So here we are first Sunday in the new building. I was excited to come to church. And so I was driving to the space and, and it's fun to drive to a space a little different than we were driving to the comedy club a couple years ago or, or when I was just, although, you know COVID season, it was kind of nice to stay in pajamas. And so, uh for that season, but I decided to put on pants today and come to the space now here in person. And so we are excited to be here. And so I was driving. Have you ever been in a good mood? And so you just kinda have a little pep, not even your step but pep in your drive, you know what I'm saying? And I was going and I'm just kind of driving and you kinda obviously look forward but you kind of look around, right? But then you catch eye contact with somebody and it's awkward, right? And so I'm just kinda like, and I kinda turn and someone's just like, and I don't, I'm not, I don't know what the proper etiquette is when you make eye contact with the car next to you. And so I was just like, and just kept going and then I was feeling pretty good and then somebody just passed me up because like, there is someone who had a song, I don't know what the song was but they were going for it. It made me look like I had no energy at all. Like the person next to me was just like, like one hand on the wheel just like going and they were just going to town and I felt that energy, you know, and you just, and clearly you sing that loud when you're in a car by yourself or you're a group of teenage girls. But other than that, like in a car, right? It's, it's weird if you're driving. And so it, it's cool when you got that song. Do you have a song that you can't help but belt out if it comes on the radio? Do you have that song? Right? I don't know what it is for you. And so you go through it and you belt it out and it's great when you have that song and it makes sense. But for everybody around you, it really doesn't make sense. Right? You're driving and you just quietly hear, see somebody except their eyes aren't closed because they're driving. And so it's like, like that and you're going, and it's like cheering and it's kind of fun. Well, it makes a difference when you can hear the music and then respond to the music. And so we wanna try to address two questions this morning here. Our first service in the new building is what are you listening to or more specifically? Who are you listening to? And then how are you responding? Because when you listen to God and then respond to God in the Bible that's known as worship. And so we're gonna talk about worship today and we are in this series where we're looking at the largest transition in the history of Israel in the Old Testament when Joshua led the people into the promised land. And so we're talking about the largest transition in Israel's history to prepare us for the largest transition in our church's history. And so in week one of our series and go back, watch it on youtube or download the podcast there on Apple podcasts. And in week one, it was all about preparation and we shared that past experience, prepares you for present obedience that Joshua was born a slave, that he was a worker, he became moses' assistant, he was a spy. He, he spied out the land, he thought that they could take the land, other people thought they couldn't. So now they're left wandering the desert for 40 years because of the lack of faith of somebody else. And so he's going through and they get right to the edge of the promised land and then Moses dies and Joshua is now handed the keys and said, ok, now lead this new generation over a million people who only know what being lost and wandering is like good luck. And so he was terrified and we said that but everything in his life up to that point had prepared him for that moment. And then last week in week two of our series, we talked about courage that while he was afraid, God came by and brought him courage and said, be strong and courageous. And we shared that courage is a calling. It is a choice. And then ultimately, it's a command. And so today, here, first Sunday new space, we're gonna talk about worship. What does it mean to worship? But before we jump into, we're gonna land ultimately land in Joshua chapter six. But I wanna discuss for a few minutes, an overview, an umbrella. If you will of understanding the concept or principle to worship, it's not merely singing, it's actually, I would define it this way that worship is giving everything you have to whom or what you value most that worship is giving everything you have to whom or what you value. You have been created to worship. But you've also been created worshiping, meaning it is natural, it is natural for somebody to sing, to repeat to elevate to lift up, right? When the movie frozen came out, I feel like we're still singing. Let it go. All these years later we can't do what the song says and it just keeps getting played and, and right, and the kids, naturally you don't have to teach them that they just repeat and sing and lift up. If you watch a sporting event, people go and they, they wear jerseys and they paint their faces and all of a sudden I'm just picturing next Sunday. Like, people come in Mission Grove, face paint like church. Yeah, they're like, you don't have to, but it's acceptable. Ok. You can, you can bring it in. We're non denominational. So, um, come in and you come in and like, people get amped up, right? They're high five and strangers that they have no connection with other than they're wearing a jersey, right? And they high five and go through or if you think about the hysteria that went down last year when it, when the release of Taylor Swift's tour tickets came out and I think broke the internet. It wasn't wreck it, Ralph, it wasn't Ralph that broke the internet. It was Taylor Swift and her tour and people got go crazy. Why? Because it is in our soul and our being to lift someone or something up that it is natural for us to lift up politicians or celebrities, actors, actresses, someone famous that we think. Wow. But in the sense of awe that it's even hard to explain where it's coming from. And so the idea of giving of