Lesson 1: When Someone Else Makes Me Fail

A. INTRODUCTION TO MISTAKES AND FAILURES

1. This series is not about sin and rebelling, but about our mistakes.

2. Sins are covered by Jesus’ blood, mistakes are covered by learning. Two types of people to avoid. First the one who says he never makes mistakes; he is not honest. Second, the one who keeps making the same mistake; he is not learning.

3. A child never learns to walk without falling down.

a. Don’t spank.

b. Don’t coddle.

c. Pick him up and help him walk again.

Learning From Mistakes

1. Mess up 5. Back up

2. Blow up 6. Wake up

3. Cover up 7. Smell the coffee

4. Slow up

4. The three most difficult words to say . . . I was wrong.

5. Your mistakes don’t sink you; it’s your reaction to failure.

6. Wrong reaction makes original mistakes even bigger.

7. Answer four questions: (1) What happened? (2) What can I learn about failure? (3) What can I learn about God? (4) What will I do differently next time?

B. JOSHUA 7: FIRST QUESTION – WHAT HAPPENED?

1. Not take problems seriously. “It’s a small town” (Josh 7, LB).

2. Overconfident. “There’s no need for all of us to go” (Josh. 7:3, LB).

3. No prayer. Trust in self and not God.

4. Disastrous consequences. “They killed about 36 men” (7:5, LB).

5. Loss of testimony. “When the Canaanites . . . hear about it” (7:9, LB).

6. Fear of consequences. “They will surround us and wipe us off the face of the earth” (7:9, LB).

C. SECOND QUESTION – WHAT CAN I LEARN FROM FAILURE?

1. Often times we blame God for our failure. “Why did You bring us” (7:7, LB).

2. One private sin can hurt others/me. “Neither will I be with you any more” (7:12).

3. Overconfidence is a dangerous thing when not supported with prayer and walking in the presence of the Lord.

4. Good people and seemingly good advice can hurt you.

5. Never give any endeavor for God less than your best.

6. Past victories do not guarantee future victories.

7. Others can make us fail. “Achan . . . took up the accursed thing” (7:1).

8. God’s punishment of others may hurt me, even when we don’t sin. “The anger of the Lord was kindled against . . . Israel” (7:1).

D. THIRD QUESTION – WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD?

1. God wants us to be victorious in spite of our failures and mistakes. “Thou canst not stand before thine enemies until you take away the cursed thing” (7:13).

2. God will come to us after our failures. “The Lord said, unto Joshua, ‘Get up’” (7:10). God doesn’t leave us defeated.

3. God may show us the cause of our failures. “Israel has sinned” (7:11).

4. God has a way to spiritual victory. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (I Cor. 10:13).

5. God expects us to be spiritual, even in failure. “Get up! Command the people to purify themselves” (7:13, LB).

6. If I don’t pray about projects, I may fail.

7. You can’t assume God will be with you if you don’t invite His presence into your work. “Neither will I be with you any more” (7:12). There was no evidence they took the Ark with them to Ai.

8. Often the issue is sin, either in your life or someone else’s. It can be the sin of commission or the sin of omission.

E. FOURTH QUESTION – WHAT WILL I DO DIFFERENTLY NEXT TIME?

1. Pray. There is no record that Joshua sought God’s help in the second battle.

2. Past commands are standing orders. A soldier has “Orders of the Day” and “Standing Orders.” God told Joshua, “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go” (Joshua 1:7).

3. Learn confidence from past victories and be stronger. “Be strong and of good courage” (1:9).

4. The principles of warfare remain the same; the methods for the day may change. The priest went first at Jericho, but the strategy was different at Ai.

5. God forgives our sin, but we must live with its consequences. “Achan answered . . . indeed I have sinned” (7:20). “All Israel stoned him with stones” (7:25).

Series: Mistakes and Failures

1. When someone else makes us fail.

2. When doubts make us fail.

3. When we don’t understand what God is doing.

4. When we don’t know ourselves.