SMSS with Pastor Jeff Shipley - June 28th - HISTORY of ISREAL Joshua 5 & 6

Conforming to God’s Presence, Position, and Provision

Alright jab jab power he'd be like. But you get on the end of one of those powers. They'd knock you through the wall man big old monster. Good to see you, brother. Hey guys. We're gonna be in Joshua chapter 5 and I'm going to try to get us back on track now.

I told the young men this this morning. I know we're still not up to full speed and full strength yet. I know a lot of people still can't come but but listen. We I got to get back on this because as you can see this is 6 ,000 years of history.

6 ,000 years of history and we're in part 1 subsection 4 now. I I turned these and I broke these down. These 6 ,000 years of history into three parts number one I call it four to four now. This is so even Mississippi people can get this.

Okay, and Puerto Ricans Mississippi people and Puerto Ricans can get this except for Lisa. She's smart four to four is this about 4 ,000 BC God created and we take that history from 4 ,000 BC all the way up until about 400 BC and this is when the people of Israel returned back to Jerusalem, but we'll get to that.

Okay, and then I cover four to birth 400 BC till the birth of Christ and I put that around 4 BC not zero about 4 BC. And then the third part of which I'm gonna be honest with you I'm the most excited about is from the birth of Christ until now.

Wherever we are when we get to that section I'm going to cover the history up until that date and that is the outline of what we're going to do now every week I'm gonna have this on one side and then the topic that is your.

That work is going to be on this side. Please do me a favor. Study this. It's not the words of Jeff that are important. But the words of God's Word now you say why are we having a history lesson ladies and gentlemen in my opinion?

I love debating The inerrancy of the Word of God. I love debating that. Discussing it even and if you struggle with your faith if you struggle with the authenticity of God's Word there are two aspects of Science and history that I'd like you to do.

Number one is the science interwoven in scripture from the the sequestering or the Quarantining of God's law. Concerning people with certain plagues and certain diseases in the Old Testament. But it's the history that I focus on there is no way there is no way God's Word can be fake and affect the history of Mankind by its prophecy and its declaration all the way through.

Oh, amen. All right. I just seen if y 'all hear me. God bless you so much, but here's the problem with it. You're gonna have to get out of Baptist mentality. You're gonna have to get out of church mentality.

You're going to have to study. To show yourself approved. Okay, you can quote me on that study to show yourself approved. That would be plagiarism. Yeah, what'd you say Richard? I like it. I like it. Alright guys, so now flip to the back.

Okay flip to the back. We're gonna be in Joshua chapter 5. I've broken Joshua down into three parts all 24 chapters you can basically break down into three parts number one. Getting ready to pick a fight.

I've come to pick a fight Tyler. That's what the first Five chapters are all about is God has freed the people from Egypt under Moses's leadership. They get this far. They wander around in the wilderness for 40 years.

Now what they've done is they've gone up the east side of the Jordan River and they're turned west and they're fixing to. Get busy. They're going to divide and conquer the promised land. They're literally gonna go through it.

Jericho split it in two. Turn south with all the armies of the south then turn north and whip them if they fight 31 fights and win every single one of them. Okay. Well, I shouldn't say they win 31 fights.

All right, and that's what's fixing to happen. Now what we're gonna focus on what we're gonna focus on is right before the fight. Okay, how do we tear down the mentalities of our mind and I'm gonna be talking to you a lot.

You men a lot today now you chicks you can glean from this too. But dudes and this it has nothing to do with the Father's Day, I don't care about Father's Day, but Men, I do care about leadership in your home in your church in your life.

Okay so there are three things that we need to do to focus on being a Godly example of a warrior of God. Read with me chapter 5. We're gonna start in verse 13 chapter 5 starting in verse 13. Now when Joshua was near Jericho He looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand.

Joshua approached him and asked are you for us or our enemies? Neither he replied. I have now come as commander of the Lord's army. Then Joshua bowed his face to the ground in worship and asked him What does my Lord want to say to his servant.

The commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua remove your sandals from your feet for the place you are standing as holy and Joshua did so I Am so happy to see them young men looking down in their laps reading the Bible.

You got you got you got a chance now in life you do. Because without the Word of God, you're gonna end up being a big fat stupid loser. So man, my heart's just exploding with love right now. All right the first thing that we got to learn as God's people as leaders as God's plan a to show a lost and dying world where Jesus is is we need to be Conforming to God not God conforming to us not us conforming the culture.

