When Battles Come Our Response - Luke Kelly (Upstate)

So I really just want to say thank you so much for having me with you. It is such a pleasure when I get to spend time with you You all are such amazing people and it really is the best. I love every second of every day that I get to be with you And so that's actually why you know when Uncle Lang asked me to come back I was I was so excited and if some of you don't know my name is Luke and I'm currently studying as an exchange student at UCSB in California and last time I was here shout out to the Californians Last time I was here. I had the privilege of sharing on the many miracles that God has done in order for me to get to the states He opened so many doors And while I've been away, he has opened yet another and that another door is that both universities Have agreed to extend my stay for a full academic year So I was given the option to stay all the way through till June next year So God willing, hopefully this will not be the last time. I will be seeing you until June So that's it. That's amazing But this decision has come at a huge personal cost and a family cost It's been really really difficult Because there's a number of reasons one of which I won't be allowed to leave the country So I won't be able to go home for Christmas There's some very important things that are that are happening over there But I won't be able to do it But I've realized that his church, this, what you guys are sitting in now, the people, his bride, is of most importance And I'll choose that any day of the week But it's been really difficult so much so that it is felt like a Spiritual battle. It really has. It's felt like a war that has been waging inside of me and Thankfully, I feel like there's victory in it But it has been difficult and so when praying and asking God Lord, what do you what do you want to say to this congregation today? That's exactly what he started to place in my heart How do we fight our battles because we are in them When battles come when the trials come what is our hearts posture? How are we to respond? How are we to stand strong? How are we to fight and Yeah, it's amazing how God works hey, but we're going to do that by looking at five principles that we see from a well-known story Some of you may know it some of you may not will read it together In the Old Testament in Joshua 6 and it's the story of the fall of the wall of Jericho Just some context to give you guys a bit of context to get there Israel God's chosen people have fled out of Egypt and God has been with him But they've been wondering in the desert for 40 years and they finally reach the land of Canaan the promised land God has said this is the land that I'm giving to you But when they reach there they fight this incredible battle There's this huge wall the wall of Jericho. It seems impossible and so that's where we pick up here at the beginning And so let's read it together Starting from verse one now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel None went out and none came in and the Lord said to Joshua see I have given Jericho into your hand With its king and its mighty men of valor you shall march around the city all the men of war going around the city once This you shall do for six days Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams horns before the ark and on the seventh day You shall march around the city seven times and the priests shall blow the trumpets and When they make a long blast with the rams horn when you hear the sound of the trumpet Then the people will shout with a great shout and the wall of the city will fall down flat and the people shall Go up everyone straight before him the inverse ten, but Joshua commanded the people You shall not shout or make a voice Neither shall your word go out of your mouth until the day I saw I tell you to shout then you will shout and Then verse 15 on the seventh day they arose early at the dawn of the day and marched around the city in the same manner seven times It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times and at the seventh time when the priests had blown the trumpets Joshua said to the people Shout for the Lord has given you the city The inverse 20 so the people shouted and the trumpets were blown as soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet The people shouted with a great shout and the walls fell down flat So our first principle that we're going to look at is we've got to learn to trust God even when we don't understand his plan Israel spent 40 years Wondering the desert and now they get to the stage longing for the promised land and when they arrive the first thing They faced is this massive impossible obstacle the wall of Jericho It was estimated to be about 30 to 40 feet and you've got 40,000 warriors ready for battle They're expecting strategy tactics weapons plans, but instead God gives them the most unmilitary plan possible Hey, he says to them March around the city once a day for six days and on the seventh day march seven times and then shout That is I don't know about you. I'm not in the military But I don't think that is a common modern day military tactic when you're trying to seize a place But God already has the solution and So the question is do we trust him? Do we surrender control over to him and that's really hard to do because naturally we want control We want to fix things we want to solve things to plan things But God calls