our resources and our attention and our time to something is really what it means to worship. And that at its core, the most common thing or person that we worship here in America is self that we give what we have to ourselves. And we view the world simply through how is it going to benefit me. But when you worship someone or something that is not God that's called idolatry. And so even taking good things and putting them in the God spot leads to a troublesome situation. And so when we give what we have and who we are to the God who created us and we ascribe value, we lift it up and, and we understand that our, that God is priceless and, and just to clarify this too, I didn't even say this is the first service. So bonus to a point. It's not about giving value to God. It's about recognizing his existing value. Like, have you ever seen those old shows of antique roadshow and things where they had like this painting that was in someone's attic and they get it appraised. And it's like, actually this little painting is worth $25,000 and it's like, wow, that's crazy. When did that painting become worth $25,000? Well, it was, it was still worth that sitting in someone's attic. But what makes the show is that when somebody recognizes the value of something that they didn't before God is still God, whether you believe Him or not God, whether you worship Him or not, is doing just fine. But when you recognize when you praise God that you're recognizing His eternal value, and then it changes your perspective of Him, but also changes your perspective of you and the world around you. And so what is it, what is it that we do when we worship, when you worship God, you're doing three things. You are first, you are worshiping who he is. So he is all powerful. He's all knowing. He's the creator of the world. He's the savior. You're acknowledging the existence of God of who he is. But then you are also celebrating what God has done in the past. So you might go all the way back to the Bible and you, and you see the stories of God and you worship for what He's done or it might be what God's done in your life. So we're not sitting here in a building. We are sitting here in my mind in a miracle to think how far we've come from that first vision night there at my in-law's house that I didn't know if anyone was going to come to or a Bible study in a classroom with a broken projector stacked on textbooks or a pandemic that threatened to shut down the country. But then for a brand new organization, are we gonna make it to then running in a comedy club in a bar to in a school. And so we sit here and it's like, yes, this is a church service and yes, this is a building, but this is a miracle. This is a blessing. This is something that we can look back and say, wow God, you have been faithful then and you are faithful now and then a third component, you will be faithful in the future. You can worship God with what he's going to do. And what I love about these three components or aspects of worship is that you can, you can use these at any point in time. Meaning if you are walking through a health scare like cancer is not something like, yeah, God, I have cancer or a broken relationship or you're feeling anxious or overwhelmed or you lost a job or you're experiencing Brokenness in your deepest valley. You can worship God. There passages like Psalm 23 verse four. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Why? Because you are with me? Because those three things are still true. God is still good. God is still perfect and we know that He is good with what he did on the cross. And then we know God is good because I've read the end. And at some point there will be no more death, there will be no more cancer, there will be no more betrayal, there will be no more sickness that God will make all things new. And so we can worship and we can praise God and recognize his value with who he is, what he's done and what he's going to do. And so we say, you know what, I don't see my situation going well right now, but I'm gonna choose to walk by faith and not by sight. And it's not just singing, it's actually how we live. Romans 12 1 says I appeal to you, therefore, brothers by the mercies of God to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. This is your spiritual act of worship. And so it's not simply what we sing, it's how we live. There was a woman in a Samaritan woman in John chapter four who is asking Jesus, OK, which temple should I worship at? What, what, what is the better location? And Jesus responds back that it's not as much about the location and it is about your attitude and your posture because he says this in John 423 and 24 he says, but the hour is coming and now is here that when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth. And so we can do so with our attitude, with our posture, with our heart giving what we have to whom, whom we value most. Recognizing who God is, what he's done, what he's going to do that we lift up our hands and say God, we love you. But today I wanna talk to you about two less talked about aspects of worship because worship can actually help you win battles. In fact, worship is both a weapon and a walk that's gonna help you win the spiritual battles in your life. Worship is a weapon that you don't typically think. Like if you're gonna get into a fight with someone, you don't pull out. Amen. Right. Hallelujah. Praise God. Huh? Like, like you don't think of it as like a weapon and, or something through it, but it actually is and we're gonna see it that actually won a war and not only is it a weapon, it's actually a walk. It's a lifestyle. It's, it's a pace that we can take up as Christians and follow Jesus on a daily basis and not just a song or a group of songs that we sing on Sunday, but a promise and a truth that we play in our minds and in our lives every day of the week. And so, but we're gonna land in Joshua chapter six, but let's recap or let's actually walk through really set up for. How do we get to Joshua chapter six? Joshua is leading a million people. They've been wandering for 40 years. It's a completely new generation. God says I'm gonna give you this