1. Be encouraged that God can turn your failures into opportunities for victory. (Vs. 1-7)

Transcription

1 Today s Scripture: Joshua 10 OVERVIEW Joshua 10 Victories at Gibeon and Makkedah, and Southern Palestine INTRO: We are in a battle... a spiritual battle. o We don t often hear the Christian life described this way. But nevertheless, it s a fact. The book of Joshua is a biographical account of Israel s warfare and conquest of Canaan, but the spiritual lessons are uncovered in the many battles that were fought. Though our enemies aren t flesh and blood, nevertheless, the lessons are transferrable. o With this in mind, I want to take this weekend and next to present seven PRINCIPLES OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE (PT. 1) (four today and three next Sunday) 1. Be encouraged that God can turn your failures into opportunities for victory. (Vs. 1-7) Joshua 10:1-7 (NIV) 1 Now Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and totally destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and were living near them. 2 He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters [Jerusalem was only six miles from Gibeon, so this would have posed a major security threat to Jerusalem]. 3 So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham [ho hawm ] king of Hebron, Piram pir awm king of Jarmuth yar mooth, Japhiayaw fee ah king of Lachish and Debir deb eer king of Eglon.

2 Five City Alliance Dead Sea 4 Come up and help me attack Gibeon, he said, because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites. 5 Then the five kings of the Amorites the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon joined forces. They moved up with all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it. 6 The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us. 7 So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. [From last week] Joshua and Israel foolishly made a protection treaty with the Gibeonites. o Because they were deceived and did not inquire of the Lord. But it seems that God turned their failure into something positive. o How? By these five armies leaving the safe confines of their fortified cities. Out to where the people of Israel had a great advantage. Also, this would allow for one military blow to topple the entire hill region around Jerusalem. We are all going to fail. o Failure is a fact of life and we would be wise to gain a right perspective. That God wants to turn failure upside down and make something good out of it. Q: Have you had a failure recently? o You may be suffering the consequences. You may be embarrassed. You may feel like you can t do anything right. o But is it possible this is right where God wants you? So that he can supernaturally turn you failure into victory and you won t be able to claim any glory? Two don t and two do s when you ve experiences a failure: o 1. Don t hide it. [It s okay to admit it. We won t think less of you. In fact, I personally have a difficult time with people holding up a façade of success with bailing wire and duct tape. o 2. Don t ever think your life is over. o 3. Do give your failure to God for His purposes. o 4. Do look for others who have failed in a similar way.

3 2. Embrace God s promises and make them your own. (Vs. 8, 22-25) [A march of 25 miles from Gilgal to Gibeon ascending about 4,000 feet up in elevation- Very tiring.] Possibly this night march took some of the momentum from Joshua. And God wants to encourage him. o So, sometime during the all-night march, God communicates with Joshua: Joshua 10:8 (NIV) 8 The LORD said to Joshua, Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you. [This was the Word of God for us the Bible] Joshua 10: Joshua said, Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me. 23 So they brought the five kings out of the cave the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. 24 When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings. So they came forward and placed their feet on their necks.[this was an ancient Middle Eastern symbol of total mastery over someone] 25 Joshua said to them, Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight [Joshua takes God s promise and makes it his own, and then confirms his faith by public profession.] APPLICATION: Lots of Christians have some knowledge of the promises of God, but few own them. o Owning them means, they become part of our daily perspective and experience. We live on them. We rest in them. We rejoice over them. To correctly interact with God s promises, we need to identify the...

4 Three types of promises: o 1. Unconditional promises o 2. Conditional promises o 3. People specific promises Once we identify the type of promise, then we can be prepared to make them our own. 3. Live by faith as the key to cooperating with God. (vs. 8-14) Notice how the action alternates between God and Joshua ---- Joshua 10:8-14 (NIV) 8 The LORD said to Joshua, Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand [GOD]. Not one of them will be able to withstand you. 9 After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise.[joshua] 10 The LORD threw them into confusion before Israel [GOD], who defeated them in a great victory at Gibeon [JOSHUA]. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon [Horone] and cut them down all the way to Azekah [az ay kaw], and Makkedah [mak kay daw].[joshua] 11 As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah the LORD hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky [GOD Middle Eastern hail has been recorded the size of grapefruit], and more of them died from the hailstones than were killed by the swords of the Israelites. 12 On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon [ah yaw lone Joshua prays a big prayer of faith.]. 13 So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar [yaw shawr This is an unknown book believed to a book of poetry describing the great exploits of Israel lost in history.]. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel! [GOD This is the last miracle recorded in the book of Joshua. An amazing miracle where apparently God slowed the rotating of the earth to perhaps a 48 hour day. Some might say, How can this be? I heard a preacher once say, Once you believe Gen 1:1, everything else is no sweat. ] Four common responses to spiritual battles: o 1. Despondency o 2. Escape o 3. Striving o 4. Faith EX years into marriage, new church, baby, time of tension// slammed door and left house // went to a small county park. No one there. Just sat on bench // I have a choice// 1. Just quit trying, go through the motions or 2. Believe God can bring us through this,. o Thankfully I chose the second/// And my relationship w. Joyce is the greatest joy I have on earth. As I thought about faith, I was drawn again to Hebrews 11, which is the Hall of faith Hebrews 11: By faith Abraham, even though he was past age and Sarah herself was barren was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. o Those words, He was as good as dead. Have you ever felt that way...that you were as good as dead? Maybe not literally, yet everything within you was screaming out, There s no hope! This is the time of the test of your faith. o To break the chain of hopelessness. o To believe God has not checked out on you.

5 4. Take aggressive action in your spiritual battles. (Vs ) Joshua 10:16-20 (NIV) 16 Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. 17 When Joshua was told that the five kings had been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah, 18 he said, Roll large rocks up to the mouth of the cave, and post some men there to guard it.[israel returns to this cave later and executes these kings.] 19 But don t stop! Pursue your enemies, attack them from the rear and don t let them reach their cities, for the LORD your God has given them into your hand. 20 So Joshua and the Israelites destroyed them completely almost to a man but the few who were left reached their fortified cities. Life Application What spiritual battle are you facing (i.e. doubt, anxiety, alcohol abuse, anger, etc.)? Open a line of communication with God. o For confession o For cries for help o For hope

6 Seek out an accountability relationship. o Men with men, women with women o Resolve always to be honest with them. o Pray together. Rather than human striving, cultivate your faith in the promises and power of God. The A B C's of Salvation A. Accept you are a sinner. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) B. Believe Jesus died for your sins. If you confess with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9) C. Confess your sins. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) For further study - A more detailed copy of this sermon, the Expedition A.B.F. notes, and maps/charts/photos can be found at (Posted by 4 P.M. today) THIS WEEK S STUDY: JOSHUA 11-13