THAT'S NOT MY PLACE | PASTOR JAMAL HEGWOOD | FORWARD CITY CHURCH

Hey family, it's Pastor Jim. Listen, we're still in our Planet on Purpose sermon series. And today's a treat. We get Pastor Jamal. He's going to bring a word from Joshua entitled That's Not My Place. It's really just the story of Rahab and how we can go from being placed to positioned to planted in community in the family of Christ.

So, lean in, take notes. It's going to be incredible word. It'll bless your heart. >> We're going to hop right into the word. Can you go to Joshua 2, please? Joshua 2. While you're going there, can we please give it up for our pastors? Oh, come on. Y'all could do better than that.

Can we give it up for our pastors, Pastor Dr. Dr. Travis >> and Dr. Jackie Green. Come on now. Put some respect on his name. He did He did the work. Amen. No, they are in Lagos, Nigeria. Um, Friday night, anybody was able to make it to the last revival night of the year.

Come on, wave at me. Friday night, we were in here worshiping and we got out and about midnight our time, Pastor Travis and the team was on stage in Nigeria worshiping in front of over 800,000 people, y'all. That's a lot of people. And then there was another 50,000 watching online. >> And I'm just grateful that God has us a part of our house. that can be used globally.

A little church in Columbia, South Carolina is being sent across the nation, across the world, across the globe to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ. And so, we're so grateful and thankful. And I'm grateful and thankful to a church like you that God can trust leaders like that with.

And so, I'm grateful to be up here today and preaching. If you don't know, my name is Jamal. I have the honor of serving as the campus pastor here at Forest City Church. And I'm super excited. That's right. Super excited today to be preaching in our series, Planted on Purpose. >> There you go.

That's good. All right. Joshua 2. Joshua 2. We'll be starting at the 8th verse. I do want to warn you, it's a little bit of reading today, but I promise you'll be sitting down for the rest of the time. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Starting at verse 8, New Living Translation.

Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. "I know the Lord has given you this land," she told them. We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt.

And we know what you did to Sion and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. No wonder our hearts have melted in fear. No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.

Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters and all their families.

Somebody say everybody. >> We offer our own lives as guarantee for your safety. The men agreed, "If you don't betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the Lord gives us the land." Then, since Rahab's house was built into the town wall, she let them down by a rope through the window.

Let's skip over to chapter 6 and the 16th verse. says, "The seventh time around, as the priest sounded the long blast on the horns, Joshua commanded the people." Everybody say that word. >> Shout. Shout. It's shout. Let's try that one more time. >> It's all right. It's all right.

Everybody go. Everybody say that word. >> There we go. Shout. For the Lord has given you the town. Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared for she protected our spies.

Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction or you yourselves will be completely destroyed and you will bring trouble in the camp of Israel. Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury. When the people heard the sound of the ram's horn, they shouted as loud as they could.

Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it. They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords. Men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys. My God. Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, "Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute's house and bring her out along with all her family."

Father, thank you so much for your word. I thank you that your word is already blessed and my prayer is that you simply preach it better than I ever could in Jesus name. Amen and amen. On the way to your seat, I need you to turn to your neighbor and give them the title of this message.

Say, "Neighbor, >> neighbor, >> that's not my place, not my >> That's not my place. That's not my place. That's not my place. That's not my place." Listen, I'm so honored to be preaching in this sermon series. And I can tell you um that uh there's a truth that I want to talk about today.

Um there is nothing like a good story. And there's nothing like a good storyteller. I personally think that I am a pretty good storyteller. I love storytelling. I love it a little bit because I'm dramatic and so I like the drama of telling a good story. A good story has good structure.

Okay? It got good bones to it. There needs to be an introduction. There needs to be something. If you're really good at at at you know telling a story, your story is hinged upon a question. You know, you ever had somebody come to you and they ask you a question and you already know they know the answer to the question just based on the way they asked.

