Have I Not Commanded You | Part 4 | Joshua 6:1-25

Title: The Battle of Jericho: Obedience, Resistance, and Surrender to God's Plan

Sermon Summary: This sermon explores the battle of Jericho as recorded in Joshua 6, highlighting three key responses to God's commands: resistance (Jericho), obedience (Israel), and surrender (Rahab). The pastor emphasizes that all things are ultimately devoted to the Lord, either through destruction or through life. The sermon underscores the importance of trusting and obeying God even when His instructions seem unconventional or illogical, and it presents Rahab as a prototype of redemption and inclusion in God's covenant people.

Key Points:
- Jericho's resistance to God led to its destruction
- Israel's obedience to God's unconventional battle plan led to victory
- Rahab's faith and surrender led to her salvation and inclusion in Israel
- God's judgment on sin is not withheld forever, but His patience is meant to lead to repentance
- Obedience to the Lord is the only path to victory in spiritual battles
- Surrender to God is the only path to true life
- All things are ultimately devoted to God, either through destruction or through life

Scripture Reference:
- Joshua 6:1-25 (primary text)
- Deuteronomy 20:16-18
- Genesis 15:16
- Romans 2:4-5
- Hebrews 11:30-31
- James 2 (faith and works)
- Philippians 2:10-11

Stories:
- The battle of Jericho and the falling of its walls
- Rahab hiding the Israelite spies and being saved along with her family
- The story of Abraham's covenant with God (Genesis 15)
- Brief mention of Jonah and Nineveh as an example of God's desire for repentance