We've got to conform to God. Look at verse 13 right here when Joshua was near Jericho He looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua approached him and said are you for us or our enemies guys?

Notice Joshua is the leader. Joshua's the general and what was he doing the day before the battle as they crossed over the Jordan and Jericho was the first stronghold that they had to face. Joshua wasn't in his tent going over battle maps.

Joshua was on the front lines walking to check everything and make sure everything was right. Guys if you want to be a leader you need to conform to the image of God and Leading means you need to be out front not in the back telling what everyone else wants to do.

A couple of weeks ago I saw our youth boys. I should say our youth men our youth men guys. You know how awesome it is that we don't hire have to hire that work to be done. Why. Because there were like ten teenage boys out with picks and shovels in 95 degree heat building retaining wall for our children's department.

Now their youth pastor some dork named Jeremiah and a couple of the other Hayden and a couple of the other college boys. They were leading that work. But you know what? I love seeing and men remember this Jeremiah didn't have a son.

What some things called umbrellas shading him from the hot Sun, right? He had his shirt off and yeah, he was going to do that. Yeah, but but he was in the trench with him boys guys. If you want to lead listen if you want to be God's leader in your life.

You can't do it by telling your kids What to do without showing the example of how to do it. Be men stand up act like you're doing something when you get home from work. Yeah, this is what you want to do right instead of doing that and this is gonna stink.

Okay, prepare yourself. Ask your wife how her day was. Then listen. It's like fighting the Battle of Jericho. Why not. Because your wife's stupid. Because men we don't care. Unless you were robbed raped pillaged shot at or something that we need to pull out our Rambo knife for.

We don't really care what Lucy did at work today. We don't care what Carlene's shoes looked like. Right, but you got to be on that line. You got to stand now. Look at this. It says this Coram Deo. It's a Latin term.

That's what it means in the presence of God. How many of y 'all were just praising and worshiping God in here this morning? Thank you, brother. Thank you, Jeremy. What were the rest of you doing? You were saying it.

Or you were doing this? Because I was watching through the door. Someone need to be shot. What's going on? Oh. That's security. Okay guys, listen to me. Were you praising worshiping God, you know, what will help you praise and worship God is.

Take your mind off the style of music and start picturing yourself in the presence of God. Here's what's funny you are. Where two or three are gathered together in my name. Matthew 18 says there. I am in the midst of them.

Yes, you're in the presence of God. You have to conform to the idea that you're in the presence of God. But number two you also have to conform to this not God's presence. But also God's position. Josh was walking that battle line checking on his troops.

He comes up over a little knoll and he gets up here all of a sudden. He sees a man standing there with a sword in his hand. Joshua sits there and goes. Are you with us or with them? I? Love this line.

He says I'm the commander of the Lord's army. I am neither for you or for them. I've come to take over guys. Abraham Lincoln was sitting around with his generals and They were sitting there and they were trying to come up with the strategy to fulfill Winfield Scott's Anaconda plan was long story.

But anyways, they were sitting there and they were discussing this and one of the general says this. I sure hope God is on our side and Abraham Lincoln said this gentleman. It is not about God being on our side.

It's about us being on his side. How many of y 'all think Jesus Christ votes Republican? And God is a good old southern redneck. How many y 'all sit there and go? Oh, no. God votes Democrat because we care about welfare.

God don't vote. He shows up and he takes over. It's not about God being on someone's side. The arrogance of that mind thought is Baffling and is probably a key answer to why you're struggling in life.

You need to conform to God's position and look what Joshua did. He's walking the battle line getting ready for the battle. And as soon as the guy says I am the commander of the Lord's army, what did Joshua do?

He bowed his head down with a man with a drawn sword and He starts to worship. Who is this guy now? I know some people want to say well, this is the angel Gabriel. No, because see every time Gabriel was worshipped.

What did the angel say? Stand up man. Don't worship me. I'm a fellow servant like you. This is called a Christophany Theophany. It's part of Christology. What this is who this is. It's Jesus Christ pre-incarnate as Jehovah Nisi the commander of the hosts of heaven.

Jesus Christ showed up and while Joshua is physically walking the line God is already there and the conformity of us to Jesus isn't about our Political beliefs. Guys, please stop identifying politically.

