An Achan Heart

The subject that I chose to talk about t is something that NONE of us as church members is immune to. Every one of us is subject to this, and God wants us to recognize it and follow the examples that He has laid out for us in the Bible. What I’m talking about is the accursed thing as we will study about in just a few moments. The Bible makes it plain as day that each and everyone of us are sinners, and we can’t do anything about it. The Bible tells us Romans 3:23 “For ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” The Bible also tells us that because of our sinful nature, they cannot go unpunished. Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. But we do know that there is hope for us sinners, that if we put all of our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, confess our sins, believe that he died for our sins, was buried, rose again the 3rd day we can be saved. 1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Therefore we understand that being a child of God, and having scriptural baptism through a one of the Lords New Test. Churches is what makes a person eligible to become a member of a local, visible body called a Church. One that is covenanted together, with saved believers with scriptural baptism, to carry out the Great Commission that Jesus left for His Churches to carry out in Mat 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Here is the problem as I see it. As a church member that wants to carry out the Great Commission that Jesus as CHARGED His N.T. Church to do, were all still sinners. As a member of a N.T. Church its only natural to want to do as much for the cause of Christ as we possibly can, and that is reach the unchurched throughout our community and throughout the world, in other words…Reach the lost, lead them to the Lord by either our testimonies, or telling them about Jesus and what He did for you and them. Discipling them, or teaching them to observe all things that God would want in their life and also by becoming involved in one of the Lords New Test Churches as a church member.

Now that would make us all a team as I see it. There is a saying that is said in the Army…Your only as strong as your weakest soldier. I believe that is true in one of the Lords Churches. And that is why is stated earlier that NONE of us is immune to this accursed thing. All of us are sinners, and when a person sins it effects everyone around them. I’ve also heard it put like this. You either win as a team or you lose as a team. When a person sins…God knows all about it, even when no one else does. And like the illustration of winning as a team or losing as a team, when a person has not examined himself and come clean with the Lord, the entire team suffers. An O.T. example of this is Joshua Chapter 7 our text. Here is the story of Achan; it’s fitting of what the meaning of Achan is. Achan means trouble or troublesome. Because of Achan sin, not only did he suffer but also all of Israel suffered, he troubled the congregation if you will of Israel, with a troublesome heart. So what is God’s remedy for an Achan heart? For us to examine ourselves and then come clean with any sin that we may have not confessed to the Lord. We cannot fool God he knows everything. The fall of Jericho precedes this chapter, God told the children of Israel to totally destroy the city and all of the gold silver and vessels of brass and iron are to be consecrated unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the Lord. They were also told to keep them selves from the accursed thing V 18-19 chapter 6. And ye, in any wise keep [yourselves] from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD. Showing the first fruits of all things are to be given unto the Lord. He also told the children of Israel to keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, if you take of the accursed thing and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But Achan didn’t listen. The out come of all of this is a little leaven, leavens the whole lump.