The Community Church: Sermons and teaching

Heavenly Father. We thank you so much that we are able to come to you this morning in the name of your wonderful son, Jesus We thank you, Holy Spirit, that you are present here with us and that you love us and that you believe in us and that you care for us and you want to build us up.

So as we open up your word and read a familiar story to many of us with just us, that we'll come again and you'll speak to us not just to fill our head with knowledge, but that will make a difference tomorrow and Tuesday and Wednesday and the rest of our lives. We love you so much and thank you.

Amen. Thank you. It is great to be with you. I'm going to shift for a while. Then Diane will come to finish off and she is going to get her testimony which will put to practice what I'm sharing and I trust that will help you. I wonder if you turned to scriptures. Please. The first one is in one Corinthians chapter one and the second is in Joshua, Chapter two.

We have one avowed intent this morning, and that is to encourage you better than to bring you down, isn't it? I've come to bring you down. I've come to encourage you. Having said that, the first scripture I'm going to read, please don't let it discourage you, okay? Because that's a good place to start. It's in one Corinthians chapter one and verse 26.

Well, I love because the Scriptures so candid and straight with us. And this is what Paul writes in one Corinthians chapter one first 26. I'm reading from the New Living translation today, and he says this, Remember, dear brothers and sisters, very few of you were wise in the world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God deliberately chose the things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they're wise.

Don't worry, it gets better. And God chose those who are powerless to shame, those who are powerful. And God chose the things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all and used them to bring them to nothing. What the world considers important so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God. God doesn't call perfect people just make you feel better.

Doesn't call perfect people, but He makes those that he calls perfect. But he takes what the world says is nothing, and he makes something of us. And this morning we're going to look at a story, a lady. And really, I want to impress upon you the incredible consequence what happens when you say yes to God, the incredible consequence way beyond even your lifetime of when you say yes to God.

So going to hopefully blow your heads a little bit. Never underestimate the significance of when you say yes to God. It has incredible significance and importance for you. Have you ever said yes to God? Yeah. Well done. And we're going to read the story of a lady called rehab. Have you heard of rehab? And many of you will know the story about the Battle of Jericho.

And we concentrate on so many things, but oftentimes we forget one of the most important people in Bible history who was there, a lady called Rehab. So we're going to read some verses from Joshua chapter two. And the back story is that the new generation is has come through and and they're waiting to cross over the Jordan River to enter the land of Canaan, to take possession of the land of Canaan.

So they haven't crossed over Jordan yet. They're about to do that. And this happens. Chapter two, it says, Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia, and he instructed them spy out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho. So the two men set out and they came to the house of a prostitute named Rehab.

And they stayed there that night. But someone told the king of Jericho, some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land. So the king of Jericho sent orders to rehab. Bring out the men who've come into your house. They're spies. Sent you to discover the best way to attack us. Rahab, who had hidden the two men, replied, Well, the men were here earlier, but I didn't know where they came from.

And they left the city at dusk as the city gates were about to close. And I don't know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them. But she'd actually taken them up on the roof and hidden them beneath piles of flax. So the king's men went looking for the spies along the road, leading to the shallow crossing places of the Jordan River.

And as soon as the king's men had left, the city gate was shut. Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. I know Yahweh is giving you this land, she told them. We're all afraid of you. Everyone's living in terror. We've heard how you are. We made a dry path for you through the Red Sea.

When you left Egypt. We know what you did to Simon and all the two Emirate kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you destroyed. The wonder our hearts have melted in fear. No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For Yahweh, your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.

That's an amazing thing to say. Now, swear to me by Yahweh that you will be kind to me and my family since I've helped you give me some guarantee that when Jericho is conquered, you'll let me live along with my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters and all their families. We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety.

The man agreed. If you don't betray us, we'll keep our promise. When Yahweh gives us the land, then. No, no, listen. This is the plot then. Since rehabs House was built into the city wall, she let them down by a rope through the window, escape to the hill country. She told them, Hide there for three days until the man who was searching for you returned, then going your way before they left.