Quit identifying culturally. Start standing up and saying I am NOT ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ for is the power of God into salvation. The power of God for our nation the power of God for Everything.

And I'm not ashamed of it. I got a guy on the Facebook who's trying to goat me into a racial Conversation. He takes verses out of context. Basically. He's a keyboard warrior. I asked him Why don't you come sit down in my office?

Tell you what we'll do. I'll put two microphones up here on the sand. We'll sell tickets. You can discuss with me. Because he's angry at me because this is what I said. There's only one race of people.

He's mad at me about that. He's mad at me about that. No, there's more than one race. There's more than one race. There's more than one race. No, man, we're all homo sapiens sapiens guys. We're all dogs.

Okay. Some of y 'all may be chihuahuas. Some of y 'all might be Greg Danes more bulldog. Some of y 'all may be golden retrievers. Right, some of you may be shih tzus. Some of you may be Dalmatians, right.

But we all dogs. Genetically speaking. We're homo sapiens sapiens. By the way, I can say that now I have a genetic expert in this congregation right now. So I know what I'm talking about, but he got mad at that.

Why did he get mad at that? Because his identity is in something other than Jesus Christ. Guys, how afraid of you? How afraid are you? To put it all in line for Jesus. Joshua the general the warrior. Left his sword in the sheath and bowed before an armed man because he put his trust in God Almighty.

Conform to the presence of God but conform to the position of God number two. Look at this. We also need confidence in God's provision. Look at chapter 6 verse 1 now. Jericho was strongly fortified because of the Israelites.

No one leaving or entering the Lord said to Joshua. Look I have handed Jericho. It's king and it's fighting men over to you march around the city with all the men of war. Circling the city one time do this for six days.

Have seven priests carry seven rams horns trumpets in front of the ark. But on the seventh day march around the city seven times while on the priests blow the trumpets. What? Guys, you know how hard it is to raise boys.

My hey you do. I have a daughter. That's like perfect. She's just like stud. She made me cookies yesterday with stevia and Gluten-free flour and they be like crack. Okay, man, they were good. My boys make messes and Stink my house up all the time.

They're nasty. I had to teach my boys to do stuff like this. I would say go dig that hole. But what did I ask you to ask me why or did I say dig a hole dig a hole? I used to tell my boys this if I tell you to die.

Your heart better stop beating right now. That's so hot. Yeah, I'm not exaggerating. Y 'all think I'm joking. I'm not. Because I knew this one day Testosterone was gonna hit their little eight-year-old bodies and they were gonna look like Jeremy.

They're gonna be. And I knew that all of this I had up here would slide down here and they're gonna be stronger. They're gonna be more fit and they couldn't fear me. Physically, but they would fear Disappointing me and I've made them do stupid things.

Like wash the walls with bleach like run up and down the stairs like run around a building with a brick over their head and it Made no sense people say oh, you're just abusing those children. Yeah, when your kid is 35 living in your basement smoking weed and playing Xbox you can come back and talk to me, okay.

But here's why I told him to do that. Because they had to be trained not to carry bricks and not to dig holes. But to obey the minute an order was given. The trust in God's provision means you got a trust in God's plan.

Look what the commander of heaven said here is this city. We got it under siege. We are ready to attack. God said, okay, don't attack. Here's what I want you to do. I want you to walk around and have a parade around the city for seven days.

Just walk for seven stinking days. But on the last day, we're going to give you a supersized moment on the last day you get to walk around it. Seven times instead of one and then here's what we're gonna do to attack.

Don't get your slingers ready. Don't have the tribe of Benjamin with their little arrows. Don't have Judah's heavy shock troops. Y 'all just march around and at one moment I'm gonna say now and then I want you to yell.

That's the attack plan. That's how we're gonna win. Yes, sir. Let's go boys now, here's what's funny. You know what? It made Joshua's job a lot easier as a leader if God had told that ridiculous plan to everybody.

But no, you see God's not just training warriors. He's training leaders. So he told it to Joshua and Joshua had a choice to make he had a choice whether to stand up and do. What was right no matter what?

People were saying or thinking or he had a right to fold like a lawn chair. Men, how you doing at work? Hey Lee. Did you hear that joke about the two blondes in the bar? How you doing, man? Can you believe Eden Ramirez?