You seen so and so today. Like you clearly you clearly already have the answer to this question. But but a good story has good structure. But any good storyteller will tell you that what really makes a story are the transitions. A good storyteller has great transitions. And I personally believe that some people that have really good storytelling capabilities are none other than the black family.

Um, if you were at Thanksgiving, if you were at Christmas, if you grew up in a black family, you heard some good stories. And nobody has better stories than a good uncle. I mean, they could tell a really good story. And we all know some of the transitions.

First of first and foremost, the story got to start with. Okay. So, boom. All right. Uh um you know and and then and then a good a good uncle he he love a good you know see I ain't even going to hold you and then proceeds to hold you for the next two hours with the story.

I I I still don't know who these three people are but every good story has this that and the third. Come on, y'all know I've never met this, that, or the third. But they always find themselves in a good story. But then don't be telling a story and then the storyteller forgot something. >> Now, if you're a good storyteller, you didn't really forget.

You purposely left it out so that at the right moment, you could BE LIKE, "NOT TO mention Okay. Okay. There's this new trend going around talking about some, you know, whoopde-doo, whoopde-doo, you know, but but I grew up, my uncles used to be like, you know, whoopde-doo, you know, it's like, you know, all this, you know, whoopde- woo.

Um, but then you also have uh something that that that is said that if you ever hear it said to you, um, you might want to be concerned because if somebody is telling a story and they look you in your eyes and they say, "If you like it, I love it. >> I love it. >> Let me tell you, they don't like it, >> nor do they love it.

And baby, they just called you slow. They just called you stupid. I want you to know that you should be offended. Okay. If somebody look at you and say, "If you like it, >> I love it. You that them fighting words right there." All right. And then somebody can tell the story and they get to a point THEY SAY COME TO FIND out >> right.

Um but there is an ultimate transition that we all know that any good storyteller is building to a good storyteller is building to this one moment and every good storyteller knows the reaction in this moment is to die for. And that's when you telling the story and it build up and then you HIT THEM WITH A NOW MIND you that story to get good baby that story they going to hit YOU WITH A HAYMAKER THAT YOU THINK OH LORD WHAT OH MY GOD I WOULDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT that but but the craziest part to a story I believe and and we we all got an auntie that do this is they tell you the whole story and then at the end they be like, "But you know what?

It ain't even my business to be telling, you know, that ain't even my place to be telling all their business. I just, you know, I just thought you would like to know, but I just, you know, I but that's not my place. That's not my place." But today, today I feel like we are in the middle of a really, really good story. a story about the beauty of God's faithfulness.

And the and the interesting part about it is I was reading this story and I couldn't help but to notice that the storyteller is really really good. And so I hope to tell this story back to you in a way that helps you to understand who God is and what he wants for your life.

I I I hope that in this story you are able to not just see someone that God did something for, but you are able to see bits and pieces of yourself in this story. So, okay. So, boom. Now, let's start. Joshua and the children of Israel are about to begin to possess the very things that God had been promising for hundreds of years.

Now, I don't know about you, but if God had been promising something and saying something for generations, I am always intrigued that by the time we get to Joshua's generation, what was it that they felt? I mean, for years and years and years, they kept hearing, "God's going to do it.

He's going to bring us into this land." And there were certain things that they didn't even have context to. They didn't even know. They just are going based off of stories and history. and that God's going to do it. He's going to bring us into this land. He's going to do it.

And they are now about to walk into all that God had promised them. Now, for some of us, we are on the cusp of what God had promised us. But let me tell you something. You have not been waiting nearly as long as the children of Israel were waiting.

I mean, some of us in 2025, we've been believing God for some stuff and we like, "Lord, it's been 12 months, baby. was hundreds of years for them. But by this time, God had proven himself strong through the plagues in Egypt. He had delivered them from slavery. He had opened the Red Sea.

He allowed them to walk through the Red Sea. And then he had the nerve to close that Red Sea back up on their enemies. He also gave them supernatural provision in the wilderness. He defeated various armies for them. For 40 years, God had been preserving them in the wilderness for this very moment.