us to obedience not to control And obedience is hardest when God's plan contradicts what we think our plan should be to get out of this battle and Let's be honest most often that is the case God's plan doesn't follow along with ours, but God's plan is good Sometimes it's slow, strange, uncomfortable, but it is purposeful Why? Because it's in that battle in that period of trial where we grow Who do you think trusted God more the Israelites before the fall of the wall of Jericho or the Israelites after? The fall of the wall of Jericho Certainly there is a light afterwards because they have seen what God did in the middle of their trial They saw that it was only God who did it Romans 5 verse 3 and 4 says and not only that but we rejoice in our sufferings knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces this character and character produces hope and that hope does not disappoint Suffering endurance character hope There is purpose in the trials you see it's in the process of obedience in the battle that we grow to be more like Jesus We can't grow in holiness without first becoming obedient to God So he wants us to grow in this trial If we were planning it we'd probably have said okay fine, right? Let's just march around the city once and then we'll be done No God's plan often takes time because it's in the time where we learn to obey that holiness is formed And it's on the process of this journey that we really are transformed So even though some battles might feel relentless God is shaping things eternally he's eternally focused and So we actually need to rejoice in that when these trials come we need to rejoice knowing that God is Changing who we are in order to become a vessel that he can use for greater purposes in his kingdom It can only happen through those trials and let me encourage you. You don't have to know Everything you don't need to know the full story When I was here last week I was on worship and I was the first one in the building And I was bringing the piano in but these lights were off I don't know where the lights which is worth and it was absolutely pitch-doc So I came in and then I realized I can't take long big strides and And and try to figure out where I'm going But I knew roughly that hey, there's a there's this V here. Let me try find that So all I did little shuffle shuffle shuffle Found this chair. I was like okay wrong place shuffle shuffle shuffle And then I carried on going and I found this gap and I came through and eventually here I was It's the same in our process of obedience. We don't need to know the turn a hundred miles down the road We need to know what is in front of us Lord help me take this next step Proverbs 3 verse 5 and 6 says trust in the Lord With all your heart do not lean on your own understanding But in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your part straight So keep Jesus first It's been time in the word and I'm telling you that next step in your trial You'll be able to see it And God is right there with you in that step if we look at verse 8 from from the story in Joshua Says 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 The ark of the covenant the Old Testament. That's God's presence. God's dwelling place Went around the walls with them In the struggles that you face in the trials that you face in the battle that seems relentless God is right there with you Helping you take that next step he was literally with the Israelites Helping them step by step last week. We heard our God is God is our should I the God who provides and sustains He will do his part As long as we are doing ours So that's the question are you trusting him in this trial? Are you surrendering control? Are you obeying his voice? Are you reading his word? Because that's where you will be directed for the next step So find peace guys in knowing that no matter what you are facing How giant the wall seems in front of you God is with you and you can trust that he has a good plan for you All things work for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose It will work out for your greater good and ultimately which is the number one His kingdom That's it So secondly when facing our battles we need to trust and obey our leaders So you might have just caught up with me and be like okay fine. I'm struggling It's it's a hard season, but I understand God has got a good plan in this and I can trust that Well, here's the curveball What happens if he gives the plan to your leaders Then it's like oh, well, no, I'm not so sure. I'll only listen if if I get the plan Well, look at this verse two and the Lord said to Joshua Joshua was given the whole plan for this battle Joshua God is a god of order and he often uses the leaders in our church to help us navigate the difficult roads of battles and every victory in Joshua 6 required people to obey the Lord through leadership For as we are obeying our leaders we are obeying God But the flip side of that is if we are disobeying our leaders. We are disobeying our God So as we follow and give ourselves to godly leadership We actually posture ourselves in the right direction To receive God's victory as they help us walk alongside us navigate this difficult situation One Peter five verse five says Likewise you who are younger Be subject to the elders Clothe yourselves all of you with humility towards one another For God opposes the proud But he gives grace to the humble You can imagine how this