All right, please take your bible and turn with me to joshua chapter 10 joshua chapter 10 Title of my message tonight is conquering your kings conquering your kings joshua chapter 10 As you get there, I want to read a letter A man was one day writing a letter to his fiance. This was the love of his life. And her name was Betty. And as I end every sentence, you know, I thought we would alternate between oohs and ahs, because it's pretty sappy. Okay, so if you could do that, I think that will help the effect of this illustration. My dearest Betty, I love you beyond words. Webster does not have in his vocabulary to explain the depth of my love for you. Thoughts of you race across the portals of my mind. You are my all-consuming love. So enraptured am I regarding my love for you that the Pacific Ocean would be like a pond if I had to swim it. I could do it as long as I knew you were awaiting me on the other shore. The heart, I'm sorry, the heat. The heat of the Sahara Desert would never impede my progress to you, knowing that you would be the oasis on the other side. There would be no inconvenience I wouldn't endure for you. Climbing Mount Everest would only seem like getting over an anthill if I knew you were at the summit. All I'm saying to you, my darling, is my love for you transcends time and space. Signed, Sam. And then he said, P.S. Who's Sam? Haha He said all that Sam and then he said then he said PS I'll see you Friday at the restaurant if it doesn't rain Sam was full of hot air Sam was an empty suit He could talk a good game but he wasn't as dedicated as he spoke. He didn't go very deep. He could verbalize his love, but it didn't let a little rain, only a little rain, that's all it took to stop him from Betty. I wanna say to you tonight, it's easy to say that you're victorious in Christ, but you're not. where you need to be if all it takes is a little rain to stop you. And so I want to preach tonight on conquering your kings. Joshua chapter 10. I'm going to pray and then I'll direct you to the text. Joshua chapter 10. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, I pray that you would speak to our hearts tonight. I pray that there be some young people here tonight that would be serious about victory. I pray that there be some young people here tonight that would understand that ahead of them are kings that would want to conquer and reign and rule besides you, the king of kings. So Lord, I pray that you would give us not just a victorious spirit that we can verbalize, but I pray that there would be something deeper, something real, something strong, something that can only come from you that would allow us to taste victory in this life. Father, we thank you for the good work you've accomplished so far. I pray for your power to preach your word tonight and that you would get the honor and the glory. Speak, I pray, in Jesus' name. Amen. Joshua chapter 10, please follow along as we read scripture tonight. follow along and let's think through the passage. I know that it's Thursday, but so much of what the Lord's laid on my heart depends on you focusing as we read the passage of scripture before us. Joshua chapter 10, verse number one. Now it came to pass when Adonai Zedek, king of Jerusalem, had heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it. as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, that they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city. as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty." Now here are the five kings that Israel faced in verse number three. We can call them the big five. Verse three. wherefore Adonai Zedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Horam king of Hebron and unto Pyram king of Jarmath and unto Japhia king of Lachish and unto Debar king of Eglon saying come up unto me and help me that we may smite Gibeon for it hath made peace with Joshua and and with the children of Israel. We see the big five again in verse number five. Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmath, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together and went up, they and all their hosts, in a camp before Gibeon and made war against it. And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us. For all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us. So Joshua ascended from Gilgal. He and all the people of war with him and all the mighty men of valor And the Lord said unto Joshua, fear them not, for I have delivered them into thine hand. There shall not a man of them stand before thee. Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly and went up from Gilgal all night. And the Lord discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Beth-horon, and smote them to Ezekiah and unto Makeda. And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Beth-horon, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died. They were more which died with hail stones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and said in the sight of Israel, Son, stand thou upon Gibeon, and thou, moon, in the valley of Adjalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. is not this written in the book of Jasher. So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven and hastened not to go down about a whole day. I love verse 14. And there was no day like that before it or after it that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man. For the Lord fought for Israel. And Joshua returned and all Israel with him unto the camp to Gilgal. But these five kings fled and hid themselves in a cave at Makeda. It was told Joshua saying, the five kings are