Sermon

Be Strong

March 14, 2015 St. Paul's Anglican Church Chatswood - Sermons

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I love the newer James Bond movies
especially Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace
and I can't wait for Spectre
with Daniel Craig
the sensitive, the opening scene in one of those movies
Casino Royale maybe crashing from one building
and one tower crane to another
and the sensitive manly appeal to beautiful women
the six pack, the chiselled features of the man
who kills out of duty but for the greater good
and in fact I don't think it's too immodest of me
to say that he reminds me somewhat of myself
especially the six pack and the iron muscled body
let me tell you, you laugh, my mum loves me
she gave birth to me
and my wife finds me irresistible
and she's not here today to contradict me
so there you go, there you go
James Bond movies are usually a great watch for action and outcomes
big picture adventure
western civilisation crushes enemies
who are hell bent on exploring or exploiting or destroying it
but if you want to learn about ethics and morality
go elsewhere
human relationships are selfishly plundered
the hero beds one woman after another
he takes the life of any enemy who gets in the way
that's James Bond
when you come to Joshua 2
it reads like a James Bond thriller
it's got it all
espionage, state secrets, political intrigue
an immoral woman
and it all happened 3400 years ago
Israel stands on the verge of entering the land of giants
they're standing where they stood 40 years before
and God's promise remains
Joshua 1, God assures and reassures Joshua
that he is with us
Judson did this much better than me
have I not commanded you
be strong and courageous
do not be terrified
do not be discouraged
for the Lord your God will be with you
wherever you go
so Joshua is Israel's God appointed leader
he is an experienced military commander
he will lead the conquest into the land
and he is as the commander
he is called to submit himself to the word of God
verse 8 chapter 1
do not let this book of the Lord depart from your mouth
meditate on it day and night
so that you may be careful to do everything written in it
and then you will be prosperous and successful
so Joshua sends out a reconnaissance mission
in Joshua chapter 2