promised land and you're gonna take the land and so be strong and courageous. And so Joshua gathers all the people says we're gonna take the land. And then in Joshua chapter two, then he, he sends two spies out. And it's interesting that Joshua sends two spies, not 12 spies because Moses sent 12, 1 of them being Joshua. So he's got, he understands the role of a spy, but 10 of them came back and said we can't do it guys. They were left wandering for 40 years and I think Joshua was like, I'm not, I can't do another 40 years. And so I'm gonna send two and I'm gonna hand pick two guys that I know are gonna come back. And so he sends his best men. They go into this fortified walled up city known as Jericho and, and they were afraid for their lives. And so they end up in this prostitute's house. Now I'd be a little sketchy coming back and reporting that. Right. Well, Joshua went back, we ended up at this house. And so for our protection, we're like, uh ok, here I'm questioning, we won't go down too much down that storyline with kids in the room, but you can understand like what's going on. And so here is the spies, but actually this woman known as rehab, who's a part of the Canaanites in the city of Jericho who's seen as evil who's been pagan who is generationally rejected God and now living a lifestyle that's most likely rejected by her own people. And so it's a rejected evil pagan group that someone then is the least of out of that group. But she is there and simply does one thing that makes the difference. She believes, she says, I believe that your God is God. And so I'm gonna help you, takes them in, hides them, saves their lives. He says, now I just ask because I believe your God is my God. Please save my family. When you come into the city, we're gonna come back to rehab at the end of the morning. So hang on to that. But that's, that's Joshua chapter two. So they come back and say, hey, we can do it. Joshua chapter three, they say, OK, now we got to cross this really wide river. Normally, the Jordan river is not that wide, but it's, it's harvest time. And so it's flooding and so it's pretty wide and we got a million people. So how do we cross a river? You can go see the Jordan river today. It's still there and during harvest season, it still floods. And so is there. And so similar to how Moses cross the sea and, and God split the sea. God splits the river and stops the water upstream when the ark of the co presence of God goes through. And so this crazy miracle, they walk across this dry river bed. And then they get to the other side then in Joshua four, and they say, ok, we're gonna make them a monument to remember this. And so they do 12 big stones, 12 stones that represent the 12 tribes. They make a monument next to the river so that they can remember what God did. And then Joshua actually makes another monument in the middle of the river that only God will see. That's another cool by the way. And so he goes in and he says that only God will see because the water goes back over and there's this monument that only God can see. And so he's like, wow, we cross the river. It's a miracle. Everyone is afraid we get to Joshua chapter five. You're like, let's go. And then God says, oh, by the way, all the guys need to be circumcised. Hm, that's not bad already. Ok. Um And going through, but the reason they did that is because it's a whole new generation and at the time that was seen as the sign of the people of Israel. And so you're saying you need to recommit the entire generation to God. And so then not only do they get circumcised, they, they practice Passover. And so there was, there's only the third time ever that Passover had happened. So originally with Moses before they escaped Egypt, they did it on the one year anniversary. They didn't do it for the entire time they were wandering and then they did it. You know, we gotta get back to the understanding that God is deliverer. And when they did that, the the special food known as Manna stopped flowing and they started to eat from the land. And then Joshua encounters this angel who is the who says basically, you're gonna take the land. I'm gonna be with you. Some scholars actually say that this angel, the, the commander of the Lord's army is the pre incarnate version of Jesus that Jesus comes and actually says that Joshua I am with you. It's kind of a cool thing that even in the Old Testament, you got Jesus there on site saying I'm with you. And so he's ready to go. His army is a little sore, OK? And we'll leave it there and then, but they're ready to go. And so they get to Joshua chapter six. There's preparation. There is connection to God. There's dedication to who we are as a nation, who God is. Ok. God give me the plan and this is where we find Joshua chapter six verse one. Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because the people of Israel, if you saw a million people miraculously cross the river on dry land, you would be terrified too. And so everything's locked up says, none went out, none came in and the Lord said to Joshua see that I have given Jericho into your hand with its kings and mighty men of valor. This is awesome because that verb tense in Hebrew, it's a, it's a perfect tense. In other words, it is a future action described as if it already happened. Isn't that cool? It's something that's yet to happen that's described as already of having happened. I have given Jericho to you. And so in God's timeline, it's ahead. I wonder how many of us are hanging on to a promise that God gave you that you haven't realized yet, but we're hanging on to. And so we're seeing the verse three. He goes in here, it says you shall march around the city. All the men of valor going to going around the city once and then you shall do this for six days. And so you got a picture Joshua's taking notes. He's like, OK, cool or maybe it's like a feather. OK? Going in. All right, we're gonna march around the city. Got it. OK. Next. And you're gonna do this for six days. So just to clarify God, we're day one, we're gonna like scout right? March around the city. Got it. Day two. Still walking. OK. Got it. OK. Um How are we going to walk? Are