found hid in a cave at Makeda. Joshua said, roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave and set men by it for to keep it. Stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies. Smite the hindmost of them. Suffer them not to enter into their cities. For the Lord your God hath delivered them into your hand. And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered into the thin cities. And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makeda in peace. None moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel. Now comes judgment time on these kings, verse 22. Then said Joshua, open the mouth of the cave and bring out those five kings under me out of the cave. They did so and brought forth those five kings under them out of the cave. Here's the big five. the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmath, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war, which went with him, come near. Put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near and put their feet upon the necks of them. Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed. Be strong and of a good courage. For thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye fight. And afterward Joshua smote them and slew them. Hang them on five trees They were hanging upon the trees until the evening And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the Sun that Joshua commanded and they took them down off the trees Cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid and lay great stones in the caves mouth which remain until this very day in this passage We read about the death of the big five, five kings slaughtered by Israel. It's very uncommon for five kings to die in one day, certainly at the hand of one opposer. We've had four US presidents assassinated. Do you know which ones were assassinated while they were in office? Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley. By the way, when he was shot, there was a black man standing by by the name of James Big Jim Parker, who took his fist and hauled back and smacked the assassin right in the face. Yeah. John F. Kennedy was assassinated. But to my knowledge, when those men were assassinated, there were no other world leaders assassinated with them on that day. Here we have five kings killed in one day, all hung on a tree. That's an impressive victory. Joshua had to fight them, because Joshua had an obligation to defend a people called the Gibeonites. And he shows us in his victory how to face our kings. How to conquer our kings. There are at least five kings that you will face in this life, and they all want to destroy you. This is not my outline, but you'd be smart to write them down. These five kings would love to destroy you. The first king is self. Self. If you try to please your flesh in this life, you will be destroyed by the king of self. My friend, if my personality offends you, when I preach, I can work on my personality. I can try to change if my personality offends you. But if the truth offends your flesh, that's the purpose of the truth. Self would love to destroy you as a king The Bible says that in all things he might have the preeminence We don't allow people to applaud in our church services. I Don't care what church does it as long as I pastor Cornerstone Baptist Church We're going to give him the preeminence and we can do that by a hearty. Amen. I Self is a king that'll destroy you Sin is another king write that down The Bible says in sin When it is finished bring a fourth death Another king is Satan Who plans to sift you as weak wheat many times I don't think we grasp the fact that Satan has a plan in line to destroy you He's more organized than we are He's got a plan to sift you. I don't care that you come from a Christian family. How many preachers, kids, go to the devil? He's got a plan to sift you as wheat. Strife is another king. The Bible says, for we're envying, and strife is there is confusion and every evil work. The fifth king is seduction. The Bible talks about false prophets that would seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. Five kings. Now Satan is slick. He'll take those kings and mix them up. He will use strife to seduce you. He will use Satan to put sin in front of you to make you more concerned about self. Those are five kings. What will allow you to conquer those kings? That's what I'm interested in tonight I have a burden for you young people Because I see potential all over this tabernacle I have a burden for you But I know that the kings want to destroy you What will allow you what will allow you To one day be able to put your foot on the necks of those kings. That's what I'm interested in tonight. Noah, I wanna see victory in your life. I wanna see you put your feet on the necks of some kings. I do. Eric Jr., I wanna see you put your foot on the necks of some kings. Hannah, you talked to us about your burden for the bus ministry. I want to see you keep going. Put your foot on the necks of some kings. That's what I'm interested in tonight. Joshua's experience shows us how we can conquer our kings. First of all, and I only have three points, but I want you to get them. Honesty. Honesty Look at Joshua chapter 10 verse number 6 The men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp of Gilgal saying slat not thy hand from thy servants Come up to us quickly and save us and help us for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us. Here is another nation saying, Joshua, come defend us. And he does it. Look at verse seven. So Joshua ascended from Gilgal. He and all the people of war with him and all