The men told her, We can guarantee your safety only if you leave this scarlet robe hanging from the window. And all your family members, your father, your mother, your brothers and all your relatives, they got to be inside the house. If they go out into the street, they'll be killed. And we cannot be held to our oath. But we swear that no one inside this house will be killed.

Not a hand will be laid on any of them. But if you betray us, however, we're not bound by this oath in any way. I accept your terms, she replied. Yes. And she sent them on their way, leaving the scarlet robe hanging from the window, and the spice went up into the hill country and stayed there three days.

And so it goes on. Go into chapter six now, please. It's important for us to let the Bible speak for itself rather than me tell you the story. Let the Bible tell you the story. You know what happens in chapter six? Say they arrive at Jericho and then they march around the city once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day.

And in chapter six and verse 16, what Joshua says on the seventh time around as they're walking that day, as the priest sounded the long blast on the horns, Joshua commanded, The people shout for you, always giving you the city, the city and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to your way. Only rehab. The prostitutes and the others in a house will be spared for she protected our spies.

Go back to this 20, then down to verse 20, when the people heard the sound of the horns, they shouted as loud as they could, and suddenly the walls of Jericho collapsed. We heard something about us. Suddenly this morning. Then we suddenly the walls of Jericho collapsed and the Israelites charged straight into the city from every side and captured it.

They completely destroyed everything in it, men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, donkeys, everything. And then Joshua said to the spies, Keep your promise. Go to the prostitutes house and bring her out along with all of family. And the young men went in and brought out rehab with a father, mother, brothers and all the other relatives who were with a and they moved the family to a safe place near the camp of Israel.

And the Israelites burned the city and everything In its first 20. But Joshua spared rehab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house because she'd hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day. And you think? And they all lived happily ever after. But that's not the end of his story.

We'll come back to that. Here's a lady who qualifies for one Corinthians Chapter one. Here's a lady who's, first of all, is nothing in society at all. She's a foreigner to the Israelites. She's a Canaanites. She's the enemy. I don't want to be crude or coarse, but the Bible tells us something about her. She was a prostitute. Again, I don't want to be coarse in common parlance, people say she was a sex worker.

That's who she was. I can't dress that up. That's who she was. Okay. But God takes the despicable God takes the lowest. God takes the things that absolutely the scum in people's eyes. And he says, If I call you, I will make something great from you. Yeah. So you think maybe your life is of no use or any value to God?

God loves a challenge. God called you. She was way low down on the social, spiritual scale. That's what she was. But look what she said when she hit them. Verse nine, a chapter to go back to chapter two, please. This lady's no fool, though. She says this to the men when she speaks to them that night. Listen, I know.

I know you always giving you this land. In verse ten, she says, Something is very interesting. I find she said, We've heard how you are. We made a dry path through the Red Sea. You know, that happened 40 years before this moment. Yeah. Yes. They've been waiting for 40 years. Whether she was 40 years old, I don't know.

But she'd heard and she said, We've been waiting for you. I know you're coming and now you're here. And whatever you're up to, whatever you're always up to, whatever God is up to, I want in. I want in to remember me. I may be nothing. I'm nothing. I'm not anything. I'm a foreigner. I'm immoral. But I want in.

You want in, you say but got me. Yes. Anybody you don't care. You can even be Welsh. I know you can especially be Welsh. And you know what happens here? We've just read the story and the two spies give her an instruction. And they said, This is what? This is the deal. If you stay in your house when we arrive and all your family, you stay in the house, don't move from the house you caught that didn't you.

And then you have to tie a scarlet cord in the window so we know which house to come to and we won't harm you if you do that, you will not get harmed. And in verse 21, she said, Deal a soul she had to do. God says to you, I want you to do this. And you say, okay, very simple.

Of course, there's only one problem, isn't there? We know what's going to happen. The walls come tumbling down. She didn't know that. So the spies didn't know that. It might well be that Joshua didn't know that Nobody knew what going to happen. It's a classic film plot, you know, It's like stay in the house and the music starts and we all think, Well, we know what's going to happen.

