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Yo, who got your back?
Joshua 10:1- 15
Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured and completely destroyed AI and Jericho – and its Kings
They also learnt that Gibeonites had made peace with the Israelites
They gather 5 Kings to fight against Gibeon
Gibeon people cry out to Joshua for help
Joshua gathers his mighty worriers and matches all night to go and help the Gibeonite
**Background of this Israelites, Gibeonites relationship.
Gibeonites lied – Joshua 9:3-6
3 But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they resorted to deception to save themselves. They sent ambassadors to Joshua, loading their donkeys with weathered saddlebags and old, patched wineskins. 5 They put on worn-out, patched sandals and ragged clothes. And the bread they took with them was dry and moldy. 6 When they arrived at the camp of Israel at Gilgal, they told Joshua and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land to ask you to make a peace treaty with us.”
The learnt that they had lied and made them slaves
Joshua 9:16-21
Three days after making the treaty, they learned that these people actually lived nearby! 17 The Israelites set out at once to investigate and reached their towns in three days. The names of these towns were Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. 18 But the Israelites did not attack the towns, for the Israelite leaders had made a vow to them in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
The people of Israel grumbled against their leaders because of the treaty. 19 But the leaders replied, “Since we have sworn an oath in the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel, we cannot touch them. 20 This is what we must do. We must let them live, for divine anger would come upon us if we broke our oath. 21 Let them live.” So they made them woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community, as the Israelite leaders directed.
Now they are slaves and being slaves, they are under the Israelites protection
Vs 6:The men of Gibeon quickly sent messengers to Joshua at his camp in Gilgal. “Don’t abandon your servants now!” they pleaded. “Come at once! Save us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings who live in the hill country have joined forces to attack us.”
- This would be a great moment for Joshua to let this problem take care of itself – They lied, right? They sinned and was justified
- Joshua would have said “This aint my battle”
- Joshua was an honorable man. He made a promise before God and He intended on keeping it. –
Joshua and his entire army started matching towards the battle –
Vs 7: So Joshua and his entire army, including his best warriors, left Gilgal and set out for Gibeon.
God promises him victory.
Vs.8 8 “Do not be afraid of them,” the Lord said to Joshua, “for I have given you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you.”
See what happened here, Joshua has made a commitment before God and even if its wasn’t his battle, he goes to battle – He had a Holy fear of the Lord
God honors him and promises him victory
Are you honoring God with your life that He is willing to come along side you?
The battle began and the Israelites crushed the armies – God threw them in confusion and they chased them
They beat the pulp out of these guys and even chased the rest down
And something amazing happened “God joined in the battle”
Vs:11As the Amorites retreated down the road from Beth-horon, the Lord destroyed them with a terrible hailstorm (AMP – Large Stones) from heaven that continued until they reached Azekah. The hail killed more of the enemy than the Israelites killed with the sword.
Vs 12: On the day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said, “Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.”
13 So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies.
This was epic
(Amp) vs 14 – There has not been a day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to (heeded) the voice of a man; for the Lord was fighting for Israel
Why Joshua, coz I want that kind of relationship with God. Where he listens to me and does the super natural – Like the Sun and moon standing still …and even joins me in battles.
- Joshua relationship with God had started long before this battle and the other battles he won
- He was a servant from his early age-
- Exodus 24:13 – So Moses and his assistant Joshua set out, and Moses climbed up the mountain of God.
- Joshua had a leader that was faithful and obedient to God. He got to learn from Moses – Who are you following? Are they bringing you close to God?
- Joshua loved to be in the presence of God
- Exodus 33:11 – 11 Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him, Joshua son of Nun, would remain behind in the Tent of Meeting
- He learnt to look at God’s promises like Moses did and even when they were sent to scout the land- Him and Caleb show Gods promises while the rest of the group saw giants
This is what God does for a completely submitted Heart
What are you wanting God to do for you this morning?
Some of your problems, some of your battle needs Large stones and no matter how much you walk, fight or run, you will not be able to destroy your enemies
Joshua fought and chased but he only killed less than half the enemies. Bible says God killed more with Hail
Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Some of you really have no idea who has you back. You think it’s your friends or family, skills, wealth, Job
See a moment will come when you will be faced with battles that you have brought on your self – Yes, you drunk and drove, you messed up at work and now you are jobless.
You sinned and now you must face the consequences-
God is still loves you … repent and turn away from sin
Other times just like Joshua, it’s a battle that you didn’t even start.