the mighty men of valor. Now, why were they defending Gibeon? They had their own battles to fight. Why were they defending Gibeon? For the answer to that, you've got to go back to chapter 9 and look at verses 3 through 6. With me, chapter 9, verse 3. The Bible says, and when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and Ai, they did work willily and went and made as if they had been ambassadors. and took old sacks upon their asses and wine bottles, old and rent and bound up, and old shoes and clotted them upon their feet, and old garments upon them, and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. And they went to Joshua and to the camp at Gilgal and said unto him and to the men of Israel, we become from a far country, now therefore make a league with us. Here's an Amorite nation that lives right in the area that catches wind of what Israel does to Jericho and Ai and said, we're afraid of these Israelites. Our goose is cooked. If we know what's good for us, we'll try to make a league with Israel. How can we do it? So they made it look like they were travelers from a far country. Okay, they took moldy bread Smart guys It said we've come from a long journey. This bread was hot And and and steamy when we left now, look at it and they Fooled joshua the man of god The bible is clear that he sought not counsel at the mouth of the lord They made a league promising that Israel would protect Gibeon that they would work together in the land and so when Joshua found out that he had been hoodwinked and the other people in Israel said let's kill him Joshua stood up and said we cannot because we made a promise to them we swore to them by the Lord And we cannot go back. I think Joshua learned a lesson from AI that we need honesty in the camp if we want to conquer our kings. There's a problem in fundamentalism, and it breaks my heart. Preachers today don't know how to tell the truth. Oh, they'll tell their side of the story. high key elements Preachers lie These are the men that are standing in our pulpits handling the Word of God How can we conquer our kings if we don't even have honesty I Believe with all my heart and one of the reasons they were able to conquer the Those five kings is because they learned a lesson from the dishonesty at Ai. They decided they were going to keep their word. They had to let them live. Look at chapter 9, verse 18. Please look at scripture. Chapter 9, verse 18. And the children of Israel smoked them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes. The congregation said, no, let's kill him. The princes said, we swore by the name of the Lord. Where is that kind of honesty today? Verse 19, but all the princes said unto all the congregation, we have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel. Now, therefore, we may not touch them. This we will do unto them. We will even let them live less wrath be upon us because of the oath which he swear unto them. And the princes said unto them, let them live, but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation as the princes had promised them. I have always admired this in scripture. I've always admired this. I've always said, wow. They kept their word. I do not believe they defeated the five kings because of the alliance they made with Gibeon. They shouldn't have done that. But I do believe that God honored the vow that they made in the name of the Lord. The first go around with Ai, Israel could not stand before their enemies. Why? Because Achan was in the camp and he was dishonest. Joshua said, not again. Oh no. Uh-huh. We've got to be honest. We're going to honor our word. Let me talk to some of you young people that lie. Out of convenience. To get yourself out of trouble. It may seem to you that you're getting by with that lie right now. But what you don't realize is in the future you're going to face five kings. And you will not have the power of God to defeat those kings because of your dishonest ways. And I'm calling upon you for the sake of your future battles to stop lying. I'm calling on you tonight to get convicted about half-truths. Little white lies. Withholding truth is a lie. Did you hear that? I'm calling on you to get serious about your integrity. Why? Because I know that there are some kings coming. And if you can't fall back on integrity, you are going to be wasted in the battle. I'm asking you to make a decision tonight that will lead you to victory over some of your kings. We have way too many lying fundamentalists, Pastor Chris. And the politics sickens me. I went into the ministry because I wanted to see souls saved and lives changed, not to play a political chess game. And you'll become part of that game if you don't lock down and be honest. Sometimes it's going to be very hard to tell the truth unless you have already predetermined beforehand to be honest Listen Scripture Proverbs 4 15 a faithful witness will not lie But a false witness will utter lies Ephesians 4 25 scripture wherefore putting away lying Speak every man truth with his neighbor for we are members one of another Colossians 3 9 scripture lie not One to another seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds I Can preach this tonight? Because it's scripture, but I can also preach it because of experience. I Never had a dad. I never had anybody to teach me integrity. And so I did what I did I lied To get by I was dishonest. It led me to steal. It led me to do all types of things. I was a very dishonest young man. My older brother is seven years older than me. My older brother, Ryan, and we were working at a 50s diner. He was cooking. I was bussing tables and doing dishes. They paid us cash, man. It was just nice. My boss Got familiar with my brother and very trusting of my brother. I don't know why. This is Chicago, man. And he walked over to my brother and said, I want some Chinese food. Here's the keys to my car. I want you to go get me some Chinese food. He gave him the keys to an almost brand new Honda Prelude. You don't give the keys to your car to somebody in Chicago that you don't know really well. My brother leaned over to me. He gave him the money, gave him the keys. Nice car. My brother leaned over to me and said, you can stay here if you want, but I'm not coming back. You know what that meant? He was going to steal that car. I said, man, you're not leaving me here to get interrogated after this whole thing shakes down. I'm going with you. We jumped into that car, took off. He had my brother had that thing painted and drove it for two years. Dishonesty. It's very dishonest person. And let me tell you this. While I was being dishonest, I was not conquering my kings. They were conquering me. I'm a knucklehead. And I entered Bible college with some of my old ways still in me. It took probably about my sophomore, junior year before I really determined that I was going to be perfectly honest. As far as I knew, I was a freshman in Bible college. I had learned to type and I was typing papers for college students to earn some cash. This one girl wanted me to type her paper. I know it's supposed to be other way around in it and I kind of weird Hmm, but she asked me to type her term paper and she gave me the requirements and I typed her paper out and I got to the end and I knew that it wasn't enough. I knew it wasn't long enough And so I said to myself, I don't want to get a bad grade. I And it was a term paper on a Bible topic. So I just preached the rest of her term paper to the tune of a page and a half or something. I don't even think I've told my wife this story. Maybe she's shaking her head. The professor was also the dorm supervisor, Dr. McNeely. He opened my door one morning and said, Courtney, I need to talk to you. He brought me into the hallway and literally said what I said to you. So-and-so, so-and-so told me that you just preached the whole end of her paper. You know what I felt like? You know how many kings I was conquering in my life at that time? Calling on some of you young people To tell the truth Why because it's right but also because you've got Kings that are coming and you're going to need to be able to say I Maintain my integrity Before you I did not start to see god conquer my kings in my life Until I became honest I am not perfect here tonight But I am honest And there were some people in israel That did not want to keep their word But praise god others stood up and said we've sworn to the lord And we cannot go back by the way Your truthfulness will then affect many others. Those princes were few, Israel was many. They protected their nation from those five kings because they told the truth. Honesty enabled Israel to conquer their kings. And I want to end this point by saying we don't need any more Achans in our camp. We don't need any more Achans in our camp. Number two, what enabled them to conquer their kings? prayer prayer joshua chapter 10 please look there with me joshua 10 12 scripture then spake joshua to the lord i've got that underline then spake joshua to the lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Son, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou moon in the valley of Agilon. And the sun stood still and the moon stayed until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Verse 14, and there was no day like that before or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man. For the Lord fought for Israel what gave him victory over those Kings? effectual prayer effectual prayer He learned his lesson go back to chapter 9 go back to chapter 9 in your Bible verse 14 This is when they made their league with the Gibeonites Joshua 9 14 and the men took of their victuals and Asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord took their vittles But didn't ask counsel from the Lord verse 15 and Joshua made peace with them and made a league with them to let them live and the princes of the congregation swear unto them That's a defeat why because Gibeon should have been destroyed with the rest of them and That's a defeat and it made Israel Out of fools and Joshua learned from his mistake of making a major decision without Asking counsel of the Lord and I believe with all my heart that he determined not to let it happen again And that's why after this we see victory after victory after victory He's praying for a miracle Son stand still Can I ask you this question tonight, I don't know your life I don't know your situation, but I want to ask you this question. What miracle do you need tonight? Do you believe in miracles Do you want to see miracles I want to see miracles I've got to see miracles So how can I see him James 5 16 says the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much How's your prayer life? When are you going to get real with your prayer life When are you going to get real with your devotional time I I think all of us could raise our hand and say that there's been times when we've fallen asleep in prayer, but the continual practice of that isn't going to help you defeat kings. When are you going to stop falling asleep in prayer? When Hannah prayed for a miracle, she stayed awake. The disciples were sleeping when Christ was praying and they fled and forsook the Son of God. Because they were sleeping