Next Is Now Week 4 - Overcoming Obstacles

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Joshua 6:1-21 Christian Standard Bible

6 Now Jericho was strongly fortified because of the Israelites—no one leaving or entering. 2 The Lord said to Joshua, “Look, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its best soldiers over to you. 3 March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry seven ram’s-horn trumpets in front of the ark. But on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the rams’ horns. 5 When there is a prolonged blast of the horn and you hear its sound, have all the troops give a mighty shout. Then the city wall will collapse, and the troops will advance, each man straight ahead.” 6 So Joshua, son of Nun summoned the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the Lord.” 7 He said to the troops, “Move forward, march around the city, and have the armed men go ahead of the ark of the Lord.” 8 After Joshua had spoken to the troops, seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns before the Lord moved forward and blew the rams’ horns; the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. 9 While the rams’ horns were blowing, the armed men went in front of the priests who blew the rams’ horns, and the rear guard went behind the ark. 10 But Joshua had commanded the troops, “Do not shout or let your voice be heard. Don’t let one word come out of your mouth until the time I say, ‘Shout!’ Then you are to shout.” 11 So the ark of the Lord was carried around the city, circling it once. They returned to the camp and spent the night there.

12 Joshua got up early the next morning. The priests took the ark of the Lord, 13 and the seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns marched in front of the ark of the Lord. While the rams’ horns were blowing, the armed men went in front of them, and the rear guard went behind the ark of the Lord. 14 On the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days. 15 Early on the seventh day, they started at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same way. That was the only day they marched around the city seven times. 16 After the seventh time, the priests blew the rams’ horns, and Joshua said to the troops, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city. 17 But the city and everything in it are set apart to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone with her in the house will live, because she hid the messengers we sent. 18 But keep yourselves from the things set apart, or you will be set apart for destruction. If you take any of those things, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and make trouble for it. 19 For all the silver and gold, and the articles of bronze and iron, are dedicated to the Lord and must go into the Lord’s treasury.” 20 So the troops shouted, and the rams’ horns sounded. When they heard the blast of the ram’s horn, the troops gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. The troops advanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city. 21 They completely destroyed everything in the city with the sword—every man and woman, both young and old, and every ox, sheep, and donkey.

Summary

For thirty-nine years Joshua was trained under
Moses' righteous hand;
And it was Joshua who led nearly three million
Israelites into the Promised Land

Now Moses was dead and the real test came:
Could he simply follow God's Word
And do something that, to the natural mind
Would be utterly absurd? Without Moses to ask advice of, or an Advisory Committee God said the wall will fall - "Just tell them 'shout,'
For I have given you the city!"

One of my favorite songs growing up was “The Shout Of Victory” by Carman it did a great job telling the story of Jericho.

We are in week 4 of our Next Is Now Series and this week’s sermon was entitled Overcoming Obstacles. Just like Joshua, God will sometimes call us to follow Him in ways that don’t make sense or seem possible. We need to remember; with God ALL things are possible.

The first point this week was Fellowship With God. Communication with God sets the stage for overcoming obstacles. In verses 1-2 Joshua is looking at the circumstance and God tells him to look at Jericho. And then He says “I have handed it over to you. Joshua had not even heard the plan, but was already given the outcome. The plan no longer mattered. If we have a good prayer life and we spend time in the word, we come at this world and its problems from a place of VICTORY, God has already told us the outcome!

Verses 3-19 speak of Followship Of God. It was Joshua who said “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”. Joshua had been faithful to the Lord and made sure he and his family stayed true to Gods law. It never departed from his mouth. Joshua did not have “a word from God”. He had fellowship with God. The communication was continuous. Joshua did not think twice about what God was asking him to do, he had already been given the outcome. His fellowship with God had taught him the God does not lie.

We find Faith In God in verses 20-21. Joshua did not find confidence in himself, he found it in Faith that God always come through. Joshua listened to God and the people listened to Joshua. God moved when Joshua and the people did what they were told to do. It took 400 plus years for God to give Israel the Promised Land, they needed to be ready to receive it. Jericho was receiving their PUNISHMENT as Israel received their PROMISE.

So, what’s next? What does this mean for us? Fellowship With God comes from the Followship Of God which grows our Faith In God. Relationship with God is key. Do you have that relationship?

Discussion

1. What does your fellowship with God look like? Explain

2. What have you learned through your fellowship with God? Explain

3. How has your Fellowship with God affected your Followship of God? Explain

4. How has your life with God affected your Faith in God? Explain

5. Was there a time where your previous experiences with God affected how you viewed a big problem? Share

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Announcements

1. The Shout Of Victory on Youtube

2. Continue to pray for our CG leaders.

3. Help us pray for new CGs to be formed.

4. We will be scheduling a CG Leaders meeting soon, more information coming soon

Pastor Isauro Medina
Isauro.medina@bt.church
Cell: (956) 984-9380