Through Many Dangers (Part 2 of 2)

When God told Joshua and his men to silently march around the city of Jericho, day after day. It had to seem absurd to them so why did they obey today on Truth for Life.

Alister Beck explains that stepping out in faith, in response to God's instruction often defies worldly wisdom picking up in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 29 verse three march around the city once with all the armed and okay. Do this for six days. Okay, got it made seven priests carry trumpets of rams horns in front of the art. Seven.

Please front of the art trumpets on the seventh day march around the city seven times with the priests blowing the trumpets seventh day, seven times blowing the trumpets okay when you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets make all the people gave a loud shout, then the wall of the city will collapse the people go up in every magistrate. It is wrong. That was it.

Tomorrow, the goal only send one another. Well maybe maybe register to practicing a reconnaissance mission. Tomorrow will hot it up to come back the next morning is okay guys, same as yesterday. Once on the walls also go all way around. The people are watching you today. I'll be the day. These people are accomplishing nothing. Okay fellows. Thanks a lot's been a great day.

See tomorrow. Right now right same time same place third day. These people are accomplishing nothing. The people are marching on the fluids going on. The guys in the city and the blue was going on but God knows what's going on. See when the world looks at the people of God includes all the time. There's nothing going on, but there's stuff going on because God is working his practice out goodness gracious as we paraded our staff meeting day this week. We pray that God would bring people to himself and bring unlikely people to himself now have. There's a young man wandering in the hallway like a lost soul. Is it when you want just I want to see the pastor the youth past will find I given today.

He leads them to faith in Christ.

He was wandering the halls didn't know what he was looking for didn't know that God was looking for. He met but the world of sizes or nothing happening in their now there is also something that we need to see that he very clearly here, the people absent the word of God or absent a belief in the word of God would never have done what they did, they would have been tempted to do everything else if you'd put the people together and said never going to take the city of Jericho. I want you to get a group together and sort of work up a strategy for what you think they would've done they would've done what the church is doing today. They would have decided on political intrigue, they would have decided that they would march in silence but they would shout up on the walls and they would terrorize the people they would've put together a battering ram so that they could bring the wall down because after all, you can bring walls down except the way walls come down on walls come down.

As a result of a dramatic force hitting them from the outside or from underneath and bringing them down there for this is the only possible way we can go nuts as I want you to go that way.

I want you to walk in total silence around here and the walls are coming down one of the reasons that we do not see fortresses fall under is that we do not see the gates of hell unhinged and lead in the dirt.

One of the reasons that we do not see the crumbling of pagan philosophy and New Age mysticism and the rampages of so much that his penis in our world is because we are unprepared to be men and women of faith, you see the one thing that these Hebrew believers had to go on was the word of God. They were being buffeted from the pagans they were being buffeted by the Jews.

They were confronted by superstition. There was all kinds of worldly wisdom they were being sawn and half they were being beaten. They were being pummeled and what they have to do all he had to do was to stand up and proclaim the message of a Galilean carpenter in the in the message of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is forgiveness of sin and the prayers of God's people. There is power in the living of the Christian life in the persevering under trial.

God says I'll bring the walls down.

But I'm not sure.

We believe that I was sending missionaries into the Islamic world largely no. Do you know that in Iran today. Pastors are dragged from their homes, their families never see them again. There killed today when we doing at Stanford University did a survey asking the question what is Christianity and the overwhelming response of the Stanford students was. It is a political organization that is Christianity. Now why would you ever conclude that because in large measure, it is. It's a bunch of rabid right wing fanatical political crazies with agendas rather than a bunch of radical crazies who are prepared to proclaim the message of a Galilean carpenter to a world that thinks it's absolutely nuts. The only time you'll do that is by faith to believe that the answer lies in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you believe in the absolute power and sufficiency of the Bible or do you think is just a good start and you had a little bit a human wisdom to do you believe that in the death of Jesus Christ is the only answer for the sins of men and women do you believe that there is only one way to heaven in the person of Christ.

Do you believe that Allah do you believe that Mohammed and Krishna and Buddha and Gaia. They will all bow before Christ and declare him, Lord, to the glory of God the father. Do you believe that then we must proclaim. Are you prepared to lose yourself on my let's talk to me. Forget anybody else. There is a closed country in the world to the message of the gospel. The only thing that makes it closed is the door out you can get in any country. If you want. You prepared to bury yourself in obscurity for the rest of your life believing that in the message of a Galilean carpenter who is the very Messiah God, there is the answer to the deep needs of men and women. I am prepared to march around the walls in silence and let the world say they're crazy. Are you prepared to sell out for the cause of the gospel are we going to be prepared to do that in northeastern Ohio. Are we just going to plant your that's the question we see the world is not put off when we use their methodology. We expect that is why Paul says in current diseases we don't wage war.

