My Testimony is His Blood - Brad Jones

I'm so pumped to be at church and be stepping into this collection on Palm Sunday, but this powerful collection and the walls come down. Anybody been enjoying this collection of talks? Hope it's been helpful. This study through the book of Joshua and we're gonna keep that going today. So wanna invite you to turn your scripture to Hebrews chapter 11, that was a joke, but we are gonna be in Hebrews, not Joshua in this series and collection through Joshua. Y'all with me, y'all all right? Okay, just checking. I'm pumped to be at church. I had the privilege this week of traveling with Pastor Louie and another legend from our team, Leighton Ching, and we were in the great city of Tokyo and it was phenomenal. We've been able to do some ministry there through passion several years ago and it was great to be back connecting, reconnecting with old friends, meeting new friends. If you don't know, Japan is considered one of the largest unreached people groups in the entire world. So 122 million people live in Japan, less than 2% are Christians, which means that they have those 122 million little to no access to the gospel. Most of them, the majority of them would not know a Christian

and would not know about the gospel. And so to be there and blow wind in the sails of these pastors and leaders and thinking about most of the gatherings of Christians that happen are in the 20s and 30s, maybe a mega church there would at one time have 100 or 200 people gathering at once. And it just makes me one, have a huge heart for what God's doing in Japan, but also makes me grateful for this opportunity that we have here today to worship with a few thousand people throughout today at 515, let alone other locations. And it was really, really beautiful trip. Actually, I'd been in a long time ago, but I'd forgotten so much and I was dead set on learning the city and doing as best I could to get around on my own. And it's a completely different language, can't even read their alphabet, have no idea what it means. And I was gonna try to take as many of the trains as I could. And there's one trip I was going about an hour outside of town to meet with a pastor of a really great and thriving church. And it was gonna take three trains to get there in rush hour with like, I mean, there's 37 million people that live in Tokyo alone. And it was like chaos. And I just want you to know your boy made it just fine.

Three trains, navigated it myself. Thank you, I'll take the applause. I was real proud of myself, that's why I'm telling you. Like I was like really proud of my accomplishment. I was like, I'm doing this. Like I figured out how to pay for it all and got to the final train, I did have to ask for a little help from somebody who didn't know English. So we were trying to communicate, making sure I was gonna get on the right train. And I got there just a few minutes late. I wasn't like an hour or two hours late. And I got to the pastor, I was like, I got here all by myself, you know? Like I did it, like I'm so proud. I was like, the only thing that was a little weird, I was like, why were there just like so many ladies this morning on the train and no guys? And he was like, oh, you were on the female only cars of the train. It was like, sure enough, I was like, just got on the train, I'm looking around, I'm like, man, there are so many ladies. And then here's the American just like, and it wasn't like a few people, I mean, we were like shoulder to shoulder and that's why they, to protect the ladies, you know, from crazy Americans, they're like in the rush hour, give them their own train, except I just jumped on.

So that was my accomplishment or lack of accomplishment. And here's why I tell you that story, one, maybe to make you laugh, but two, if we're not careful, we spend most of our life telling people about our accomplishments. Look what I've done, look what I'm about, look what I've achieved, look what I've accomplished. But as Christians, you and I are called to spend our lives not telling people about our accomplishments, but telling people about God's accomplishments in our lives through Jesus Christ. And this is the message, right, of Easter, this is the message of the Christian life is that we've been saved by grace through faith. It's God's work, not our own. And we're living testimonies of what he has done. And that's what we see as we jump into Hebrews and yes, don't worry, we'll get to Joshua, but we're gonna start in the hall of faith, as many would call this, and it's a list in Hebrews of some of the great. So we'll start in just verse one right here. Dave, is that? Zoomed in correctly, let me know if I'm doing all right. Feeling good. Now, faith is confidence in what we hope for, and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. And that seems like an oxymoron, confidence in what is hoped for,

assurance what you do not see. This is a good definition of faith, but faith can be a little complicated. Can I get an amen? Faith can be a little bit tricky. Faith in anything, right? We're all living by faith in something, but even faith in God, who we do not fully see. But yet we're given these pictures. And that's what is Hebrews chapter 11. It's a list of a lot of the greats, the ancients that were commended. Be like you and I having a debate over who's the greatest athlete, or what's the greatest restaurant, or your favorite city, or your favorite kid. Like this would be a list. You could have laughed at that as well, man. The 930, they were cracking up at that joke. But anyway, Hebrews 11, you start getting some of these greats that they're commended for. You got Abel, and early on, bringing a sacrifice to God by faith. Enoch, just taken straight to heaven. And Noah, come on, what a legend. And stories of him that we know and love. Abraham, Father Abraham. He had many, we got a shout out for Father Abraham. I like that.