And then it's come back next week for next week's exciting episode. What will happen to rehab? She had no idea what's about to happen. She this is not a children's story. The history of the world is depending on what happened in these next weeks days, that they came. Of course, when they crossed the Jordan and came across the plane of Canaan and they arrived at Jericho and camped and she can see them, you see them camped out on the plane.

So she puts the scarlet cord out and she says, okay, I'm ready. Come on, I'm ready for you. And they did nothing for us. Waited. The army just waited. She said, okay, we're all here waiting for you. Day one comes and movement starts. This is the day you see when it's all going to kick off. And Auntie Violet, now is not the time to go down to Morrison's stay in the house.

You can't go to the bathroom. Stay here. You got to keep them all in the house. Can you imagine how much? And trying to keep your grandchildren in the house. Yeah, well, that's terrific. That's a tough gig they want. They could walk around. That's complete silence. And she's thinking, okay, this is it. And then they all go back and camp.

She and a whole family are still in the house that went on for six days standing at the window, Scarlet Hall thinking, I'm here. Nothing happened for six days. She waited. Then on the seventh day, something different happened. They still didn't say anything, but the army marched around. Once and then they went again. And she's thinking, There's something going on here.

Seven times they walked around, didn't say a word, but she's here. And then all of a sudden she hears something. Is this shout and she must think this is the war cry before they attack the city. But all they do is stand and shout. And then the most amazing thing happens that no one knew was going to happen.

The walls of the city started to fall down. But the only problem is, as we know, this lady's house was built in to the walls of the city. So we think of the stone. The walls come tumbling down. Hang on a second. There are people in here, people who've had a promise from God in here. God, what on earth are you doing?

Why did you tell a lady to stay inside a house when you're going to bring the house down on a head? What kind of God are you? What you up to? You've ever thought about that? Why would God do that? Because he's God. Because the consequence of her. Yes. Was going to be massive. Can you imagine being in a house?

I pray it never happens to you when it starts to come down around your head. What you do? Survival instinct kicks in, doesn't it? You run for your life. We've got to save Granny. Someone pick up Granny, Get her out of this house. Quite rightly that you do. Tragically, when you see earthquakes happen and you see where houses are tumbling down and you see people who are running for their lives into the street, aren't they know what I would do exactly the same if I'm in if I'm in the wall in Jericho and it's coming down.

I think these guys had no idea, I've got to get out. I've got to survive. I've got to do what I think is right. But she'd had a word from God this year. Survival depends on not running the survival of all. If your family every one of you depends on not one of you go in, you've got to keep yourself and every one of you together.

We don't know how many there were. There could have been 20. 3040 people in that house. Imagine. And there's fear and there's panic and everything's coming down, There's dust, there's masonry, there's everything is coming down around them. But they stayed put. They actually stayed put. Why? Because she believed right in the middle, everything is coming down upon me.

Everything is coming down. What did I tell you? The times in your life when you said yes to God and circumstances in life seemed to mitigate against everything mean? What did I tell you to face that in my own life? Things that God spoke to me years ago about health and length of life came back in recent times in my life.

Lord, Lord, I need a word from you. Tell me. And he didn't say a word, but God tell me. And eventually he said, What did I tell you? And I said, You didn't tell me anything. He said, What did I tell you 20 years ago? But that was that. You said, That is for your life, son. Maybe some of us have to go looking and remind ourselves what God has told us.

Because it might be that your life is feeling. Things are coming down around you. And he says, What did I tell you? She stayed put. Now the consequence of that is this. She I'm not going to be very long today. She saved her life and she saved her family's life because she said, yes, I agree, I'll do that.

I'll just stick a cord in my window and we won't move. But your God has got to keep his word. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll do my bit. God will do his bit. I'm not sure God like because your God keep his promise. Do you keep yours? That's the deal. When God tells me and I say, I'll do that, God says I'm holding you to it, then yeah, but when you do say yes, watch out.