came down when I was reading this story like I just I feel like can you click the absurdity of this Just just look the absurdity you know you've got 40,000 men of war ready to fight And then they call Joshua Joshua what's God saying? No, we we march around the city Once okay, what are we doing? Are we looking for like vantage points? We're looking for a place where we can you know Find a place where there's a secret entrance to ladder. No, no, no, no guys. We're walking around in silence Okay, and then what then then we camp Then we camp and then day two. Oh, that's when the battle begins. No, no, we do the exact same thing And we do it for six days straight How many people would have doubted their leader after like day five? Like what are we doing? This is idiotic But they trusted and obeyed godly leadership and the Lord uses that order to break down the walls in our life Everyone had to trust their leader They had to obey what Joshua was saying So I really want to encourage you how many of you will say and then I'll only follow God's plan if he tells me directly They didn't choose the battle strategy Their role was obedience Even if the plan made no sense Joshua obeyed and Israel followed obedience is not about understanding the plan It's about trusting the god who gives it obedience is not about trusting is not about understanding the plan. It's about trusting the god who gives it And so really it might be easy to obey your leaders at first But these things take time you all know this battles take time they are struggle So you have to have faith To keep walking even when you see that nothing seems to be changing Keep walking keep trusting them For they have been entrusted to look after you They have been appointed by god For they are to serve you as overseers not by compulsion But willingly not for dishonest gain but eagerly not as lords over you But as examples to you And let me tell you this They didn't pay me to say this but they are incredible They are incredible and you can trust them And I don't think there really is anything better than to submit your struggles And to trust this church and its leaders whom god has chosen to shepherd you And to help you as you navigate these difficult trials I may be giving them a bit of extra work here but I'm telling you it's the best thing that you can do When I'm home in Zambia one of my favorite things to do is take my dogs out on a walk and a run in the evening But oftentimes when I'm going in the bush they get a thorn in the foot I think there's a there we go. There they are. There's the doggoes So it's really interesting to see their reactions Based off when they get a thorn in the foot all three have completely different reactions So you have got cocoa on the left there's Diego in the middle and then there's buddy on the right So firstly Diego he's like man. He's just powering through. He gets a thorn in the foot He just carries on hobbles. You come try help him. He just runs away further And he just keeps on going and you can never get to a place where you can actually help him Then you've got cocoa on the left When she gets a thorn in the foot she just collapses She just falls down and then it's like I have to go trekking through the bush I'm calling cocoa. I have to find her in the middle of the thickets And then I eventually find her then I don't know what pause the problem. Well, I don't know. It's hard But eventually you you figure it out. But then buddy Has the absolute perfect response But he gets a thorn he stops in his tracks and the exact poor that has the thorn he just lifts up and he says come And then all I do I come I pluck the thorn out and we continue on like normal You guys all have a choice On how you can choose To submit to this church family and its leaders You can adopt a absolutely helpless posture Just say I don't know what the problem is with me and go hide in the bush like cocoa You could be completely have a completely independent spirit and say I don't need help I'm I'm I'm too prideful I don't need help or you can say hey hang on I'm struggling guys I'm struggling and this is the area that I need help in please help me I'm telling you walls will come tumbling down And Then we move on to the third principle in what our response should be when we are facing a battle We fight as one body of believers I have the privilege of being a wildlife photographer And what that means is I get to spend large amount of times in rarely remote corners of the bush Specifically in Zambia the bushes like national parks And I spend so much time Watching and documenting animals and one of the most amazing things That I witness today is lion's hunting zebra Or zebra as you guys would say zebra as you know a black and white striped When they are that the black and white stripes are there for protection for predators Because when they are together in a it's called a dazzle of zebra a group of zebra a dazzle when they are in a dazzle of zebra The lions or predators cannot pinpoint out an exact pray Because they are all camouflaged and united together Those black and white stripes they cannot they cannot get in But it is extremely fascinating to see and I've seen it when a zebra Is pushed off to the side is not included in the main dazzle Who do you think gets hammered that guy And to prove this theory national geographic actually they took red paint And they painted one of the zebras feel sorry for this dude But