Many sons, many sons had Father Abraham. I'm one of them. And so are you. Let's praise the Lord. Okay, some of you didn't grow up in church. You're like, this just got weird. I mean, come on, Isaac and Jacob, whom the nation of Israel were named after. And then Joseph from the end of Genesis, both his success and his suffering. What an incredible life that Joseph lived. What the devil intended for evil. Those meant to harm you. God meant it for good. And then come on, there cannot be a list without Moses, who walked with God, who saw God, who led the people out of the promised land. Of course he is in Hebrews chapter 11. But then let's get to Joshua in the story that we're going through. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell after the army had marched around them for how many, how many times did the army march? 13, thank you 1145. Cause the 930 said they marched around seven, but I preached around that a couple of weeks ago and it was not seven, it was 13. It was seven days, but it was six days at one time. And then the last day is seven and that is 13. Okay, just making sure we're learning here.

Okay, man, I'm getting claps around that. I'm just gonna, but then here, check this out. Verse 31 in the hall of faith, right there with Moses and Abraham and Isaac and Joseph. By faith, the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. In the story that God is writing, he chooses to include because of her faith, God's grace through her faith, the prostitute Rahab. And I don't have to tell you too much to tell you if that's true for her, then why couldn't it be true for you? If God would write her into the story, then why are you counting yourself out? Why are you counting your family out? Why are you counting your friends out? No one is too far gone and God writes the least likely into his story. And right there is Rahab in the hall of faith. Believe for what God wants to do in and through your life. She's a picture. Her life and her act of faith is an amazing picture of what God is doing in our lives and through our lives. We need pictures, don't we? Because faith can get a little bit complicated, unsure of what it's really all about. I mean, pictures are helpful. Ikea furniture, anybody? We don't read the words, we just look at the pictures.

And the only thing they're missing in those is they should just have a disclaimer like putting together this furniture could and probably will cause marital problems. But I want us to look at Rahab, her life. Let's go to Joshua chapter two. Now we're there, I'll summarize it. Try to go. but if you remember they're about to cross the Jordan River and we've talked about that, we've studied that and Joshua, like he was a spy, him and Caleb, that he sends spies ahead to the promised land to have them check out what they're up against. He specifically says, go look at Jericho, this walled city, this first city that we're gonna come up against and just get a little glimpse. So he sends two spies and they show up at Rahab's house, not because of her occupation, just because the sovereignty of God and where God led them and he just happened to be at Rahab's house and then she hides them. The King of Jericho finds out these spies are in their city, he sends them to Rahab's house to bring the spies out but she hides them up on the roof and that's where we begin to get this picture and in verse eight, it says, before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, I know that the Lord has given you this land

and that a great fear of you has fallen on us so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came up out of Egypt and what you did to Shihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone's courage failed because of you for the Lord, your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Rahab was coming to a realization. What this realization was when she was hearing the stories of the army that was coming and even though they were still on the other side of the Jordan, she knew their destruction was all but guaranteed. She realized that she in her own ability had no capacity or no ability to save herself and that God's judgment was coming on the people of Jericho and that she also realized the gods that she had been worshiping, the gods her people had been following were in fact not gods at all. They were little g gods unable to save and so what she's realizing, she says our hearts are melting in fear, God's destruction and God's judgment is coming and what we've been hoping for isn't able to save us.

She said, what I'm realizing in this moment is my God's not God. What I'm following isn't on the throne. What I'm following can't save and so she said, right? She's realizing that the Lord, your God is God. So what's her response to this realization in verse 12? Now then please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters and all who belong to them and that you will, that you will, what? Is it on the screen? Hold on, I'm gonna just zoom in. That you will, what? Save us from death. Again, a picture of the gospel. What does she do? She cries out for mercy. She begs for mercy. She asks for help. I can't save my family so based on my act of faith, will you save us? And then there's the response. Verse 14, our lives for your lives, the men assured her. If you don't tell what we're doing, we'll treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us this land.