Because the consequence of your yes is bigger than you think, much bigger than you think. Rehab is mentioned three times in the New Testament. She looked strictly at them. The justices encouraging you please be encouraged. Hebrews Chapter 11, You know, she's one of the great cloud of witnesses. She's a hero of the faith. He was Chapter 11, says, you got no, you got Moses, you got Abraham.

You've got just you got all these big, big figures. And then it says this Hebrews 11, verse 31. It was by her faith that they had the prostitute didn't die with all the others in the city, refused to obey God, refused to obey. The human gut tells you something to this. She expects me to say, to write you, to obey and say, I'll do that, Lord, because she gave a friendly welcome to the spies.

What saved her? Her trust? And she said yes. And she held to her yes. Go to James chapter to face. Thank you, James. Chapter two, where James talks about the practicality of our faith. And she's James has just talked about Abraham, who's the one who's one of the best examples of faith in the whole of the Bible. And does he choose next after Abraham, he chooses rehab.

And he says in this 25 rehab, the prostitute is another example of this. She was made right with God by her actions when she hit those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. You see, friends, it's not enough to talk my faith. I can't just my faith. I believe in God and trust him for my life.

It's easy to say that I admire you. This morning you sang some very brave words, but was it so free? Was that about the cross and the fire. And what? What are the lines of. That's what the lyrics of that song. How does it go when when, when I'm going through the fire, I'll be with it When the cross I'll die with you on the cross.

Christ. Be magnified. You got a microphone. Could you just tell us what they tell the folks what they sang. Would you. Just that just a bit where it's on that break where it says Production Sergeant. Yeah. What was it Where It's just what if you cause death is just a doorway into resurrection life. And if I join you in your suffering, then I'll join you.

When you ask if I join you in your suffering, then I'll join you when you rise. You're saying that you. I heard you. Go on. And when you return in glory with all the angels and the saints, my heart will still be singing And my song will be the same. Wow. And there was another bit about. Fire and cross crucifixion and.

And. Okay, so yeah, before I went back to idols, I'll stand strong and worship you. And if it puts me in the fire, I'll rejoice because you're there to hang on second. See that again? And if it puts me in the fire, I'll rejoice because you are there too. Did you mean that you're saying it? Why don't you like a choir?

Go on. I won't be formed by feelings. I'll hold fast to what is true. It's Cross Springs transformation. Then I'll be crucified with you. it's up there. Look. Thank you, Sophie. You sang that, didn't You? That's your. Yes. You think track, Sophie. Such a nice day that she got me to sing those words. But you sang them.

And I believe you sang them with utmost integrity and seriousness because of who you are. But you realize that the consequence of your. Yes. When you sang that is much bigger and much bigger than this moment in this meeting, because one more scripture for rehab, and I'm going to ask Diane to come in a moment. Would you turn to Matthew chapter one, please?

Those of you who know your Bibles will know this. Joshua finishes her story. Let's say she lived among the Israelites to this day, Hebrews and James talk about her faith. But there's something else about Rahab that carried on long after her death in the genealogy of Matthew. Don't worry, we're not going to read the whole genealogy of Matthew, but it's therefore important reasons.

I notice this. It just says this. Matthew Chapter one and verse five. Solomon was the father of Boaz. His mother was rehab. When rehab went to live among the Israelites, she got married. She married a man called Solomon, and she and Solomon had a son called Boaz. Never heard of him? Yes. Boaz grew up to marry a lady called Ruth, heard of her.

Do you think, Rea, have any had any idea of that? Let's get married and have a kid. She might be dead by the time because Boaz was an older man when he married Ruth. Did you know that therefore, rehab was the great, great, great grandmother of King? Wow. Isn't that cool? Here's a lady who's a foreigner, an enemy, a Canaanite, a sex worker, the bottom of society, and all of a sudden God says boom.

And she says, Yes, yes, No idea of the consequence way beyond her life. Course, it doesn't end there because the big one I can't beat this one because she's an ancestor of King David. She is an ancestor of Jesus Christ. Can you beat that? Just think of the consequence. Because she said yes with no idea. Beyond, I'll be rescued and I'll be saved with my family and we're going to live.