The way the world wages war noises.

We have divine power that brings down strongholds. What is the divine power is the power of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the power of the prayers of God's people. It is the power of your life lived before your friends and neighbors. It is the power of perseverance under trial and all of that hinges on the word of Jesus low. I'm with you always, to the very end of the age. Well, that's more than enough on that. Let's go to this other picture in verse 31 for the last one you can read about this in Joshua chapter 2 this picture has no people in it, it simply the site of a house. It's a wall I gave the land.

It has a window and from the window. There is hanging a scarlet cord. This is the window of the home of Rahab the prostitute because dramatically we discover that when the spies were sent out by Joshua to check out the enemy territory, and particularly to check out Jericho, they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab, and they stayed there. That in itself is quite remarkable.

Is it not you said yourself of all the places that they might've stated why they choose to stay in the house of somebody like this.

We don't know the answer to that except it's possible that since to be a lot of guys hanging out there and they wanted they were spies. You not supposed to go around the baseball hat on this as I am a spy from Israel. So you would go somewhere that you would be least expected. So they would least expect the Israelites to serve the living God to be a in a house of disrepute and that's exactly where they were not only dismiss this in passing how the world of Rahab given this list I read your thrillers for your well, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph of Moses, no. So far so good.

Then he goes Rahab the prospect is embarrassing. No it's not. It's fantastic. How did you get your name on the list because you are such a righteous person and God looked down and said now there's a beauty I like him on the team. Wow there is a fine girl come on honey just the kind I'm looking for know. He looked down and find meaning wretched, rebellious scumbags and you see the reason that some of us are never going to get our names on the team because were not prepared to admit that we are mean wretched scumbags and you don't like the name scumbag. I apologize.

Why don't I change it to bag of dirt because the fact of the matter is the very agenda that reinforces how wonderful I am and how I am this and I am that is the very thing that stands against me discovering the wonder of God having made me in his image, and Rahab the harlot is there. Goodness gracious.

If you read Matthew chapter 1. You'll find out that she was in ancestors of Jesus Christ. If you read the genealogy. Rahab is you go through his granny in his great-grandmother, and so on and you come to God moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform.

All we need some Rahab's in here.

Maybe we have some initial mad be the first to welcome you and may I be the first to tell you that God delights to grant forgiveness to the likes of us just a wall just a window just a scarlet cord just a sign that when the invasion came her house would be saved.

Many of the commentators say here is a wonderful anticipation that blood red cord which is provided for us in the atoning death of Jesus Christ.

And certainly that is true whether it is here in Joshua is a matter of debate, but there's no explanation for what Rahab did, except that she believed in God, she believed his word was true and then she was prepared to run the risk going against their family and our friends and our kindred and our nation for the sake of Jesus Christ, and the reason he writes to the Hebrews, is because that's exactly what he needed to do.

He said you're going to have to live on the edge of the NAFTA hazard and for the gospel. The people are all around you there going to try and put you down to death unless you are prepared to be like Rahab who did this unless you prepared to be like the people across the sea unless you will live in your weakness and discover their strength, then you're not going to make it and that's why he then says in verse 32 and following.

I got a big long list.

He says no I don't have time to tell you about some of the kids are sitting out there saying I hope that's exactly how Pastor Beck feels well. I got good news for you.

It is, I don't have time to tell you about them.

But if you want to Bible study for the summer.

You take verses 32 to 38 and then you go with a concordance and look up all these names and fill in all historical background and you will unleash great vistas on the story of God's redemptive purposes.

Throughout all the Bible fabulous stories about David and Goliath Gideon and his armies Daniel and the lion's den. So long, great, great stuff. People were stone so on and to put to death by the sword went about in sheepskins goatskin's destitute, persecuted, ill treated sidebar centers visit only sheepskins we've got to make the seat a little more comfortable and to stop the ladder from going on fire in the summary and but in Scotland. This happened for the cause of the gospel is the story of Richard Cameron imprisoned in the tollbooth prison I tell an inmate for his pleasure. Remember the story. His father is in prison.

Richard Cameron is captured in the Ayrshire Hills is a covenantor for the truth of the gospel.

The order entered candy one recanted of his faith in Jesus Christ.

He chop off his head.

They chop off his hands to take his head and his hands on her broadsword and two daggers and on their way to put them on the railings down by Holyrood Palace. Some bright spark from the Army says why don't we take this in and show it to his dad and so with his father in the jail for his faith in Christ. The door clangs open and income these soldiers carrying his son's head and his sons hands on the end of daggers.