Anybody grateful today that the Lord has treated you kindly and faithfully and he's given us this land, not just to profess but to possess? So she let them down by a rope through the window for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. She said to them, go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there for, interesting, three days until they return, and then go on your way. Now the men had said to her, this oath you made us swear will not be binding on you. Okay, check this out. Unless when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down. And unless you have brought your father and your mother, your brothers and all your family into your house, if any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads. We won't be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on them. But if you tell what we're doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear. Agreed, she replied. I love this remark. Let it be as you say. She'd never met these guys. She didn't know if they were gonna deliver on their promise.

But they gave her her word, said when we come, and we're coming because you've heard of the Red Sea. You've heard of Shion and Og. You're about to see the Jordan River parted. And then soon after that's gonna freak you out a little bit, but we're gonna circle the city for several days. And we're just gonna worship as we go. But eventually these walls are gonna fall. But we're gonna give you our word that based on your faith, you're gonna get your faith, which by the way, God's grace led us to your house. Your faith in taking us in and tying this cord, we're gonna give you our word that we will save you and everyone in that is under this house. If you tie a scarlet cord. They gave them their word. And she took them at their word. She believed their word. She received their word and then did what they said to do. She sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in their window. Hey, don't just tie any cord. Make sure it's red. Make sure it matches the color of the blood that was on the doorpost of the people of God when they were in Israel or in Egypt. Nope, heads up, wrong one. When they were in Egypt, it's gotta be red. Because the blood that was taken from the perfect lambs

without blemish, that there was a Passover, that the angel of death would skip that house. Now the people of God are gonna skip the house that has the red cord. Do you see what I'm talking about here? You see this picture, Ikea furniture, y'all following me? And then let's just flip ahead to see actually how the story ends. Verse, we'll speed up, Sammy can come. Joshua right after this 22 of verse chapter six. Joshua said to the men who had spied out the land, go to the prostitute's house and bring her out all who belong to her in accordance with your oath to her. So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought Rahab and her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belong to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel. Rahab, her family, they got saved because there was a red rope and the people knew not to destroy that house, anyone who was in that house. They burned the whole city and everything in it. But the silver and the gold and the articles of the bronze and the iron and the treasury, they put it into the treasury of the Lord's house. But Joshua, a picture of Jesus, what did he do? He spared Rahab the prostitute with her entire family because she hid the men. Joshua had sent his spies to Jericho

and she lives among the Israelites to this day. This is a picture of the gospel. You're like, well, tell me more, Brad. Well, what did Rahab know? No, she realized that God's judgment was coming. Do you realize, most of you have, but do we realize that, yes, we are by nature objects of wrath. All of us have sinned and done, rebelled against God. We've turned our back on Him. And God's judgment is coming. We don't know when, but His judgment is coming on the earth. When He will give people what their sins deserve. And it's coming. But He's given us this chance to cry out for mercy, to plead for mercy. And it's you and I coming to the realization, and most of us have, but it's also just remembering it, remembering what God's done in our life. It's coming to this realization that we can't save ourselves. No matter how good you are, no matter how many good works you stack up, no matter how many times you come to church, no matter how many times you give, no matter how many paths you try, you can't be saved and spared from the coming wrath except for the blood of the perfect Son of God. In all His innocence,

who's promised us and who wants to give us not what our sins deserve, but what He's freely accomplished for us. This is the picture of the gospel. It's what does that mean for our lives? It does mean faith in Jesus, faith in the Son of God. And what's that faith look like similar to Rahab's? It's taking Jesus at His word and then living by faith, trusting in what Jesus promises. And then living a life that reflects that we believe Him. Just like Rahab trusted the spies and lowered the rope, are you and I trusting Jesus by taking Him at His word and living by faith? I love the new song we're singing by our friends at Elevation. If you were here last week, we sang it. What I heard, it was powerful with Brooke leading. At us night, if you were there, we sang it. So be it, have you heard the song? You know this song? I love this song. Louie was the first one that told me about it. He's like, you gotta check out this song. And then I was preparing this talk and I texted the band. I was like, I know we sang it twice last weekend, but I wanna sing it again. They're like, well, it's a different band and you're also letting us know this on Friday night, Brad. It's kind of complicated song. And I was like, can you please,

can you please try to work on it on Saturday? And they're like, well, we'll pray about it. We'll think it through. And I was like, well, if Louie asked, you would have done it. So let's just, you know, go with it. And so much so I was like, we're gonna play the song. I'm gonna title this talk, My Testimony Is His Blood. So then it's up to you to feel awkward if you don't sing the song after I titled the talk, My Testimony Is His Blood. But check this out in the ESV. This was my last little argument of Joshua chapter two. Well, let's just go back and just when she says agreed, she replied, let it be as you say. I looked over to the ESV and she said, according to your words, so be it. And sent that to the team and said, let's sing the song. According to your word, Jesus. And what are some of his words? I didn't put them in here, but his words in the red letters, his last words on the cross were, it is his blood. It's finished. The price for your sins and my sins has been paid. What's necessary to be accomplished for your salvation has been accomplished. I'm wiping away guilt and shame for anyone who would put their faith in me. So no longer do we have to be slaves to sin because thanks be to God that he has given us victory over death and sin.

