FOR WHOM THE HEAVENS OPEN- PART 18: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE – SPECIAL RCCG ONLINE SUNDAY SERVICE, 18TH JUNE, 2023.

SPECIAL RCCG ONLINE SUNDAY SERVICE

TOPIC: FOR WHOM THE HEAVENS OPEN – PART 18 (CASE STUDY OF J9SHUS (PART 5) – THE ISSUE OF A SIEGE AND LESSONS LEARNT)

MINISTERING: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE

DATE: 18TH JUNE 2023

BIBLE TEXT: JOSHUA 6:1

Let Us Pray!

SONG

What a Mighty God we serve (Hallelujah)
What a Mighty God we serve (Hallelujah)
Heaven and Earth Adore Him
Even Angels bow before Him
What a Mighty God we serve.

OPENING PRAYER

Almighty God, the One who is Stronger than the Strongest; Higher than the Highest; Wiser than the Wisest; the Almighty God Himself.

The One who is Completely Unlimited – Unlimited in Strength, Unlimited by Age, Unlimited by anything; we Worship You.

We want You to know that we are Proud of you – Proud that You are our Father; we are Proud because we know that if You are on our Side, Nobody can Stand against us; we are Proud because we know that if our Daddy opens a Door, Nobody can shut it, when You shut a Door, Nobody can open it; we are Proud because we know that we are More Than Conqueror simply because of your Love for us.

Father, accept our Worship in Jesus Name.

Today, as we gather before You; in the lives of everyone of us, Please Prove Yourself, show Yourself to be the Almighty God.

In Jesus Mighty Name we have Prayed – Amen!

Praise the Lord – Hallelujah!

Well, shake hands with some couple of People and say: The Almighty God will take care of you.

And Please be seated!

We are now moving to the Part 18 of our Study on the Life of Joshua as Someone for Whom the Heavens Open.

And our Bible Text today will be: Joshua 6:1:

Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.

We have learnt in the Past that:

I. If God is for us, we will be More Than a Conqueror.

II. We have also learnt about the Dangers of what could happened if God should be against us.

III. We have learnt that anything that can cause God to be against us, we must run away – For Example, run away from Pride.

IV. We have learnt that because He is the Almighty, that all we need to do as His Children is to believe Him, Trust Him and leave our Future into His Hands.

V. We have learnt that we must show Him Gratitude after every Victory because after one Victory, there may be another fight that you will need Him again.

But then, we now come to our Passage of today (Joshua 6:1) – Jericho was under a Siege. And so, we want to discuss about the Issue of a Siege!

What is a Siege?

In the Olden days, one of the best ways of defending a City is to build a Wall round about it and then in the four (4) Corners of the Wall; there will be “Watch Towers” and there will be People Manning the “Watch Towers” – Watching Out for enemies approaching the City.

When the Man on the “Watch Tower” sees the Enemies coming; he will Sound the Alarm and all the Members of the City that are Outside will run in quickly and the Gate of the City will be shut.

By the time the Enemies will arrive, those who are Natives of the City feel safe inside because the Wall will keep the Enemies out.

And then, the Enemies will now stay put Outside there and say: Alright, you have run inside, stay there we will Camp out here and be waiting for you – Sooner or later, you will come out and meet us here.

So, the Purpose of a Siege therefore is to Starve those who are inside. Because once they are in, they can’t come out to Trade – They are shut in!

The Bible says that those who are in can’t come out; even as those who are out can’t come in.

Something to say clearly about the issue of a Siege – If you don’t run in when the Man on the “Watch Tower” sounded the Alarm, and the Gate is shut (You are outside when the Gate is shut); oh you become easy Prey for the Enemies!

The Purpose of a Siege is to Starve those who are inside!

2 Kings 6: 24-30 – When the King of Syria laid a Siege on Samaria; after a long time, food dried up and the situation got so bad that women began to eat their Children.

You know the Story – It is a very terrible situation.

When two (2) women living together can sit down and say: Let’s eat my own Child first and then we will eat your own tomorrow – Terrible situation a Siege can be.

However, if everything you need is inside the City, then sooner or later, the Siegers – Those who came to attack you, will get frustrated because they will run out of Supplies and then they will leave.

Of course, some Siegers can be very, very Resourceful – Thet can send People home to go and bring more Resources so that they can stay there Permanently.

Why do we need to discuss the Issue of a Siege?

It is because the Life of a Christian is like a City in a Siege.

I. A Christian is like Someone living in a City, surrounded by a Wall, only that this time the Wall is a “Wall of Fire”.

In Zechariah 2:5 is the Promise of the Almighty God that He will build around us a Wall of Fire – Which is beautiful.

It means that if the Enemies tries to come in, they will be roasted.

But of course, it means that if you try to go out; you will be roasted too.

II. Not only that – 1 Peters 5:8 says: Hey, don’t go out because there are Lions outside.

It says: Be sober, be vigilant because your Enemy like a Roaring Lion is walking about, seeking who he may devour.