You have been faithful, you have walked with Christ but just like Joshua, you wake up one day and you are dragged in a battle that you didn’t start or invite
- You raised your kids right but they made poor decisions and now you have to clean up that mess
- You have been a good spouse, but you partner decides to walk away- now you have a fight
- You have been working hard, but your company decide to relocate, hence layoffs
- You have been eating healthy and exercising right, but the doctor says…we found something, and more test are needed
- You didn’t choose your parents, but now you have to survive their relationship
I can identify with Joshua, I am living my life in obedience and dedicated to the Lord, but these people that I didn’t ask for got me into a battle.
I know what I would say….. This aint my battle
Lord I don’t need this. Destroy them
Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them
If He destroyed them…
God would never have fought alongside him, the sun and moon would have never stood still
God help me to not lean on my own understanding. When He says, in Isaiah 55:8 – “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
He means it., Our part is to be obedient to whatever He asks of us
See the word of God is true – God said to Joshua, Vs 8: Not a single one will stand before you
Isaiah 43:2 – When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
It doesn’t state who started the fire…..It just says…when I walk through the fire …He is with me
Do you trust the one that got your back 100%? Yo, who got your back.
Dry bones – Ezekiel 37:1-6
Most of us are like Ezekiel – Our response is “you alone knows the answer”
My son, my daughter, do you believe that can I bring to life that situation in your life that is dead?
Joshua Matched all night
Some of you God has spoken victory over your situation. You need a night or two on your knees. You need a week of praying and fasting
Are you willing to match all night?
Are you willing to speak to dry bones even though it may look silly?
Ezekiel 10:7 -9 – 7 So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. 8 Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’”
10 So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.
I love the word picture of the noise, the bones coming together, muscle forming, and flesh forming. You know that this was not done is silence
This is what happens, when we believe that God will do what He says He will do
There is evidence and if anyone is around, they will see and hear
Song (Come alive)– This morning, I will sing in my heart and loud
“we call out to dry bones come alive, come alive
We call out to dead hearts, come alive, come alive
Up out of the ashes, let us see an army rise
We call out to dry bones, come alive
This morning are you calling out to those areas in you life to come alive?
Out of no hope, are you trusting God to breath in to those areas?
Vs. 9 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’”
10 So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.
It doesn’t matter who started the fight…. whether it’s your fault or not…. whether like Joshua, you are fighting a war that you didn’t even start
Today, God is asking “Son of Man, can these bones become living people again?
Do you believe that they can be alive?
- In your marriage, in your kids’ lives- God can and will bring them back
- In your family relationship, In your health
You might say – I don’t see how God is going to do any of these things. You don’t know half my life
See it’s not my fault in what is going on…I am fighting someone else battle, this ain’t my battle …
…and you are correct…I don’t … I understand ..Joshua was in the same situation
What I know is that you are in a valley…and in the valley, that where God does most of the fighting for us…. Ezekiel was in a valley …a low place where there is no life or hope…
It’s at this exact place that God moved
This morning I have great news for you ….
Hebrew 13:8 – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
We born into sin – child is innocent, it’s not their fault
But we have all sinned and come short of God’s glory
The enemy came against us and we were destined for death
But God, knowing that we would be destroyed completely
He sent His only Son
His Son was willing to “match” up from the valley carrying the cross – for you and I
Talk about God hauling stones are the devil ….but instead , this time, He poured out His only son’s blood for you , and you , and you and you
It wasn’t His battle…yet, He choose to fight for us
Desperate Ministries@DesMinistries
Are you honoring God with your life so He can partner with you in the battle? #FVCLive1511:47 AM – Jul 1, 2018Twitter Ads info and privacySee Desperate Ministries’s other Tweets
Just like Joshua, this wasn’t His battle ….
Thought we deserved death, He had our backs…Yo, who has your back- Jesus!!!
He defeated death and created a path for us to be reconciled to Him
The battle is fought and won for you ….
Joshua was willing to go to the battle field even though there was a vast army
Ezekiel was willing to speak to dead bones
Jesus was willing to leave His throne and come here and be a sacrificial lamb
This morning I asking you, are you willing to walk up and declare that you need Jesus to fight for you? To breathe life in those dead areas of your life that the enemy has waged war on?
The battle is on, and you will not win it alone. Jesus has already won it for you. All you have to do is invite Him to fight for you. This ain’t my battle- If I allow Him in my heart, it’s the Lords battle.
Yo, Who got your back?
- Simple call to Jesus
Joshua’s relationship with God didn’t start on the day of battle… #FVCLive79:50 AM – Jul 1, 2018 · Faith And Victory ChurchTwitter Ads info and privacySee Thrive Podcast’s other Tweets