I don't know if you know what it feels like to be on the cusp of a promise. Have you ever been in life when people been saying, you know, God going to do this, God going to do that, and then when you actually are about to step into it, you be like, is this the real thing? >> Because they've been talking about it for a long time.

And the children of Israel are about to step into this promise. They're they're about to possess the promise that God has been talking about for years. And just like a good storyteller, there's a come to find out in our story >> because we have God perfectly illustrating a redemption story for a whole nation.

Perfectly illustrating a redemption story for an ENTIRE PEOPLE. AND COME TO FIND out in the middle of the story, God inserts a prostitute. Someone that seems messy, God inserts into the beautiful picture of what he's intending to work out. Now listen, I ain't even gonna hold you that long.

But but the truth is, >> you cannot tell me >> that Rahab grew up wanting to be a prostitute. >> You you you cannot convince me that Rahab grew up wanting to be ostracized, wanting to be criticized, wanting to be looked at different, wanting to be abused, wanting to be mistreated, wanting to be taken advantage of.

And and we can even look at our own life and say, none of us, some of the mistakes that we've made, some of the decisions that we've made, some of the things that we've ended up living through, none of us was in third grade with that on our bingo card.

None of us was in second grade saying, "God, I want to walk around rejected all of my life. I want to walk around in poverty. I want to walk around having broken relationships. I want to walk around with my heart broken. I want to walk around frustrated and confused."

None of us put on our bingo card. None of us said when we were sharing IN CLASS WHAT WE WANTED to be when we grew up, the things that happened to us. But I do believe that like some of us, Rahab experienced being placed. >> Placed. Now, what do I mean by that?

What do I mean by that? What you've experienced in life has placed you somewhere. And it feels like you are planted there, but you're not planted. You're just stuck. >> Now, now I don't know. I don't know who I'm talking to in the room today. But there are some things that I know I have gone through in life and the enemy had the nerve to try to tell me this is how it's always going to be.

May maybe I'm just maybe it's just me, but but but I know that the enemy sometimes would try to get us to to convince ourselves that where we've been placed is where we will always live. For me, it was anxiety and perversion and lust and worry and doubt.

And the enemy would tell me even from when I was a little boy, you you just better get used to it >> or or figure out ways around this. figure out how to live with this. The enemy tries to get you to believe that where you've been placed is actually a definition for who you are.

And that's where we end up in our story. Life had placed Rahab in a few things. We we don't know the fullness of Rahab's story and what all she went through, but we know that something had led her into a life of prostitution. But here is the reality and here is something that I need you to get and I want you to write it down.

Being placed isn't permanent. Thank you. Thank you. I like that right there. Being placed isn't permanent. What do I mean? Life may have placed you in fear. Life may have placed you in anxiety. Life may have placed you in perversion. Life may have placed you in doubt. Life may have placed you in worry.

Life may have placed you in lust. Life may have placed you in poverty. You didn't ask to end up there. >> I DON'T KNOW WHO I'M TALKING TO, BUT FOR SOME OF US, I AIN'T ASKED FOR THIS. >> I'M LIVING THROUGH SOME STUFF THAT MY DADDY DIDN'T FIGURE OUT.

I'M LIVING THROUGH SOME STUFF THAT my mama didn't figure out. I'm living through some stuff that my auntie and uncle didn't FIGURE OUT. I DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS, >> but life placed me there. And what happens is the enemy tries to overwhelm us >> by where we've been placed. >> I didn't ask for this.

I didn't ask to end up in poverty. I didn't ask to end up in lack. I didn't ask to END UP IN REJECTION. I WANT THE JOY OF THE LORD. I DIDN'T ASK for this. But that's where the circumstances of life drop me off. >> Watch out. That's where my choices >> drop me off.

Because for some of us, we can't blame mama. >> We can't blame daddy. >> We got to look in the mirror and say, "What I'm living in is not an attack from the enemy, >> but it is simply the fruit of the choices that I've made." >> For some of us, we are spending time in PRAYER.