You go out of the City, the People waiting outside will be happy to have you.

In the case of a Christian however, you can survive any Siege – Why?

Because everything that you need is inside your City.

Philippians 4:19 says: My God shall Supply all your Needs (Not Some) according to His Riches in Glory in Christ Jesus.

… Everything that you can ever need as a Christian, He Supplies!

John 10:10 says: Yes, the Enemies Outside there has come to kill, to steal and to destroy but I am here to give you Life and Life more Abundantly.

Within a City – The City of God where every Christian is supposed to be:

I. Healing is available – 1 Peter 2:24.

You don’t have to go to the world to look for Healings; your Healings has been Provided for more than 2,000 years ago – By His Stripes, you were healed.

II. You don’t have to go into the world to look for Prosperity; you don’t have to go to the Herbalist for Charms so that you can Prosper because Prosperity is within your City.

3 John 1:2 says: I wish you above all things that you may Prosper and be on Health even as your Soul Prospers.

III. You don’t have to go to the world to look for Money.

Haggai 2:8 says: All the Money you need is with your God – The Lord says that Silver is mine, Gold is mine.

IV. You don’t have to go to the world to look for Joy.

Psalms 16:11 says: In the Presence of God, there is the Fullness of Joy.

V. Yes, a Christian is under Siege, surrounded by the world; but you don’t need to go Outside to get Drunk – You can be drunk in the Holy Spirit

You want to be “High”; you can’t get “Higher” than when you are Full of the Holy Spirit!

On the Day of Pentecost, when they saw the People rejoicing, when they are filled with the Holy Spirit; some People thought that they were drunk.

VI. You don’t have to go Outside to look for Peace.

Within the City of God, you have Peace.

John 14:27 – Jesus Christ said: Peace I give you, my Peace I leave with you; not like the Peace of the world that won’t Last.

… My Own Peace is one that will last Permanently!

VII. Within the Besieged City of the Christian, you don’t even have to worry about what will happen tomorrow.

Colossians 1:27 says: Christ in you, the Hope of Glory!

So yes, when you become a Christian, you will become like Somebody living in a “Besieged City” – But everything that you need is “In” and so you don’t have to go “Out”. And so you should be happy that you are “In”.

However, we need to learn some “Serious Lessons” about this Revelations:

1. You are “In” and so you better stay “In”.

Because the Bible describes the City which you are as Light – Outside is Darkness.

Ephesians 5:8 says: Hey, once upon a time, you used to walk in Darkness but now you are in the Light and you must walk as Children of Light.

… You must “Stay In” to begin to enjoy the benefits of being Besieged by Forces of Darkness Outside and you are dwelling in Light.

The Bible describes Backsliding: That is going back into the world; as a dog returning to its vomit – 2 Peter 2: 20-22.

You are once in the world, you are once enjoying in what the world called Enjoyment:

I. Getting Drunk.

II. Waking Up with Headaches and reaching out for more Alcohol.

III. Boasting that you need a Curse to cure a Curse.

And then suddenly, God opened your eyes and you saw all the Foolishness that you have been calling Enjoyment and then you Crossed over to Light!

… Don’t go back to Darkness!

Only a dog:

I. A dog that vomited something because that thing irritated it.

II. Then after a while, it will say: Well, I think that is food and I better go back.

The Bible says in 1 John 2: 15-17 – It says: Hey, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world because if you Love the world, it can only means that the Love of God is not in you!

You go back to the world; He is saying that the world is going to Pass away, the world is going to Perish – If you go back to the world then you run the risk of Perishing with the world.

2. When you are “In”; when you claimed to be a Child of God; Please be totally.ly “In”.

Because one of the things about a Besieged City is that if anybody in the City is sneaking out of the City; if the People within saw Somebody sneaking out; they will Push the Fellow out Permanently so as not to endanger the rest of the People.

Because if the People Outside can see just a Little Crack in the Wall; they will take Advantage of that,

That is why the Elders say: If there is no Crack on the Wall, a Lizard will not Pass through.

This is what God is saying in Revelation 3: 15-16 – When He says: Hey, if you want to be Cold, be cold; if you want to be Hot, be hot.

That is: If you want to be “IN” be in; if you want to be “OUT” be out!

But if you want to have two (2) worlds – One leg in, one leg out; He said that I will kick you out.

I’m sure that many of us didn’t fully understand the Story in Acts 5: 1-11.

You know the Story – A Couple sold a Piece of Land and brought Part of the Money.

The Man of God said: Is this all? Nobody forced them to bring the Money – They choose to and they lied and they were killed.

This is in the New Testament and not in the Old Testament – In the Age of Grace.

Then you will understand why the Punishment is so severe?

Because People wanted to bring Hypocrisy into the Church.

If you want to be “In” be in; if you want to be “Out”, be out!

