“TEARING DOWN STRONG HOLDS”
JULY 27, 2008
New Life Bible Church
Allen McLauchlin, Pastor
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary,
they have divine power to demolish
strongholds.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against
the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to
Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:4,5
Hear, O Israel. You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess
nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to
the sky. The people are strong and
tall--Anakites! But be assured today that the LORD your God is the one who goes
across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them;
Deuteronomy 9:1-3
STRONG HOLDS: Old or new obstacles
that prevent Christians from entering God’s rest. (Peace of God)
1.
We must continue to seek Gods Word for
updates
.
As commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown
to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for
his servant?" The commander of the
LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are
standing is holy." And Joshua did so.
Joshua 5:14,15
The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage! As you
have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.
Acts 23:11
The Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, For I
am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many
people in this city." So Paul
stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.
Acts 18:9,10
2. We must lean
NOT
to our own
understanding
.(wisdom)
When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give
a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up,
every man straight in."
Joshua 6:5
So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God
had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young
boy.
2 Kings 5:14
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to
us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written: "I will
destroy the wisdom of the wise;
1 Corinthians 1:18,19
3.
We must realize, we are at
war,
a spiritual battle .
The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear
guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding.
Joshua 6:9
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's
schemes. For our struggle is not
against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil
in the heavenly realms. Therefore
put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be
able to stand your ground.
Ephesians 5:11-13
4. We must allow God to fight our battle.
But Joshua had commanded the people, "Do not give a war cry, do not raise your
voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!"
So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once.
Joshua 6:10,11
This is what the LORD says to you: `Do not be afraid or discouraged because of
this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God' ; You will not have to
fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance
the LORD will give you. As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes
against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and
they were defeated.
2 Chronicles 15,17,22
Summary Scripture:
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another
day. There remains, then, a
Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did
from his.
Hebrews 4:8-10