Judgement Slowed Down By God

I. EXORDIUM:

Is GOD patient with you? Yes, I'm still in the making. GOD's not finished with me.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (Amplified Bible)

3:18 And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (King James Version)

3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show that GOD is very patient towards us and wanted us to repent so we could be like Him in every aspect of our life.

IV. TEXT:

Joshua 7:14 (Amplified Bible)

7:14 In the morning therefore, you shall present your tribes. And the tribe which the Lord takes shall come by families; and the family which the Lord takes shall come by households; and the household which the Lord takes shall come by persons.

Joshua 7:14 (King James Version)

7:14 In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man.

V. THESIS:

Praise, worship and thank You very much LORD JESUS for You are infinitely patient with me and always wanting me to repent towards Your own mentality so I can enjoy life more here on earth with You and for You.

VI. TITLE:

Judgement slowed down by GOD

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Author: Joshua (uncertain)

B. Key Thought: How to be successful in the battle of life? (Joshua 1:8-9)

Joshua 1:8-9 (NLT)

8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

C. Leading Topic: Conquest and Division of the land of Canaan

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. GOD slows down the process of judgement

"In the morning therefore, you shall present your tribes. And the tribe which the Lord takes shall come by families; and the family which the Lord takes shall come by households; and the household which the Lord takes shall come by persons."

Hierarchy of people:

1. Tribes by tribes

2. Families by families

3. Households by households

4. Man by man

The LORD certainly, and infinitely knows all things from eternity past, but why does He have to go into the trouble of doing this before He pinpoints Achan?

1. Because of His Great Mercy and Love to people even His enemies

Romans 5:8 (Amplified Bible)

5:8 But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.

2. Because of He wanted Achan to repent

Romans 2:4 (Amplified Bible)

2:4 Or are you [so blind as to] trifle with and presume upon and despise and underestimate the wealth of His kindness and forbearance and long-suffering patience? Are you unmindful or actually ignorant [of the fact] that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repent (to change your mind and inner man to accept God’s will)?

Acts 17:30 (Amplified Bible)

17:30 Such [former] ages of ignorance God, it is true, ignored and allowed to pass unnoticed; but now He charges all people everywhere to repent (to change their minds for the better and heartily to amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins),

B. If you don't become living sacrifice, you're better for a dead sacrifice

Achan prioritized his pride, while GOD was doing the process of selection, he can step out of the crowd and volunteered to be the guilty one because that's the true case with him. And he admitted to the crowd and begged for GOD's mercies in his life, but he does not want to do it. He loved his life and so he losed it.

John 12:25-26 (Amplified Bible)

12:25 Anyone who loves his life loses it, but anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. [Whoever has no love for, no concern for, no regard for his life here on earth, but despises it, preserves his life forever and ever.]