Preserving Your Spiritual Heritage—part 2

PRESERVING YOUR SPIRITUAL HERITAGE-II—Joshua 22:10-34

Jack & John/Entrepreneurs/Bungee jumping business in Casa del Sol, Mexico/Opened for business—Large crowd, rough looking(sticks & bats)—No one buying tickets/

To get crowd excited, John jumped/

John came back up with shirt torn/Quickly said ‘Pull me up!’/

John up again/Welts on head & body, clothes ripped,‘Pull me up! Get me out of here!’/Jack recovers John & asks,

‘What in the world happened down there?’

John says, I’m not sure. But do you know what ‘pinata’ means?’

John was concerned about preserving his life/heritage.

God’s people must concern themselves with preserving their life in Christ or their spiritual heritage.

One generation away from no witness.

The sons of Israel zealously protected/preserved their spiritual heritage.

God’s people must preserve their spiritual heritage.

How are we to preserve our spiritual heritage?

4 Challenges toward preserving our spiritual heritage are...

1. Appropriate Reminders(:10)

2. Appropriate Talk(:11)

3. Appropriate Action(:12)

4. Appropriate Caution(:13-15)

5th Challenge toward preserving our spiritual heritage is

APPROPRIATE ACCUSATION(:16-20)

—Explanation:(:16-20)Rebuke/Confrontation/Reprimand

PLAIN FACTS

:16—““ “Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, ‘What is this unfaithful act which you have committed against the God of Israel, turning away from following the LORD this day, by building yourselves an altar, to rebel against the LORD this day?”

PAST FAILURE—Learning experience

:17-18a—“‘Is not the iniquity of Peor enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although a plague came on the congregation of the LORD, that you must turn away this day from following the LORD?

Num. 25:1-9—Midianite woman—24,000 of Israel died

CONSEQUENCES—Far-reaching

:18b— “...And it will come about if you rebel against the LORD today, that He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel tomorrow.

GRACE

:19—“‘If, however, the land of your possession is unclean, then cross into the land of the possession of the LORD, where the LORD’S tabernacle stands, & take possession among us. Only do not rebel against the LORD, or rebel against us by building an altar for yourselves, besides the altar of the LORD our God.”

SIMILAR EXAMPLE

:20—“‘Did not Achan the son of Zerah act unfaithfully in the things under the ban, & wrath fall on all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his iniquity.’””

The way the challenge/Accusation is presented has everything to do with the response we receive.

Accusations are our perceptions of the evidence expressed to the perpetrators.

—Argumentation:

CHURCH

Mat. 18:15-17—““And if your brother sins, go & reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. “And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; & if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile & a tax-gatherer.”

INDIVIDUALS

1Tim. 5:1-2—“Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, & the younger women as sisters, in all purity.”

1Tim. 5:20—“Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also may be fearful of sinning.”

Titus 2:15—“These things speak & exhort & reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.”

Rev. 3:19—“‘Those whom I love, I reprove & discipline; be zealous therefore, & repent.”

Titus 1:13-14—“This testimony is true. For this cause reprove them severely that they may be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish myths & commandments of men who turn away from the truth.”

—Illustration:

Full dumpsters/Accuse county of negligence/Present dangers to public

—Application:

?Do we[Providence] provide Appropriate Accusation/Rebuke of our brothers & sisters?

?You met the challenge to Provide Appropriate Accusation?

?You helping to Preserve your Spiritual Heritage?

6th Challenge toward preserving our spiritual heritage is

APPROPRIATE EXONERATION(:21-27)

—Explanation:(:21-27)Deliverance/Reason/Answer/Concern

:21—“Then the sons of Reuben & the sons of Gad & the half-tribe of Manasseh answered, & spoke to the heads of the families of Israel.

:22-23—“The Mighty One, God, the LORD, the Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows, & may Israel itself know. If it was in rebellion, or if in an unfaithful act against the LORD do not Thou save us this day! “If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the LORD, or if to offer a burnt offering or grain offering on it, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings on it, may the LORD Himself require it.

“The Mighty One, God, the LORD”

—Common understanding of God

“If”—If your accusations are true then...

“Do not thou save us”—Allow the intent of the 10 tribes.

“May the LORD Himself require it”