT ON-LOOKERS MERELY SAW A GROUP OF PEOPLE MARCHING LIKE MAD MEN AROUND THE WALL. I'M SURE PEOPLE LAUGHED AT THEM; PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT THEM BUT REMEMBER ISRAEL KNEW WHAT THIS ARK OF THE COVENANT STOOD FOR. IT STOOD FOR THE PRESENCE OF GOD WITH THEM. DO YOU KNOW WHAT, WHEN YOU KNOW YOU HAVE GOD WITH YOU, WHEN YOU KNOW THAT GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE, YOU DON'T CARE WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT YOU. YOU JUST KEEP MARCHING. I CAN REMEMBER WHEN I WAS A STUDENT AT LEESVILLE HIGH SCHOOL. THE FIRST BLACK SENIOR CLASS PRESIDENT, THERE WERE THOSE WHO RIDICULED ME AND EVEN THREATENED ME BUT THE PRINCIPAL CALLED ME TO THE SIDE ONE DAY AND SAID THE CHIEF WALKS THROUGH THE CROWD, THE DOGS BARK, BUT THE CHIEF WALKS ON. WHEN YOU KNOW GOD IS WITH YOU, YOU CAN HOLD YOUR HEAD UP HIGH WITH A SMILE ON YOUR FACE.

NOW THE NEXT THING I WANT YOU TO NOTE IS THAT THIS MARCHING AROUND THE WALL WAS NOT A MILITARY STRATEGY, IT WAS A RELIGIOUS EXERCISE. BECAUSE NOTICE THEY HAD A RAMS HORN. NOW USUALLY WHEN YOU WENT INTO BATTLE, YOU HAD A TRUMPET BECAUSE A TRUMPET SYMBOLIZED THAT YOU WERE GOING TO WAR. BUT THE RAMS HORN IS A SYMBOL FOR WORSHIP. AND GOD IS TRYING TO TELL SOMEBODY, STOP TRYING TO FIGHT ALL OF YOUR SITUATIONS. SOME OF US IN HERE WHEN WE GO THROUGH SOMETHING WE IMMEDIATELY PUT ON OUR BOXING GLOVES AND WE GO TO BATTLE. GOD SAYS SOME THINGS INSTEAD OF FIGHTING YOUR WAY THROUGH YOU OUGHT TO WORSHIP YOUR WAY THROUGH. DO YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT HERE TODAY BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING. THEY DECIDED TO STAY HOME AND FIGHT THEIR SITUATION. DON'T ALWAYS FIGHT YOUR WAY THROUGH BUT EVERY NOW AND THEN WORSHIP YOUR WAY THROUGH.

DO YOU KNOW WHY GOD ALLOWS US TO FACE MANY OF THE WALLS WE FACE IN THIS LIFE? IT'S BECAUSE HE WANTS TO RID US OF OUR SELF-SUFFICIENCY. EVERY NOW AND THEN GOD HAS TO SO NAVIGATE THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF OUR LIVES SUCH THAT WE HAVE TO ADMIT THAT WE CAN'T HANDLE IT BY OURSELVES. SOMETIMES HE LEAVES US AT THE FEET OF OMNIPOTENCE, SAYING LORD IF YOU DON'T HELP US, WE WON'T MAKE IT. AND HE DOES THAT SO THAT WHEN WE COME THROUGH, OUR TESTIMONY WILL NOT BE THAT WE WERE SO SMART, THAT'S WHY ONE TIME AROUND THE WALLS WASN'T ENOUGH. HE USES THIS STRANGE STRATEGY SO THAT ISRAEL WILL HAVE TO ADMIT THAT GOD DID IT. BECAUSE IF IT HAD BEEN UP TO ME, ONE LAP WOULD HAVE SUFFICED. IF IT HAD BEEN UP TO ME, THERE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ANY MARCHING. BUT GOD SAID DO IT THIS WAY SO THAT YOU'LL RECOGNIZE THAT IT WAS BECAUSE YOU WERE OBEDIENT TO ME THAT YOU WERE SUCCESSFUL. ONCE A DAY FOR SIX DAYS. WHERE YOU GOING, TO MARCH AROUND THE WALLS.

OBEDIENCE IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE. BUT DO YOU KNOW HOW THE DEVIL DEFEATS MANY OF US IN OUR DAILY LIVES. HE DEFEATS US BY PRESENTING US WITH SEEMINGLY UNSURMOUNTABLE OBSTACLES. AND WE GET SO CAUGHT UP IN THE PROBLEM, THAT WE FORGET GOD'S PROMISES. STOP DEALING WITH THE PROBLEMS AND FOCUS ON THE PROMISES. NOW I HEAR SOMEONE SAYING, YEAH PASTOR THAT'S EASY FOR YOU TO SAY BUT YOU DON'T WORK WITH THE FOLK I WORK WITH AND YOU DON'T SEE THE STUFF THEY DO TO ME AND HOW THEY STAB ME IN MY BACK. I MAY NOT SEE THE FULL MAGNITUDE OF YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT I DO SEE THE PROMISE. AND THE PROMISE IS FRET NOT THYSELF BECAUSE OF EVILDOERS, NEITHER BE THOU ENVIOUS OF THE WORKERS OF INIQUITY FOR THEY SHALL SOON BE CUT DOWN. YEAH BUT YOU DON'T KNOW MY CHILDREN HOW THEY'RE CUTTIN UP, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND MY FAMILY AND HOW BAD A SHAPE WE'RE IN, I HAVE A RIGHT TO CRY, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH. YOU'RE RIGHT, I DON'T KNOW YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT I KNOW YOUR PROMISE, THAT SAYS, I'LL KEEP YOU IN PERFECT PEACE IF YOU KEEP YOUR MIND STAYED ON ME. I KNOW THE PROMISE SAYS THEY THAT WAIT UPON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH, THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS LIKE EAGLES, THEY SHALL RUN AND NOT GET WEARY, THEY SHALL WALK AND NOT FAINT. BUT PASTOR, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DOCTORS TOLD ME AND YOU DON'T KNOW HOW BAD THEY SAY MY CONDITION IS, YOU'RE RIGHT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DOCTOR SAID, BUT I KNOW THE PROMISE, HE WAS WOUNDED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, HE WAS BRUISED FOR OUR INIQUITIES, THE CHASTISEMENT OF OUR PEACE FELL UPON HIM AND WITH HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED. BUT YOU DON'T KNOW PASTOR HOW I HAVE TO STAY UP ALL NIGHT LONG, WORRYING ABOUT MY SITUATION AND CRYING ABOUT MY PROBLEM, YOU'RE RIGHT, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT, BUT I DO KNOW THE PROMISE, THE PROMISE IS THAT WEEPING MAY ENDURE FOR A NIGHT, BUT JOY COMES IN THE MORNING. THE PROMISE IS THAT IF THOU SHALT CONFESS WITH THY MOUTH THE LORD JESUS AND BELIEVE IN THINE HEART THAT GOD HAS RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, THOU SHALL BE SAVED. THE PROMISE IS THAT WHATSOEVER YOU SHALL ASK IN MY NAME, I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU.