Shout of Faith
The sermon emphasizes the power of faith in claiming a promised victory and trusting in God's Word.
Charles E. Cowman preaches on the powerful shout of faith demonstrated by the Israelites at Jericho, emphasizing the importance of unwavering faith in claiming God's promises even when circumstances seem impossible. The victory at Jericho was not achieved by the shout itself but by the faith behind it, trusting in God's Word alone. The shout of faith symbolized their belief in the promised victory before any physical evidence was seen, leading to the miraculous fall of the city walls as God honored their faith.
Text
"And when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him" (Joshua 6:5).
The shout of steadfast faith is in direct contrast to the moans of wavering faith, and to the wails of discouraged hearts. Among the many "secrets of the Lord," I do not know of any that is more valuable than the secret of this shout of faith. The Lord said to Joshua, "See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour." He had not said, "I will give," but "I have given." It belonged to them already; and now they were called to take possession of it. But the great question was, How? It looked impossible, but the Lord declared His plan.
Now, no one can suppose for a moment that this shout caused the walls to fall. And yet the secret of their victory lay in just this shout, for it was the shout of a faith which dared, on the authority of God's Word alone, to claim a promised victory, while as yet there were no signs of this victory being accomplished. And according to their faith God did unto them; so that, when they shouted, He made the walls to fall.
God had declared that He had given them the city, and faith reckoned this to be true. And long centuries afterwards the Holy Ghost recorded this triumph of faith in Hebrews:
"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days."--Hannah Whitall Smith.
"Faith can never reach its consummation,
Till the victor's thankful song we raise:
In the glorious city of salvation,
God has told us all the gates are praise."
Sermon Outline
- The Shout of Faith
- God's Plan for Victory
- The Power of Faith
- The Result of Faith
- The walls of Jericho fell down
- A triumph of faith recorded in Hebrews
Key Quotes
“Faith can never reach its consummation, Till the victor''s thankful song we raise: In the glorious city of salvation, God has told us all the gates are praise.” — Charles E. Cowman
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.” — Charles E. Cowman
“See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.” — Charles E. Cowman
Application Points
- We must trust in God's Word and promise of victory, even when circumstances seem impossible.
- Faith leads to victory and a triumph of faith, as seen in the story of Jericho.
- We should give thanks and praise to God for His faithfulness and provision.