Faith Tested is Faith Triumphant. Sometimes, the test requires us to go around in circles.

What is Faith?

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1 NIV)

• Don’t expect your Faith to make sense in the natural.
• We get stuck here, simply because we are trying to make sense of what is not supposed to make sense.
• God is not expecting you to have a full understanding…but He is expecting you to obey.

And WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that HE REWARDS THOSE WHO EARNESTLY SEEK HIM. (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)

• Sometimes, the testing of our faith does not make sense.
• Faith demands movement.
• The motion does not always have to be forward. Sometimes the movement of faith can be in circles.

As long as your movement is in synch with God’s, your circling is not aimless.

• Don’t just read the Bible, but circle around the promises.

Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.” (Joshua 6:1-5 NIV)

What can we learn from the walls of Jericho

#1 Faith Involves Us Following the Lord

• Often times, we get this mixed up: Who’s side is God on?

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, (Joshua 5:13 -14 NIV)

• God does not pick sides.
• The real question here is: Are you on God’s side?
• Your faith should always respond – I am on the Lord’s side!

#2 Faith Involves Worship

When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. (Joshua 6:8 NIV)

• There is something very powerful when we respond to attacks of the enemy with worship. It is our declaration of how faithful and powerful our God is!

#3 Faith Involves Silence

But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. (Joshua 6:10 NIV)

• Silence allows us to hear the voice of the Lord who goes before us.
• Silence is a position of humility, an indication that we are in the presence of someone who is greater.

#4 Faith Involves Development

• Jericho was not taken in one day. It took seven days of going around in circles.

We also glory in tribulations, knowing that (Faith in the middle of) tribulation produces PERSEVERANCE; and perseverance, CHARACTER; and character, HOPE. (Romans 5:3-4 NKJ)

• Faith in tribulations produces PERSEVERANCE
• Faith in tribulations produces CHARACTER
• Faith in tribulations produces HOPE

When you circle around the promise God gave you, the walls that stand in the way will fall.

• After 400 years, God delivered on His promise. God has no expiration date on His promises.
• 1000 years later (Mark 10:46), after the fall of Jericho, Jesus also made a full circle and came to Jericho where 2 blind men were waiting for Him “Lord, Son of David have mercy on us”. “What do you want me to do for you? – Jesus asked.
• Jesus made them verbalize their desire. He wanted them to draw a circle around what they were believing God for?

What are you believing God for? Would you circle around that promise?

CONCLUSION
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?