they painted the zebra and in amongst this dazzle Who do you think the lions went for they could see and pinpoint a target out there So when we are facing battles together We have to be united if you are often your own I don't I don't care how strong you are you're going to get hammered You will The only way you can do this is if you fight the battle together united As one body as a church and what these no better place to do that than this Israel won the battle as a united body of believers Not as individual champions God's strategy is never a solo hero It's a united people If we read verse 13 from the story The seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of Rams horns before the Ark of the Lord walked on and they blew the trumpets Continually then the armed men were walking before them and the real guard was coming after the Ark of the Lord While the trumpets blew continually Every single person in this story had a specific role priests were blowing trumpets men of war were marching People were carrying the Ark armed men in front the real guard behind The victory of the Israelites shouting at the end every single part mattered Everyone had a specific role to play in this battle Imagine if the priest said on day two on a I'm not really needed for this I'll sleep in or the warrior said I'll just march from from camp The war would have stood Unity is not optional. It's how God chooses to fight his battles We heard in the pre-meeting earlier just about how words can come and disunity is formed That's the tack of the enemy because he knows when we stand together united No weapon formed against this church will prosper We all have a role to play in the battle Even if it's not your own It's vitally important And you might be here today thinking oh thank you Jesus. I'm on the mountain tops at this moment This isn't really for me You have got a greater responsibility to those around you Someone here will be struggling majorly in a battle It is your responsibility to care to love to outdo them in honor We have to stir one another up in the faith and we do that when we are united Ephesians 4 verse 16 says this Christ from whom the whole body joined and held together By every joint with which it is equipped when each part is working properly Makes the whole body grow so that it builds itself up in love Every single one of you have a specific part and role that only you can fill in this specific congregation And someone who is struggling and facing a battle might need exactly that from you So are you playing your part? Are you reaching out? Are you building one another up in love? Because I'm telling you there's no better place than to do these battles and struggles and life and joy In this church It's the reason why I pretty much travel every weekend for church in San Clemente or Newport UCSB is about three and a half hours by car or three hours by car I think But I catch the train almost every single Sunday since I came here last time. I've been pretty much every weekend except one or two and Yeah, I cycle to the train station get on the train. It's about a five-hour train And then I cycle on the other side to the lipos where I stay with some of the leaf students And all in all it's about a six-hour trip one way 12 hours round trip I'm not saying I expect you guys to do that, but I'm using that as an illustration to show you and say Church family this is so important. It's number one That this is it There's nothing better to live for than Jesus and His bride and doing it in this church and this congregation Nothing better And so no matter what you're facing when you are facing it together as a united body of believers You will know that they are going to be people who come help you stir you up in the faith Because you'll have a family that fights for you And it's hard Sometimes the battles are long as we saw and when the going gets tough We have to be united So look out for one another if you are on the mountain top at the moment and if you're in the valley Be looking and asking hey, I need help I need help in this battle Fourthly our fourth principle in facing these battles My favorite Worship is our warfare Worship is our warfare. I'm telling you It is the warfare verse 16 And at the seventh time when the priests had blown the trumpets Joshua said to the people Shout for the Lord has given you the city So the people shouted and the trumpets were blown and as soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet The people shouted with a great shout and the walls came down flat Guys worship is not a soundtrack. It is the strategy It is the strategy in a battle When we worship God as one body united walls begin to break Because there is power real power in worshipping the name of Jesus He deserves the praise the glory the honor the majesty it's him and him alone And so when we worship him what happens We take our eyes off our own struggles. Oh so pitiful We forget about who we are and we focus on who he is That's what worship does And so when we worship him in our battles We focusing on him his goodness his love his patience his care And he will get you through the battle and actually Actually let me let me just say this sometimes it's like oh man. It's it's it's hard to worship him But when you worship him despite this feelings he gets greater glory And so if he gets more glory for me when I'm in a struggle, but I continue to worship him Keep the struggles coming