Don’t Stop

You need to preserve so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. Hebrews 10:36

The Fall of Jericho
6 Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. 2 And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. 4 Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat,1 and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.” 6 So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord.”

Three reasons people stop short

1. Our perspective gets blocked

Only God can speak in past tense about the battles you haven’t even fought yet.

This is the first battle. The first battle is always the hardest.  Battles are not easy. That is why they call them battles.  However, this city was small and you could march around this city in about an hour. The problem was not that Jericho was so big it was that its walls were so high and thick that chariots raced on top. Church and community is designed to lift you above the walls of your life. And when you praise God with other people the walls fall down and your perspective gets elevated.

The only problem with verse 2 is verse 1. Only God can speak in past tense about the battles you haven’t even fought yet. But we haven’t got started yet and God is alredy declaring that we won. It doesn’t matter because God works outside of time. He is not limited by walls we are

Joshua only sees walls.

Often times we only see walls too
God is speaking to you but it doesn’t match up with what you see.
God is speaking to you to whiteness to your coworker, but they are an atheist.
God is speaking to you give your tithe to the church, but you can’t see pass your bills.
God is speaking to you a message of purpose, but all you see is rejection.
God is speaking to you about your future, but all you see is your past.

2. Our progress isn’t always obvious

God doesn’t want you to trust in your progress, he wants you to have faith in His promise

7 And he said to the people, “Go forward. March around the city and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the Lord.” 8 And just as Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the Lord went forward, blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the Lord following them. 9 The armed men were walking before the priests who were blowing the trumpets, and the rear guard was walking after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually. 10 But Joshua commanded the people, “You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.” 11 So he caused the ark of the Lord to circle the city, going about it once. And they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp. Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13 And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord walked on, and they blew the trumpets continually. And the armed men were walking before them, and the rear guard was walking after the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets blew continually. 14 And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they did for six days.

How did you think they feel? They thought they were going to war, but it seems that they are just taking a walk for six days.  If it would have been me, I would have wanted a sign. After the first walk, I would have needed to see some of the wall fall down.

Nothing.
Second day. Marching in silence. He knew their mouths were their own worst enemy.

Joshua didn’t tell the people. Just advance. March. Keep your Mouth Shut.

3. The process is open ended

“Do you trust that God is working even when what you are doing doesn’t seem to be working?”

Wouldn’t it be nice if God put a clock on your dreams?
I know you want to get married, and God would say give me two more years.
You still show up to serve, just as long as you know you will be served one day.
Giving, purpose, family being saved, your house being restored, plans being fulfilled would all be possible if you just new for how long.

This is the essence of faith. God had do something on the inside.
We are so convinced that God wants to do something for us, but he wants to do something in us.

Some of you are on lap 6 today. How many people give up on their marriages, their ministry, their church, their kids before God was through. You are closer than you think you are. Don’t stop on six. Walk this lap like it’s your last and one day you will be right.

You need to preservere so that after you have received the promise the process will help you live in the land.  Don't Stop.