Why because he named the name of Jesus Christ, and today we worship here in freedom because those in an earlier generation were prepared to make that sacrifice. Who knows what another generation will bring for us. The erosion of the church in America is faster every day. The intrusion of the state is more dramatic. At every turn. It is not inconceivable that in the 21st century. Things could have changed so dramatically that we move from observing Hebrews chapter 11 to and some of its most dastardly die mentions living who will stand in that day. I don't know the world it says was not worthy of them there and get their name in Who's Who but they had their name in Who's Who of eternity. They were commended for their faith when they didn't see it all completed. Why because they were waiting for a completion that was yet to come. They lived in faith, and they died in faith as we do. We live in faith and we died in faith, we take God as his word. He says that he will forgive us. We take him at his word, he says that he will take us to have a we take him at his word and one day soon baby very soon will be united with all the saints who from their labors rest. Paul says I has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love him. D11 if you love them you please send it again please.

In without faith real man or a woman of faith. I don't mean faith, which is simply an assent to facts and intellectualism. This is well.

I believe there was a Jesus of Nazareth. That's good start, but is not biblical faith. I don't even believe that what we are encountering. There is the notion this is not only do I ascend to the existence of this truth, but I believe that he is the very person they claim to be is not biblical faith, either as a bit like seeing a girl in looking are insane or she's she's lovely she's kind she's the kind of person that I think would be fabulous spend in your life with. I actually believe that would be terrific to spend the rest of my life with her and live all the rest your days as a single young man because I sent plus belief stopped short of. I do do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of marriage. We love our honor. Keep her in sickness and health and forsaking all other keep yourself only under her. I knew fine so whole new deal from this point on some of your here and I want to speak to you with passion with kindness and with clarity and these are my concluding words in the morning list, you wonder why it is that you do not have a desire in your heart to witness is because you have nothing to witness to, you wonder why it is that you have no sense of the forgiveness of your sins. It is because your sins are not forgiven. You wonder why it is that when others saying and enjoy, you have no real interest in it is because there is not being brought about change within your heart you at the level of assent are believing we have never come, and cast yourself calling upon God, and discovered that he gave to you whole. Only his and that is the decisive acts which then leads to the sustained attitude.

Some of us are trying to sustain an art teacher, but we never had a decisive. What about you Bill Menefee, a boy of faith girl of faith and if not why not today. God calls each one of us to surrender ourselves to him to cast ourselves entirely on the Lord, all of us need to do from today's message on Truth for Life with Alister brick. Please keep listening. Alastair will be right back to close with prayer.

In the meantime, if you'd like to know more about what it means to become a child of God. We want to invite you to visit Truth for Life.org/the story there you'll find a video that explains how you can make this faith your own as we think back on the messages we've heard this week will recall that we been learning about people who demonstrate faith by believing God's promises and obeying his commands. Their example sets a high bar for us and for many of us there are days when we just don't feel up to the task. That's what we been recommending a book titled God does his best work with empty to go along with this study. In this book, author Nancy Guthrie writes to assure us that God never sees us as useless, even when we feel like we've got nothing left to give back. He sees our emptiness as a great opportunity to renew our strength through the power of his spirit. Each chapter of God does his best work with empty provides biblical examples that illustrate how God addresses our emptiness, we learn that he fills us with his probation when we need it most. And with his presence. When we are lonely, perhaps best of all, he gives us purpose.

When we find life meaningless will be encouraged as you discover why emptiness has never been and never will be a problem for God so be sure to request your copy of the book today.

When you support the Bible teaching you hear on this program find the book on our mobile app or a minor Truth for Life.org/donate or call 888-588-7884. Now let's join Alister as he closes today in prayer. Oh God, thank you for these people that we have read about. Thank you for the clarity of their lives for the wonder of your love.

Thank you for the reminder that although we are made in your image and therefore possess a dignity as your creation.

That image has been marred by our sin by our dirtiness by our rebellion by our indifference by our unbelief and there is no beauty in us that you would desire as you wouldn't pick us up because were peculiarly attracted by you would pick us up out of the miry clay and set our feet upon a rock and establish outgoing and give us a song on our list because you are the God who loves the unlovely, your grace extends to the sinner, your mercies are new every morning come then to our waiting hearts. We pray and grant that we might cry out to you from nursing and for grace so grant that we will not allow the seed as it were to be snatched away at our very beat that we will find our lives like the good soil receives the word and puts it into practice and brings forth fruit and may the grace and mercy and peace of the father the son and the Holy Spirit be the portion of all who believe.

Today and forever more about Lapine give a great weekend. Hope you're able to worship with your local church this weekend and then join us again Monday as we discover how sometimes even a good thing can hinder our spiritual progress Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life worth Learning is for Living