It is finished people, it is finished. His last words to his disciples, some of them on earth is, hey, I'm sending you to the nations to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. All authority has been given to me. And he's like, check this out. I'm gonna be with you always. I'm sending you my Holy Spirit. I'm not leaving you as orphans. You don't have to live this life on your own. So let's take Jesus at his word and live by faith that we have, that you have, that I have, everything we need to live a life of godliness, everything we need to leave the old life behind. We have a testimony by his blood and it's that we have the power of the Holy Spirit. So in and of ourselves, we don't have what it takes, but in Jesus, we do have what it takes. He's with us always. It's written. Also says, he says in John chapter 14, he tells his disciples, I'm going away. Where you're going, I can't come. Where I'm going, you can't come right now, but I'm gonna come back and take you to be with me. So where I'm going, you will be with me forever. Jesus is coming back for us, people.

We should take him at his word and live by it. Amen. The ancients were commended. They were celebrated by taking Jesus at his word and saying, so be it, God, living by it. My question for you today, my question for me today is, will I be commended for my faith? It doesn't always make sense. I don't always know how it's gonna turn out, but I have the words of God. And am I choosing to live by them? The last thing I want you to see, back to Joshua chapter six. Let me erase here. What I want you to see is that Rahab, her family got saved. I believe salvation is on the other side of your faith for your family. And if things change today for you, what could change for your family and your family's family by bringing them under the covering and the authority of God? And then I also want you to see that just like Rahab, who lived among the Israelites as a picture of God's grace, that you and I are put right here where we're at in 2026 as a picture of God's grace for the world around us. Because imagine Rahab,

she wasn't a part of the people of God. She hadn't wandered in the wilderness. She didn't cross the Jordan River, but yet there she was living among the people with a story to tell. And people were like, what's your name again? Rahab, excuse me for asking this, but who are you? And where did you come from? And she'd be like, honestly, it's crazy. Like, I should have been in the rubble. I'm from Jericho. Like all my fellow citizens, they were destroyed, but I was at my home and these guys showed up and God had been working in my heart and I gave them a place to stay. And then they told me if I lowered this red rope, I'd get saved. And sure enough, they were right. And here I am living among the people of God. And it's not because of me, but it's God's grace and comes by faith. And that's my story. And she told it over and over, excuse me, who are you? And where'd you come from? Yeah, I'm from Jericho, but I got saved. I, excuse me, yeah, I'm Rahab, I'm Rahab's brother, Rahab's dad, how'd you get here? My daughter, she put this red rope down and we got saved, we're here, what's your story? People are looking at your life, excuse me, who are you? There's something different about your life, there's a new joy on you,

there's a new look in your eye, you've stopped doing some stuff, you're going to church now and you're like studying God's word and you're telling me that there's hope for me, like that's not the person I used to know, you're like well, it wasn't a red rope but it was red blood and his name is Jesus and it's my testimony is his blood and I'm living by that blood. You're a picture of God's grace, you've been given a story to tell and people will see your life, this is the plan of God and also get saved and set free, delivered, not telling the world about all you've done but telling the world about all Jesus has done, right, this is, we're done after this we're done after this for this little section, 1 Peter chapter 1, our testimony, our story, our witness, what we're commended by for you know, we know it, we realize it, it wasn't with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life, I pray that people that are hearing this today that are following wrong gods, false gods, living for the wrong things, you would have your eyes open today that what you're doing is empty and meaningless and it cannot save you, you weren't, you were redeemed from the empty way of life, it wasn't by silver and gold that was handed down to you from your ancestors but you were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect, he was chosen before the creation, the world but was revealed in these last times for your sake, through him you believe in God, come on people who raised him from the dead and glorified him so that your faith and hope are not in yourself and your accomplishments but they are in God, it's time for us to lower the rope so that people see that we've been saved, it's time for us to live a life that distinguishes us from the empty way of life but saying we've been redeemed by the precious blood of the lamb, come on church, come on church.