Biblically, the difference between destruction and deliverance comes down to one visible sign of faith. In Egypt, it was blood on a doorpost; in Jericho, a scarlet cord—simple signs that meant everything. God didn’t just spare His people; He brought them out of bondage and made them His own. Rahab wasn’t just rescued; she was brought in and given a place in the story of redemption. Through Jesus, that same saving power is offered to you—not just to rescue you, but to bring you in. Pastor Steve Schobert reflects on where we find ourselves in God’s story: still waiting, barely surviving, or fully living as those who’ve been brought in.
There are moments in Scripture when the difference between destruction and deliverance comes down to a simple act of faith.
In Egypt, it was blood on the doorpost.
In Jericho, it was a scarlet cord hanging from a window.
Neither sign looked impressive on its own. Neither seemed powerful by human standards. But both became visible declarations that someone believed God, trusted His word, and responded in faith.
That is the heartbeat of Operation Jericho. In this powerful message, Pastor Steve Schobert walks us through Hebrews 11, Joshua 2, Joshua 6, and Philippians 1, showing that God does more than rescue people from judgment. He brings them into covenant, into promise, and into His redemptive story.
For people across Garland, TX, Murphy, Plano, Richardson, Rowlett, Wylie, and throughout Dallas County, Collin County, and Rockwall County, this message is a timely reminder: God is still looking for faith that responds, trusts, and obeys.
Faith Makes the Difference
Hebrews 11 gives us the foundation:
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down…”
“By faith the harlot Rahab perished not…”
That is not accidental wording. The same chapter that celebrates Abraham, Moses, and the heroes of faith also highlights Jericho and Rahab. Why? Because God wants us to see that faith is not only for patriarchs and prophets. Faith is for anyone willing to trust Him.
A Visible Sign of Invisible Trust
Biblically, faith often becomes visible.
In Egypt, faith looked like blood applied to a doorpost.
In Jericho, faith looked like a scarlet cord hanging in a window.
Those signs were not magical. They were acts of obedience. They were evidence that someone believed what God had said.
And that is still true today. Faith is never just internal agreement. Real faith responds. It acts. It obeys. It places confidence in the Word of God even when the outcome is not yet visible.
Jericho Was a Place of Judgment and Promise
Joshua 6 tells us Jericho was tightly shut up. The city looked secure. The walls looked permanent. The obstacles looked intimidating. But God had already declared what would happen.
Jericho was not going to stand because God had spoken.
God’s Plan Did Not Make Sense to Human Logic
March around the city.
Keep walking.
Keep obeying.
Shout when God says shout.
This was not military strategy. This was faith strategy.
God was showing Israel that victory would not come through human strength, cleverness, or control. It would come through obedience. Jericho would fall because God’s people trusted His word enough to do what He said.
That is still how many victories happen in our lives. Not because we can explain every step, but because we keep following God through the process.
Rahab Shows Us What Saving Faith Looks Like
One of the most compelling parts of this story is Rahab.
Joshua 2 introduces her as an unlikely candidate for grace. She was a woman in Jericho, living in a city under judgment, with a past that should have disqualified her from any place in Israel’s future. But grace found her because faith rose in her heart.
She Believed Before the Walls Fell
Rahab had heard what God had done.
She heard about the Red Sea.
She heard about Israel’s victories.
She heard enough to know that the God of Israel was the true God.
And then she responded:
“The Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.”
That confession mattered. Rahab was not merely afraid of judgment. She believed in the God who saves.
The Scarlet Cord Was Her Public Yes
The spies told her to tie a scarlet cord in her window. That cord became the dividing line between destruction and deliverance.
Again, it looked simple. But it meant everything.
It was a visible expression of trust.
It marked her house.
It identified her faith.
It placed her under the promise of mercy.
And when Jericho fell, Rahab and her household were spared.
God Does More Than Bring People Out
This message does not stop at rescue. It goes deeper.
God did not just bring Israel out of Egypt. He brought them in.
God did not just spare Rahab from Jericho’s destruction. He brought her into His people.
That is one of the strongest truths in Operation Jericho.
Rescue Is Not the End of the Story
Rahab was not merely preserved from disaster. She was welcomed into the covenant community. Joshua 6 says she dwells in Israel. She was brought in, given a place, and woven into the story of redemption.
That means God’s salvation is never just about escape. It is about belonging.
Through Jesus Christ, God does not merely save people from sin, shame, and judgment. He brings them into His family, into His church, and into His kingdom purpose.
That is the beauty of the gospel.
The Scarlet Cord Points Forward to Jesus
The scarlet cord in Joshua’s story echoes the blood on the doorpost in Exodus. Both are signs of faith. Both point to rescue. Both remind us that salvation is not earned by our strength but received through trusting what God has provided.
And both ultimately point us to Jesus.
Jesus Is the Greater Rescue
Through the cross, Jesus became the means by which judgment passes over and mercy brings us in.
He does not just save us from something.
He saves us for something.
He brings us:
- out of bondage
- out of shame
- out of sin
- out of isolation
And He brings us:
- into covenant
- into the church
- into new life
- into the story of redemption
For families and individuals in Garland and across the surrounding DFW communities, this is still the gospel: Jesus saves, restores, and brings people in.
Where Do You Find Yourself in God’s Story?
One of the most searching questions in this message is this: where are you in the story right now?
Are you still waiting?
Are you barely surviving?
Or are you fully living as someone who has been brought in?
Some Are Still Waiting
You may believe God is real, but you have not fully responded to Him yet. You are standing at the edge of promise, hearing the truth, but not yet acting in faith.
Some Are Barely Surviving
You may know what it is to be rescued, but you are still living as though fear has the final word. You are hanging on, but not yet walking in the confidence of someone who belongs to God.
Some Need to Start Living Brought In
This is where God wants to bring His people. Not just spared. Not just surviving. But living as sons and daughters, rooted in promise, walking in purpose, and confident in the faithfulness of God.
That is where Philippians 1 speaks so beautifully:
“He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
God finishes what He starts.
Operation Jericho Is Still Happening
The same God who marked houses in Egypt, preserved Rahab in Jericho, and brought outsiders into covenant is still working today.
He is still saving.
He is still delivering.
He is still bringing people in.
He is still writing redemption stories.
And sometimes the dividing line still comes down to one visible act of faith.
A prayer.
A step of obedience.
A public yes to Jesus.
A response to His word.
What seems small in the moment may be the very thing that changes everything.
A Call to Faith
Pastor Steve Schobert’s message reminds us that faith is never casual. It is responsive. It is visible. It moves when God speaks.
Jericho teaches us that walls fall when faith obeys.
Rahab teaches us that mercy reaches farther than we think.
The gospel teaches us that Jesus does not just rescue us from destruction—He brings us into redemption.
So the question is not whether God still saves. He does.
The question is whether we will respond in faith.
Hang the scarlet cord.
Trust the promise.
Take God at His word.
And let Him bring you fully into the life He has prepared for you.