SATAN, I BIND YOU. I REBUKE YOU. GET AWAY FROM ME. AND SATAN like that, that ain't me. I hope I'm talking to somebody. >> You binding him. You you you you you loosen stuff from heaven. And Satan say, "Hey, that's not me." That's the fruit of the decision that you made last year. >> I didn't ask for this, but my choices dropped me off here.

My decisions dropped me off here. But just because you were placed there, it doesn't mean that you have to stay there. >> So, so life life places us in some things. And some of us have made a home somewhere that life placed us, but God didn't plant you. >> Now, MIND YOU, THE REAL PROBLEM is you think that all of this is about life placing you somewhere.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You made a home in that thing. This is why it's so important what we say to ourselves and what we say about ourselves. Because you think that just because you've seen it all your life that that's how your life is supposed to be. >> Oh, let me help you.

Just because you've seen toxic relationships. Just because life placed you in tox toxic relationships, that does not mean that that's how God intended for it to be. Just because you grew up in lack and poverty, that does not mean that that's how God intended for it to be.

Just because you grew up with people talking about you and beating you down and not letting you live up to your fullest potential, that does not mean that that's how God intended for you to be. YOU WERE PLACED THERE, BUT THAT'S NOT YOUR PERMANENT HOME. >> What we learned last week is that life isn't simply about cause and effect.

You remember this? PT talked about it, but it's about God's divine providence, which simply means God can do what he wants, when he wants, and how he WANTS IT. WATCH THIS. And you messing up doesn't stop him from being him. >> See, see, cuz some of us, we like to think that WE MORE POWERFUL THAN GOD. >> WE MESS UP.

We be like, "Oh, Lord Jesus. Lord, I know you just mad. You mad at me now. You didn't. I'm sorry. I did that. He's like, "Baby, before time began, I knew you was going to do that." >> And guess what? I made a route back to me for every mistake you would ever make.

I made a route back to me for every wrong way you would ever go. I MADE A ROUTE BACK TO ME for every bad decision, for every bad choice. Your choices do not trump who God is. He will always make a way of escape. HE WILL ALWAYS MAKE A ROUTE BACK TO HIM.

Watch this. BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH LIFE HAD PLACED RAHAB in some things >> AND LIFE HAS PLACED YOU in some things, see like Rahab, we don't understand that God is actually positioning us for breakthrough. >> See, see, see, Rahab have been placed in certain things. You have been placed in certain things.

But that is from a human perspective. >> See, we see placement. God sees positioning. >> I hope this blesses somebody. See, see, see Rahab's life and decisions and trauma and her fears had led to a house placed inside the walls of Jericho. your life, your decisions, your fears, your trauma have probably led you to a place in your life that you feel is inescapable.

But what she didn't know and what we don't know sometimes is that even though that's where we were placed, God is still sovereign enough to turn that placement into positioning. He is positioning us for breakthrough. So basically, life can place you into a mess. And even in that mess, God has positioned you for breakthrough.

I don't know who I'm talking to, but for some people, that's why you was in the club and you never felt right. THAT'S WHY YOU WAS WITH THEM FRIENDS and it just never felt right. THAT'S WHY YOU WAS DOING ALL THAT MESS AND IT JUST NEVER felt right because life placed you somewhere, but God positioned you for something else.

You in the club AND YOU KNOW YOU AIN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE. >> You in there falling asleep life just just in that section snoring. Huh? I'm up. I'm up child. I'm up. I'm up. What? What? You know you ain't supposed to be there. >> See, life may have placed you there, but God positioned you. >> There are certain things that start to happen that's just like, "Oo, something is off.

Something is different." Watch this. Here's why. Because placement describes where life dropped you. >> Watch this. But position describes what God is about to do with you. >> See? See, I I I want to debunk this myth, and I don't want to erase the FACT THAT YES, LIFE PLACED YOU IN SOME THINGS.