Joshua 2 chapter mention
he says verse 1
Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim
go look over the land he said
especially Jericho
so they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab
and stayed there
now get the story
two spies sent into the land to suss it out
they're instructed to take particular attention to Jericho
the mission's secret
it's dangerous
they set out
and without any explanation
just happened to find themselves
staying in the house of a woman of renown
Rahab sells herself for money
and it begs a lot of questions doesn't it
whose bright idea was it to go to her place
Joshua sent them to Jericho
and they found their way to the local brothel
you can just imagine them telling this story
when they get back home in Israel
well they're not there yet
but explaining themselves to their wives
when they get back to camp
let alone Joshua
probably say they'd seen James Bond
and that's how they thought spies did it
you're all very quiet
we saw this in our small group the other night
we read this passage the other night
and people struggled with the morality
of what is going on here
and they wanted to justify the spies
and justify where they were
and then Rahab tells a lie
and they wanted to explain away Rahab's lie
we did as a group
but for all the questions that we might ask
the Bible doesn't answer them
it just tells us what happens
the men have been noticed
so verse 2
the king of Jericho was told
look some of the Israelites
have come here tonight
to spy out the land
so the king of Jericho
sent this message to Rahab
bring out the men who came to you
and entered your house
because they have come
to spy out the whole land
the missions discovered
the king knows where they are
the secret police
know whose house they went to
he knows their operation
and he wants them caught
and the king's officers
turn up at Rahab's place
and say turn them in
hand them over
and she says sorry boys
they've gone
I didn't know where they came from
they ducked out the city gate
just before dusk
I don't know where they went
if you go quickly
you might catch them
she is a spectacularly good liar
she tells it smoothly
and she gets a really great result
she saves them
in verse 6 it says
she'd taken them up onto the roof
she'd hidden them under the stalks of flax
that she had laid out on the roof
and so the men set out
in pursuit of the spies
on the road that leads
to the fords of the Jordan
and as soon as the pursuers
had got out
the gate was shut
so how good's that
the prostitute lies
she saves them
she could have been
a hero in her own city
collected the reward
but she protected
these two invaders
and it begs
a really big question
why on earth
would she do such a thing
and you find that out
in verses 8 to 13
she went up on the roof
and she said to them
I know that the Lord
has given this land to you
and that a great fear of you
has fallen on us
so that all who live in this country
are melting in fear
because of you
we have heard
how the Lord dried up
the water of the Red Sea
for you
when you came out of Egypt
and what you did
to Sion and Og
the two kings of the Amorites
east of the Jordan
whom you completely destroyed
when we heard of it
our hearts melted
and everyone's courage
failed because of you
for the Lord your God
is God in heaven above
and on the earth below
now then
please swear to me
by the Lord
that you will show kindness
to my family
because I have shown
kindness to you
give me a sure sign
that you will spare
the lives of my father
and mother
my brothers and sisters
and all who belong to them
that you will save us
from death
Rahab
the foreigner
the prostitute
has a faith in God
which if the people of God
had had 40 years before
they would have been
in the land
40 years before
Rahab knows
a number of things
about the Lord
she knows that Israel
is not just helping
themselves to this land
the Lord is giving it
to them
she knows how the Lord
has saved and protected
his people in the past
she's heard about them
coming out of Egypt
how the Lord opened
the Red Sea
and drowned the Egyptian army
and she knows that
Sion and Og
the Amorite kings
were destroyed by Israel
she knows that
the Lord God
is with Israel
and she
and the whole of the
people of Jericho
are terrified
they're trembling
in their boots
they're sick
with fear
but Rahab
has gone a step further
she just doesn't
fear the circumstances
that she's in
she fears the Lord
for herself
and she has come
to this extraordinary
conclusion in verse 12
the Lord your God
is God in heaven
above and on the earth
below
he's not just
one of the gods
he is awesome
in power
and he is God
over everything
in heaven
and on earth
there is nowhere
that he is not God
now she won't know
every detail
of the Jewish belief
system
she won't understand
sacrifices and rules
but she
has come
to believe
in the Lord
Rahab has come
to a great truth
and knowledge
of that truth
now leads her
into great danger
she's come
to a moment
of decision
what is she
going to do
she now knows
God
and knowing God
forces action
upon her
she's seen
she has
believed
and she
confesses
her faith
by her action
by where she
now puts
her feet
you think
about it
she
ended
into great
danger
when she
helped
those spies
it wasn't
just an act
of virtue
she wasn't
it was hardly
a virtuous
woman
but her
hand was
forced
because she
could see
a greater
and an
inevitable
danger
she
could see
the awesome
power of
God
and his
certain
coming
judgment
on
Jericho
she was
afraid
for her
life
and for
her
family's
life
she
recognised
who
the real
God
is
and she
effectively
in that
moment
she
had a
choice
she
could
have
shut
her
eyes
to
what
was
coming
she
could
rationalise
the
danger
away
she
could
go
back
to
the
local
Jericho
gods
and
blindly
hope
that
they
could
withstand
the
Israelites
she
could
head
up
to
the
Chatswood
chase
of
Jericho
and
pretend
that
there
was
another
reality
outside
or
that
there
wasn't
another
reality
outside
but
she
didn't
she
placed
her
faith
and
confidence
in
the
God
of
the
Israelites
she
became
convinced
about
his
purposes
she
saved
the
spies
she
weighed
the
cost
and
she
took
the
risk
of
being
brutally
killed
by
her
own
community
and
you
have
a
picture
here
of
faith
which
is
costly
it's
like
a
razor
wire
fence
a
fence
that
you
cannot
sit
on
it
forces
a
decision
Jesus
says
things
like
whoever
is
not
for
me
is
against
me
and
he
also
said
no
one
can
serve
two
masters
he
will
love
the
one
and
hate
the
other
he
also
says
if
any
person
would
come
after
me
they
must
deny
themselves
take up
their
cross
and
follow
me
faith
for
Jesus
was
death
before
glory
faith
in
Christ
may
mean
great
suffering
for
us
before
resurrection
God's
coming
judgment
is the
great
shadow
which
is
hanging
over
Jericho
and
so
there
is a
much
bigger
deal
in
this
passage
than
Rahab's
occupation
she
was a
working
girl
from
God's
point of
view
bigger
issues
are at
stake
if
Jericho
was a
modern
city
it
would
have
had
doctors
and
administrative
assistants
and
storemen
and
lawyers
and
tradesmen
and
IT
consultants
and
house
mums
and
priests
and
teachers
but
God's
judgment
was
coming
on
that
entire
city
on
everyone
and
yet
here
we
are
Rahab
the
prostitute
was
the
one
who
feared
God
more
than
anybody
else
very
low
on the
social
Richter
scale
but
this
is an
extraordinary
expression
of
faith
faith
is like
that
real
faith
draws us
out of
the
closet
Jesus
becomes
our new
centre
who he
is
what he's
done
for us
should be
making an
impact
on who
we
are
there's a
cost
back
back in
our
families
they
should
be
noticing
a
difference
in our
workplace
people
should
see a
difference
in our
behaviour
and in
our
attitude
as we
come to
know and
grow in
Christ
and with
that comes
an opportunity
to tell
and to
declare
we have
a message
of salvation
in the
face
of the
coming
judgment
of God
and people
will sometimes
be drawn
to and
like what
we stand
for
and other
times they
will hate
us for
what God
has done
so Rahab
the prostitute
saw the
danger that
she was
in she
cried out
for help
even while
she was
still working
and that
says something
to us about
God's message
of salvation
that we have
in Christ
it needs
to be
heard
and the
cost
counted
before it
can be
accepted
it needs
to be
accepted
before it
can bring
change
and
transformation
and the
Christian
community
church
is a
place
for
sinners
who are
being
transformed
by the
grace
of Christ
and we
get it
back to
front
in our
thinking
when we
think
we've
got to
scrub
up
right
before we
can come
into
God's
presence
and meet
here
with his
people
I spoke
to some
believers
recently
and they
wanted to
impose all
sorts of
relational
rules
in their
church
before they
talked to
people
about
baptism
and there's
some good
reasons for
that but it's
what they
did
and I
said to
them I
would rather
have a
conversation
about Jesus
with someone
about the
gospel
before I
have a
personal
conversation
with anybody
about their
morality
you don't
have to be
good enough
before you
find out
about Christ
you have
to find
Christ
so that he
can begin
to bring
change
and
transformation
to you
so this
should be a
place with
all sorts
of people
sitting in
the pews
not the
pews anymore
is it
it's the
chairs
from all
sorts of
backgrounds
struggling
with all
sorts of
sin
people who
are not
across the
line yet
in terms
of Christ
but who
sit here
and know
that it's
okay to
sit here
amongst
us
that you
don't have
to be a
particular
type of
person
before you
can sit
in church
you know
it's rubbish
to think
that we
can make
ourselves
good enough
for God
the scriptures
say while
we were still
sinners
Christ died
for us
God comes
near to us
in our
broken lives
he deals
with us
God is
with us
in the
person of
Jesus
Jesus
was always
being
criticised
for hanging
out around
tax collectors
and prostitutes
and sinners
a number
of notorious
women became
disciples of
Jesus
the woman
at Simon's
house
washing his
feet with
her tears
and wiping
them with
her hair
and Simon
the host
of the
function
exclaiming
in bewilderment
to Jesus
don't you
know who
she is
God has
come near
and he
is
extraordinarily
compassionate
and he
is able
to deal
with our
baggage
if we
come
Rahab
is honoured
in the
scriptures
she sees
salvation
she grabs
it with both
hands she's
there in the
roll call
of flawed
but faithful
saints in
Hebrews 11
she pops
up in
Matthew chapter

