Friday, April 24, 2020

House of Salvation

Never before we have seen or heard, people spending time with their families.
Husbands helping wives at home.
Family Spending time together.
No matter what you like something or don't like something, you got to stay in your home with your family.

No hanging out with friends, No partying outside. No Fun trips, No vacation rides, No Holiday travels. everything stopped.

Just stay at home, with your family.
No body would have ever imagined a time like this would ever come.
But it came.

Joshua 6
23 And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel

A woman and all her relatives in one house.
Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, her sisters, and probably brothers families, sisters families. How many people minimum 7 people.



Rahab Received the Word.

Joshua 1:8-12
Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. 10 For 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 the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. 12 Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me [c]a true token,

The biggest problem in peoples lives is receiving the Word.
You may hear the Word, but do you receive it with gladness.
People who receive that gift will stay with them and work for them.
She heard about how 40 years back incident God parted the red sea.
She also heard recent incident of how God helped Israel to defeat sihon and og.

She not only believed what hapenned in past, and what is happening now but she also believed that she could be saved.


When we hear the Word. do you receive it


One person in a family receive the Word, whole household is saved.
Does not matter whether you are a boy, girl, man or woman. whoever you are, you receive the Word, your whole household will be saved.


Faith: 

Faith works by Action. Rahab didnt just say I believe in God, She received them and sent them another way.

James 2:24-25
24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

Identification
When you receive the Word, you Identify with Israel instead of Jericho.

Iam not ashamed of the gospel.
Public identification with God changes your covering.


That Word kept all of them together.


So Rahab brought all her parents, her relatives and everyone related to her to her house.
See the great thing they all have listened to her and came into her house.
Remember, Lot went out to bring his sons in law but they did not come.
Because there was no fear in the city of Sodom.

But when Rahab said they all came, because there was already fear of Israelites in the city of Jericho.

Sodom never had seen destruction before so Lots sons in law did not come,
 Noahs time people didnt have fear of God. so they did not receive the warning signs.

But When Rahab shared the news to her relvatives, everyone came because into Rahabs house because there was already fear in everyones heart.
Sometimes when love does not work, fear works.
Recently the message about judgement does wonders. Nineveh got their act together because there was judgement.


Can you tell me some other instances in bible where 7 or more stayed in one place and waiting for great miracle of God.

Noah and his family - 8 
Jesus disciples - in Upper Room - 120
After Ascent, Apostles and disciples in the upper room.

House -Comfortable? Easy for all the people to dwell together.

Why are you all staying together in one house? 

Because you love your family so much that you dont want to leave them for a minute?You cannot spend a minute with out being with family?
The only reason why people are staying at home is Safety.

Safety is the reason. There is safety in your house.

But when Rahab Brought all the people
The Spies said ,  whoever is in thehouse, they shall be saved, but whoever goes out their blood be on their own head.

19 So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be [f]guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his [g]blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20 

There were so many people in the city of Jericho. Every one was afraid of Israelites, even Rahab was also afraid.
But one thing that set apart Rahab from all of the Jericho was She Received the Word, Received men of God.

Till the Spies came to Rahabs house, that was house of harlotry. but when men of God came into the house, and the Rahab received them and she beleived in God, that house turned into house of Salvation. Not only for her, but all of her family.


Ultimately she joined with Israels camp in chapter 6.

Be under one house.

Stick together - even though its not comfortable
In Church, not everyone is same. we see people from different backgrounds. But Stick together just like Rahab and her family were in that home. No one went out.
Because it is in the house of salvation , you are safe.

Remember , many people dont get established in the Church, they go out because of their desires and they get lost.


The Church you go to, Be faithful. Stick together in times of trouble, in times of joy, in times of challenges.

HOPE: SCARLET CORD

Finally , what saved Rahab and family is the Scarlet Cord in the Window of Rahabs house.

Scarlet Cord represents the blood of Christ.
The Blood of Christ is the only saving hope.
When the blood was applied on the doorpost, Israel families were saved.
and when the Scarlet Cord was tied at the window, Rahab and all her household got saved. 

Never go out of the house of Scarlet cord. Only the House that has the Scarlet cord is safe,


STICK WITH YOUR CHURCH. - BECAUSE ITS THE ONLY HOPE.


Matthew 1
Joshua 2:13
13 and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.”

18 unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you [e]bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home.

Scarlet Cord


Luke 24:25-27

25 Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He [g]expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.



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