IT DID. YES, LIFE PLACED YOU IN A MESS, but God is so powerful to take that mess >> and position you for breakthrough. This woman is in the middle of her mess, and here come two spies seeking refuge. Now, you know what tripped me up? Because, you know, Pastor Jamal, I I'm a preacher.

I love to preach. And I'm like, God, oh Lord, if you help me make this connection, I'm gonna preach it to the cows. Come on. I'm going to preach the paint off the walls because I wanted to see in the scriptures where it said that God led the spies to her house.

Oh y'all, I was going to pre y'all lucky cuz I was going to do back flips and God led them TO HER HOUSE. GOD LED THEM. YOU KNOW, ALL THAT. But I was searching and God said, "Hey, hey, hey, don't look for what's not there." because he said, "I'm so big that I have a way of positioning you to where even in your mess and mistakes, somebody random who is simply minding their business and obeying instructions will bump into you with what you need for breakthrough."

He is so big that he don't even have to tell them go to this specific house or do this specific. No, no, no. He is so big that he could just tell them go go search out the land. And along their way, he also positions you to where you are the one that has to take them in.

He here's what blew my mind. I started to do some more research and I'm like this is crazy because EVEN THOUGH LIFE HAD PLACED her in prostitution during that time most people who lived there that life there were two specific things that would happen. Number one they would always live closer to the city gate because that's where most more traffic was.

And number two they normally own some type of inn or tavern. So, you mean to tell me that Rahab was in her mess minding her business? >> She wasn't looking for God. She just DOING WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS BEST. AND AT THE SAME TIME, SOMEBODY ELSE IS ABOUT TO WALK INTO PROMISE. and they JUST LOOKING FOR SOMEWHERE TO STAY, NOT KNOWING THAT GOD HAS ORCHESTRATED A DIVINE COLLISION.

AND WHAT I need you to understand is that EVEN IN YOUR MESS, I'M JUST MINDING MY BUSINESS. I'M JUST TRYING TO do my own thing. God is after you enough TO SAY, "THAT'S MY DAUGHTER AND THAT'S MY SON, AND I WILL DIVINELY orchestrate it to where they meet somebody who can give them their breakthrough. that y'all.

She was minding her business. I don't know if that's anybody's testimony, but you was in the world minding your business at the club minding your business on that job minding your business in them streets MINDING YOUR BUSINESS. AND for some reason, you found yourself at 7,62 knots AND YOU SAYING, "WHY AM I HERE?

WHY AM I HEARING THIS MESSAGE? WHY IS THIS CHANGING MY HEART? WHY DON'T I WANT TO DO THE THINGS I USED TO DO? WHY DON'T I WANT TO GO THE places I used to go? It's because God was positioning you. You you you think you at that job simply because of your circumstances.

No, God positioned you. You think you at that school just because of your circumstances. No, God positioned you. You think you in that financial situation just because No, God positioned you. You are positioned. You're positioned for breakthrough. You're positioned for expansion. You're positioned for GOD TO MOVE. GOD has positioned you.

If you're in this ROOM AND IF YOU'RE WATCHING ONLINE, GOD POSITIONED YOU. HE positioned you to hear this message. He positioned you to get this word. He positioned you to be in this house because there is breakthrough on the other side. Rahab was positioned for breakthrough. But but but here's the thing.

Sit down. Sit down. Sit God doesn't position for positioning sake. >> Hear me. He positions you because he planted you. >> Now, let me park here for a second. Let me park here for a second because the Bible says that Rahab had heard about the things that God had done. says that literally it brought terror to the entire area of Jericho.

But but here's what I need you to understand. The positioning is only an invitation into obedience. Let me say that one more time. The positioning is only an invitation into obedience. And so Rahab was positioned for breakthrough, but she still had to obey and have faith in God.