when they should have been praying. When are you going to stop falling asleep in your prayer closet? Say, why are you preaching so strong and direct at us like this? Because five kings are coming. And if you don't have a prayer life, Joshua believed in prayer and saw the sun stand still. You've got these kings. They want to defeat you. You need effectual, fervent, real prayer. Joshua knew that Moses was dead, but he also knew that Moses' God wasn't dead. He said, son, stand still. How did they conquer their kings? Honesty and prayer. And one more, determination. Determination. Look at Joshua chapter 10, verse number 16. Joshua 10, 16. It's good to see many of you taking notes. Joshua 10 16 scripture, but these five kings fled and hid themselves in a cave at Makeda And it was told Joshua saying the five kings are found hid in a cave at Makeda This is where determination starts Joshua said roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave and set men by it for to keep them He trapped them like mice in a cage five kings Put him in jail But then he said boys. We've got more work to do verse 19 and stay not and stay not and Stay not But pursue after your enemies and smite behind most of them suffer them not to enter into their cities for the Lord your God hath delivered them into your hand the word pursue their The Hebrew means to hunt or to put to flight Christian life has defense, but it also has offense and you will not conquer Kings Without determination it takes determination. I You have more work to do look at verse 20 And it came to pass when joshua and the children of israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter Till they were consumed that the rest which remained of them entered into thin cities and all the people returned to the camp To joshua and macedon peace None moved his tongue against any of the children of israel. You've got more work to do It's good that we've got the kings in the cave It's good that we've got them trapped like mice. But you better not rest on your laurels. We need to pursue. There's more work to do. And none of that work can be done without your determination. Kings are not defeated by lazy people. Too many young people in our churches, good people, are going to get mowed over because they lack determination. Too many young people in our churches don't have a goal in the world. Just existing. Israel had a goal. What was their goal? To fight God's enemies. I like that goal. You will never conquer kings in your life without determination, young person. I'll agree that it's not as spiritual as prayer. I'll agree That it's not as spiritual as honesty, but you hear me You won't do a blessed thing for God in this fight without some holy determination Take your Bible with me if you would to 2nd Chronicles chapter 2 2nd Chronicles chapter 2 2nd Chronicles chapter 2 2nd Chronicles chapter 2 verse number 1 the Bible says in Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the Lord and in house for his kingdom if you mark your Bible you need to mark that word determined now go with me to Acts chapter 11 Acts chapter 11. Acts chapter 11, verse number 29. Acts 11, verse 29. The Bible says, then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judea. If you mark your Bible, you need to mark that word determined. Go with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 2. 1 Corinthians chapter 2. This is my favorite one. 1 Corinthians chapter 2, verse number 2. For I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified. You don't need talent to have determination. You don't need skill to have determination. You don't need good looks to have determination. Man, you don't even need hair to have determination. One quote I read said, the difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will. Someone asked Paul Harvey, the journalist and radio commentator, to reveal the secret of his success. He said, I get up when I fall down. I like that. I'm not just asking for an emotional decision. I'm asking you to beg God to put some iron in the south end of your soul so that you won't bend with the rest of this world. Determination. He failed in business in 31. He was defeated for state legislator in 32. He tried another business in 33. It failed. His fiance died in 35. He had a nervous breakdown in 36, tried to commit suicide. In 43, he ran for Congress and was defeated. He tried again in 48 and was defeated. He tried running for Senate in 55, he lost. The next year, he ran for vice president and lost. In 59, he ran for Senate again and was defeated. And in 1860, the man that signed his name, A. Lincoln, became the 16th president of the United States of America. And he did it for politics. Can't you do it for God? Young person, get tired. We all do. Rest if you must. Lick your wounds if you need to. But don't you dare quit on God. I want some of you young people to taste victory. Those five kings were brought out of the cave. Joshua gathered the people of Israel together. Then he called the captains and said, put your feet on the necks of these kings. God's going to do the same thing to all of your enemies. There aren't any victories at discounted prices. You want victory? You've got to defeat your kings through honesty, prayer, and determination. Let's bow our heads. Stand to our feet. Heads bowed. Eyes closed. I don't believe in high-pressure tactics to get people to come forward, but I do believe that when God speaks to your heart, you better speak to him. If he did a work in your heart tonight, stirred you up, challenged you to make a decision, don't wait. You come now. Come now. so