Can you believe that? I'm sorry. I don't want to be a part of this conversation. That's disrespectful to her as my sister in Christ as a young lady. Go gossip with some old hag because you ain't doing it with me.

Can you say that? But you won't be cool, man. She won't be cool young rebellious daddy issued losers. Yeah, you know I'm talking to you. Yeah, why are you adjusting in your seat boy? Uh-huh. Why are you smiling looking at the ground?

Cubano's. You see what the problem is when you're insecure. You'll try to identify with anything to find security. But as it rapes your soul destroys your life. You'll still eat that poop sandwich. Because it gives you a sense of belonging to tell you what?

Belong to God first. Belong here second. Because the people's who are sitting there telling you oh. Man, I smoked it. Let me get ahead of that John the people's who are telling you to come over here. After they done with you you ain't nothing but trash.

Watch this Jeff. Man, I know we've had a case of beer, but I just got to tell you this. I love you so much. I love you, man. We're gonna be friends forever. I ain't seen that dude in 30 years. You know why?

Because our position our ideas what we. What we trusted in was something other than to work God now. Here's what's funny you people watching these little kids man. They're like cockroaches around here.

There's no kids everywhere. What's funny is in 30 years. They won't know the people in high school. They won't know their friends in college, but they'll know their people from church. See because this doesn't have a time frame except when God comes and calls us home guys.

You press the provision in the plan of God or you relying on other things to find security last thing and I'm done. Last thing I'm done. We need consistency. Man this is the hardest this is one we need consistency.

You know, what's hard about life? Guys you might not know this. But I struggle with a little bit of weight problem. My legs are sore from carrying all this muscle. They're flexing. I know you can't tell but all this used to be up here and I can I can look like Jeremy.

I just have to do it in stages, you know. What are you laughing carry muscle, yeah, I'm upside down. Jeremy's like this. I'm like this guys. I Could go on a diet and I do great. I do great on diets for about the first 12 hours.

Then I'm done right. Now some of you skinny people are sitting there going. Yeah, I understand. You don't understand Jack. Shut up. I hear some of these little skinny girls going. I'm too fat. Oh, do you need a psychological boost and a reaffirmation that you're not fat?

Please stop saying that shut up. This is fact. Okay consistency so hard. Why didn't God just say hey get up walk around one time. I'll take care of the rest. Why do you say to do it for a week in a row?

Because I guarantee you at night while they're sitting around that table. Triclinium while they're sitting around the triclinium. Let's say and they're sitting there or they're laying down on their sides and they're eating their hummus and their goat and pita bread or whatever.

Ain't no ham sandwich. I promise you. While they're eating that I Guarantee is someone went daddy if we're gonna attack the city. Why are we walking around it? I Guarantee some of the dad said I don't know man.

It's so stupid. It's ridiculous. I mean, can you believe that they won't let my daughter go on the youth trip because she wants to wear two-piece bikini. Oh, they're so ridiculous. Yeah, some someone in the room is squirming right now.

If you want to try it let your daughter dress like a hoe, that's fine. Do it at home. Not on our youth trip. I don't understand brother Jeff every stinking Sunday. All he does is sit there and tell us that we can't get saved by asking Jesus crack the heart Lord and Savior.

I'm so sick of hearing it. You know why because you're the one I'm talking to you arrogant self-righteous dummy. And you're gonna split the gates of hell wide open because you put your faith in an aisle in a prayer rather than the blood of Jesus Christ.

Here's what's cool. You're gonna remember my words and God's words as Your soul plummets into the abyss of hell and all the woulda coulda shouldas in the world. Won't change that because you so much love your sin.

You don't want to repent. You want to play Jesus games. Well, it's too late for me. I've been in this church 20 years. I'm a deacon. I'm a choir director. I'm a pastor. Your soul will be quieted if you sir, ma 'am quit playing church games.

Verses 6 through 6 6 through 15. God said do this every day. And you know why because once again, he was training an army if they couldn't get past Jericho. They never would get to the other cities if they couldn't win the battle against self if they couldn't win the battle against their logic.

Rather than God's Word if they couldn't win the battle about being determined to follow God know what air what he asked. No matter what he does. They will never get the rest of the promised land last thing 16 through 20.

All right, and some of you liberals y 'all hang on. Okay, this is gonna be stressful. After the seven time the priests blew the trumpets and Joshua said the people shout for the Lord has given you the city but the city and everything in it are set apart to the Lord for Destruction.

Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone with her in her house will live because she hid the men we sent 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 be set apart from the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster on It for all the silver gold and articles of bronze and iron are dedicated to the Lord and must go to the Lord's Treasury.

No, wait a minute. Listen verse 20. So the people shouted the trumpet sounded when they heard the blast of the trumpet the people gave a great shout. Yeah, and the wall collapsed and the people advanced in the city each man.

Straight ahead and they captured the city. They completely destroyed everything in the city with the sword. Every man and woman both old and young every ox sheep and donkey. Now this is not very nice God.

I Mean seriously, this is just not nice. Think about it. God. We've done all the work. We've looked like fools out here. We've walked around this city all day every day and now you're telling us that we can't touch anything.

But we got to kill everything in there. Yep. Why and it says each man went straight ahead. You know why this is so cool. You know why each man could go straight ahead because they trusted in God. They didn't have to breach a gate and stand in line while people shot him with arrows.

The walls came down and they could attack from every side. See they trusted in the Lord's plan. Now here's what some people say. Well God really Commanded people back then to kill everybody. Yeah. Well, that's not nice to God.

Okay, so let me get this straight. You're okay with God sending a soul to hell for eternity to scream and burn in Fire with no recess no time off no break and no parole and no second chance. But because God orders you to kill heathen.

That's really mean. You say here's your problem. You're a cultural Christian. You want to measure God according to your standards of morality of right and wrong? Whose side are you on again? Is God supposed to be on your side?

Are you supposed to be on God's side? It's it's not it's not rhetorical go ahead and you can answer. Right. We're supposed to be on God's side. Thank you for listening. That's 30 minutes guys. Understand when God said this is all set apart for me.

What doctrine is that? Everyone say it together shall we Say vacation holiness, it means to be set apart. It doesn't mean perfect. It means to be set apart. Okay, just like this rag is holy carry bought it for me to you wipe my sweat from my brow.

It's not used to wash toilets or anything else. It's used to wipe my head. Therefore. It was set apart for specific service. Okay, it's nastier than when you wipe a toilet, but guys God said set everything apart from for me now.

Did God really need money in his bank account? Was he a little tight that week? Then why did God say to do it. No. See look. We're about to take the offering here in a second. And when we do This morning and this morning only if you write a check to Witten Baptist Church.

Aha, you write that check God Will visit back to you a hundred fold over you can name it and you can claim it in the name of Jesus. Ah. Why does he always have to have a vowel on his name, you know? Do you really think God needs your check.

Please listen to me. If you hear a preacher doing that do yourself a favor get up and leave. Because they ain't preaching to the Word of God. They're preaching a heretical message that has nothing to true with the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

He let me let you know seek it. He already owns it. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and guess what? He owns the hills, too. He don't need your help and God is not the stock market. Okay, trust in his provision.

He'll take care of the rest. No, why did God say this is all set apart for me? Understand this these guys had just came out of the wilderness had just came out of slavery a generation before they weren't really wealthy and they're walking by and Killing the pigs and the peoples and they're dead and all sudden there's ten thousand dollars in cash right there.

Oh God said not to He's teaching them to obey. Don't touch that tree. There's 10 trillion to the 10th power of trees on the whole world Adam. You can touch anything you want. You can go fishing. You can go hunting.

You can do anything you want to do touch One tree you gotta do.

Jeremiah this one.

And it's all been downhill ever since. People you want to raise godly children? You can take them to church. Well, look we raised her kids church. God said raise them in the admonition of the Lord and the admonition of the Lord is this obey.

Obey but I don't understand you don't have to understand. Obey, that's the position God set up. Don't touch anything. Well, I don't have to do what my husband tells me to do because I'm one of them women.

I don't understand what my kids are rebelling against me. Are you really that stupid? Husbands. Well, I Give 11 to 12 to the preacher on Sunday morning, but arrest that's for NASCAR and drinking beer.

Son, why are you smoking weed? Cause and effect. It's been that way since the word go in 4 ,000 BC. And by the way, all you liberal Little millennial we've been here billions of years. You're an idiot.

I'm sorry, but we hadn't been here billions of years. And when your professor sits there and goes. Oh we have. The fossil record they're made of plaster, dude. There's no such thing as a fossil record from the end of all 36 ,000 million years ago.

Okay, they won't tell you that part.