And what happens for many of us is we are expecting the fruit of being planted and we have not been obedient in the positioning. >> She was aware that God was about to give this land to the children of Israel because he had promised it to them. But there's a part to this story that goes overlooked far too often.

Let's look at Joshua 6 again. And we're going to go to the 25th verse. It says, "So Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho." Here's the key, that last sentence. And she lives among the Israelites to this day.

Now hold up. God took her from the city of Jericho and he didn't just let her go. He didn't just hey go now wherever you want to go. Thank you. That's great. But he allowed for her to live among the children of Israel. Now, if the story ended with Rahab just living among Israel, that would still be beautiful because he literally invites her into being a part of this family, being a part of this people.

I don't want you to just be out here on your own. Come on, get some food. Get somewhere. Come on. Come on in. That's great. A Canaanite prostitute now brought into God's people. That is the the story of grace. But God is so God that he doesn't stop at simply bringing her among his people. >> If you fast forward in the Bible to Matthew 1, you see Jesus's family tree.

And if we read verse five specifically, we see a name in the middle of all those generations >> that shouldn't be there. By human standards, there's a name in the middle of all these generations that shouldn't be there. Salmon was the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab.

You know what blessed me? I was reading this in between services and what blessed me, Dr. Delicia, is that when he put her name in the genealogy, he left off the label. See, y'all don't want to talk to me. You don't you don't fully get it. Wait, wait, wait. >> Women are not typically mentioned in genealogy. >> But God made it a point to mention her. >> Rahab doesn't just end up living near or among Israel.

She literally ends up mothering part of Israel's future. She becomes the mother of Boaz, who was an ancestor to David, WHO WAS ULTIMATELY AN ANCESTOR OF Jesus Christ himself. HOW Y'ALL WAIT? HOW DOES ONE GO FROM BEING A PROSTITUTE LIVING IN THE TOWN WALL TO BEING IN A DIRECT ANCESTRY TO THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD?

It's simple. Rahab was planted. SHE WAS NOT A PROSTITUTE. SHE WAS PLANTED. WHICH IS WHY WHEN HE REWROTE HER NAME IN THE GENEALOGY, he said, "I'mma leave off the label because this is where I planted you. They placed you in prostitution, BUT I PLANTED YOU IN THE LINEAGE.

They placed YOU IN THE WALL, BUT I PLANTED you in the lineage. They placed you in poverty, BUT I PLANTED YOU in the lineage. They placed you there, but I planted you here." HE LEFT OUT THE LABEL. >> Tell me, IN THE GENEALOGY, IT DIDN'T SAY RAHAB THE PROSTITUTE. >> Because when you're planted, there's no place for placements.

When you're planted, the placements GOT TO GO. HE GAVE YOU A NEW NAME. HE GAVE YOU A NEW IDENTITY because you're planted. Before there was ever a wall around Jericho, >> before the Red Sea, before slavery in Egypt, before she even got into the life that she couldn't get out of, God had already written her name into his story. >> Kyrie life had placed her in prostitution.

That's real. That's what happened. her decisions, her choices, THINGS THAT WERE PROBABLY OUTSIDE OF HER CONTROL. IT PLACED HER IN PROSTITUTION. THE SAME PROBABLY HAPPENED TO YOU. IT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN PROSTITUTION, BUT IT WAS PROBABLY LUST. IT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN PROSTITUTION, BUT IT WAS PROBABLY FEAR.

It was probably anxiety. It was probably worry. IT WAS PROBABLY REJECTION. LIFE PLACED YOU THERE. It placed you there. But Jesus had already planted her in his lineage. But here here here is what blesses me. The same walls that were supposed to protect Jericho. Man, I can't stay here long.

They also boxed Rahab in. What does this look like? I don't know why I'm I'm I'm hitting on family so much. For mom and dad, it was a form of protection, >> but for you, it was a form of trauma. >> They probably didn't know. It was probably unintentional, but they did it just to protect themselves, >> but it still ended up holding you.