we going to use like battering rams, scaling ladders, archery? Like we're gonna like flaming arrows that we're going to sharpen our swords? He goes, trumpets, you're gonna take some trumpets and he says seven priests. Um Actually verse four here. Yeah, seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of Ram's horn before the ark. And on the seventh day, you shall march around the city seven times and the priest shall blow the trumpets. Pause for a second. It's weird and it's even more weird when you understand its original context. I mean, here you are this warrior, you just crossed the river. You're about to take on this fortified city that terrifies most people. And your battle plan are trumpets anything? No, let me try it again. No. OK. Not only are they trumpets, they specify in here that it's Ram's horn. It's also known as the Saar or soar. The reason that's important is because it's not even the right trumpet for this situation, they would normally blow silver trumpets that was like war trumpets. So they had certain instruments that said we're about to take you heads up, right? Like we're coming, right? Like it's like, yeah, like it's silver, it's metal, it's like you got the armies lined up like you picture this movie we're gonna charge, right? Like it's gonna be great and we do, they're called jubilee trumpets like who is terrified of something called jubilee, right? You're gonna take the jubilee trumpets and so it's not a war trumpet. It is a praise trumpet. It's known for festivals and celebrations. And so it says you're gonna take that with you and seven represents the completeness and perfection of God. And so you got seven priests seven trumpets marching seven days and seven times on the seventh day. And so it goes around with the ark of the covenant and the verse five, when they make the long blast of the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all people shall shout with a great shout. Ok. This is, hold up, God. We're walking around, we got trumpets and now we're shouting like fall down, well, fall, fall down like like this. Like this does not seem like a winning battle plan, does it? We're just shouting, why? With a great shout and the wall of the city will fall down flat and the people shall go up everyone straight before him. Why with the ark of the covenant representing the presence of God? They're saying your weapon for this battle is worship and your strategy is simply to walk where I tell you to walk. Worship is not just a song we sing on a Sunday, but it is a weapon that we can use to win the battles in our lives. So verse six, Joshua does what he says, Joshua, the son of nun called the priests and said to them, take the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams horn before the ark of the Lord. And he said to the people go forward, march around the city and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the Lord. What's interesting here as he doesn't expand each day. So imagine being the military, not having heard the voice of God receiving your orders. Ok. Trumpets. Cool. OK. What are we doing? We're gonna walk so day one you're walking around like all right. Oh. And he told them they would be silent, I think, partially. So they could hear the trumpets and partially. So they wouldn't complain because you know, you're complaining if you're just a soldier ready to fight. All right, or am I bringing my sword? No, you don't need the sword. What are we doing? We're walking like I almost picture like Joshua giving the string like they do kindergarten teachers like walking down the hallway. Just kind of like, ok, we're almost there guys like we're, we're gonna take the promised land. I'm a soldier. This is what I signed up for it, you know, and they get home and they, you know, the wife and kids are like, wow, warrior father, tell me of your epic journey today. Well, son, I walked, then I walked again and I walk some more. They look like the guy at the gym that doesn't actually do anything that just goes from equipment to equipment. You know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? Those laughing get at those that don't laugh might be that person at the gym. You know what I'm saying? Like you walk up, grab something, you know, it looks good. OK. Yeah. You know, I'm like, I didn't do anything like the soldiers had to feel that way, but they follow up came verse 12. Then Joshua rose early in the morning and the priest took up the ark of the Lord and the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of ram's horn before the ark of the Lord walked on and they blew the trumpets continually and the armed men. So there was a few of them that were armed there with around the ark were walking before them. And the rear guard was walking after lark of the Lord while the trumpets blew continually. And the second day, they marched around the city once and returned the camp and they did this for six days. Sometimes I wonder what happens if they stop day three? What happens if they stop day four? What happens if they stop day six? Because it's not like the wall came down a little bit each day. Like we love to see progress, don't we? Like if you, if you do something and you work hard and you don't see progress. It's the most frustrating thing, right? It's the most frustrating thing. Imagine being that soldier, like really we're walking again. But if they had stopped on day five or day six, they would have missed the miracle. We come back to that in just a second verse 15. On the seventh day, they rose early at the dawn of the day. They marched around the city and in the same manner seven times. And it was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. And at the seventh time when the priest had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, shout for the Lord has given you the city. When he did that, the walls came crumbling down and victory was experienced in another miracle that could not be explained other than God. See, worship is a weapon, but worship is also a walk. And so yes, they didn't have strategy. They didn't have their weapons. They weren't fighting, but they were walking with something. They were actually