because I want to give Jesus the glory the majesty the honor the power Everything belongs to him who sits on the throne And so no matter what you're struggling with You have to worship him because it's not about you It's not about you. It's about who he is Look at Israel They worshiped before the walls came down Notice that order it wasn't like maddened the walls came down and then they're like yes, thank you Jesus you moving here No, they said thank you Jesus you moving here when they looked at a wall that was 40 foot high And then that wall came tumbling down You worship in your struggle Because that will give him the glory that will give him the honor and that will ultimately bring those walls tumbling down And so that's really what worship does It creates a posture in our hearts where we are soft and we are tender before the Lord In which it allows the Holy Spirit to come and move in us So the correct posture of your hearts in worship Becomes a highway for God's power to move It really does So are you worshiping him with all of your heart? Do you realize that he is the treasure in the field And you need to give him everything I count all things as loss for the sake of knowing you To live is Christ to die is gain. It is all about you It's all about him And so I also just want to yeah, there's something When when we do worship right sometimes it's hard Correct, I mean, I don't want you. I love to worship, but it's hard these times where you really don't feel like it Especially in a battle because it's like Lord why am I worshiping you? I'm struggling so much Have you ever thought why is that? Why is it so hard? Lost night just praying about today. I felt like God showed me this if it's a priority for God It's a priority for Satan If it's a priority for God it is a priority for Satan God's priority is that you worship the king on the throne Satan will do everything in his power to steal, kill and destroy that He does not want you to worship he wants you to give into your feelings He wants you to say oh, I'm defeated He wants you to do that because he knows if you worship God despite your feelings There is breakthrough and there's victory So he does not want you to worship the king who sits on the throne So when you get those feelings that come inside of you. Oh, I don't really want to worship. I don't know about this That is the enemy straight Identify seek kill destroy Jesus has come to give life and life to the fullest And that includes our worship we got to worship him from that So of course it's going to be hard But when we worship him enjoy and faith We have our weapon So even when nothing seems to be changing keep worshiping keep praising Because we don't worship him based off how we feel we worship him because of who he is In act 16 verse 25 and 26 Paul and Silas are imprisoned and we read about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God And the prisoners were listening to them And suddenly there was a great earthquake So that the foundations of the prison were shaken And immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's bonds were unforeseen Worship to God is what won them that battle They were in the dungeon prison cells singing hymns and praises to God Lord help me to be like that Hey in the middle of my chains i'm going to sing praises and hymns to God And what does God do? He comes and breaks Those chains so that every single door of that jail cell was opened And it goes on to say that people were saved through that Worship to God is what wins us battles So ask yourself search your heart say Lord search my heart And I giving you everything in this trial And I still worshiping you as I would if I was on the mountaintop Am I giving you the same praise the same glory? Are you exalting the Lord? Because he is worthy of our praise We sang great is the Lord greatly to be praised To be feared above all man to be feared above all gods And then lastly more close here the fifth point Remembering God's faithfulness fuels today's faith Israel could obey in Jericho because they remembered what God had done The Red Sea The Jordan River they just crossed the Jordan River before coming into the Promised Land God provided manner in the desert All the past victories When we look back and gaze on them The testimony of that is what will strengthen Our obedience and our fight today Psalm 77 verse 11 to 12 says I will remember the deeds of the Lord Yes, I will remember your wonders of old I will ponder on all your work and meditate on your mighty deeds Remembering adds praise and praise is what will win us battles So no matter what you are facing Remember what God has done in your life Look back in thankfulness for all that God has brought you through And all the victories that God has won in your life Take a second to ponder on that look back on all the victories God has done in your life Let that be an encouragement For any struggle that you are facing today or you are going to face And if you are struggling to think of something in which God has done Let me remind you of something The greatest wall That you will ever face in your life I guarantee it till the day you die is the wall of sin Separation from God Sin is that giant wall that separates us from God But Jesus's death on the cross his sacrifice Is what will bring that wall tumbling down It has come tumbling down Oh, death, where is your sting Death is defeated There is victory in the name of Jesus