She she literally is in the same walls that are used to protect Jericho. And God says, "I'm about to bring those walls down." >> Now, every time this message is preached, it's typically preached and we shout from the perspective of the Israelites. There's a promise and the walls got to come down cuz I got to go get it.

But for some of us in the room, the shout doesn't come because of going in. >> But them walls equally had to come down so Rahab could get out. And I came to talk to somebody today to say, "The walls are coming down so you can get out of that bondage.

So you can GET OUT OF THAT TRAUMA. SO YOU CAN GET OUT OF THAT CYCLE. THE WALLS ARE COMING DOWN UH NOT JUST FOR YOU TO GO IN, BUT THEY'RE COMING DOWN FOR YOU TO GO OUT. UH GOD LOVED RAHAB ENOUGH UH TO SEND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TO SEND UP A SHOUT TO BRING WALLS DOWN SO SHE COULD COME OUT.

WE HAVE BEEN SHOUTING ALL THESE years over the walls coming down so we can get our promise. But for some of us, God is like, "No, no, no, no, no. You need them walls to come down so you can get out of that bondage. So you can get out of that bondage and you can stop protecting yourself.

You need to let those walls come down so you can come out. Rahab could have easily believed this is my place easily. She could have said this is my life. This is my address right here in this wall doing what it takes to survive. But heaven's response was, "That's not your place." >> And I came here to tell somebody today, I know where life placed you.

I know the labels that were probably put on you. I know the trauma that you've been through. I know the habits. I know the fear. I know the shame. I've lived it myself. I've lived believing that you are what you've been through. >> I've lived thinking that there's no way out of this.

I'm just going to suffer with this for the rest of my life. But God says that's not your place. >> I know what mama said. That's not your place. >> I know what daddy and them used to do. That's not your place. I know what that teacher said, but that's not your place.

Let me tell you something. I don't come from a line of preachers. I don't I don't come from a line of preachers. And my family, they're all successful in different things. And still, God said, "That's not your place." >> Timmy It doesn't always have to be a bad thing. >> It doesn't always have to be negative. >> It could be a career. >> Well, this is what my mom did.

This is what my dad did. >> This is the field that we all went into. This is how we've always done things. And God said, "Hey, that's not your place." >> Because when you're in Christ, you're not just placed, you're planted. >> You're planted in grace. You're planted in mercy.

You're planted on purpose. and you were planted before time began. Here's what I want you to understand. The Bible says that Rahab lived among the people. And this is very important because it's a missing link for many of us. God positioned her and she had to be obedient in that positioning.

But even after she was obedient, he did what? placed her in community so that she could see the planting. For many of us, we want the fruit of planting without the positioning of community. That's what this whole sermon series has been about. There are certain things that God is saying you won't fully see in your life until you're planted somewhere.

God God put her into that community with the children of Israel because he knew that in order to protect the lineage of Jesus as a Canaanite woman, you're going to have to be connected to somebody from this tribe. So maybe you are here at Forward City because God knows that there is something about here that will get you there. >> You think that we're just talking about serving because we need extra hands.

No, it's because we know that once you connect and you are properly positioned, >> you get to see what God planted you in. >> You You think we talk about city groups just so you can meet new friends? No, >> it's because we know that once you are in the right position, you ultimately can see where he planted you.

God is trying to plant you in peace. He's trying to plant you in grace. He's trying to plant you in love. He's trying to plant you in mercy. He's trying to plant you in forgiveness. He's trying to plant you in righteousness. He's trying to plant you in joy.

And maybe you are not properly planted or seeing the fruit of being planted because you're in the wrong position. >> Let me tell you something. God loves his church so much. And I know you probably never hear a pastor say this. He loves his church so much that even if the next city track is empty, he'll still send people. >> He loves his church that much.

It's his bride. >> And yes, we we would love for you to help and partner and serve, but we also are extending THAT INVITATION BECAUSE WE KNOW ONCE YOU ARE IN position you start to see where God planted you >> today. I just want to encourage some people to get in position so that you can see that whatever life placed you, wherever your experience placed you, that's not your final place.

