TEXT:  Heb. 11:30

INTRODUCTION:

A.  THE FIRST 6 CHAPTERS OF JOSHUA TELL OF JOSHUA'S LEADERSHIP AND THE

          CONQUEST OF JERICHO.

          1.  A high walled city with massive gates.  Impregnable.

          2.  Archaeologists have found great stores of charred grain, double walls, 30 feet high and

                   14 feet apart, with dwellings on top.

B.  STRANGE INSTRUCTIONS FOR TAKING JERICHO (Josh. 6:1-7).

C.  FOUR LESSONS FOR US TODAY.

I.  GOD'S WAYS ARE NOT OUR WAYS (Isa. 55:8-9).

A.  OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS:

          1.  Blood on door posts (Ex. 12:21-23).

          2.  Serpent of brass (Num. 21:4-9).

          3.  Water from a rock (Num. 20:5-12).

          4.  Dipping 7 times in the Jordan River to cure leprosy (2 Kings 5).

          5.  The Christ the son of a capenter.

          6.  The Spiritual Kingdom (John 18:36).

          7.  The death of the king to create the kingdom (Matt. 16:18, 21-23).

          8.  The Lord's Supper - a feast, not a temple or statue.

B.  THE PLAN OF SALVATION (1 Cor. 2:9).

          1.  What is man's answer to sin (Isa. 5:20-21;  Eph. 4:1-19).

          2.  How about "Expect a miracle!" (1 Cor. 1:22-23).

          3.  What is God's plan:

                   a.  That we hear and believe the word (Rom. 10:17;  Heb. 11:6).

                   b.  That we repent of our sins (Acts 17:30).

                   c.  That we be baptized in water for remission of sins (Acts 2:38).

II.  THE MEANING OF GRACE (Josh. 6:2, 16, 20).

A.  JERICHO A GIFT, BUT THEY HAD TO ENTER THE CITY AND TAKE IT.

B.  GOD'S GRACE FIRST APPEARS GIVING INSTRUCTIONS (Titus 2:11-12).

          1.  Grace is not "unconditional favor."  It is "unmerited favor."

          2.  Instructions imply there is something we must do (Matt. 7:21;  Jas. 1:22).

          3.  The biggest word in the Bible è if (Rom. 10:9;  1 John 1:6-7).

III.  THE MEANING OF FAITH (Heb. 11:30, 6).

A.  FAITH IS A RESULT OF CONSIDERING THE FACTS REVEALED IN GOD'S WORD

          (Rom. 10:17).

          1.  God's word is powerful (Heb. 11:3).

          2.  God's word can be trusted (Titus 1:1-2).

          3.  It cannot be contradicted or turned back (Rom. 3:3-4).

B.  FAITH LEADS TO COMMITMENT (2 Tim. 1:12).

IV.   GOD'S WAY WORKS (Josh. 6:20).

A.  FAITH MOTIVATES TO OBEDIENCE (Acts 2:41).

B.  BAPTISM TAKES AWAY THE GUILT OF SIN (Acts 2:38).

C.  THE DEAD ARE GOING TO BE RAISED (John 5:28-29).

D.  THERE WILL BE A COMPLETE JUDGMENT (Heb. 4:12-13).

E.  THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE FOREVER WITH GOD (2 Cor. 5:1, 6-8).

CONCLUSION:

A.  WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT JERICHO?

B.  WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM JERICHO?