God's Prescription For An Achan Heart Series

GOD’S PRESCRIPTION FOR AN ACHAN HEART

JOSHUA 7:1-26

Israel has just been involved in the greatest military conquest in their history--------they have just witnessed the tremendous defeat of the city of Jericho and they are still basking in the glow of that great event

----------but verse 1 tells us that God was upset6 with the people

They thought that they were standing on the edge of a great string of victories that would see them conquering the entire land of promise

---------yet ----what they didn’t know at this point----was that there was a problem ------there was sin in the camp

There was one in the midst who was causing a problem for the entire family of God--------expound

Things are still the same today?-----folks-we are all members of one body--------Notice I Corinthians 12:26-27

----------When one member of the body has problems----the entire body has problems

-----------What you do effects the entire Church body

My desire in preaching this message is that each of you would search your hearts and examine your life—expound

Sin causes problems-----it causes them for the sinner and for everyone else around them------remember the first trip to the Jordan

When we allow sin into our lives and when we try to hide our sins and try to cover it up----we bring pain and trouble into our lives

You see we are all Achans from time to time—and when we are----our sins causes aching in our lives----and so often in the lives of those around us

However----these verses tell us that God has a prescription for an Achan heart

I)—A Painful Defeat-----V. 2-5

a)—Israel was a confident people----v. 2-3

Israel was still basking in the glow of their victory at Jericho and they looked at Ai and felt like that little town would be no problem for such a great army

Israel was a confident people, but a closer look reveals that their confidence was misplaced-----in v. 3—they fell like that just a few of the soldiers are needed to secure a victory in little Ai-------These people are guilty of resting on their laurels

Israel did not realize it—but they are living through one of the most dangerous times of life------------you see—the time just after a great spiritual victory is a dangerous time

-----often, like Israel we will be over confident and believe that we can handle any battle that comes our way

Proverbs 16:18—"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling"

So often when God is growing you in your walk with Him or God is growing a Church------you had better watch out—satan is on his way

Confidence is a good thing as long as one’s confidence is in the right place

b)—Israel was a conquered people—v. 4-5

When Israel we4nt up to Ai -----they suffered a terrible defeat and 36 of their men were killed

----now looking more closely at their actions----it is easy to see that they made several mistakes-------------mistakes that many of us are guilty of making as well

1)—Nowhere in this passage does it even hint that Joshua and the people of Israel sought the will of God for dealing with Ai

If they had prayed------God would have revealed the problem before people died-----expound

---------It is far better to consult God before we make the mistake than it is to expect Him to clean up our messes afterwards

2)—They didn’t take the Ark of the Covenant into battle

The Ark symbolized the presence and power of God------they went into the battle in their own strength and they failed

We try to live the Christian life, fight the flesh and the devil in our own power and we fail time after time

We do not take the time to strengthen our walk with God

------When we are walking with the Lord and in His Word as we should be, He will go with us into the battle and face our enemies on our behalf

3)—Israel had their confidence in their own power and not in the Lord

They were not walking by faith----but they were guilty of trusting what they could do----they own wisdom and intellect-----making their own decisions

-------We all need the Lord if we are to walk in spiritual victory in our lives-----Philippians 4:13–"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me"

John 15:5----"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing"

C)—Israel was a confounded people—v. 5

After their terrible defeat at the hands of Ai, the people of Israel are feeling the same fear that their enemies experienced

------this is one of the problems with sin----It defeats you and leaves you feeling just like a lost man-------nothing is right in the life of a believer while there is sin in his midst