walking with four things. And the first three you'll recognize from the first two weeks of our series together. So repeat here, but we're gonna add 1/4 today. First, they were walking in God's promises. God promised them the land, promised them victory over Jericho. And it's the same word of God that gave them Manna for 40 years. The same word of God that delivered them from the Egyptians. It's the same word of God that just allowed them to cross a river. And so if God told us to do something, if God told us it was gonna happen, we can trust that it's gonna happen in church as Christians today, we have the promises of God that if you believe in his name, that you will be saved. If you believe in his power, it says that the Holy spirit is gonna be in you. It says in Romans 831 that God is for you. And if God is for you, who can be against you, it says in there, Joshua 19 that God is with you. In Ephesians 210, it says that you are God's workmanship. In other words, you were created on purpose with a purpose that God has given you a task. He has given you a job. He has given you the ability to respond and to live out. And when we do that, that's worship. He gives you the promise that says that I will forgive you. It says in first John 19, that when we confess our sins, that He is just and faithful to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and so church, whatever you're walking through. I don't know why things are happening, but I can tell you that God is for you. God is with you. God is in you. God works through you and God loves beyond you and that you can walk in those promises. But then you see God's power. Think about this. Not only do we have Joshua's story, we have jesus' story who rose from death. So if Jesus defeated death, what are we afraid of? And then He says, I'm with you. So we just showed that here that He is not only his promises, not only his power, not only his presence, but then we're adding today the source and that you have God's praise. That's why church we can walk by faith, not by sight because it is a rhythm in scripture where God gives something first and then ask for something second. And the reason for that is because the action is not required, but rather a response to the gift of God. See most religions operate as a requirement for the blessing of God. But grace receiving something that you don't deserve. Even that definition there in Romans 12, by the view of God's mercies receiving the mercies of God, therefore do this. Abraham was given a promise to Son Isaac was given to him. And then God asked him to potentially place his son on the altar and then provided the difference. The most famous verse in the Bible, John 316 for God so loved the world that he gave his only son. So that whosoever believes, see it is not requirement for but response to. And when you respond to the gift and the promises of God that my friends is called worship. This is why we can say worship is a weapon and a walk that will help you win the spiritual battles in your life. I don't know what you're facing today. I don't know what walls are keeping, keeping you up at night. It's a relational wall, it's a financial barrier. It's an addiction that you're quietly battling that you think no one will understand you. You start to fight negative self talk. I'm not good enough. I'm not strong enough. I'm not smart enough. It is a betrayal and a hurt that someone that was the closest to you hurt you deeper than you could ever have imagined. And now you're not sure how you could trust anyone ever again. I don't know what your circumstance is, but I can tell you that we have a God that promises victory, that we have a God that will fight the battles for you, that we can worship who God is, what God has done and what God is going to do. And we know that in our deepest valleys, in our darkest moments and our questions of doubt that God is here, that God is real, that God will provide that there is reconciliation. That is possible that there is a new job that is possible that there is a church building. That is possible that there is a ministry that is getting started. Yeah, you can clap for that. That's good because God is just getting started church. It was after the promised land that they had to fight the battles. That church. We are gonna begin to reach and serve and share the gospel with this community. But we've got a fight and our fight is not flesh and bones. It is spiritual. And the only way we can do that is through worshiping the God who loves us. And I'm gonna end with this thought. I mentioned Rahab earlier in this, in the sermon, what is it that Ray have the prostitute from Jericho and Joshua have in common. One is the leader of a nation, a man of God and one was a rejected person of a rejected pagan culture. They both believed and see that one action of belief by rehab, not only saved her family, it changed the generational legacy. See rehab became mom to Boas. Boa became the father of Obed, who then became the father of Jesse, who became the father of King David. And you follow that line all the way down. And Rahab is in the genealogy of Jesus. Joshua's faith changed the nation. Rehab's faith changed her generational family legacy forever. And all it took was belief to respond what God has already given. I'll give you that opportunity right now with heads bowed and eyes closed. If you've never received this gift of eternal life, this belief and not just religion, but rather relationship with God. I invite you to pray along with me because one moment could change everything. Dear garden. I know that I'm a sinner. I'm struggling, I'm hurting and I know I can't make it through this life on my own. I've tried it. It doesn't work for God. You sent your son Jesus to die on a cross for my sins. And when you rose again, you gave victory, not just to the world, but in my life, I believe in you as Lord and savior and I commit my life to you. May my life now be an act of worship in response to what you have already given to me. Not because I deserved it, but because you are good. Thank you for saving me. I give my life back to you in worship, in your son's name. We pray. Amen.