Matthew 1 chapter mention
1 in the
genealogy of
Jesus
she is one
of the great
grandmothers of
King David
Rahab's life
was in disarray
like most of
ours to some
extent or
another but
she recognised
the great truth
about God and
it caused her to
cry out for
mercy and so
she said to
the spies
verse 12
now then
please swear
to me by the
Lord that you
will show
kindness to
my family
because I've
shown kindness
to you
give me a
sure sign
that you
will spare
the lives
of my
father and
mother my
brothers and
sisters all
who belong
to them that
you will
save us
from death
she pleads
for salvation
and they
make a
promise in
response to
her plea
our lives
for your
life
don't
dob us
in and
we'll treat
you with
kindness and
mercy
she lets
them go
safely out
the window
they told
her message
that they
told her
the message
that would
save her
tie the
scarlet
rope
cloth to
your window
and when
destruction
comes to
Jericho
we will
save whoever
is in
your house
no one
will be
safe except
those who
are in
this room
so they
promised
rescue
she chose
to take
them at
their word
she acted
in faith
she trusted
what they
said to
her and
when we
get to
chapter 6
we'd see
that she's
saved
that's a
few weeks
away
she couldn't
name the
terms of
her salvation
she had
to accept
and trust
the terms
that were
offered
one way
only one
set of
terms
that happens
across the
bible
no one can
dictate the
terms on
which they're
safe with
god you
either accept
the terms
or you
reject the
terms
for us
john 3
16
for god
so loved
the world
that he
gave his
one and
only son
that whoever
believes in
him shall
not perish
but have
eternal life
for god
did not
send his
son into
the world
to condemn
the world
but to
save the
world
through him
so god's
terms of
salvation
and forgiveness
are in the
son of god
who was
lifted up
on a dead
piece of
timber
and died
and god
says that
he loves
us by
providing
another
to deal
with the
danger
so god
says
accept
what jesus
has done
or die
you cannot
design your
own religion
you're a fool
if you think
that you can
tell god
how to be
god
but he
is extraordinarily
merciful in
the most
surprising
ways
he saves
a prostitute
from an
important
city
where
everybody
else would
perish
and today
he makes a
wonderful promise
to us that
those who
believe in
him
shall not
perish but
have eternal
life
rahab
trusted the
promise
she was
saved
believers
trust in
the promise
of christ
confident
that we
will be
safe on
the day
of god's
judgment
belief in
jesus
and the
cross
of christ
is like
the scarlet
rag hung
from the
window in
the wall
seeking the
protection of
god on
the day
of his
judgment
rahab
was brought
to great
faith by
the supernatural
mercy and
grace of
the lord
she knew
him and
he saved
her
and if we're
believers we
are powerfully
protected by
the same
extraordinary
grace
we go from
here with a
scarlet thread
the message of
the cross
a message
which if
believed
and received
and acted
upon will
save the
life of
even your
worst enemy
god's grace
is offered
to all
even the
most unlikely
which includes
you and
it also
includes me
amen