God says that the rehab, the consequence of your Yes will have a massive impact far beyond not just now in your family or your time, but history itself. She never knew, can imagine. Imagine if she said to do you know in it over a thousand years plus your and you'll do we'll save you of the world And she's going to say, get out of here.

But that's what happened. What's the point of what I'm trying to say, Friends? And Diane's going to come in a moment. My little life is not little in God's hands. It's more significant than you'll ever know. You'll yes. Your simple yes to whatever it is. And it's not like Jericho, my Nana came from Dursley in Gloucestershire. She was a daughter of a pig farmer.

She was a in a pig farm, my nana. And she came to Cardiff as a teenager to work in service and a big house. But she'd given her life to Jesus. And when Jesus said to, Would you go to Cardiff to work in service? And she worked on the Marks and Spencer Penny Bazaar, she said Yes, I am here today because my Nana said Yes.

If Nana had not said yes to move from Little village in Dursley to Cardiff to meet my grandpa, to marry and have my mum and then me not know, I knew my nana. I was sure I was 16 when she died. She's she'd never sat when she's 95. She didn't say now one day you're going to go to Southport and you're going to preach the gospel.

She would just go, my dear, She'd just talk about Jesus. She had no idea that one day her grandson would be here. And I have no idea of what my words today will have an impact on the world. You're going into it. But I know this one thing. My words have a significance today, far beyond this moment, because someone here has heard me.

And thank you for listening. Diane's going to come and just round off for us. Thank you so much for listening. Appreciate that You are so significant. Thank you, Pat, don't go too far. Well, stay in the building. You mean Good morning. And I just want to give a really quick testimony which illustrates what Roger has been saying. I started to work for an organization called Christians Against Poverty, and I'm a debt center coach.

And I go in and I help people who are in debt to get them out of debt. And I had a phone call two weeks ago to ask if I would go and see a lady to help her. And this lady was 76 years old and she'd been scammed and was in debt. And she didn't live in Cardiff.

She lived way outside Cardiff, not in my catchment area at all. And when the call came, I thought my natural response was, no, I shouldn't go in. I it's nothing to do with me. I won't go in. But I just felt a pressure and I can only say the pressure is from the Holy Spirit. So I felt the pressure.

No, I'm going to go and see this lady and I went, I'm not I'm going to try and not make this too long because you just fall asleep otherwise. And I could talk for hours about it. But I went in to see this lady and because of the situation I went in with the police. So I go in accompanied by a lovely community police officer.

And when I went into the house, it was the most horrendous house I've ever been in. It was absolutely terrible. It was not clean. She was not clean. The situation was just really horrendous. And I came outside and I said to the police lady, I said, I have to be honest. I know that I can't help her through a cop because I couldn't.

There are other reasons why I couldn't. I said, But can you leave it with me? I belong to a church in Cardiff. Can you leave it with me? So, so I can see what we can do? And I walked away and I'm driving away and I just. Lord, I just can't say no, I. I didn't know what to do.

And I. I've got to be honest. I spent a few days I can only describe as prayerful thinking because I genuinely didn't know what to do. And I felt the Lord pressure me a couple of things to do and I've I've put those in place. So where we're going to help the lady financially pay off two or three bills the police are involved with, with the scammers, We've skipped going in in two weeks time.

There's a group of fish from church You're going to go to clear out our house. So social services will will come in and help her. And I was really pleased. You know, I genuinely was really pleased. Everson was nice. They come in together and I thought, put Lord, I'm in Cardiff, I'm 30 miles away, three quarters of an hour away.

I really just want day on the ground. I couldn't find a church and because I'm working for Cap, I had to fill in cop head office my area manager and say Look, have been to see this lady. I'm saying, but this is what we're going to do as a church. And she said, Well, I know somebody who used to work for Cap, who used to run the debt, but fair money coach, let me see if I can get in contact with him.

So I had this number come through. I phoned this gentleman up and he lives on the same road as a lady and he's leading a community church in the village. And he said to me, he said, I do, I don't want to interfere, but is there anything that I can do? And I mean, if I could have hugged him down the phone, I would.