And if you obey God and get in position, he will reveal to you where he planted you, which is in him for the rest of eternity. Everyone standing. Everyone standing. In Joshua, the walls fell so Israel could go in and Rahab could come out. But there was another moment in history where a wall came falling down.

And that was at Calvary. Another wall fell. The wall between God and humanity came down when Jesus died and rose again. Now through his blood, we don't just get out of life wherever we were placed, but we also get planted in him forever. And maybe maybe you're in here or maybe you're watching online and you've been living with placement as your identity.

This addiction is my place. This anxiety is my place. This divorce is my place. This failure is my place. This career is my place. This sin cycle is my place. I'm just here. This is where I am. And I need you to hear something loud and clear. That's not your place.

Your place is in Christ. And today I want to present to you an opportunity that Rahab had, which is to put your faith in Jesus Christ. For some of us today, the action item for getting into position is giving our heart to Jesus Christ. He has been trying to position you for breakthrough, but you have not followed through and obeyed.

And in this moment, I want to make the invitation to you. If that's you, I'm going to count to three. And I just want you to boldly raise your hand saying, "Pastor Jamal, I've got to get into position. I've got to receive this free gift because I don't want to keep living where I was placed."

If you know that you have not accepted Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Savior, maybe for some of us it's like, "I'll wait. I'll do that later on in my life. Well, what if later on doesn't come? Even if you're watching online, maybe you're at home and your heart's racing.

You're like, man, this word was for me. How do I respond? Give him your life. Trust him with your life. And not just as savior, but also as Lord, God, you I want you to lead me. I want you to guide me. I want my life completely submitted to you.

If that's you, I'm going to count to three and I just want you to boldly raise your hand. Hands are going to go up all over the room and all over the world watching online saying, "I need Jesus." One, I need Jesus. Two, I'll never be the same.

Three, that's me. That's me. Just raise that hand if that's you. I see you. Come on. I see you. Raise that hand if that's you. Come on. I see you. I see you. I see you. If that's you online, just drop a one in the chat saying, "That's me.

I see you in the back here." Come on. Can we make some noise for these decisions? We got a young lady back here in the middle. If someone raised their hand, can you please just stretch your hand towards them? We're all going to repeat this prayer together. God is so proud of you.

The Bible says that heaven rejoices over one. The angels rejoice over one. So, we're all going to repeat this prayer as one big family. Could we have to me? Lord Jesus, >> thank you for this day. >> Thank you for this day. I believe >> I believe >> that you lived, >> died, and rose again just for me.

And today I repent of my sins and accept you as my Lord and Savior. And I believe that my life will never be the same in Jesus name. Amen. And amen. Come on, can we make some noise for those decisions? >> Amen. Amen. Amen. brand new brothers and sisters in the family of God.

We're so proud of you. And what was placed in your hand is a book called Let the Journey Begin. And we're excited about this resource because not only does it explain what happened to you in your heart the moment you accepted Christ, but it also serves as a devotional, next steps, all that good stuff.

So we encourage you to take this book, head out to the next steps area and we would love to give you a gift just from Forward City to say congratulations on your decision. And once again online if you received Jesus we encourage you to put a one in the chat and we'll also send you this resource digitally so that you can know what steps do I take next in my brand new life with Christ.

Hey, I hope this word impacted you. Thank you Pastor Jamal >> guys. That was an incredible word. I know I took so many notes. I know that you did, too. Listen, if that message impacted you and you made a decision, just like Pastor Jamal said, to get planted in the family of Christ, congratulations.

I want to pray for you. Dear Jesus, we thank you for every single person who accepted you as their savior. And they are right now planted in the family of Christ. We rejoice with all of the angels in heaven for their brand new life. It's in Jesus name we pray.

Amen. Hey, Forward City, listen. We don't dismiss. We simply declare your past is gone. Your future's waiting. Move forward.