Every Agent of the devil that is hibernating in the Church of God, may the Almighty God uproot them – Amen!

So, you as Someone that in “In” and you know that you are Besieged by Forces of Darkness Outside, wanting to come “In”; you have to deal with any Part of your Life that still want to go back to the world.

Colossians 3: 1-10 – It says: Now, you are “In”; focus on Heavenly Things, take your Decision, make sure that you want to stay with the Lord all the days of your Life and then every Parts of your body/flesh that still loves the world Mortify it.

Another word for “Mortify” is to “Kill It”.

Don’t say that I have only one “Little Weakness” – Deal with it now!

Because according to 1 Corinthians 5: 1-7, just a Little Leaven, will leaveneth the whole Lump.

Any Part of you that longs for the Old Way, deal with it.

I’m sure that you might not be hearing this kind of Sermons from too many Sources but this is how to remain More Than a Conqueror!

You need to know that you are like a City under a Siege – To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

There is Nothing as terrible as being an Ex-Christian.

It is my Prayer that those of you who are already “In”; Nothing will ever take you “Out” again in Jesus Name – Amen!

That is why it is so Painful to God to hear of a Child of God going back to Herbalist or some “Fake Prophets” here and there, to go and then begin to buy “Red Candles”; “Green Candles” when you already left Jesus Christ the Light of the world.

… Stay “In” and do so Permanently!

And according to Hebrews 7:25 – He is able to save to the uttermost.

So, when you hear Somebody like me hammering again and again – Be Holy, Be Holy; I know what I am talking about:

I. I have seen as Young as I am, Mighty People, Mighty Men and Women of God who had Performed Miracles, Signs and Wonders and they end up saying that we are not even sure if Jesus Christ is alive.

II. I have read of an Arch Bishop who on Retirement took his Cassock and Bible and threw them into the River; saying all he has been Teaching are lies.

DMC NOTES: Cassock is a long garment worn by Roman Catholic and other Clergy both as Ordinary Dress and under Liturgical Garments. For Liturgical and Public Ceremonies of the Church, Cassocks are of one Colour – White for the Holy Father; Scarlet for Cardinals; Purple for Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops, Protonotaries Apostolic, and Prelates of Honour; and Black for Priests.

Be Warned “True Child of God”; you are like a City under a Siege. “Stay In” one hundred Percent (100%) and you will be okay.

If you are sitting in a Room full of Light at Night and you Point just one finger out of the Window into the Darkness Outside. If a Snake is Passing by and bit your finger, the Poison will kill your body that is inside.

Don’t say that I didn’t tell you – I told you because I am your father and I want to see you in Heaven one day.

And I know that by the Grace of God, you will make it to Heaven in Jesus Name – Amen!

ALTAR CALL

As for those of you who are not yet in – You are living in the Camp of satan, living all the days of your Life in Darkness.

Don’t you know that you are in Danger? Don’t you know that all manners of evil things happen in Darkness?

But you can Cross Over to Light today; you can translate out of the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Light.

And if you will Cross Over to the Side of the Lord Jesus Christ; He will surround you with His Light for the rest of your Life and you will live in Victory.

So, if you will love to give your Life to Jesus Christ; Please bow your Head now and cry to Him (God).

And say: You are the Light of the world Lord, I will rather be with You in Light than stay with Satan in Darkness – I Prefer Light.

Save my Soul and move me into Your City – The City of Light and I will serve You one hundred Percent (100%) for the rest of my Life.

Call on Him now and He will be Willing to save your Soul now!

Thank You Father. In Jesus Mighty Name we have Prayed – Amen!

PRAYER FOR SALVATION AND CLOSING PRAYER

Lord God Almighty, I am Thanking You now on behalf of Your Children who have heard Your Words or read now on the Label of DMC. And they have made up their Minds Lord God Almighty that they want to surrender to You Lord Completely.

Please receive them, have Mercy on them, let Your Blood wash away their sins, save their Souls Oh Lord, bring them into Your Kingdom of Light and keep them Inside forever.

I Pray Lord God Almighty that let no Forces of Darkness be able to touch them again.

Thank You my Father.

I’m Praying for all those who are “Already In”; Please Lord God Almighty, keep us “Permanently In”, don’t let us Stray, don’t let us return to our vomit – Let us remain Permanently in Your Light forever.

In Jesus Mighty Name we have Prayed – Amen!

Praise the Lord – Hallelujah!

Now, I rejoice with those of you who has given your Life to Jesus Christ; and I want to Promise you by the Grace of God that I will be Praying for you from now on.

So, Please contact me as quickly as Possible so that I can know your names, your Address and your Prayer Requests.

And I Promise you by the Grace of God that I will be Praying for you.

And Please Contact the Nearest The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) to you – Tell the Pastor there that I sent you and he will tell you what to do next.

God Bless You – Amen!!!

Thank you so much for staying all through to read.

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