And I explained about the debt. I explained about what we were going to do. And he said, Well, I'll go. I can go in, I can sort out the bills. And then, you know, it's a church. We can really, really fund that. But I wanted to tell you the story because it I know I said yes and I went in and people have subsequently said yes, but I'm very conscious that there were lots of people said yes way before we got to that situation.

And, you know, as a church, the elders wanted to set a debt center and they said yes to that. I said yes to running the debt center. And we were able to help the lady because we've got a social fund in the church, which we call the Joseph Fund. And that was set up maybe five or six years ago, and that was Kerry.

Kerry said, yes, to set up the social fund. Church said yes to set up the social fund. And I was thinking about it when Mike gave the was doing the offering this morning. You know, people give in to that social fund, not knowing the consequences, not knowing that they'd get to a day when a lady would be helped by what they put they gave.

And I thought when Mike was, you know, sometimes when you give your taster offerings, you don't know what they're going to be used for. You may never know, but you say, Lord, I'm sewing because that's what I should do. And so there were lots of things happened and, you know, and afterwards, after I'd visited, you know, I spoke with one of the elders.

She said, Yes, we'll support you and what you think are Joseph and said, Yes, we'll fund you. The people have said, yes, we'll come and help you. There were so many people said yes along the way. And I think as well, sometimes our yeses are not big things. They're not you know, sometimes when we want to do things for God, we think of something amazing.

We're going to another country, you know, we're going to do something amazing. But sometimes is just the smallest little thing. But I know because of the consequence of all those yeses, the testimony of Jesus in, that village has gone beyond belief. The testimony of the church, our church in Cardiff, the testimony of that local church, it it's like it's opened a door for Jesus to work in that village.

The testimony to the police officer has been absolutely phenomenal. And more than anything, the testimony, the transformation to a 76 year old lady who was scammed, who is living in appalling conditions, has been transferred armed. And I just it is just wonderful. And don't ever diminish the whenever your God prompts you to do something, don't try and think of the consequences.

Just say, okay, Lord, if I'll do my bit and you will do the rest. And that's got it in my situation. And that's what God didn't have situation. He just said to her, You do this, she did it. He took care of the consequences. And I know for me, sometimes I want to take care of all the consequences.

And God says, No, you just do your bit and I will do the rest. So that's my testimony. And that. But just in closing this morning, are you going to come some something just in closing this morning, we want to pray for you as a as a party. And really just there are just two categories that we wanted to pray for, but I actually think it covers everybody.

So and the first category is we wanted to pray for people who just you want to step out, you're a bit afraid. Just admit that. Yes, you're a bit afraid to step out and do what God asks you to do. But we want you to know that he's with you and he will help you and he will take you on baby steps.

We will take you in big steps. And the second category is that people, you're already doing it. And even as Rogers talked, even as I've showed you thought I do that. But today you want to do it more. You want to do it. And to a greater dimension. You want to see other lives touched by what you're doing.

So If you fall into one of those categories and you're happy, would you just stand with me, Stand with us and we'll just pray. Thank Lord Jesus, I just thank you this morning that you're in the business of transforming lives. Lord Jesus, I thank you. For each of us, we know you, we love you, and we're so excited that you want us to be to participate on what you're doing.

Lord, you gave us your Holy Spirit so that we would be able to help you reach the ends of the world. And today, Lord, we just say we want more of you. Lord Yes, we want more opportunities to be able to say yes. We want more opportunities to be able to say we're going to transform that situation and we want to partner with you, Lord.

We want to do everything that you called us to do. We want to respond, Lord, with faith and with hope and with expecting action. But more than anything, Lord, we just want to say we're available to you. We are available to you to use us in whatever way that you want to use us, because we know that you're with us, that you're for us, that you don't leave us alone, that you equip us for every situation.

Thank you, Lord, so today we say, Thank you, Lord. We're here. We're available. Use us. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen to that. Thank you so. Thank you.